From Mom’s Diary… 1946 - March - Girls BB State Championship

From Mom’s Diary… 1946

March - Girls BB State Championship

The Coon Rapids High School Girl’s Basketball Team, in March of 1946, won the State Championship. Mom and Dad went to most of the home games during the season.

Small town Iowa went crazy for their BB, as everyone knows. Here are some of the entries for the days of the State Tournament Games they were able to attend. I can ‘feel’ the anxiety in Mom as she recorded these entries. While in Des Moines, they visited relatives, briefly each day, before and after going to the “Field House” on the Drake University campus for the games. See my additional comments, below, as well.

Wednesday, March 13:

Nice day. Got Billy to school. Mildred stopped & said she’d like to go to Des M. with us. Washed & set my hair. Mom & Buss came at 11:00. Ate dinner. Mildred try school out early & we left at 3:45. Parked across from grocery store & Pete went in & got some lunch for us. Went to field house. Had a long wait. Coon beat Callender by a big score. Drove down town. Ate at Mal’s lunch. Fried chicken, shoe strings, salad. Pete got lunch at Perry. Home at 2:00


On Thursday, March 14, her entry started with: “Really tired.” Duh! ;-)

Friday, March 15:

Got up at 8:00 & got Billy off to school. Did up work. Mom & Bussy came for dinner. Did dishes & cleaned up. Mildred let school out at 2:30. Pete had Dan come & milk. Left at 3:00. Stopped at Francis’. Had orange juice. Mrs. Buenneke, Rippey, Ethel Brutsche there, too. Took them to field house. Saw New Prov. beat Guthrie Center & we beat Steamboat Rock. Really good games. Stopped at Perry & had lunch. Home at 2:00. When we got home folks said no more tickets available so we told Dad to call Roger 1st thing in the morning. To Pearl’s for lunch cake & cocoa.

Saturday, March 16:

Really rainy. Did up work. Pete went to town at ten to see Irene about tickets. Bussy & Mom sick. Mrs. Pevestorf came to watch the boys. Jack Bow. came to see if Joan could go too. In town to get Irene. Left at 1:30. Stopped at Frances & Rogers & got the hard to get tickets. Mildred, Kay, Boise there. Frances played for us. Over to Kates. Had cake & coffee then got Barbara & went to Field House. Saw Steamboat beat Guthrie & our girls beat New Providence. Gave Colleen Bussy’s letter. To Pearl’s for lunch. Barbara played for us. Home at 2:00.


My comments:

I’ve written about this a few times, before, of course. See, with links in it to other stories:
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2011/10/sports-center-saturday-buzz-and-coleen.html

The March 10th, 2016, edition of the Coon Rapids Enterprise had a story for the 70th Anniversary, including this quote, among much more detail:

“…the Coon girls reached the state tournament, and then, as the Coon Rapids Enterprise reported, “they mowed ‘em down! One, two, three, four in order.” Callender, Yarmouth, Steamboat Rock, New Providence. It was a glorious finish to a wonderful season for Coach Jennings’ girls, 28 victories in a row with the concluding one giving them the state title. Colleen Davis was named first team all state
forward and Patsy Williams was a first team all state guard.”


Families are Forever! ;-)