Our Early Years By Darrell McLain
Wayne and I spent our early years in the town of Leon, IA. The population was under 2,000 and by the time we were 5 years old there was hardly a place in town where we hadn't been by ourselves.
Saturday's were the biggest day of the week. Dad would often drive his car to town in the afternoon, park it in the most convenient place, then walk back home. That night we would all walk to town and the car would be a gathering place for everyone passing by to visit. Wayne and I got 10 cents each to go to the movies at the Strand theatre, usually westerns, that is until Wayne was afraid that we would get ran over by the horses when we sat in the front row. After awhile, he was finally convinced that he was perfectly safe and we went back. One night we went to see "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman," with Uncle Max. Max was 1 ½ years younger than Wayne. We were pretty scared, but we didn't let on until on the way home we walked passed a vacant house. A full moon was shining through the upstairs window. As we passed a shadow seemed to appear across the window. We readily knew that the Wolfman was coming to life and all three of us took off running the three blocks to grandma's house.
During WWII, we collected scrap iron from the ditches around Leon in our "Radio Flyer " wagon that we got for Christmas along with our "Eskimo Flyer" sled. We would take the iron to the scrap yard and get paid real money for it. The dealer once gave us a dollar to go to the post office and get change, pennies. A 100 pennies was almost more than little hands could carry. We hurried back to the scrap yard and he would give us a few of those pennies.
Another time we were out playing when a neighbor kid, Lawrence Bennett, who was a couple of years older than Wayne came by. He was following a trail of bumblebees to our house. It seems as though they had a nest in his house and another in our smokehouse. We joined in the chase back to his house and started poking in one of the walls. One aggravated bee got into Wayne's pants and stung him about 5 times before he got his pants off.
One Easter morning Wayne and I got up early and started our Easter Egg hunt. We knew there were eggs out there and we checked out our yard, the neighbor's pasture without finding anything. We went back to the house and mom was just getting up. She was terribly embarrassed that she had forgotten to set any out. We did get our candy.
When Wayne was 9 our family moved to Des Moines and we moved into a house that had been converted into four apartments. It was located on Taylor St. on the south side of Des Moines at the top of a steep hill. One snowy winter day we got our above-mentioned "Eskimo-Flyer" sled to try it out on this hill. We got going so fast that we couldn't stop the sled. At the bottom of the hill was one of the southside's busiest streets, SW 9th. Wayne was lying on the bottom guiding the sled and I was lying on top of him. Fortunately, he had the good sense to roll us off the sled. As we laid in the snow we looked up and watched the sled go across SW 9th just in back of a car then in front of a stopped street car. We realized how lucky we were and never tried that again.
We would often go to Grandma McLain's farm near Davis City, IA on weekends. The farm was nicknamed "Gander Hill" from having raised geese for years. We were playing catch in the pasture when the gander took out after us. To the gander's dismay, Wayne was holding a bat and during all of his baseball playing days this was his biggest hit. [He was a pitcher and pitchers couldn't hit.] We had goose for dinner that day along with our favorite pudding vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla pudding was placed in a bowl and allowed to sit a few minutes and the chocolate pudding was then added in the center of the vanilla. It was really inviting and good.
*******
Valley Morning Star- December 6, 2007 - 11:19PM
Harlingen, TX— Wayne McLain 74, went to be with the lord on December 4, 2007.
He is survived by his wife Julia McLain of Harlingen, TX, brothers; Darrel McLain (Ballwin, MO), Michael McLain (Springhill, KS), James McLain (Atchinson, KS), daughters; Patricia Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Eileen Todd (Raytown, MO) and Peggy Pogue (Claremore, OK).
He is also survived by his granddaughters, Megan Todd, Lauren Todd, Hannah Todd (all from Raytown, MO), Allyson Pogue (Claremore, OK), grandson Sean Pogue (Clare-more, OK) and sons-in-law Patrick Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Daniel Todd (Raytown, MO) and Michael Pogue (Claremore, OK).
There will be a memorial service at Paradise Park in Harlingen at 2:00 PM on Saturday December 8, 2007.
Funeral Arrangements are under the care of Rudy Garza Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Cancer Society.
Wayne and I spent our early years in the town of Leon, IA. The population was under 2,000 and by the time we were 5 years old there was hardly a place in town where we hadn't been by ourselves.
Saturday's were the biggest day of the week. Dad would often drive his car to town in the afternoon, park it in the most convenient place, then walk back home. That night we would all walk to town and the car would be a gathering place for everyone passing by to visit. Wayne and I got 10 cents each to go to the movies at the Strand theatre, usually westerns, that is until Wayne was afraid that we would get ran over by the horses when we sat in the front row. After awhile, he was finally convinced that he was perfectly safe and we went back. One night we went to see "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman," with Uncle Max. Max was 1 ½ years younger than Wayne. We were pretty scared, but we didn't let on until on the way home we walked passed a vacant house. A full moon was shining through the upstairs window. As we passed a shadow seemed to appear across the window. We readily knew that the Wolfman was coming to life and all three of us took off running the three blocks to grandma's house.
During WWII, we collected scrap iron from the ditches around Leon in our "Radio Flyer " wagon that we got for Christmas along with our "Eskimo Flyer" sled. We would take the iron to the scrap yard and get paid real money for it. The dealer once gave us a dollar to go to the post office and get change, pennies. A 100 pennies was almost more than little hands could carry. We hurried back to the scrap yard and he would give us a few of those pennies.
Another time we were out playing when a neighbor kid, Lawrence Bennett, who was a couple of years older than Wayne came by. He was following a trail of bumblebees to our house. It seems as though they had a nest in his house and another in our smokehouse. We joined in the chase back to his house and started poking in one of the walls. One aggravated bee got into Wayne's pants and stung him about 5 times before he got his pants off.
One Easter morning Wayne and I got up early and started our Easter Egg hunt. We knew there were eggs out there and we checked out our yard, the neighbor's pasture without finding anything. We went back to the house and mom was just getting up. She was terribly embarrassed that she had forgotten to set any out. We did get our candy.
When Wayne was 9 our family moved to Des Moines and we moved into a house that had been converted into four apartments. It was located on Taylor St. on the south side of Des Moines at the top of a steep hill. One snowy winter day we got our above-mentioned "Eskimo-Flyer" sled to try it out on this hill. We got going so fast that we couldn't stop the sled. At the bottom of the hill was one of the southside's busiest streets, SW 9th. Wayne was lying on the bottom guiding the sled and I was lying on top of him. Fortunately, he had the good sense to roll us off the sled. As we laid in the snow we looked up and watched the sled go across SW 9th just in back of a car then in front of a stopped street car. We realized how lucky we were and never tried that again.
We would often go to Grandma McLain's farm near Davis City, IA on weekends. The farm was nicknamed "Gander Hill" from having raised geese for years. We were playing catch in the pasture when the gander took out after us. To the gander's dismay, Wayne was holding a bat and during all of his baseball playing days this was his biggest hit. [He was a pitcher and pitchers couldn't hit.] We had goose for dinner that day along with our favorite pudding vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla pudding was placed in a bowl and allowed to sit a few minutes and the chocolate pudding was then added in the center of the vanilla. It was really inviting and good.
*******
Valley Morning Star- December 6, 2007 - 11:19PM
Harlingen, TX— Wayne McLain 74, went to be with the lord on December 4, 2007.
He is survived by his wife Julia McLain of Harlingen, TX, brothers; Darrel McLain (Ballwin, MO), Michael McLain (Springhill, KS), James McLain (Atchinson, KS), daughters; Patricia Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Eileen Todd (Raytown, MO) and Peggy Pogue (Claremore, OK).
He is also survived by his granddaughters, Megan Todd, Lauren Todd, Hannah Todd (all from Raytown, MO), Allyson Pogue (Claremore, OK), grandson Sean Pogue (Clare-more, OK) and sons-in-law Patrick Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Daniel Todd (Raytown, MO) and Michael Pogue (Claremore, OK).
There will be a memorial service at Paradise Park in Harlingen at 2:00 PM on Saturday December 8, 2007.
Funeral Arrangements are under the care of Rudy Garza Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Cancer Society.
Our Early Years By Darrell McLain
Wayne and I spent our early years in the town of Leon, IA. The population was under 2,000 and by the time we were 5 years old there was hardly a place in town where we hadn't been by ourselves.
Saturday's were the biggest day of the week. Dad would often drive his car to town in the afternoon, park it in the most convenient place, then walk back home. That night we would all walk to town and the car would be a gathering place for everyone passing by to visit. Wayne and I got 10 cents each to go to the movies at the Strand theatre, usually westerns, that is until Wayne was afraid that we would get ran over by the horses when we sat in the front row. After awhile, he was finally convinced that he was perfectly safe and we went back. One night we went to see "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman," with Uncle Max. Max was 1 ½ years younger than Wayne. We were pretty scared, but we didn't let on until on the way home we walked passed a vacant house. A full moon was shining through the upstairs window. As we passed a shadow seemed to appear across the window. We readily knew that the Wolfman was coming to life and all three of us took off running the three blocks to grandma's house.
During WWII, we collected scrap iron from the ditches around Leon in our "Radio Flyer " wagon that we got for Christmas along with our "Eskimo Flyer" sled. We would take the iron to the scrap yard and get paid real money for it. The dealer once gave us a dollar to go to the post office and get change, pennies. A 100 pennies was almost more than little hands could carry. We hurried back to the scrap yard and he would give us a few of those pennies.
Another time we were out playing when a neighbor kid, Lawrence Bennett, who was a couple of years older than Wayne came by. He was following a trail of bumblebees to our house. It seems as though they had a nest in his house and another in our smokehouse. We joined in the chase back to his house and started poking in one of the walls. One aggravated bee got into Wayne's pants and stung him about 5 times before he got his pants off.
One Easter morning Wayne and I got up early and started our Easter Egg hunt. We knew there were eggs out there and we checked out our yard, the neighbor's pasture without finding anything. We went back to the house and mom was just getting up. She was terribly embarrassed that she had forgotten to set any out. We did get our candy.
When Wayne was 9 our family moved to Des Moines and we moved into a house that had been converted into four apartments. It was located on Taylor St. on the south side of Des Moines at the top of a steep hill. One snowy winter day we got our above-mentioned "Eskimo-Flyer" sled to try it out on this hill. We got going so fast that we couldn't stop the sled. At the bottom of the hill was one of the southside's busiest streets, SW 9th. Wayne was lying on the bottom guiding the sled and I was lying on top of him. Fortunately, he had the good sense to roll us off the sled. As we laid in the snow we looked up and watched the sled go across SW 9th just in back of a car then in front of a stopped street car. We realized how lucky we were and never tried that again.
We would often go to Grandma McLain's farm near Davis City, IA on weekends. The farm was nicknamed "Gander Hill" from having raised geese for years. We were playing catch in the pasture when the gander took out after us. To the gander's dismay, Wayne was holding a bat and during all of his baseball playing days this was his biggest hit. [He was a pitcher and pitchers couldn't hit.] We had goose for dinner that day along with our favorite pudding vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla pudding was placed in a bowl and allowed to sit a few minutes and the chocolate pudding was then added in the center of the vanilla. It was really inviting and good.
*******
Valley Morning Star- December 6, 2007 - 11:19PM
Harlingen, TX— Wayne McLain 74, went to be with the lord on December 4, 2007.
He is survived by his wife Julia McLain of Harlingen, TX, brothers; Darrel McLain (Ballwin, MO), Michael McLain (Springhill, KS), James McLain (Atchinson, KS), daughters; Patricia Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Eileen Todd (Raytown, MO) and Peggy Pogue (Claremore, OK).
He is also survived by his granddaughters, Megan Todd, Lauren Todd, Hannah Todd (all from Raytown, MO), Allyson Pogue (Claremore, OK), grandson Sean Pogue (Clare-more, OK) and sons-in-law Patrick Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Daniel Todd (Raytown, MO) and Michael Pogue (Claremore, OK).
There will be a memorial service at Paradise Park in Harlingen at 2:00 PM on Saturday December 8, 2007.
Funeral Arrangements are under the care of Rudy Garza Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Cancer Society.
Wayne and I spent our early years in the town of Leon, IA. The population was under 2,000 and by the time we were 5 years old there was hardly a place in town where we hadn't been by ourselves.
Saturday's were the biggest day of the week. Dad would often drive his car to town in the afternoon, park it in the most convenient place, then walk back home. That night we would all walk to town and the car would be a gathering place for everyone passing by to visit. Wayne and I got 10 cents each to go to the movies at the Strand theatre, usually westerns, that is until Wayne was afraid that we would get ran over by the horses when we sat in the front row. After awhile, he was finally convinced that he was perfectly safe and we went back. One night we went to see "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman," with Uncle Max. Max was 1 ½ years younger than Wayne. We were pretty scared, but we didn't let on until on the way home we walked passed a vacant house. A full moon was shining through the upstairs window. As we passed a shadow seemed to appear across the window. We readily knew that the Wolfman was coming to life and all three of us took off running the three blocks to grandma's house.
During WWII, we collected scrap iron from the ditches around Leon in our "Radio Flyer " wagon that we got for Christmas along with our "Eskimo Flyer" sled. We would take the iron to the scrap yard and get paid real money for it. The dealer once gave us a dollar to go to the post office and get change, pennies. A 100 pennies was almost more than little hands could carry. We hurried back to the scrap yard and he would give us a few of those pennies.
Another time we were out playing when a neighbor kid, Lawrence Bennett, who was a couple of years older than Wayne came by. He was following a trail of bumblebees to our house. It seems as though they had a nest in his house and another in our smokehouse. We joined in the chase back to his house and started poking in one of the walls. One aggravated bee got into Wayne's pants and stung him about 5 times before he got his pants off.
One Easter morning Wayne and I got up early and started our Easter Egg hunt. We knew there were eggs out there and we checked out our yard, the neighbor's pasture without finding anything. We went back to the house and mom was just getting up. She was terribly embarrassed that she had forgotten to set any out. We did get our candy.
When Wayne was 9 our family moved to Des Moines and we moved into a house that had been converted into four apartments. It was located on Taylor St. on the south side of Des Moines at the top of a steep hill. One snowy winter day we got our above-mentioned "Eskimo-Flyer" sled to try it out on this hill. We got going so fast that we couldn't stop the sled. At the bottom of the hill was one of the southside's busiest streets, SW 9th. Wayne was lying on the bottom guiding the sled and I was lying on top of him. Fortunately, he had the good sense to roll us off the sled. As we laid in the snow we looked up and watched the sled go across SW 9th just in back of a car then in front of a stopped street car. We realized how lucky we were and never tried that again.
We would often go to Grandma McLain's farm near Davis City, IA on weekends. The farm was nicknamed "Gander Hill" from having raised geese for years. We were playing catch in the pasture when the gander took out after us. To the gander's dismay, Wayne was holding a bat and during all of his baseball playing days this was his biggest hit. [He was a pitcher and pitchers couldn't hit.] We had goose for dinner that day along with our favorite pudding vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla pudding was placed in a bowl and allowed to sit a few minutes and the chocolate pudding was then added in the center of the vanilla. It was really inviting and good.
*******
Valley Morning Star- December 6, 2007 - 11:19PM
Harlingen, TX— Wayne McLain 74, went to be with the lord on December 4, 2007.
He is survived by his wife Julia McLain of Harlingen, TX, brothers; Darrel McLain (Ballwin, MO), Michael McLain (Springhill, KS), James McLain (Atchinson, KS), daughters; Patricia Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Eileen Todd (Raytown, MO) and Peggy Pogue (Claremore, OK).
He is also survived by his granddaughters, Megan Todd, Lauren Todd, Hannah Todd (all from Raytown, MO), Allyson Pogue (Claremore, OK), grandson Sean Pogue (Clare-more, OK) and sons-in-law Patrick Wohletz (Olathe, KS), Daniel Todd (Raytown, MO) and Michael Pogue (Claremore, OK).
There will be a memorial service at Paradise Park in Harlingen at 2:00 PM on Saturday December 8, 2007.
Funeral Arrangements are under the care of Rudy Garza Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Cancer Society.
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