Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

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Anamosa Farmer's Creamery delivery truck (Photo
submitted by Roy Foikerts)
valued at $130,000.
The grand opening of the new facility, one year later.
marked 39 years of growth for the cooperative. April 27.
1955, was declared Creamery Day, and the event was
sponsored by the Anamosa Creamery Co. and the
Anamosa Chamber of Commerce, at the suggestion and
planning of the then chamber president, Mae Amelia
Rumple. The event drew over 5,000 people.
Governor Leo A. Hoegh gave the address at the
Business and Professional Women's Banquet, which
was held in the chapel of the Iowa Men's Reformatory.
using the dairy theme in table decorations. Governor
Hoegh toured the new creamery facilities and
congratulated president Alvin Byerly and manager A.
Hazel Smith on the modern new plant which would aid
the area farmers
Entertainment included the Wapsi Warblers, an
Anamosa barbershop quartet composed of Courtright
Hawley, Dale Condry. P.S. Mclntosh. and Charles
Alyea. The Iowa Scottish Highlanders from the
University of Iowa performed during the event and
bands from Anamosa, Wyoming and Monticello
participated in the parade, with the Iowa governor and
the bands queen candidates. Dixie Davenport,
Anamosa‘s entry that year, in the Eastem Iowa Band
Festival Queen contest, was hostess for all of the
candidates.
Kathryn Andreesen of Olin was crowned queen at the
Butter Ball that evening, which was held in the
Reliance Shirt Factory building. 500 tickets were sold
for the Ball, with Leo Cortemeglia and his band
furnishing the music for dancing.
Free milk and ice cream was handed out to visitors at
the new creamery building, along with free balloons
and key chains. 140 gallons of ice cream, in 3,000
cones. were given away.
1500 people registered for prizes. A registered
Holstein calf which was donated by the creamery and
the Anamosa Chamber of Commerce, was won by Mrs.
William Klinefelter.
Prizes for the queen and her court were donated by
Gildner & Crow, Aments, Economy Shoe Store, Scott
Hardware, Glen McLaughlin, Hawley Drug, Loyet's.
Gambles, Hartman Electric, McNamara Shoe Store.
I953 photo of the staff of the Anamosa Farmer's
Creamery Co. Back row, left to right. A. Hazel Smith,
Budd Cook, Matthew Boots, Clyde S. Barker. Clifford
“Shorty” Taylor, Jack Schmidt. Front row: Wilbur
Ellison, Walter Farrington. Lester Houstman, Roy
Folkerts. (Photo submitted by Mildred Brown)
Mae Amelia's Gift Shop, Stuhler’s Clothing. Citizen's
Savings Bank, Kouba Drug, Schumacher Furniture, Tic
Toc Shop, Watkin’s store, Anamosa Hardware and the
Model Dress Shop.
After A. Hazel Smith retired in 1958, Keith Gerry
from Alma. Iowa, replaced him as manager until Sept.
1. 1960, when Dale Suckow of Jesup was hired. When
Mr. Suckow left. Wayne Dolan was named as manager.
In 1962, the creamery sold the bottled milk business
but continued cream pick-up routes and remained in
the feed retail business and the manufacture of ice
cream until 1963, when that, too, was discontinued.
New cheese-making equipment was added and by
May, 1964, the creamery had 12 trucks and drivers
hauling for them. A 34 x 55 addition was added to
the building to handle the butter business as well as
two kinds of Iowa Gold Leaf Cheese. Twenty-eight
persons were on the payroll. and milk was picked up
within a 50-mile radius of Anamosa seven days a week.
By October, 1964, Marlin Eitland had succeeded
Dolan as manager and the creamery was one of the
most up-to-date cheese plants in the state. and one of
only a few which had both a clarifier and a vacu-therrn.
The board of directors at this time were: Frank Pillard,
George Brown, Darrell Meredith, Harold Gray,
Lawrence Shanney, Lawrence Yanda, Alvin Byerly,
Donald Brokaw and Dennis Larson.
On December 3, 1965, the Anamosa Farmer's
Creamery Company discontinued business and a
voluntary petition of bankruptcy was filed in federal
court. The petition was flied by secretary, Darrell
Meredith, with 200 creditors, mostly farmers, listed on
the petition.
On January 14, 1966, a bankruptcy hearing was held
in the federal court in Cedar Rapids where creditors
packed the courtroom. Value of land and buildings
were set at $145,000.
A bankruptcy public auction was held Oct. 29, 1966,
and the top bid was $28,592.81 by three banks holding
mortgages against the property. The bid was approved
Dec. 21, 1966.
The Anamosa Farrner’s Creamery Co. employed
hundreds of different people through its many years of
operation. In the early days, wages were low and the
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