Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

and I wasn't in my room. I was latel
Getting on with the story, after they demolished the
old school. we have discovered the bell clapper was
never really stolen. or even removed from the building!
Seems a couple of mischievous students dreamed up
the idea of removing the clapper. So. about 10:30 one
night. they climbed up to the bell tower. unhooked the
clapper. and then dropped it down the school chimneyl
Since the statute of limitations has run out: since
they never really stole the clapper. and since they don't
allow the ‘grab your ankles’ paddling anymore. one of
the culprits has stepped forward. 40 years later. and
identified himself and his partner involved in the
Clapper Caper. Would you believe Clarence “Ed"
Brady and Murray O'Brien could have been involved in
this?
Yes. surprisingly so.
But there's more.
The Fred Iben Excavating Company began to tear the
old school down while a member of the Clapper
Caper Clan. was fishing up north. When he returned
home. he contacted Johnny Tschantz. an Iben
employee. and asked him to look in the bottom of the
old school chimney for a bell Clapper. Johnny did. He
found it and presented it to
While interviewing this Clapper Caper Clan member.
he said they told only a very few of their closest and
trusted friends about the Caper. They went to school
early the next moming and said it was awfully quiet at
8:30 [the janitor probably thought he was going deafl]
“Ed" also mentioned it was quite a while before a new
clapper was installed in the bell.
So. 40 years later. the question has been answered:
WHO STOLE THE CLAPPER FROM THE SCHOOL
HOUSE BELL?
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Ed Brady is pictured holding the answer to the 40-
year-old mystery. The other member of the Clapper
Caper Clan is Murray O'Brien.
In 1976. when communities all over America were
commemorating the country's bicentennial. the idea
was conceived by the high school library aids. with the
aid of the high school librarian. to move the 123-year
old school bell from its location of 103 years to the
inside of the seven-year old Community High School.
on the east edge of the city. This stirred up a
controversy which lasted several months.
Some 300 signatures were presented to the Anamosa
Board of Education requesting that the bell remain
where it was. Strong sentiments were expressed by
those for and against the move. A question was asked
More About the School Bell
by Bertha Finn
whether the issue could be put to a vote. The answer
given by the superintendent of the Anamosa school
district was. “There are certain actions that require a
vote of the people by law. but this is a transfer of
property from one building to another within the
responsibilities of the board of education."
The Board of Education voted to move their bell.
There was one dissenting vote.
The bell was moved. It is safe. and is seen daily by
hundreds of high school students and faculty and.
after all. being 134 years old. perhaps it deserves the
rest .
Teachers at St. Patrick's School
S.M. Claudia Kelly: S.M. Dolorosa Zobl: S.M.Laetitia
Konecny: S.M.Louise Garrett; S.M. Geraldine Pavek;
S.M.Cecilia Soreghan; S.M.Vincent Mahoney; S.M.
Paula Griffin: S.M. James Hushen; S.M. Annelise
McGrane: S.M. Clemacus Danaher: S. Mary Ann
Becker.
S. Alice Emst; S. Roseline Kos: S. Bernadette Marie;
S.M. Grace Metz; S.M. Sylvester Hanan: S.M. Lucilla
McConohy: S. Teresa Donovan; S.M. Matthew Beiver;
S.M. Mararet Hanlon; S.M. Beitille; S.M. Linus Ernst; S.
compiled by Kathleen Dougherty
Sisters of Mercy
240
Monica Ryan:
S.M. Conslio; S.M. Daniel Sullivan; S. Mary Margaret
Tombrink; S. Joseph Marie Busher; S.M. Salome Pint;
S.M. Philomena Husak: S. Karla Wauters; S.M. Inez
Zeeman: S.M. Pius Biever; S.M. Howard: S. Marilyn
Whitty:
S. Therese Retterath; S. Bonita Lentz; S. Gertrude
O'Keefe: S.M. St. Jude Haywood: S. Kathleen Sulivan:
S. Genevieve Novotny; S. Mary Ann Shimek: S.M.
William West;