10/05/2024
It's time for some updates and information on what is happening at the Grand Community Center in Boxholm. Check this out !
09-26-2024_Dayton_Leader
The Legacy of Grand Community Center
By Justine Hemmestad
In 1917, the completed construction of the historical Boxholm School came to a grand total of $67,922, and in 1918 it was dedicated in the presence of Iowa’s Governor, W. L. Harding.
269 kids were enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade
that first year.
The legacy of the boys sports teams, the Swedes, endures
on Boxholm’s main road sign, which denotes, “Home of the
Swedes.” In fact, the Swedes were a consolation winner in the 1932
Iowa State Boys Basketball Tournament.
In 1955, a cost of $245,000 was ascribed to a one-story addition, which included a gym and a cafeteria, as well as classrooms and offices.
By 1958, the Boxholm school consolidated with Pilot Mound, and Grand Community came into existence. But by 1985, only 15 seniors graduated - in a class that would hold Boxholm’s final com- mencement ceremonies.
Then came grade-sharing with Southeast Webster in Burnside, when the school served as the learning grounds for 5th and 6th grade students.
However, the last breath for the Boxholm school came in the
summer of 2022, when it was demolished. The first school board in 1918 included one Aiken Muench, whose name is etched into the
cornerstone of the building. Now, there’s another kind of board that reckons with the fate of the Boxholm School, and Aikin Muench’s great grandson, Mark Muench, is its president. And Muench isn’t the only board member with such a grand legacy! Melinda Anderlik is also the great grandchild of Aikin Muench. Linda Muench Trudo is yet another board member who is related to Aikin, as he is her
grand uncle. Another founder of the original Boxholm school, whose name is also on the cornerstone along with Aikin Muench’s,
is Christian Peterson. Board member Kent Peterson is Christian’s great grandson. Board members Casey and Justin Peterson are also related to Christian, and they’re related to additional founders too, with some uncertainty as to how. In fact, all six board members
of the Grand Heritage Foundation are related to the founders
of the school, and therein lies their dedication.
Perpetuating this legacy means everything to them - they just needed to find a way to do it.
Enter Dave Sherry, President of the Sherry Group, whose mission statement is: “At the Sherry Group, our desire is to do our best in helping others do their best.” They have certainly given that statement life. The Sherry Group is acting as a consultant for the board of the Grant Heritage Foundation.
Sherry helps them decide their strategy as they prepare for the task ahead. Sherry says that updates and repairs were initially needed for the rescued 1955 addition that included the gym.
“We’ve had an anonymous gift from a corporate sponsor and we started conversations several months ago,” he shares.
“We have a shared vision for the project and how it will serve the
community.”
“On September 3rd, the anonymous donor agreed to give half
a million dollars - a half million dollar pledge - to the project.
“[The donor] is going to give $100,000 per year for the next
five years.” And Sherry relays a caveat, “They added a challenge
to it - they would like to see us raise an additional $200,000
by March 1 (in addition to the $500,000 corporate gift), which
we’re confident that the community will step up and help us
do.”
Sherry adds, “We’re currently putting together plans to raise
those funds - and they’ve [the donor] asked us to be open by
April 1, 2025, and it is our plan to do so.”
Sherry makes a point to say, “It may not have everything we want to see yet when it opens - but the community meeting room, bathrooms, and front room will all be done and open
and we’ll start being available for public use April 1.”
The Grand Heritage Foundation is working to prioritize the order in which things will be completed (they primarily own the land on which the school building itself sits, while the ball diamond and the park are owned by the city).
“We’re working on flooring and paint and all the things it takes to get a building like that open again,” Sherry says.
Our priorities are to get the gym open, as well as the community room and front lobby. They would consider a soft opening, prior to April 1, if they had child care available. Once flooring and some of
the classrooms are done, they will likely be, “open for tours to
let people see it.” “We’d really like to see the child care center done and open for use, as well as the fitness center, but we’re not sure at this point if those will be done by April 1.
“Then we would like to look into starting a food bank for the
community; so we’re working on a space that we think may
work for that as well. He says they’ll create spaces that can be used for, “public health, family activities, and a meeting space for groups like 4H.” Their intent is for the gym to be used as a venue for, “all different kinds of activities, from youth sports, to family events,
to eventually bringing in music for the community.”
He adds, “We’ll eventually open a day care (we know there’s a need for day care in the area), a fitness center, and a food bank (which is a main priority).
“The board is currently working on heat and air conditioning
for the building, and “we have our first working bathrooms
that will be open in another two weeks.”
Sherry is obviously thrilled to say, “We’re really excited to be
open April 1st, that’s a very doable goal.” To that end, he makes the
point to say that they’ve already been contacted weekly, and
sometimes more, for use of the building, “not only from those
in our region, but also by people from Boone, Fort Dodge, Jefferson, and even groups as far away as Des Moines.”
He assures that there’s significant need for the gym space, and they’d like to start using it.
To help facilitate that, the Grand Heritage Foundation has
formed a committee to raise the requested $200,000.
Members visit with the community and ask them to consider making a pledge. Pledges can be made over the course of five years, for instance a pledge of $50,000 can be made and $10,000 given every year for five years. In addition to private gifts, the
Sherry Group is also working with the Grant Heritage Foundation to identify various grants to apply for (the grants would count toward the $200,000 they need to raise).
Community members and the public at large can give their donations to preserve the heritage of the Boxholm School, with
renovated, community-centered facilities, to any of the
board members:
Mark Muench - Board Presi- dent
James Hawcott - Vice President
Kent Peterson - Treasurer
Justin Peterson
Casey Peterson
Linda Trudo
Melinda Anderlik
Mick Johnston
Zach Hockemeier
Board member Linda Trudo says that recent events held there were the Opening of the Time Capsule event, as well as 4th of July event for kids in which, “we opened the gym up and had face painting and gave the kids ice cream cones. Both of these events were very well
attended.”
Donations and pledges can also be made to The Sherry Group, via Dave Sherry - [email protected] (515)230-4030
(Dave Sherry was included in City View Des Moines’ list of “Top 8
Most Likable Men in Des Moines,” where he came in 2nd Place.
He’s a pleasure to talk to).
Donors may also contact the Boone County Community
Foundation at https://www.foundationboonecounty.org/
(a gift can be made through the community foundation, which
is a private foundation, and all gifts go directly to the Grand
Heritage Foundation). Gifts are tax deductible, but need not only be in money form. Gifts of stocks, or grain, corn, soybeans, and even retired farm equipment could be accepted and transferred by the foundation into a cash gift.
Sherry also says, “The board is working hard and volunteering. They’re also hiring vendors for projects, but they’re always
looking for volunteers. If people want to help in any way we
would love to hear from them; they can contact any board
member.” It is their dream for the Boxholm school to be enjoyed by
even more descendants of the founders, students, and community members alike.
The Grand Heritage Foundation and the Grand Community Center have a BIG THANK YOU out to the Dayton Leader for following our project, our events and us as we continue work on the center.
We are continuing to work hard on many different projects at the center. We plan to have it open by April 1 2025 !
Please read the Dayton Leader front page article in the 9/26/202 issue.
We will follow this with photos of the projects being done recently and currently. We appreciate everyone's support. Thank You ! Grand Heritage Foundation // Grand Community Center.
