Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - The 2001 Indiana State Corn Husking Contest began early Saturday morning, a mile east of North Manchester.
Teams of horses pulled antique wooden wagons, and huskers tossed corn into those wagons as fast as possible. The contest is as old as corn husking and competitive men.
Each contestant has 10 minutes to grab corn. A gleaner follows behind the corn husker, gathering the missed cobs.
When time is called, judges weigh the corn and then deduct weight for husks remaining on the cob.
The Golden Agers category - men 75 years and older - were the ones who picked corn by hand before machinery was in the field.
Fred Richardson, 88, of Fort Wayne, sat in the tent away from the wind. He began retelling his old stories. His Nebraskan cousin introduced him to the corn husking contest. Since then he hasn't missed a year, except, of course, when the contest was canceled due to World War II. The contest was resumed in 1979, he said.
Elmer Christianson barged into the tent. He was upset. Christianson, 88, of Marion, finished the contest in second place. He claimed he had been disqualified. He said he was accused of sneaking extra corn in his shirt.
"How the hell could I pull corn up my shirt?" he asked, proving his point by showing that his shirt was buttoned tight.
David Cooley, 88, of Fort Wayne, an old pal of Christianson's, won first place. Cooley beat Christianson by 4 pounds. Cooley's pickings weighed156 pounds.
Cooley said later, "He's just pulling your leg. I said, 'Elmer, you know better than that.' Every year he tells me, 'I won't shuck another year.' He always comes back."
Some might say the Golden Agers are the fiercest competitors, but they aren't the only competitors. Dennis Brown, of Winchester, brought his entire family. His daughter, Kari, 6, shucked in the Pee Wee category. Brown ran away in the men's age 21-49 class, outweighing second place by 104 pounds. His total weight was 459 pounds. Brown is vice president of the state corn husking association and the secretary for the national association.
Cooley, among many others at the contest, is concerned about the contest's survival. Younger interest is waning. The association is trying to keep the tradition of a passing generation from disappearing, according to Don Hinton. But so much work goes into the day's contest and with dropping attendance, the fears of disappearance rise.
"Times change," Cooley said and shrugged.
Still, the year's winners are headed to the national competition in Redwood, Minn.
In 2002, the national competition is scheduled in Huntington.
The 2001 first place winners are: Golden Agers: David Cooley, 156 pounds; women 50 and older: Pat Hardy, 93 pounds; novice: Elam Graber, 118; women 21-40: Lori Hardy, 220; men's open: Vern Dowty, 302; boys 20 and under: Andy Williams, 119; girls 20 and under: Abbie Hardy, 108; Pee Wee 11 and under: Ashley Ambriole, 108; women's open: Judy Lambert, 202; men's 2-49: Dennis Brown, 459. The corn toss winner was Elam Graber, throwing the cob 377 feet.
