CONTRIBUTED PHOTO A young John and Tom Apgar in their scouting uniforms.

In anticipation of the Apgar Family Water Plaza opening on June 6 at 11am in the Linn Creek District, this is part two of the second of three articles documenting the legacy of the Apgar Family in Marshalltown.

For 3 generations the family documented, and therefore preserved, key moments in the lives of individuals and the community itself. Through Tom Apgar’s extraordinarily generous gift, the Apgar name will continue to be associated with memory making moments and community pride.

And, then there’s Dorothy, a woman of deep intelligence and natural curiosity, who came to Marshalltown because she was in love. According to her son Tom, upon arrival, she was amazed at the affluence, productive/worldwide businesses of her new hometown. And she fell head over heels in love with it.

Born December 29, 1920, to Dessie and Charles Briles near Ottawa, Kansas, Dorothy was the first of four daughters, riding her pony over miles of dirt roads to a one room primary school house for her early education.

With WWII calling up farmhands for service, the Briles girls did horse watering, egg collecting, cow milking, hog feeding, tractor driving, wheat harvesting, and even endured the Kansas Dust Storms of the 30s. They also comprised a vocal quartet for church and school groups as well as county and state fair 4-H group competitions.

Dorothy was senior class president and valedictorian of her Pomona High School Senior Class.

She enrolled at Kansas State Teachers College and earned a degree in Home Economics. After three years teaching, she went on to Iowa State College to gain a master’s degree in home economics, specifically, clothing design, her specialty. Upon gaining her M.S. degree, Dorothy taught in the department of Textiles & Clothing at Iowa State (then) College, where she met her future groom, applying her skills to the creation of her own wedding gown.

It was her keen affection for Marshalltown that stoked her interest in the history of the businesses and families here. And so, in addition to helping at the studio, managing the home and taking primary responsibility for her children, Dorothy injected herself into the community. According to Tom, ‘she was just that kind of lady’.

Pat was not the only one enamored with a camera; a favorite pastime of Dorothy’s was to get in her car and travel the roads of Marshall County photographing anything historic in Marshall County. These prints and copies made up the slide shows Dorothy presented to many civic groups.

Once John and Tom were grown, Dorothy became even more active in community organizations and clubs, serving as president for several. These included: PEO, Binford House, Salvation Army, Women’s Assistance League, Glass Club, Elmwood Country Club, Deaconess Hospital Auxiliary, YWCA, Hawthorne, Iowa State School Board, St. Paul’s Vestry Auxiliary, and the Iowa Valley Community College Board of Directors. Lastly, but certainly not least, she was one of four determined persons on the Save the Courthouse Committee, which succeeded in preserving and restoring the beloved Marshalltown landmark. In 2000, she was honored for her efforts as the recipient of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Community Pride Award.

She was also presented the key to the courthouse for her efforts in preserving the building.

As the Sesquicentennial year approached, the Governor of Iowa sent out requests to Iowa communities to create objects of historical importance to their community. Dorothy volunteered to take over this request for Marshall County, and with a volunteer committee, created and published a new history book for Marshall County. She served as editor, writer, coordinator and publisher of the book and after 4 years of intensive work, the 861-page book was completed. It was enthusiastically received with the State Historical Society awarding it its favorite project in the state. The book still stands as a key reference for those interested in our past.

As Dorothy conceived the idea and located the sculptor for Henry Anson’s statue in front of the courthouse, she was given the honor to unveil it at the dedication ceremony. In 1997, shortly after the publication of the Marshall County Sesquicentennial History Book, she was designated the Parade Marshall for the annual Oktemberfest parade, where she rode in the open rear seat of her husband’s classic 1965 Bonneville Convertible with Pat as her driver, decked out in a chauffeur’s outfit.

Dorothy’s extensive collection of historical slides, papers, and historical books were given to the Marshall County Historical Society, with a goal to digitize and preserve the collection for future generations.

Dorothy B. Apgar passed away at age 95 on September 12, 2016, and is interred at the Apgar Family burial plot, at Riverside Cemetery, with memorials directed to the Apgar Family Fund, designed to preserve her historical research. The fund is held with the Community Foundation of Marshall County.

Clearly, the Apgar family was, and is, dedicated to documenting and preserving highlights of Marshalltown’s past for future citizens. Lucky, lucky us!

The next and final installment of this series features the lives of sons John and Tom Apgar, and Tom’s tenure at the helm of the family business. He is the 3rd generation of a family who has made, and will leave, their mark on our collective community. And so, the legacy continues….

To read the full articles visit: https://artsandculturealliance.org/portfolio/apgar-family-water-plaza/.

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Nancy Jeanne Adams is a local

artist based in Marshalltown.