Anita Smith Elmore

Hi! Classmates!

I have written our class newsletter over thirteen years and felt when I started it would be a way we could reconnect and find out what we’ve been doing for the past fifty five years of our lives. Thank you for your emails and contributing to the newsletter. I knew that we have a terrific class and you’ve proven that many times by sending me your news to share with the class. It’s fun for us to hear of your accomplishments and a way to know your family. There have been happy and sad times, and as a class you have rallied, wrapping your arms around us with concern, friendship, and love. I experienced your compassion.

My story for the past sixty years starts out attending Paris Academy of Beauty School, Cedar Rapids. I stayed and worked for the school’s beauty salon before being asked to open a beauty shop in Conrad, IA. Conrad was in need of a beauty shop and a friend of my family asked if I would come and open a business. My dad built me a building on Main Street and it’s still home to a beauty shop. It’s flush with Conrad’s new state of the art library.

I met my future husband, Bill Elmore, from Beaman, IA on a blind date while working in Conrad. He was home from two years at Wartburg College working to pay for the rest of college when drafted in to the Army. We were married on his first leave and he spent the next two years in Germany. I stayed and ran my business. I sold the business when he came home and he returned to Wartburg College where I managed a beauty shop in Waverly. We lived in a mobile home on campus and moved our “portable” home to one of his dad’s farm 1 mile west of Gladbrook Lake when his brother was drafted. I knew NOTHING about the farm, never having been on one, but grew to love it the 45 years we farmed. It was a wonderful place to raise a family. I would do it all over again. I worked right along side Bill in every facet of the business. We worked hard as a family and played hard as a family. I lost Bill to aggressive lung cancer August 2008.

Bill and I were making plans to retire in Conrad and son, Roger move to the farm, as he farmed with us. I moved to the perfect retirement home, but without Bill. It’s nice renewing old friendships that I made living here years ago and I’m happy to be in town with the harsh Iowa winters. I am the church organist (42 years) at my Gladbrook United Methodist church in Gladbrook, IA, President of the UMW ladies circle, and help on many church committees. I am also very active in the Conrad Presbyterian church. I since have moved my church membership to Conrad Presbyterian church.

My sister, LaVonne Stover lives in Plymouth, MI with her husband at their daughter's home, and Avonelle passed away November, 22,2014. I’ve worked on all the class reunion committees and have been the reunion’s sec/treasurer for the past 150 years. Ha!

I have so many good memories of our times in school. It’s hard to pin point. The best memories are having you as my classmates. Thank you, Karen Stubbs Doughtery, for making this website a reality. We had a terific 55th class reunion and so happy so many made the choice to come, September, 18-19, 2015.

I remarried after being single for 7 years to a man I met in my new church, Deane Adams. He lost his wife 6 months before I lost Bill. We travel and the last trip was to Tuscany Valley, Italy for our honeymoon. We go to all the ISU football games and basketball games at home. Tailgating is a whole new life to me.

God has been good to me to be a grandmother to two beautiful granddaughters, and a grandson, and now a new GREAT Grandmother to twins, who I love very much. Life is good!

Blessings from Anita ~