Harold Putnam

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 .