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Our town, our people — Lonnie Hogeland, SR

Hogeland

“Our town, our people” is a weekly Q&A with a local resident who is active in the community. Have a suggestion for someone we should talk to? Email T-R news editor Emily Barske at ebarske@timesrepublican.com. 

Lonnie Hogeland Sr. is an automotive business owner who operates L. Hogeland Auto Plaza L.L.C. He has lived in Marshalltown for almost his whole life — about 52 years.

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: “Anything. I just like to help people.”

Q: What community activities do you participate in?

A: “I do a lot with the Marshalltown Morning Optimist Club. (They do) a lot of stuff with kids, some scholarships, USA flag raising on U.S. holidays. I’m just into my work — I enjoy it.”

Q: What do you enjoy about this community?

A: “It is diversified. There’s a lot of everything. There’re big businesses, whether it’s the factories (Lennox, JBS, Fishers), and there’re little one-man auto shops, or little grocery stores.”

Q: What changes do you feel need to be made in the community?

A: ”

(There needs to be) less red tape. If you want to do something, if it’s a common-sense idea, it needs to happen.

Marshalltown is a good town. I say it’s at a breaking point though. We either need to get better or it’s going go bad real soon.”

Q: What advice would you pass on to young people?

A: “Go to school, even if it’s just high school. I have very little more than a high school education, one course at MCC, but (the important thing is) work hard. Go to school. Get a diploma … I wouldn’t go to college because look at how much money (people) spend. There’s a grant (people) can get for free education. It’s not free because the government paid for it.

(People) talk about this guy, Mike Rowe, on (the TV show titled) ‘Dirty Jobs.’ No one wants to do towing. No one wants to do auto shops. Technicians are gone. There irreplaceable … or welders, or plumbers. Go be an apprentice. Some young kids ride shot-gun with me and learn how to do this stuff. Get a trade that you like and do it.”

Q: What social activity or event would you like to see come to Marshalltown and why?

A: “A very well-organized community jamboree, or some kind of concert, where it has some Hispanic heritage, country heritage, rock … everything.”

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