Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, May 19, 2005

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, May 26, 2005

Back Row, from left: Jake Steen, football, basketball letter; Justin Redding, golf, basketball letter; Scott Cook, basketball and baseball and cross country letter and golf letter; Dustin Larsen, football, basketball, track and baseball; Brady Hixson, basketball; and Matthew Hymbaugh, basketball manager and track manager.

Middle Row, from left: Lucas Ward, football and track; Will Snook, cross country and track; Nick Taylor, football, track letter; Aaron Shields, football, basketball letter; Bradley Priest, baseball and wrestling and football letters; Alex Mercer, cross country and bowling, basketball manager letter; Michael Inloes, football, basketball and baseball; Kegan Bishop, football and wrestling; and Kyle Hayse, football and wrestling.

Front Row, from left: Katie Weddle, drill team; Haley Baker, basketball cheerleading and drill team letter; Breanne McDonnell, volleyball and drill team leader, football cheerleader; Rachael Lesan, vollyball, wrestling manager, track and softball; Beckey White, volleyball and wrestling cheerleading; Chelsea Campbell, track and football cheerleader letter, basketball cheerleader letter, drill team letter; Amy Triggs, bowling, track manager letter; Jessica Adams, bowling and football manager letter, track manager letter; and Sherry Reed, football and basketball cheerleading.

Other senior athletic awards went to: Justin Cole, bowling; Nancy Elmer, bowling; Trisha Henry, softball; Keith Hise, bowling; Matt Hymbaugh, basketball manager; Jeremy Sobotka, football letter; Eric Starlin, football letter; Hugo Cenefels, football and bowling letters; Jesse Chizek, wrestling letter; Ashley CLYMER, basketball letter; Nancy Elmer, bowling letter; Josh Ford, bowling letter; Desirea Hammers, wrestling letter; Annemieke Rode, cross country and bowling and track letters; Melissa Schafer, wrestling cheerleader letter; and Sandra White, basketball manager and track manager letters.

Top students were named last week and spoke at Mount Ayr Community high school. Mount Ayr's top students were valdictorian Katie WEDDLE and salutatorian Michael INLOES. WEEDLE is the daughter of Dr. Dan and Kristy WEDDLE of Mount Ayr and INLOES is the son of David and Beverly INLOES of Kellerton.

A total of 57 Mount Ayr Community high school seniors took part in gradution ceremonies Sunday in the high school cemmencement in the high school gymnasium.

Valedictorian katie WEDDLE and salutatorian Michael INLOES were the graduation speakers. Seniors received their diplomas from board of education president Rod SHIELDS and the high school band and choir provided music. Seniors also presented flowers to family members.

Michael INLOES shared the story of moving from Farragut to the Mount Ayr school district in 1997 as an example of facing new opportunities. He said that in fourth grade in Farragut he and some friends were already planning to be state football champions and being Admirals forever. Then his parents told he and his brothers at the supper table one night that the family would be moving to Mount Ayr.

"They brought me kicking and screaming to a new environment," he said. "What was Mount Ayr anyway. There wasn't even a mountain."

Instead of people closing their eyes toward new opportunities, it's better to see the blessing in the change, he said.

He said his experiences in the school district here were second to none. he found teachers who taught because they wanted to, not because they had to.

"Change can be change for the better if you make it that way," INLOES said.

Being a Raider instead of an Admiral turned out to be a great experience. "I wouldn't trade my years here for anything," he said. "My experiences here have been an exceptional foundation for my life."

He thanked the community for its support and noted the way parents have been important. He challenged seniors to keep, care for and cherish their relationship with their parents.

"I planned on being an Admiral, but I became a Raider, and I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "Even if we don't get the things we've planned sometimes, what we get can be a blessing in disguise."

Katie WEDDLE said that students come to the commencement ceremony with mixed emotions of joy, fear and excitement. "While graduation is the end of the line in some ways, it is also a beginning," WEDDLE said. "As students we stand at a crossroads where we will be going our separate ways, choosing our own paths and following where the paths lead," she said.

She challenged the students to move forward, not remain where they are.

"Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things," she said. "Don't get stuck at the crossroads and let life pass you by."

Choosing a path is important, she noted. Once on the path it is important to look back from time to time to remember what helped get the traveler to where they are. "But don't get stuck in the past," she warned. "Focusing behind us will not get us where we are going."

The path will be rough at times, but she challenged the students not to give up. She ended with a verse from Dr. Suess telling students "You are the one to decide where you go."

Superintendent Bill DECKER and high school principal Darrel BARTLING also added advice for the seniors as they graduated.

"The decisions you make in the days ahead will show how successful we have been in the school, DECKER told the group. "Over the next 20 years we will see if the foundation you were given in school here makes a difference in your lives."

Bartling asked students to learn to respect themselves and others, to live by the Golden Rue, to be responsible for their actions and to be forgiving of themselves and others.

He shared a quote from William Jennings BRYAN that "destiny is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice."

Class motto for the class of 2005 is "Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is only a vision, but today well-lived make yesterday a dream of happiness and tomorrow a vision of hope."

Class colors are black, silver and hot pink and the class flower is the lily.

Members of the graduating class include Jessica Marie ADAMS, Mitchell James ADAMS, Ryan Dee BAILEY, Haley Richelle Lynn BAKER, Russell James BAKER, Jared Daniel BECK, Kegan Evan BISHOP, Chelsea Ann CAMPBELL, Hugo CENEFELS, Justin R. COLE, Scott Tyler COOK, Jeffrey Bryant DOOLITTLE, Michael Loren DOOLITTLE, Jodi Sue DRAKE, Nancy Anne ELMER, Kristyn Elaine FORD, Desirea Marie HAMMERS, Kyle Brandon HAYSE, Trisha Joann HENRY, Loyd Keith HISE III.

Brandy Vorris HIXSON, David Douglas HYMBAUGH, Matthew James HYMBAUGH, Amanda Slee HYNEK, Michael Ryan INLOES, Alana Breann JOHNSON, Dustin Bryan LARSEN, Rachael Anne LESAN, Michael Lee McATEE, Ryan Scott McDANIEL, Breanne Leigh McDONNELL, Miranda Ileen McNABB, Alex Paul MERCER, Cody Alex MORGHEIM, Joseph Donald NOBLE, Bradley Clinton PRIEST, Justin Loren REDDING, Sherryll Jolene REED, Annmieke RODE, Anthony James Lawrence ROTERT.

Morgan Su RUPLE, Melissa Jean SCHAFER, Aaron Lee SHIELDS, Alicia Dawn SHIELDS, Leslie Anne SNEDEKER, William Louis SNOOK, Jakob Jerimiah STEEN, Nicholas Ryan TAYLOR, Dreu Mitchell THOMAS, Kevin Robert THOMPSON, Amy Laura TRIGGS, Lucas Robert WARD, Katherine Eileen WEEDLE, Benjamin Robert WIEMAN, Cheri WELLS, Beckey Marie WHITE, Sandra Nichol WHITE and Debra Diane WILSON.

NOTE: According to the list of 2005 graduates compiled by Marilyn Bishop and Ed Bryan, the following were also members of the class:

Sean BAKER, Jeff BROWN, Jesse CHIZEK, Ashley CLYMER, Sharon HARPER, Clint PICKERING, Jacqueline RODRIGUEZ, Jessica SWIETLIK, and Jacob TIPTON.

A baccalaureate service was held for seniors at the First Lutheran Church in Mount Ayr Thursday night as well with Dave INLOES as the speaker.

The service ws planned by senior FCA members Katie WEDDLE, Chelsea CAMPBELL, Michael INLOES, Jakob STEEN and Dustin LARSEN, with the help of pastor John BRILLO and high school guidance counselor John LARSEN.

Photographs courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News

Transcription & Submission by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2012; updated November of 2012 & July of 2012

Class of 2005 Reunion

To submit your Ringgold County school items, contact The County Coordinator.
Please include the word "Ringgold" in the subject line. Thank you.