Jim began: I was the youngest of three children in our family. I was born in Aplington, Iowa, in November, 1949. I grew up in the very small town of Kesley, in Butler County, in northeast Iowa.
My parents had me late in life- both of my sisters were in their teens when I came along. My father was manager of a butter factory that was right across the street from our house in Kesley. He worked at the same job for over 30 years, seven days a week, at least 10 hours a day. Mother was a homemaker. I remember that she had quite a garden, canned, and did all that go with old-fashioned housekeeping. Dad had heart disease and died when I was 21, a senior in college.
I attended a one room country school through 6th grade and had the same teacher until she retired, when I was through the 5th grade. There were only 12-15 kids in the whole school with only one other pupil in my grade, so I was always at the top of the class. For lack of competition, I basically had to challenge myself. However, there were some advantages to this type of school- recitation of each student was heard by all, and younger ones could learn from hearing the lessons of the advanced classes. Religion was definitely a part of the program. There were not many organized activities. The big events were the Christmas program and the spring picnic with its softball game. Those were two gatherings in which the parents participated and were involved in school activities.
I participated in several extra-curricular activities at Aplington High School. I was on the starting team and lettered in football. I also lettered in track, participated in basketball and in speech and drama.
In addition to school I always worked anywhere I could find the opportunity. My first jobs were lawn mowing in the neighborhood, followed by employment in a gas station, grain elevator, on construction, and as a farm laborer. I did this all through high school and in college, where I worked for the Agronomy Department. This, and saving what I earned, made it possible for me to finance my college education.
My family attended the Dutch Reformed (RCA) Church. We always attended two services each Sunday. I well remember the one Sunday night that I stayed home and watched the Beatles on TV. That was a big deal! It was the only time I missed Sunday night service. My parents may not have been too happy about it, but they tolerated it.
I participated in intramural athletics in college and for two years I was a rock music disc jockey on the students’ radio station. After graduation I took the first job I was offered, in the Farmers' Home Administration, which makes housing and farm loans. I had been a trainee the previous summer and then was offered a full-time position in their office in Osceola.
Sometime during my college years, I decided I wanted to be a community banker and the first opportunity came about 1 1/2 years after coming to Osceola. I was hired as a vice president of Clarke County State Bank when Earl Curtis was president.
For Elaine’s part of the story: I was born in Des Moines in 1953, in Mercy Hospital, to Bob and Delores Van Dike. I have two brothers - one younger, one older. We lived in Norwalk and one of my brothers still lives there; the other one is in Omaha. Our family has not scattered. We have always been and are very close. We get together regularly. Both Jim and I came from traditional families. Everybody gets along. That has given us a good foundation and we have tried to carry on that tradition.
I attended school in Norwalk all 13 years, through grade school and high school I was always in everything. While I was totally unathletic, I was involved in many school activities. We lived in the country, three miles from town, but my dad and mom drove us to town whenever necessary, so that we kids could participate in everything we wanted to be in. I appreciate that now that I am the driver.
I know that I was strongly influenced by several aspects of growing up. There were five or six of us girls who did many things together in high school, and I had a Home Ec teacher who was a mentor for me. She always encouraged me. She lived across the street from us and was killed in a car accident. I was also very active in the Disciples of Christ Church. We were late almost every Sunday because Mom liked to get up, bake a pie and prepare to have a big dinner. Dad was Sunday School Superintendent and Mom taught. Until a few years ago they were still teaching Vacation Church School.
Like Jim, I went to Iowa State University. I was a freshman when Jim was a senior and we met on a blind date between my freshman and sophomore years. We were married in June, 1973. When we moved to Osceola that year, there didn't seem to be a big decision as to the choice of a church. We became acquainted with some of the members of the United Methodist Church and we came to know and liked Rev. Bys. We didn't even visit another church. That fall Jim began working at Clarke County State Bank.
Angela was born in 1975, Ryan in 1978. We moved to Ames in 1980 and to Lamoni in '82. A new minister, Rev. Tom Zeleny, was appointed to the United Methodist Church in Lamoni and I was in charge of cleaning the parsonage. Steve and Carole Waterman had moved there when Steve became principal of the school. I knew they were United Methodists, so I called Carole and asked her to help. That started a wonderful friendship. Lamoni, of course, is predominately Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints, and United Methodists are in the minority, which made us a close church family. When Ryan was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the whole town rallied around. We came to the conclusion that people in small towns are more caring and we are small town people.
We lived by the Serenity Prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr:
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking as He did, this world as it is,
Not as I would have it;
That was a chapter in our lives that we don't want to dwell on, and we don’t want anyone else to have to go through it. But some good developed because of it. We wouldn’t have Timmy if we had not lost Ryan and we couldn't imagine life without Timmy.
We adopted Timmy in 1988. He had been born in February, 1985, in Bangkok and had spent his entire life in an orphanage, having been abandoned at the hospital when he was born. We went to Thailand to get him. The trip was very stressful, especially on the return flights, which involved 30 hours of flying time. Jim, who is accustomed to taking charge, could hardly bring himself to adjust to a culture where they do only one thing each day. However, we were happy to see where Timmy had come from. We had arranged his adoption through Holt International Children’s' Services. The paper work had taken 1 1/2 years.
Timmy became closely attached to Elaine immediately and it is amazing how quickly he adapted to the English language and to American-style living. Six months after he came, he was going to pre-school.
We had been interested in moving back to Osceola and the opportunity had come in 1987. Jim worked with the leadership of the Development Corporation to found and charter American State Bank and to assume the deposits. We moved that year along with getting everything in order to go to Thailand for Timmy. It was quite a year!
Timmy is now in 6th grade. He has grown up so fast and is changing quickly. He participates in everything! He is very sports-minded. He also plays drums in the school band and loves to be outdoors, doing anything. He loves people!
We have had a pride in watching Angela grow up. She graduated from Clarke Community High School and attended Cottey, the two-year women's college in Nevada, Missouri. She went on to Iowa State University and will be graduating with a degree in finance. While in college she began dating Jared Bright. He was a classmate from Clarke High School, whom she had known every since we moved back to Osceola. Jared is a senior at Northwest Missouri State College and they will be married August 9th, 1997, in the Osceola United Methodist Church.
Jim tells: I am presently the president of the Clarke County Development Corporation, enjoy golf in the summer, bowling in the winter, and am a great Cyclones' fan. I am a member of the American Banker's Association and the Community Bankers’ Council. The family does quite a lot of traveling.
Elaine belongs to several community clubs and is involved in church activities. In addition, she has had part-time jobs. Beginning in November this past year she works for the Hallmark Corporation on the installation team, traveling to change and/or set up new stores.
Jim and Elaine spoke enthusiastically about their T.L.C. Sunday school class which, they say, is quite unique. "We often have as many as 40 people. We rotate leadership and whoever leads on a particular Sunday is also responsible for refreshments. We presently are examining the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, which sparks some interesting discussions. There are many differing opinions within the class, but we feel free to speak our minds and all leave the hour smiling. It is interesting that almost everyone is transplanted to Osceola. Bill and Sandy Kelso are about the only ones who are natives. The same transplanting is true of denomination. Practically no one was raised in the Methodist tradition."
Jim continued, "In my career and as community leader I feel that we need to be watching for opportunities and then go after them. Constantly, prospective industries are looking for places to locate or expand. In the Development Corporation we believe that 'jobs drive everything.' Jobs mean more people moving to town, requiring more housing and further development.
"While both Elaine and I have come from wonderful homes that have influenced our lives, we came from modest families, economically. We're trying to instill in our children that, if you work hard, you will not have difficulty finding jobs. You have to be willing to seize the opportunities, take some risks, and have an appreciation for success. Our parents gave us a sense of self-worth. We want to give back, to be generous with our time and resources. Instead of sitting back and talking about it, we are both doers. We want to get at it!"
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Last Revised May 19, 2012