2008 IS KMAQ'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR! HERE'S ANOTHER PHOTO TAKEN BACK
IN THE EARLY DAYS. IT WAS TAKEN ON OCTOBER 24, 1959. KMAQ'S FIRST OFFICIAL DAY ON-THE-AIR WAS AUGUST 26,1958. THIS WAS A "GOING AWAY" PARTY FOR ANNOUNCER BILL LONGMAN. BILL WAS NOT WITH US AT THE START AND HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS AN ANNOUNCER. HIS MOM (CHARLOTTE) AND DAD (SHORTY) WERE FROM MAQUOKETA. BOTH NO LONGER LIVING. BILL CAME BACK A SECOND TIME TO WORK FOR KMAQ AND ALSO WORKED AT STATION LATER ON IN DAVENPORT, BEFORING GETTING OUT OF RADIO. HAD A NICE RADIO VOICE.
STOPPED IN FOR A SHORT VISIT THIS PAST WINTER AND IS NOW RETIRED. HE IS ON THE EXTREME RIGHT IN THIS PHOTO. ON THE EXTREME LEFT IS RAY SHIELDS, BORN AND RAISED IN FULTON, IOWA. HIS BROTHERS WERE JIM SHIELDS AND GLEN "RED" HENTON. HE WAS AN ENGINEER (BUILDT KMAQ AND KEPT IT RUNNING) AND ALSO THE MORNING ANNOUNCER. THE THREE BROTHERS WERE ALL MUSICIANS AND HAD A DAILY MONDAY-FRIDAY FIFTEEN MINUTE SHOW DURING THE NOON HOUR, SPONSORED BY KIRCHOFF DISTRIBUTING, AND SCHMIDT BEER. BERNICE HENTON AND WINDY RIMMER WERE ALSO ON THE DAILY SHOW, WHICH WE TAPED ON TUESDAY NIGHTS FOR THE ENTIRE NEXT WEEK. I REMEMBER THOSE TAPING SESSIONS, IN THE SAME ROOM PICTURED HERE. I RAN THE TAPE RECORDER IN THE NEXT-DOOR ROOM, LOOKING THROUGH A STUDIO WINDOW.
RAY LEFT KMAQ IN 1964. HE, WIFE ROSE, AND SON MOVED TO HARRISON, ARKINSAS AND RAY WORKED AT A STATION THERE. THEY THEN MOVED TO MOUNTAIN HOME, ARKINSAS AND A RADIO STATION THERE. RAY DIED MANY YEARS AGO IN MT. HOME. HIS SON DIED A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND ROSE STILL LIVES THERE.
JIM SHIELDS LIVED IN MAQUOKETA AND BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE ETHEL ARE DECEASED. RED HENTON IS STILL GOING STRONG AS A MAQUOKETA MUSICIAN AND RETIRED FROM THE POST OFFICE. BERNICE DIED ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO AND WINDY HAS BEEN GONE A LONG TIME. SITTING ON THE DESK, IS STAN BARTON,
THE FIRST NEWS DIRECTOR FOR KMAQ. HE, LIKE BILL AND I, WERE SINGLE IN THE LATE 50'S. STAN ROOMED AT MINNIE HEGSTROM'S BOARDING HOUSE ON SOUTH MAIN AND DATED MARILYN HUTE, BUT THEY NEVER MARRIED. STAN WAS A UD COLLEGE GRAD AND HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN RADIO BEFORE COMING TO KMAQ. HE AND I DID A LOT OF TEEN HOPS TOGETHER. HE LEFT KMAQ AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, AND WENT TO KROS IN CLINTON. LATER ON, BECAME A STATION-OWNER IN INDIANA. HIS HOMETOWN WAS DUBUQUE AND I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM FOR PROBABLY 25 OR 30 YEARS. I ASSUME HE IS STILL LIVING, AND RETIRED. AND, ALSO IN PHOTO, ME TAKING A PIECE OF SOMETHING OFF THE PLATE BEING HELD BY STAN. THE STATION WAS THEN AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN STREET, A LONG STAIRWAY TO THE TOP. THE MAQUOKETA MAIN STREET CAFE
IS BELOW IT NOW AND THERE ARE APARTMENTS WHERE KMAQ WAS LOCATED.
WE WERE THERE UNTIL THE FALL FIRE NEXT DOOR IN THE COAST TO COAST STORE, IN 1970. WATER AND SMOKE DAMAGE FROM THAT FIRE FORCED KMAQ TO MOVE TO OUR PRESENT LOCATION. MORE ON THAT LATER.
DENNIS VOY