IN THIS PHOTO I TOOK OVER THE NOON HOUR TUESDAY AT THE CLINTON ENGINES
MUSEUM, IS RICHARD GANZER, WHO IS RETIRED AND A  GOOD VOLUNTEER FOR THE
JACKSON COUNTY H ISTORICAL SOCIETY THAT SPONSORS THE TUESDAY NOON
BROWN BAG LUNCH PROGRAM EVERY TUESDAY.     RICHARD  CLEANED AND RESTORED THE ACCOUNTING CABINET THAT CAME OUT OF BEN JACOBEN'S OLD "RINGLEP HARDWARE" IN MAQUOKETA.    IT WAS GIVEN TO THE SOCIETY BY KATHY AND VERL BANOWETZ OF BANOWETZ ANTIQUES IN MAQUOKETA AND WILL BE PERMANENTLY ON DISPLAY AT THE FAIRGROUNDS MUSEUM.      RINGLEP HARDWARE STARTED BACK IN THE LATE 1880'S BY AN UNCLE OF BEN JACOBSEN.    BEN WAS BORN IN 1882 AND DIED AT AGE 95 IN 1977.    HE OWNED THE STORE FOR OVER 50 YEARS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS, THE LAST BEING IN THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF MAIN AND PLEASANT THAT WILL BE TAKEN DOWN LATER THIS YEAR AFTER THE DOWNTOWN FIRE DAMAGED IT.    BE NOT ONLY WAS BEN  A LONGTIME BUSINESSMAN, BUT ALSO A MAYOR 2 OR 3 TIMES, COVERING A NUMBER OF YEARS AND WAS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN FOR 70 PLUS YEARS.      HE AND WIFE HATTIE HAD NO CHILDREN.    HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, EVEN THOUGH  I  DEFEATED HIM
IN THE 1970 MAYOR'S RACE.   HIS SLOGAN THAT YEAR WAS..."DON'T SEND A VOY
TO DO A MAN'S JOB".     I  HAD TOO MUCH WORK TO RUN AGAIN TWO YEARS LATER,
SO BEN  RAN AGAIN AND WAS ELECTED AND I SWORE HIM IN AS MAYOR IN LATE
1971.    HE WAS A GOOD ADVERTISER ON KMAQ TOO AND I HAD TO CALL ON HIM
EVERY WEEK FOR A NEW RADIO SPOT.   HE NEVER CHARGED HIS CUSTOMERS
A SALES TAX.....JUST PAID THAT MONTYLY BY TAKING THE PERCENTAGE OF HIS
GROSS PROFIT.      THE CABINET IS WHERE HE KEPT CUSTOMER'S CHARGE SLIPS UNTIL BILLING THEM AT THE END OF THE MONTH OR UNTIL THEY CAME IN TO
PAY THEIR BILL.      THE STORE HAD ANYTHING....THINGS OTHER HARDWARE STORES.
DIDN'T HAVE.   BEN WAS A GOOD MAN.   AND HATTIE WAS A FINE LADY.
IF YOU HAVE A STORY ABOUT BEN, ENTER IT ON THE KMAQ GUEST BOOK.
THE TWO HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUMS ARE CLOSED MONDAYS, OPEN DURING DAYTIME HOURS TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND AFTERNOONS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
DENNIS VOY