DAVID PUGH REMEMBERED AND 75TH ARISPE OLD SETTLERS PICNIC
The 75th annual Arispe Old Settlers and Community Picnic was held on Sunday, Aug 13, 2006, in the Cheers Shelter at the Arispe Park. Several commented on how nice it was to use the white tables there, given by the Clark family. It was a warm day [85 degrees] and very humid. [Lightning, thunder and rain arrived in the late afternoon.] This year’s picnic was in memory of David Pugh, long time President and promoter of this annual event
Before the delicious basket dinner was enjoyed, Merle Lee Pugh offered a prayer for the food and fellowship. There were several interesting discussions before, during and after the meal. One discuss-ion was about former Arispe businesses and where they had been located. At the intersection of Forbes and Park [on the north side of Forbes] there had been a gas station owned by Brunt Shull. The hotel was across from it on the south side of Forbes. [The house now standing on the site of the hotel was built by Lyle Fluckey and Merle Wilson, using lumber from the old hotel. Lillian Dobson House was the first resident there. Currently, the residents are Ron and Laura Anderson and daughter, Liberty.]

Other businesses about the same time on Forbes were the bank, meat market/butcher shop, caf?, barbershop, post office, a big hardware store, and, according to current Arispe Mayor Gene Dunfee, “the biggest lumberyard in Southwest Iowa.” Does anyone know where the old livery stable was located? If so, please contact Gene Dunfee or Bonnie Riepe with that information. Jane Briley had brought her Arispe Centennial History Book and verified various facts for the group.

Ila Heslop gave a brief history of the organization from the Secretary’s Book of Minutes: “The Old Settlers Picnic was first held at the Vanderpluym Grove in 1932, with neighbors Vanderpluym, Webb, Giles and Clough participating. There was a committee to get boards to use for seating, and they also had programs. In 1936, the location was moved to the Arispe Park. Four Hundred was the most people who ever attended. Ila began as Secretary in 1970. [She has continued that office to the present time, with the exception of 1977 [46th picnic], when David Pugh was Secretary.] In 1978, David was elected President and served through 1982. Merle Wilson became President in 1983. In 1984, David was again elected President and served continuously and faithfully through 2005. The descrepency between this year being the 74th or the 75th picnic is due to the fact that no picnic was held in 1987, due to the Arispe Centennial. The “Arispe Old Settlers” helped in a booth and had a float in the Centennial Parade that year, instead of actually having their annual picnic. In 1980, Lillian House was present for the 49th picnic. She had also attended the first one in 1932 at the Vanderpluym Grove.
Those attending the 2006 picnic were: Merle Lee and Margaret Jean Pugh, Liberty Anderson, Bonnie Riepe, Bill, Debbie and Joey Rutledge, Hazen Dunfee, Arispe Mayor Gene Dunfee, Carol M. Pugh, and Oliver and Dorothy Eyberg of Arispe; Peggy, Rex, and Betty Heslop and Jane Amos of Afton; and Anna Heslop, Isaiah and Anthony Graham, Susan Heslop, Ila Heslop, Dave and Roberta Briley and Jane Briley of Creston.

The most senior attendees were Hazen Dunfee and Carol Cheers Pugh; Dave and Robera Briley had been married the longest [48 years]; and Isaiah Graham, age 2 months, beat out Maggie Pugh’s 6 year record of being the youngest person. Jane Briley traveled the farthest; Liberty Anderson and the Rutledge family tied for being the closest, walking across Park Street to the Arispe Park from their homes.

It was decided to continue holding the annual picnic on the 2nd Sunday of August. Instead of electing officers, Ila Heslop will act as Executive Director and Bonnie Riepe will bring “The McKee Box” to the 2007 picnic. Shortly before his death, David had received the box from a couple in Des Moines, who are looking after Eleanor McKee’s affairs. [Eleanor McKee is in a nursing home.] Verne and Eleanor McKee were long-time residents south of Arispe, on the west side of the road between the homes of Bonnie Riepe and Harold Selim, now named Nuthatch Avenue.