John “Ernie” Kline and Mike Weber were named the 2024 Greyhound Award recipients by the Dow City-Arion (DC-A) Alumni Association.

A presentation team that includes past Greyhound Award recipient Marvel (Popp) Heistand (class of 1968), Larry Nielsen (class of 1990), Erin Weber (class of 2018) and Joe Weber (class of 2018) will recognize Kline and Weber at the May 25 DC-A Alumni Banquet in Dow City.

Kline and Weber have each had significant involvement in the Boyer Valley Community Schools and the districts that preceded it - Dow City-Arion and Dunlap.

In addition to paid and volunteer roles with the school, each has served their respective communities and churches in numerous roles.

Kline graduated from Dow City-Arion in 1979, but his dedication to the school’s athletics started long before that day. He began keeping stats for high school baseball while he was in the fifth grade. He played baseball (his first love) in high school as well as golf. He was a member of the first DC-A golf team his freshman year playing the Dunlap Golf Course as their home course. Kline served as manager for the football and basketball teams throughout high school.

Outside of sports, Kline also participated in chorus and plays and earned a Division 1 honor his senior year for his solo at the state competition.

Upon graduating, Kline attended Northwest Missouri State in Maryville where he earned a degree in business. He returned to Dow City and has worked 40 years as a billing clerk at Smithfield (formerly Farmland). Kline picked up right where he left off with school sports, recording stats for basketball and football games and accumulating over 40 years of service in this capacity. He has filled many other roles in his support of different sports teams through the years including serving as statistician for former KDSN Radio sports commentator Randy Grossman at the state basketball tournament, public address at high school track meets, and public address announcing the starting lineup at basketball games.

Kline was the high school assistant softball coach for 10 years. He coached junior high track, football, and girls’ basketball, a role he served alongside Weber. Kline said he loves being around kids and has probably sat on a bleacher bench more than anyone he knows. In 2017, Kline was one of five recipients of the Iowa Football Coaches Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

Volunteer opportunities have also sprung forth from Kline’s other talent, singing. He served as music director at Pioneer Baptist Church in Denison. In 1995, Kline played the roles of the Wizard of Oz and Mayor of Munchkinland in Boyer Valley High School’s production of The Wizard of Oz. He also acted as Reporter in Unuttered, a play written for the 150th celebration of Dow City. Kline has also served as church treasurer and taught Sunday School to all ages as well as adult bible study classes.

Mike Weber graduated from Dunlap in 1985 and spent most of his career in service to the school district. After high school, he earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education from Buena Vista College, now Buena Vista University. This is where he also received his master’s degree in educational administration. His first teaching job was at Odebolt-Arthur where he taught middle school language arts and coached junior high basketball and junior high track from 1989 until 1993.

In the fall of 1993, Weber returned home to begin his tenure at the Boyer Valley School District. He taught upper elementary until 2002 and then transitioned to teaching Title 1 reading and math for two years. In 2004, he became a principal for the Boyer Valley school district and held that position until retiring in 2022 with 29 years of service to the district.

Weber also coached junior high volleyball, junior high girls’ basketball, and was the assistant coach for high school girls’ basketball. While teaching, he also spent many summers doing janitorial work for the school.

Weber is proud of the fact that his four children graduated from Boyer Valley and many of his volunteer positions speak to how involved he was as a parent. He volunteered as a coach for youth soccer, baseball, softball, football, and basketball. He ran the youth basketball league for seven years and refereed for the league for many years. He served on many after-prom committees. He has also even played the role of Santa Claus for the city of Dunlap.

In the summer, Weber helped with Vacation Bible School representing St. Patrick Catholic Church and worked at Dunlap’s Fourth of July celebration for several years. A few of those years he ran the 3-on-3 basketball tournament at the event.

In the early 90s, Weber coached youth baseball and taught religious education at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dow City.

Weber served on the committee that wrote the successful CAT grant that brought the youth sports complex to Dunlap. He worked on the committee for the school bond for the 2004 building additions.

Today, Weber is enjoying the free time of retirement, especially spending time with his wife, Chris; children, Emily (Kelly Summerfield), Jake, Erin, and Joe; and fulfilling the duties of his role as grandfather to Kennedy (age 5) and Brooks (age 2) Summerfield.

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Previous recipients of the Greyhound Award are James Kloewer, Melvin ‘Crip’ Miller, and Vernon Shotwell in 2003; Albert Ordal in 2004; Helen Hartwig in 2005; Clarice Rule in 2006; Pat Garrett in 2007; Gene Harre, Joan North, and Marvel Heistand in 2008; Laura Westermeyer in 2009; Becky Eimermann, Bill Eimermann, and Glen Cary in 2010; Nellie Brasel, Phyllis TenEyck, and Robert Custer in 2011; Lois Brasel, Rena Riley, and Patricia Blankman in 2012; Linda and Verle McCutcheon and Christine Brink in 2013; Doris Kahl and Susan Weber in 2014; Charles and Jane Smith and Marilyn Keuck in 2015; Alan and Maxine Garrett and Jim Steinkuehler in 2016; Vincent Leinen in 2017; Peggy Christie, Helen McCoid, and Elisabeth Petersen in 2018; Ace and Marilyn Ettleman in 2019; Jack Ahart and Victor Thomsen in 2022; and Jeri Vogt in 2023.

The alumni banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. on May 25 at the Boyer Valley North School (former DC-A School) gymnasium in Dow City. Alumni and faculty can make their reservations to attend the banquet by sending $20 per person ($30 per person for responses paid or postmarked after May 17) to Dow City Alumni Association, P.O. Box 163, Dow City, IA 51528, or by paying via PAYPAL to DCAalumni@hotmail.com. Include with the payment the year of graduation and, if applicable, preference to be seated with your class or with your spouse’s class. Responses postmarked or paid after May 17 may not necessarily be seated with their respective graduating classes. Phone reservations are not accepted. The alumni committee encourages alumni to bring guests who are 16 years of age and older.

For more information about the 117th DC-A Alumni Banquet, contact Tracey Schechinger at 712-269-2413 or email DCAalumni@hotmailcom.

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