Harold Putnam was born in
Ross
,
Iowa
in 1915 to Elmer and Jessie Putnam, parents of 8 children Roland (deceased), Harold, Dorothy of Loveland, Colorado, Elmer Jr. of
Keokuk
,
Iowa
, Doris (deceased) Vincent (deceased), Harley (deceased), Richard (deceased).
Harold graduated from
Oskaloosa
High School
.
He later attended and graduated from
Arc
Welding
School
in
Ohio
.
He entered service (Army) in 1942-1945 graduating as a Staff Sergeant.
He received his honorable discharge in the
Philippines
and stayed there approximately two years managing a thousand acre coconut and cattle plantation for two Spaniards.
He walked approximately 10 miles each day checking on local native employees, cattle and crops.
Later he was furnished an airplane and taught to fly using the beaches as landing areas so as to check on the large area more capably.
In October 1947 he returned to the
U.S.
, Oskaloosa where he purchased the Dixie Caramel Corn Shoppe which he operated for 16 years.
He made caramel corn, cheese corm plain popcorn, caramel apples, caramel and chocolate fudge, popcorn balls and crunchy franks (hotdogs on sticks deep fat fried).
In 1952 he designed and had built Putt’s Drive In which he operated for 14 years.
He had the first custom made call system for his 68 car parking lot in the state of
Iowa
. His specialties were tenderloins and Puttsburgers (quarter pounders) which drew customers from the whole southern part of
Iowa
.
He later built on an inside dining room seating some 50 people.
After selling it he bought the Pine Lake Bait and Boat concessions for both Upper and
Lower
Pine
Lake
which he operated for 11 years with 68 water vehicles.
He carried mail as a rural sub for several years and later was a full time Rural Letter Carrie retiring in 1981.
During his retirement years he did wood craft work making 36 different items which he sold in hobby shops in
Marshalltown
and locally.
He led Bible Study in our local nursing homes and taught a Sunday school adult class for many years as a member of the
Eldora
United
Methodist
Church
.
Harold loved the outdoors being an avid fisherman, fox trapper and hunter of pheasants and squirrels.
For many years he spent a week or two fishing on
Crow
Lake
in
Canada
in October.
In 1951 he and Lois Phillips Putnam were united in marriage.
To this union two boys were born: Walter (Cynthia) in
Casper
,
Wyoming
and Phillip (Lorri) in
Shawnee
,
Kansas
.
Three grandchildren blessed his life Benjamin and Sarah in
Casper
and Carly in
Shawnee
.
