MELVIN GOELDNER
Written by Fern Underwood

In January, 1993 Melvin’s name was mentioned in an adult Sunday School class of the Osceola United Methodist Church and a member commented that he had ought to write his autobiography. I mentioned it to him by postcard which he would have received on Tuesday. On Wednesday I went to see him expecting that he might need to be persuaded. He greeted me with, "Where are your tools?" He had seized the idea and by Wednesday morning, January 13th, he was ready with the title and outline. He knew precisely how the book would progress. I came home to pick up my portable typewriter and we began the project that became From the Old Place to Pearl Street, covering 95 years of Melvin’s life.

In 1996 Mickey Thomas suggested there should be a sequel which would be anecdotes pertaining to Clarke County history. Again I made the suggestion to Melvin but it didn’t catch spark as the former had done. We had several sessions and Melvin said, "In a glance at my biography, I found items much more clear than I seem to be able to make them now."

In an attempt to give more specific direction Mickey jotted down questions that I might pose. Melvin’s answer was, "It was in my book and I’m not going to repeat!" I protested, "But, Melvin, you have something to say! I honestly don’t know anyone like you. Why is that? What motivates you? What I’d like to have you do is something more philosophical than your autobiography - maybe a book of sermons. Moses wrote the whole book of Deuteronomy as directions to the next generation — what would you leave‘?" Melvin seemed amused and asked, "I’m a philosopher?" Yes, Melvin, you are!

It was far from flattery to say there is no one like Melvin.   Throughout the state, l when people learn that I am from Osceola, time and again they will say, "Do you know l Melvin Goeldner?" Guests even from other countries, who have long since forgotten E everyone else they have met, will ask, "How is Melvin‘?" Why is this? What makes Melvin Melvin?

That question was answered by Frank Morlan, newspaper owner, immediately as he told that every week Melvin brings him newspapers. Melvin explained that most of them are from places he has lived: Moravia, Brooklyn, Sigoumey, and he continued the West Liberty paper for Alverda. Additionally, every Sunday morning Melvin brings to church a stack of envelopes that contain items sorted according to interest of the recipient.

Steve Waterman, school superintendent, said that he has a piece of driftwood from Door Co., Wisconsin because Melvin knew he had come from there. He had taken Melvin to a meeting of school superintendents and they clustered around Melvin, afterward thanking Steve for having brought the most interesting person there.

Alice Young’s immediate association was Melvin shaking hands when they met at church. Glennis Gracey recalled that when her friend Bernice Curnes worked for Melvin, Glennis also was employed. They had a code for when Glennis called but Melvin was in and Bernice couldn’t talk. Melvin soon caught on.

Becky Persels mentioned that she hadn’t seen Melvin for 25 years and introduced herself by her maiden name. He immediately said, "Persels" then went on to tell her that the last time he had seen her she had been working on the school annual.

If I may put words in his mouth, what would Deuteronomic Melvin teach by these examples? People are important not only as a whole but individually. Give total attention to conversation. Melvin does this. If the person is from another country or the family name suggests a heritage, he is apt to speak a few words in that language, and with a remarkable memory is able long afterward to recall the name and association of that person. He still corresponds with young people he has known throughout his life.

“Throughout his life" - now nearly 98 years! When Melvin’s daughter-in-law, Pat Goeldner, attempted to answer, "What makes Melvin Melvin?" she pointed to a notebook in which Melvin had listed occupations or activities he had been involved in for every letter of the alphabet. Who else has done that? He was entertaining himself with "who am I, what am I, and what have I been — brief attempts at answers to a question by Marcus Bach, ’How do you fill your days?"'

These were partially his answer: I am an American. I am an abstainer of alcohol and tobacco. I have been an actor, an agriculture education supervisor, an agriculturalist, an agronomist, an algebra teacher, an American government teacher, an air traveler. (He tells, "The first time I was in an airplane was about 1930 at Creston, Iowa. My father paid an airplane owner to take me and my younger brother on a flight when we were visiting Creston.") I have been an athlete, running on the track. I have been an amateur in a number of things. I have been an also-ran and briefly an artillery man in R.O.T.C.

“I have been a boy, still am a brother and a brother-in-law, quite briefly I was a butcher. I have been a baker’s helper, a bicyclist, a bus boy, a bookseller, a book salesman, a bald head, a bookman, a biped, a Boy Scout counselor, bird watcher, boyfriend, boss, believer, baby, beekeeper, bachelor, breather, banqueter, bundle hauler, bather, ball player, board member, buyer, and borrower.

"I am a Christian* and am or have been a conservationist, a columnist, a conversationalist, collector, camper, County Extension Director, County Agent (the two just mentioned are really the same but viewed separately by some people), a counselor, consumer, class president, compiler, child, cleaner, carpenter, chairman, client, club l member, cousin, clerk, consultant, catcher, comber, citizen, conservator, calligrapher, carrier, crusader, and a candlestick maker. (Of all that Melvin might say of himself l there would be no disagreement with this title. No one has been more faithful, visible or served on more committees, church and civic, than he. He is still teaching the Men’s Adult Sunday School class.)

"I have been a digger, a dishwasher, a donor, a dialer, a direct-dialer, debater, a drover, a diner, and a driver.
"I have been an English teacher, an exhibitor, an election judge, an evaluator, an employee, an editor, an Eastern Star, an educator, an ecologist, and an elector.
"I have been a farm boy, a farmhand, a farmer, a furniture clerk, a Fair manager, a father, a 4-H club agent, a field artillery man quite briefly, a floor scrubber, a fisherman, a fence builder, a friend, a father-in-law, and a feed yard attendant.
"I have been a gardener, a grain shocker, a grape grower, a grandfather, a grandchild, a great-grandchild, a guard, a genealogist, a guest, a greaser, and a giver.

"In times past I have been a hardware clerk, a horseman (someone who looks after horses), a historian, hiker, haymaker, husband, hunter, hostler, horticulturist, host*, hired man, heir, hider.   When a program was devised by students of Iowa State University to bring young people from the inner city in Chicago by tram to Iowa for several weeks during the summer, I had the responsibility to End homes for them.  Melvin and Alverda were willing to take one boy and they entertained him by taking him to the Patch.)

"I am or have been an Iowan, infantryrnan; janitor, journalist, judge, and juryman." If readers will go through the portion of his list that relates to how they have known Melvin at that time of his life, they will agree that whatever his role he gave himself completely to it. This, I think, is a teaching he would leave us: Give yourself to the immediate. Learn all you can from each experience. An example comes from the time Pat and Granddaughter Amy were visiting in the early summer of 1996. During lunch someone asked where tapioca comes from. No one knew but instead of accepting that no one knew they brought out the dictionary. A beady starch from cassava. What’s cassava? So they looked up cassava. At how many lunch tables would this conversation have taken place?

Melvin gets impatient with people who whine, "I don’t know who I am;" and recalls that as a small child he climbed up on a chair to answer the telephone. The voice asked, "Who is this?" to which Melvin replied, "’I am Melvin Harlan Goeldner I have always known who I am."

Another teaching might be: Take reponsibility for your own self. An impressive example was at the time he was 95 when he made the decision not to renew his driver’s license. "I thought there would be no difficulty in getting another but did not believe it wise to do so". Another came from strangers in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport as I was returning from California at Christmastime in 1995. Melvin had made the trip to Dallas to visit his daughter Ruth. As I was waiting for a delayed flight back to Des Moines a couple also returning to Des Moines told me about a man who boarded the plane with them. 'The airline attempted to help him by offering a wheel chair and he would have no part of it. Further description identified him in my mind as Melvin who will take care of himself as long as he possibly can. He is doing so now with the help of Beverly Seeburger and Helen Hesson.

Melvin’s patriotism exceeds that of many people, extending to payment of taxes. He is highly critical of people who cheat or seek means to avoid paying them.

Melvin would not understand people who are able but do not read or have patience with such as I for whom a tree is a tree, a plant a plant, a bird a bird. For many years he attended the Annual Shade Tree Conference held at Iowa State University and over the years Melvin has planted many trees, particularly oak, the state tree of Iowa. On July 4, 1996 a group of people were standing in the courtyard appreciating the shade and credited Melvin with the planting of many of the trees there.

He bought and developed land south of Osceola which he named "The Patch" and conducted tours of many groups, who enjoyed it. In the spring for many years he and Alverda invited the third grade class to visit. For the first period Alverda took half the children into the one room cabin and showed them items, books and magazines, report cards and other memorabilia, talked about home and school to give them an idea of how people of the past lived. It was fondly remembered by teacher Beverly Schader that the children were impressed with examples of penmanship, for at that time cursive writing was taught in third grade.

While Alverda was doing that, the others went with Melvin, following a path around a little pond. They timed it so that spring flowers would be in bloom. Beverly was also impressed that Melvin always spoke softly, and, no matter how rambunctious the children were, they listened. He never had to raise his voice to get their notice.  Instead, he would say something clever or tell something funny to catch their attention.  In later years Melvin didn’t attempt to go with the children but turned that over to someone else. He stayed in the clearing and talked to them, often telling them something having to do with animals.

When the children went back to school they wrote thank you notes which revealed that this had been a meaningful venture. And Melvin always wrote a thank you note back. No one else ever did that. On those, he named every child’s name and it was obvious that he spent a lot of time doing it. Through the years there have been many recipients of such notes on homemade note paper.

Melvin’s influence on his children is evidenced in letters and cards from daughter Ruth.   Sept. 5, 1994: It looks as though your community involvement and work ethic has rubbed off onto me and I appreciate your guidance in my life.  Jan. 23, 1995: Bless you for teaching me the work ethic - it makes life interesting.   Feb. 14, 1995 (On a Valentine card): You are very special to me and I love you very much. I try to live the example you set.

Jan. 23, 1996: It is cold, dark and drizzly today but thinking about you makes me cheerful.   March 2, 1996: This poem reminded me of your knowledge of cow paths becoming major streets:

For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf paths of the mind
And work away from sun to sun ·
To do what other men have done.
They keep the path a sacred groove
Along which all their lives they move
But how the wise old wood gods laugh
Who saw that first primeval calf!

Christmas 1982: Thanks for this wonderful Christmas time together - for liking popcorn - for your love of singing and music - for encouraging me to take Latin and learn the roots of words and for the books you gave me and for our library experiences - for your love of learning - for your interest in nature, taking the scenic roads, your garden and healthy fresh food — for taking me outside on the porch (when I was small) to watch and feel a glorious thunderstorm; I have loved the roar and flash and splatter ever since. Thanks for bringing Alverda into our lives; she is a very special person. Thanks for your letters telling what you are doing and showing appreciation and interest t in what we are doing. Love, Ruth.

When Ruth learned that Melvin was to be the Grand Marshall of the 4th of July parade in Osceola, 1996, she wrote to congratulate him, but Melvin commented, "My understanding is that I am to be an old man on the leading float. Time will tell."

Referring to Ruth’s mention that it was a cold, dark and drizzly day, Melvin defies the actual day’s weather quoting Ps. 118:24: This is the day that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Recently he said, “lf somebody complains that its gloomy I suggest they sing ’Brighten the Comer Where You Are."‘ I recently commented, "This is a nice day," and Melvin said, "If I wake up in the morning, ifs a nice day."

Amy is right that Melvin’s responses can be anticipated. He explained about one, "Sometimes there is great use of certain words. Among them is the word ’brochure’ that is incorrectly used for all kinds of folders. They even apply the word to little scraps of paper. I remind people that make that mistake that a. ’brochure’ was a stitched booklet"

In 1924 Melvin married Lura Faber, who has been remembered by many as librarian in Osceola, Sunday School teacher of the Homebuilders’ Class of the Osceola Methodist Church, P.E.O. member and active in several other clubs. They had moved here in 1938. As Melvin tells it, "Early in 1938 my wife Lura, our two young children, Paul and Ruth, moved with me from Nevada, Iowa to Osceola. I came to succeed a man named Whirrett as County Extension Director. Associates in the Extension Service at Iowa State wanted me to stay away from Southern Iowa. I told them that in 1912 and a portion of 1913 I lived with my parents LJ, and Dora Goeldner and younger brothers, Leslie and Verne, five miles southeast of Osceola. We had a good year on the farm. It had been very dry the year before. I admitted there were times when Clarke County had much need for rain. My Ames friends told me that was all that hell needed.

In December 1959, following Lura’s death in May, 1958, Melvin married Alverda James, whom he had known in college. Alverda was quoted as having said, "We thought we might have ten good years together" She said it at their 25th anniversary open house.

Melvin told, "A certificate of deposit for $1,000 is in a trust account in the Clarke County State Bank. It is to become available to the Webster Kale Funeral Company when I die. It is intended that I be cremated and that my ashes be placed between the graves of Lura and Alverda in the cemetery. The statement on the account states that any of the Trust account not used is to go to my children or my estate"

Melvin has had an influence on everyone who has come to know him. The influence he has had on his children and grandchildren follows:

Return to main page for Recipes for Living 1996 by Fern Underwood

Last Revised April 28, 2012