Centenarians are grand marshals for Duesey Days Parade

 

GARNER – Four Garner centenarians are the grand marshals for the “150 + 1” Duesey Days Parade on Saturday. They are Evelyn Greiman, Pearl Barkema, Laura Schaben and Marv Schoneman.

Video interviews with them can be viewed at the Garner Chamber of Commerce booth at Central Park on 4:30-8 p.m. on Friday, and after the parade on Saturday. 

Evelyn Greiman, 105, is a lifelong Garner area resident. Evelyn and her husband Kenneth raised their family on their farm northeast of Garner. Farm life kept Evelyn busy. In addition to raising four sons, Evelyn gardened and raised chickens.

The family also had Belgian draft horses. She recalls they had six horses that were part of a 40-horse hitch in the Milwaukee Circus Parade in Wisconsin, many years ago.

Evelyn was a charter member of the North Garner Community Club and participated in several parades with the club. She enjoyed participating in the 125th anniversary celebration of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in 2019.

Marv Schoneman, 104, is a long-time Garner businessman. Marv has called Garner home since 1933. He graduated from Garner High School in 1935. He met his future wife, Kaye Foster, at the Garner Café, which he started in 1938.

Marv enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942 and was honorably discharged in 1946. Marv and Kaye were married in March of 1943.

The couple returned to Garner where they owned and operated five businesses. In addition to the Garner Café, they owned the Grill Café (1946-1949), the Sno-White Market (1949-1959) and Marv’s Super Market (1959-1972, located on 3rd Street). 

In 1976, Marv, Kaye and their oldest son, Greg, started Schoneman Realtors. Marv was active in the real estate business until his retirement in 1995. 

 “Garner is a great town to live in and be in business,” he said. “It is a friendly town that draws from a large area.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the friendly people in Garner at each of the businesses.”

Marv and Kaye raised 3 children. He enjoys living in Garner and watching his children and grandchildren grow the family business, Schoneman Realtors.

Pearl Barkema, 101, attended country school though the 8th grade. She graduated from Garner High School in 1938. 

 “Every Saturday night we always went to town with a case of eggs and traded the eggs for groceries,” she recalled. “Garner had an open stage [the band shell] where the library is now. The old-time bands played every Saturday night.”

There was a little ice cream shop by the band shell, owned her aunt. 

“My dad would buy a quart of hand-packed ice cream every Saturday night and take it home. We would each take a spoon and eat right out of the container,” she said.

Watching people arrive and depart at the train depot was also a popular past time on Saturday nights.

At one time there was a portable roller skating rink just outside of Garner, she recalled. 

Pearl held a variety of jobs including as store clerk the local men’s clothing store and the dime store. She also ironed the white shirts and uniforms for the local drug store three times a week.

Laura Schaben, 100, worked for Northern Natural Gas in Omaha, Neb. until her retirement. 

She moved to Garner in 1985 to be close to family.  She has enjoyed living in Garner very much.

 “After I moved to Garner, I learned to golf. I also purchased a piano and I learned to play the piano – a goal I wanted to achieve,” she said.

However, Laura says her greatest accomplishment was putting her sister through nursing school.

She enjoys being with family and friends.