Clinton Herald - fall, 1941: Goose Lake Husking Champ Is �Corn-Picking Natural� - picture available Perhaps it�s a combination of his natural liking for corn shuckin� and his experience in playing basketball - at any rate, it�s really �something� that makes Duward Mommsen, 22, of Goose Lake, the husker he is and the county champion he has been since Friday. It was the smiling, popular Duward who although he hardly has kingly leanings, took over the Clinton county corn monarch�s throne yesterday afternoon after 10 pickers� scores had been compiled in the annual contest on the Mrs. Hazel Harrington farm at DeWitt. Duward, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Mommsen, Goose Lake, Route 1, is known as an unusually diligent worker, but that is no sign that he�s a �dead number.� He will be remembered as an ex-Elvira High school basketball player. The �husking hot-shot� is a familiar figure on the ballroom floors in Clinton and surrounding towns. By the way, he prefers modern dance music over that produced by the old-time polka and waltz bands which charm many young couples who do new steps to old country melodies. The swing version of �Down in the Cornfield� is purported to be Duward�s favorite number. Friends remember that he received his high school diploma at 16. �He picks an awful lot of corn every day and he thought it would be a good idea to see what he could do in the county contest�, Duward�s father and mother told The Colonel, Herald farm editor, during a visit Friday afternoon on the beautiful Mommsen farm. The father admits that his son is a much better husker than he ever was. The new champion in the contest for the first time, opposed several ex-champs. Duward will enter the district meet at 11 a.m. Tuesday on the John L.A. Kruse farm just south of Preston, along the gravel road. Although he is not bragging about it and is building no �air castles�, his friends know of his success and are behind him to the man. They would like to see him get into the state meet at Hartley. Duward also has three sisters in the �cheering section�. Duward was not �preening his feathers� when your reporter drove into the Mommsen barnyard, but instead, already had hitched up to go into the field. �You deserve a rest�, your scribe called out. The husking sultan smiled as if he did not know what was meant by the salutation and answered, �just going out for a load or two. There�s a lot of corn to get out.� The corn crop on the farm is better than last year. Perhaps that attitude of �industry pays� is one of the principal secrets of the model Mommsen farmstead where 124 fat Herefords are in dry lot, where 64 are in pasture, and where all the modern buildings are painted and the massive farm home is spic-an-span. Thanks ... Lynda ------------------------------------------------ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!