Our roots were established as far back as the 1920s. The providers of Newton Clinic have been caring for this community for more than 80 years.
We want to make you better when you are sick, keep you healthy when you are well, help you grow your family when a little one is on the way, and help you say goodbye in peace when your journey is done. Future
Kelsey Tish, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Our clinic continues to grow to meet your needs. Whether you want a male provider or a female one, a new graduate or a veteran doc, we have the right health-care provider for you.
Every patient has a choice. Thank you for turning to Newton Clinic. Thank you for letting us treat you... like family.
Michael Brooks, ARNP FNP-C Specialty Pediatrics
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon Same-day appointments always available! (641) 792-2112 • 300 N. 4th Ave. E., Newton www.newtonclinic.com www.facebook.com/newtonclinic
Steve Hill, M.D. Family Practice
T. Y. Chan, D.O. Internal Medicine
Orville Bunker, M.D. Family Practice
Min Pak, M.D. Family Practice
Mureema Solberg, M.D. Family Practice
Zack Alexander, M.D., CCD Family Practice
Andrew Cope, D.O. Family Practice
Duane Jolivette, M.D. Family Practice
Nicole Ferguson, D.O. Family Practice
Luke Perrin, M.D. Family Practice
Tara Gravenstine, M.D. Family Practice
Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Dr. Zach Bliek Podiatrist
Dr. Patrick Cogley Family Practice
Dr. Dennis Dornbier OBGYN Dr. Sydney Rice D.O. Family Practice
Jasper County Living Winter 2024
SheepGate Coffee Co. perfect fit in Colfax
Plume Hill Carriage Services helps make memories
Bunches of bolts line Crazy Redhead Quilting in Newton
Farm building adopts new identity as wedding venue
E. E. Duer, Grocer and General Merchant
Design by Jamee A. Pierson Editor
Front row:
Back row:
Sometimes when things take a little extra time, they are worth the wait. The SheepGate Coffee Co. was one of those ventures, adding a much- anticipated addition to downtown Colfax at the start of 2023.
“We bought it before COVID. Being a nonprofit, it was just kind of put on the back-burner not knowing what finances would do,” SheepGate Vice President Michael Hunsberger
said. “We eventually started in on it and had some code things we had to do, and once we got those worked out things started rolling fast.”
Painted in bright white with prints covering the wall facing the coffee bar, the space at 15 E. Howard St. is welcoming to those looking for a cup of coffee or sandwich for lunch. It even serves a special SheepGate blend from roaster Windmill, along
with the full array of blends from the coffee company.
A variety of cookies and breads are ready for those with a sweet tooth. Sandwiches, salads and soups of the day make SheepGate Coffee Co. a perfect stop for lunch with friends.
Not to be out-shined, the caffeinated drinks brewing at SheepGate
Cont. 19
Jason Cain, Tony Annee, Bob McCormick, Bob Snook, Chase Dykstra and Dakota Tuttle
A pair of 100-year-old sleigh bells adorn the horses pulling Plume Hill Carriages wagons, playing the familiar jingle that conjures pictures of snow covered trees and twinkling lights as they make their way on their path. A ride with Plume Hill is a tradition unlike any other, and it’s an experience that often signals the start of the holiday season.
“My husband (Keith) and I have been around horses since we were young,” own-
er Phyllis McDonald said. “A few years into our life together after acquiring our acreage in the Newton area we purchased horses for our daughters to show in 4-H and FFA. We trained a couple of our horses — Lips, our Quarter Horse, and Oscar, our Appaloosa, — to drive an older buggy we purchased and did a few events in the area: parades, school programs, weddings and the Jan. 1 millennium on the square of Newton. It was fun. Rides were given on a small scale. But my husband’s always
wanted a team of drafts.”
For Christmas in 2001, Keith surprised the family with a team of 10-year-old Percherons named Dic and Dan. When she saw the horses Phyllis said, “They’re going to have to work to earn their keep.” That was the start of Plume Hill Carriage Service.
When Gerald Edge, who had given rides around the Jasper County Court-
Owning her own business was a priority for Laura Jochems, and after thinking about what brings her joy she settled on a favorite hobby — quilting. Crazy Redhead Quilting opened in 2012 and, after a move about eight years later, is thriving in its downtown Newton location.
“I started in a little church down the way,” Jochems said. “I had worked in a quilt shop before and sold sewing ma-
chines, as well, and I decided it was time for me to be my own boss. I purchased the church and we had eight successful years there.”
The unique building on East First Street was lined with fabrics and notions with the basement holding a couple of longarm quilting machines. While it had plenty of charm, it also limited growth for the business.
When COVID shut down the world,
Jochems was busy making a big move. She expanded her business from the 1,300 square feet at the church location to almost 6,000 square feet in the space formerly filled by the bridal shop on the southwest side of the square.
“It has been a great move,” Jochems said. “Before, you had to know the quilt shop was there. Now, we have quite a bit
Cont. 11
event, decided to retire, he talked Keith into purchasing his holiday wagon. Along with it came the sleigh bells, to make it official.
“To this day we have used those bells,” Phyllis said. “We started to give rides before the lighted courthouse celebrations began to be more prevalent in Newton. Some weekends before Christmas we would go to the square and offer rides.”
They expanded into the neighboring communities, and through the years had a total of 13 horses. Currently, seven horses make up the team used for events.
“On Dec. 10, 2016, a beautiful snow began to fall in Pella, and while one of the carriages was taking passengers around a local photographer, Troy Hugen snapped a picture of the carriage in front of the Pella Windows Building,” Phyllis said. “That picture has become know as ‘The Carriage in the Snow.’ The picture went viral across the
Cont. 9
traffic that just comes in. It has been really convenient having the other businesses to draw from.”
It didn’t take Jochems long to fill the larger space. From a vibrant selection of fabrics, including cottons in every shade of the rainbow, cuddle, flannel and wool, along with embroidery merchandise and quilting supplies, there is plenty to meet a wide range of creative sewing needs.
For those looking to get started in quilting, Jochems can be a seasoned guide. Classes are available on occasion but she invites people to walk in and ask any questions they have.
“We can definitely get you started if you came in. We have a great beginning quilt book and we are always here for advice on how to do something,” Jochems said.
Whether starting from scratch and picking out a pattern and fabric or choosing a
The carriages can be used in many ways from weddings and funerals to educational events and even proposals.
“One year during the holiday season in Pella we had six proposals happen on the carriages,” Phyllis said. “We still follow many of the couples from that time. We also have many couples that had the carriage for their wedding bring their children to ride. This is so neat to hear and see each year.”
pre-cut kit, new quilters can jump in with no experience.
“You start with making your quilt which can be as simple as getting pre-cuts and sewing them together,” Jochems said. “They come in 5x5, 10x10, strips — those type of things. Once you get it done there is finishing the quilt. You can finish it on a regular sewing machine but it is easier and looks a little more professional to put it on a longarm.”
A longarm is a large sewing machine — it can fill up a room with a 12 foot frame — that can sew across an entire quilt. After pinning on the backing, pinning the top and the batting, the longarm moves the sewing machine over top to finish the quilt.
“There are machines that are computerized. I always call it an embroidery machine on steroids. It is the same type of machine as an embroidery machine, it just does a bigger pattern,” Jochems said. “You program a pattern in and you can custom quilt it to do
Plume Hill has also been featured in HGTV magazine and took part in the largest parade with horses pulling all types of rigs. They are even being considered for a movie.
“We recently were asked if we would be interested in being in a movie about a true story that happened in 1917 in Indianola,” Phyllis said. “We are still in negotiations with the producers. Since it is pro bono there are details to work out. We don’t know how it will proceed but it’s fun to know we were contacted.”
Whether they are escorting the Tulip Queen and Court at the parades during the annual Tulip Time Festival or bringing guests for a ride around the block, any time the horses and carriage are out it is special to the McDonalds family.
“A lot of the people/kids remember the horses’ names and make sure they know who is giving them their ride,” Phyllis said. “We really enjoy holiday events because you meet so many interesting people.”
— Jamee A. Pierson
a block at a time or do an edge to edge pattern from the left side of the quilt all the way to the right side.”
Patterns are endless and can be specialized by the user. From hearts, flowers, ghosts, Christmas trees or a unique line pattern, the quilting can be as unique as the quilt pattern itself.
While it might seem a little overwhelming to beginners, Jochems contagious enthusiasm for quilting will give any-
one the confidence to jump in head first. The love she has for what she does shines through the entire shop.
“I love to see what people make and I love to help them pick out their fabrics and plan what they are doing,” Jochems said. “It is a very rewarding hobby. To see the smile on their face when they make something and say ‘Look! I can do this’ — that’s huge.”
— Jamee A. Pierson
Photo
BRINGING BACK
Bonnie Terpstra has seen what happens to old barns in Iowa. Any fortunate enough to withstand a blistering Midwestern tornado or the devastating straight-line winds of derecho are too often forgotten about and allowed to deteriorate beyond their working use. There was no way she’d let that happen to her barn.
Instead of letting the barn wither and fall into disarray, Terpstra decided to invest in is rehabilitation and maintain the history that is so dear to her and her family. Over the past year, she transformed it into a venue for weddings, birthdays, get-togethers and graduations. It still carries many of its original qualities.
The bannisters of the main floor still feature the dairy cow names carved into the wood. Instead of stalls for Betsy and Ginger, the area is now open and for group seating. The upper level where hay bales used to be stored still has the original flooring and the Gothic arches. No one makes these kinds of barns anymore.
“As you drive around the countryside, there are barns falling down all over the place,” she said. “And that just breaks my heart because barns are a part of history. Once they’re down you can’t rebuild it. We were to the point where if we didn’t do something we were risking the structure of the barn.”
Coupled with the pyramid-stacked windows to let in more natural light and the ornate chandelier hanging overhead, the upper level makes for a breathtaking location for a wedding ceremony. It has already served that purpose a handful of times. Visitors frequently awe at the architecture and sheer scope of the venue.
They see the beauty Terpstra has been seeing her whole life.
“When I was a kid, I was in charge of the elevator,” Terpstra said inside Country View Barn, located in rural Newton. “In case bales got stuck or thrown off, I would have to shut the elevator off and they’d have to go fix the problem so we wouldn’t get anymore hay bales on heads. I’ve just always loved this barn.”
It took some time to get the barn updated to commercial standards. Crews used jackhammers to tear out the old concrete floor and Cont. 21
The Newton American Legion
Coffee Co. are a can’t miss treat. Whether hot or cold, customers can choose from dozens of options including Americanos, refreshers, lattes, espressos, cold brew, macchiatos, mochas, smoothies and season selections. Lemonade and teas are also available along with Pup Cups for four-legged furry friends.
“It is a full coffee bar with drinks, cold and hot, to smoothies and also deli sandwiches and soup of the day at lunch time,” Hunsberger said. “In the morning we will have fresh pastries, everything from our bakery and our chef. There will always be sweets and cookies.”
Tables fill the space from front to back with different games placed on top for guests to enjoy. In a space looking out the large front picture window, four comfy leather chairs face each other providing a great spot for conversation.
As an added bonus, the second floor features a wide open space and is available to rent. From meetings to baby showers, the multi-use room featuring beautiful exposed brick walls and finished wood floors can be used as is or with personal design touches added.
“We are excited,” Megan Hunsberger said. “I feel like it is very cozy so it will be a great spot to hang out.”
Conceived as a way to be involved in the community, the response since opening has shown citizens are excited to have a place to grab more than just convenience store coffee. With additional uses for the space planned, it is set to become a new favorite spot in Colfax.
“We look for different ways to be in the community. All the time I have lived here, it always ends up being one of the top things people want. We thought, ‘Can we provide something the town really wants and at the same time build partnerships?’” Hunsberger said. “So, yes, we will be selling coffee, deli sandwiches and pastries, but it is really having the community place where we can share who we are as SheepGate. We also plan on doing some different group meetings where we can open this place up. We’re looking at some different youth options and partnering with veterans. We look to provide a central place for people.”
— Jamee A. Pierson
replace it with a more level floor. Daylight could be seen peaking out from the mortar, so Terpstra had it tuckpointed. New ductwork was needed to heat and cool the space.
Utilities were installed just in time for Terpstra’s son to get married in the barn. New windows were affixed to the barn, but Terpstra kept the original frames. The main floor is now equipped with a sizable kitchen and a lounge space with comfortable recliners. Framed photos show what the farm looked like years ago.
STATE MINIMUM LOW CIGARETTES COLDEST BEER IN TOWN
The barn was built sometime in the late 1940s. According to an article from Iowa Farm and Home Register in February 1949, it operated under farmer O.K. Flaugh as a 20-cow dairy barn. It was touted as both sparrow-proof and pigeon-proof, which was a big deal for farmers who needed sanitary conditions for livestock.
Flaugh built the 40-feet-by62-feet barn for $10,000 at the time, which would be equivalent to about $130,000 in current day prices. It was built with concrete floors and feed mangers, all-steel equipment, tile sidewalls, laminated rafters
and a shingle roof.
Terpstra’s father purchased the farmstead in 1970s. They used the barn to farrow hogs for a number of years. Over time it sat empty until Terpstra turned it into a workshop to repurpose furniture. When she decided to turn it into a venue space, she moved her equipment out and began the painstaking redevelopment.
“We literally took straw out of the loft so I could start working in it last year,” she said. “I had plans. I had been working on getting my stuff out the year prior. The construction was done in at least seven months. They came in and did a whirlwind of work. Things were done in stages.”
guests and members of the wedding party can see Prairie City, Monroe, Otley and Sully from the loft. While Country View Barn certainly comes with its own view of the country, it, too, is a picturesque locale.
Surrounded by fields and pastures, it is a pure Iowa setting. Terpstra feels good knowing she is able to preserve that setting in all its beauty.
To see her vision fully realized is an exhilarating feeling. The first round of hard work is done. Now there is a new kind of hard work in store for Terpstra. But it has been rewarding listening to guests gasp at the sight of the loft on the upper floor. It makes all that extra hard work worth it.
All the while Terpstra was seeing her plan come to life. She took great care in the details and the structure of things like the bridal suite and the loft deck, which can be accessed by brides without spoiling the firstlook for either the groom or the guests welcoming her as she walks down the aisle.
The deck itself overlooks miles upon miles of Iowa landscape. If they look hard enough,
Terpstra said, “I have so many memories in this barn. Not only as a kid, but we lived here for 42 years. I can see the beauty outside the roughness. I love to make things beautiful. So now she gets to keep all of her character; I just added all of my own ‘jewelry’ to her. She’s stable and ready for another 76 years.”
Country View Barn is located at 7198 E. 36th St. S. in Newton.
— Christopher Braunschweig
Cont. 15
SHOP LOCAL SHOP LOCAL
By Larry Hurto Newton Historic Preservation Commission & Main Street Design Committee
In 1901, E. E. Duer came to Newton where he engaged in the grocery and general merchandise business. He operated a grocery store in partnership with his brother-in-law, J. L. Nott, on the north side of the square at 116 W. McDonald St.
An article in The Newton Herald, January 3, 1902, described the business as follows:
“The firm of Duer & Nott is a comparatively new one, not having been
here to exceed a year, but it has gradually worked itself into a position of prominence in the business circles of the town and is destined to assume a yet more important position among our mercantile enterprises.
“The store was started by Frank Roberts, the present treasurer of Jasper county, who associated with him, his brother Vern. Finding that the business required undivided attention, the store was sold to Duer & Nott
with whom Vern remains as clerk. The stock has been greatly augmented since Duer & Nott became the owners, new lines of merchandise being added to make a general store.
“Messrs. Duer & Nott are brothersin-law, good fellows as well as good business men, and have won a recognition socially as well as in a business way. Their trade has increased, and it
How your support of the Newton Main Street programs, small businesses and a growing historic commercial core that is the center of the life and activity in Newton. Newton Main Street has seen many improvements since becoming a designated Main Street in 2014. Help to keep that momentum going through monetary contributions. Operations are funded through donations from businesses, local governing bodies, and individuals that are passionate about seeing Main Street thrive and succeed. See the investors levels located on the tear out sheet below. Supporters are recognized in print and digital materials throughout the year.
INVEST YOUR TIME
The total volunteer hours dedicated to Newton Main Streets programs and services each year equals about 1/3 of the total operating budget. Volunteers are a huge asset to the organization and form a community of leaders within Newton. Be a part of the action by dedicating your time and talents to fun projects and events. Each of the Newton Main Street 4 committees aligns with one of the 4 points of approach list on the previous page. Contact the program executive director Erin Yeager, today to get involved.
is generally conceded that their store is a model of neatness in every way and that the stock is complete and well kept.”
The firm of Duer & Nott lasted about a year. Thereafter, for about a year, Duer conducted the business solo.
From 1903 to 1905 it was the firm of Duer & Widell-E. E. Duer and Wm. K. Widell. This firm added dry goods to its stock of groceries.
In January 1905, Duer & Widell became Duer & Russell. T. G. Russell, who moved to Newton in 1902, bought Widell’s interest in the firm. The new partnership was shortlived; Russell retired after a year, and Duer was back on his own. This arrangement was to last for more than 20 years.
Elmer Ernest Duer, the son of George Washington and Sarah Jane (Anderson) Duer, was born July 9, 1865, at Washington, Iowa. He moved to Parkersburg at the age of 3, and later to Eagle Grove where as a young man he went into business with a brother. He was married June 4, 1894, at Eagle Grove to Harriett Amanda “Hattie” Benedict (18711955).
From The Newton Herald, January 28, 1910: “E. E. Duer had a splendid new awning put up in front of his store the first of the week. This looks like summer is not so very far distant, and makes one think of spring fever.”
More improvements were forthcoming as time went on.
“E. E. Duer has added several new cases in his store and made other improvements. One other is a new deep window for display of fruits and vegetables,” The Newton Journal reported on October 9, 1912. “The new candy case is an exceptionally attractive one while the confections shown in it are as sweet and tempting as are made.”
The Newton Daily News for November 27, 1912 told of even more extensive improvements Duer made to his grocery:
“While many of the business
houses of Newton have ample reason for Thanksgiving, E. E. Duer, of this city, who has the popular grocery and dry goods establishment on the north side of the square, is of the opinion that his reasons are the best. He is about to close up the best year he has ever had in the mercantile business in Newton and with it he has made more material improvements in his store here than he has made for several years.
“During the past few months he has expended more than $600 in interior improvements. Three new show cases, made of the finest of oak, and display glass, now grace the front part of his store – one of the cases being for confectionery and the two others being used in the dry goods department. These cases were manufactured right here in the city and are just as fine as money could provide. A new pair of scales, a new coffee grinder [the first in Newton], a new dried beef cutter, a raised display floor for his grocery window, and a new display case which was especially built for the purpose of wrapping dry goods and the display of the same, are a few of the minor improvements that have recently been made in the E. E. Duer grocery.
“Mr. Duer is deserving of the congratulations of his friends and he will doubtless receive them. It is good to see such an evidence of prosperity and progressiveness on the part of the Duer grocery.”
Duer’s success was undoubtedly due in part to the fine staff that he employed over the years.
Among those employed by grocer Duer in the 1906-1927 period were
Everett Moore; Will Killduff, clerk; Miss P. Melvina Deal, clerk; Will Charlesworth, clerk; James I. Gant, driver; Miss Edith Kilgore, dry goods clerk; Miss Fern Bean, dry goods clerk and cashier; A. J. Willis, head grocery clerk; Mrs. R. A. Nicholson, saleslady; Duer’s son, Bayard G. Duer, clerk; and Anna Scharf, clerk. H. A. Lufkin, who years later became president of Newton Manufacturing Company, also worked for Duer.
After being in the grocery business for more than 25 years, Duer went into the real estate and insurance business here.
Duer died February 20, 1954, at Skiff Memorial Hospital of coronary thrombosis due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease with congestive failure. He was 88. He had been in poor health since suffering a stroke about 1952.
Duer was president of the Newton Commercial Association in 1917 until “business interests coupled with uncertain health forbade him assuming extra duties such as would be necessary in such a position.” He was also a member of the Knights of Pythias and Elks Lodges.
