25 Years Ago - 1984

The Staples High School band led the way for the 1984 Homecoming parade last Friday through the streets of Staples. Under the direction of first-year instructor Scott Emmonds, the band performed for the parade and the halftime ceremonies at the football game.

Passing through Staples on his walk from Long Beach, Mississippi attempting to reach Winnipeg last Tuesday morning was Henry Pulsifer, a man bearing a cross on his shoulder. The bottom of the cross was outfitted with two wheels to help follow behind the walker. The goal of his walk, he said, is to share the fact that the answer to all problems can be found with the cross of Jesus Christ.

The Staples Chamber of Commerce began its new year last week with the September monthly meeting. Tim Rice, administrator of United District Hospital and Home was elected as the Chamber's new President. Moving into the Vice-Presidency is Wendel Toedter, realtor with Schimpp Realty.

50 Years Ago - 1959

While attending the convention of Northwest Salesmen last weekend in Minneapolis, Mrs. Hazel Harter of Mae's Dress Shop was the winner of a console RCA television set at their drawing.

Funeral services are pending at the Huff Funeral Chapel for Jake Ringler, lifelong Staples area resident who passed away Tuesday afternoon at the Mary Rondorf Home.

The Staples High School band will be honored as the Band of the Week on WCCO Radio's "Prep Parade" Thursday, October 1, at 8:05 p.m. The band under the direction of Mark Evans, will perform the program's musical selections in addition to being recognized for its outstanding achievements.

Co-captains for the Staples High School football team were elected this week with both Lyle Stevens and Jim Hopkins being last year letter winners. Stevens was also named a guard on the Central Six All Conference Team last year.

REMINISCENCES: In reading these archival Staples Worlds it's impossible to ignore the ads. Often they bring back very strong memories of activities, sights or sounds of days long past. Perhaps describing some of the ads from 50 years ago this week will jog memories. It's amazing how clear the recollections are of the rooms in the houses where I grew up.

Ahlness Men's Store had ads for penny loafers, wing tip lace ups and $1 a pair cotton argyle socks while Perry's Ben Franklin was beginning their ads for the upcoming Christmas toy sales. The toys were familiar as could be, the gun and holster set, a Tinker Toy set and a Missile model kit with plastic cement. They were also selling a metal 20-piece tea set (service for four) a box of

Shirley Temple paper dolls

and scale model cars with "spin torque" friction motors

and rubber tires. Very, very familiar was a Pop-ABall push toy with vividly colored balls that would pop up under a poly dome when pushed.

The S & Q stores were selling blue and white speckled enamel high dome lid poultry roaster pans as well as cage style rubbish burners, pitch forks and black dome lidded thermos holder lunch pails. Anthony's was selling chenille bed spreads and chenille bathrobes, remember those?

To be honest, the Goepferd furniture ad brought about the strongest reaction. It wasn't good. Of all the furniture I've ever seen in any decade of my life, nothing seems to me to be uglier than the furniture of the fifties. There is a strange cold and futuristic style to it that makes me think of the "Jetsons" show on television. Like the cars with fins, the furniture had pokey and pointy, angular shaped beds, sofas, and desks with conical shaped legs and almost all was what they called blonde. The sofas were a single color and often seemed to me to be brown or a peculiar pink. I did like the "bookcase/ sliding door" headboards to the beds - plural, as commonly most houses master bedrooms had a set of twin beds. Cold.

It's good to be able to say my family was large and we needed an old wooden many-leafed table. Warm memories come back of older more comfortable furniture. We weren't up with new fads and styles as many of our friends and acquaintances were. While their homes were bright and colorful, ours was warm and cozy. Maybe the reason I think of the fashionable modernistic furniture of the 50s as being ugly is because it didn't feel like home, my home. For what ever reason, when furniture of the 50s becomes antique - I won't be collecting it.