Dolores Lane (Nyberg) Troy, as written by her #2 daughter, SandyDolores Lane Nyberg (mom) was born
January 13, 1919 in Gunder, Iowa (Clayton County, Jefferson Township). Her parents are
Oscar J. Nyberg/Nyborg and Selina (Jenson) Nyberg. Grandpa was born Nyborg but changed his name to Nyberg before marriage. Mom was nicknamed "moon-face" because grandpa thought her
mouth looked like a moon when she was little. Mom had 5 siblings but only she and her older brother Ollard survived infancy.
Elmer, Ethelyn and Allison died at birth and Archie
died of pnemonia 4 months after his 2nd birthday. Dolores and Ollard (who later changd his name to Allard) were raised in Gunder, Iowa, Clayton County, Marion Township. The family went to the Marion Lutheran Church in Gunder, where Dolores was baptized and confirmed. The Marion Lutheran Church still proudly displays all the Confirmation Class pictures at the Church. Grandpa, Dolores' father Oscar, was a salesman of twine, tractors, and silos (farm supplies) in northeast Iowa. Oscar opened a garage/implement shop in Gunder but it burned down. Grandpa continued his work by working out of his home in Gunder. Mom recounts many times grandpa took her with him all over the Iowa countryside when selling to the farmers. In 1944
grandpa and grandma (Oscar and Selina) moved to Postville Iowa and opened
Nyberg's Farm and Home Supply. Dolores was married when her parents moved to
Postville although still knew many people in Postville as she graduated in 1935 from Postville High School at the age of 17. In 1939 Dolores received her KG-PR teaching degree from the Iowa State Teacher's College. Dolores taught
for three years and then married
Harland Eugene Troy May 15, 1943, in Quantico, Virginia. Harland
was a Lieutenant in the U.S.M.C. Dad and mom have added 19 new lives to this earth... Five Children:
Vicky Sue (b.2/23/1944), Sandra Jane (b.5/23/1947), Nancy Lane (b.9/1/1953), and the twins Barbara Jo and Blake Lee (b.5/6/1957)Eleven Grandchildren:
Robert (b.8/15/1962), Kenneth (b.7/31/1965),
Stephany (b.2/10/1969), Kelly (b.7/12/1979), Darcy (b.4/15/1981), Dane
(b.7/10/1984), Haley Rose (b.12/21/1988), Caitlin (b.8/10/1989),
Jordan (b.11/17/1990), Audrey (1/13/1990), and Curtis (6/26/1991) Three great grandchildren: Sarah (b.12/13/1992),
Christopher (b.7/6/1993), and Robin (b.1/24/1997)Below is my mom's story of her life from when she was a little girl until she graduated from College. Her story starts....
When mom was a young girl in Gunder, she would often get all the neighbor kids together to present plays for other kids and the adults. As written in the Postville Herald July 27, 1933
"Quite a crowd attended the show in Gunder Friday evening put on by the younger set, Miss Dolores Nyberg coaching." Mom would gather the kids anywhere she could to practice, the allies and also in the upstairs of a barn
which had blankets strung around for curtains. She and her brother Ollard (Allard) had many friends in Gunder while growing up
(pictures of Dolores and Allard with Virgil Cook, Merton Cook, Thelma Halvorson and Selena Olson). After mom graduated from Postville High School, she went to the Iowa State
Teacher's College where she was a member of the Tau Sigma Delta (TEA) Sorority at the age of 18. Dolores very active in College. She
studied hard but always found time to relax
also. While in college, mom was one named one of
the 'Old Gold Beauties'. Each of the sororities picked a girl to represent them in the Old Gold Beauty contest. The 'pickers' were then displayed at the Crosroads where the students gathered between classes, and the student body
voted for whom would be represented at the Old Gold Dance (big dance of the year). The judges choose 5 to be featured in the Old Gold yearbook, and my mom was one of the five featured in the 1939 yearbook. She attended college one year and then took a year off
from college and taught 2nd-7th grade students
at a one-room school in a rural area of Highland County. After a year of teaching, mom then returned to the Iowa State Teacher's College. Mom and dad met in college so I asked her how they met. "At college, we
would all go to the upstairs of the cafeteria between classes and meet because there was a jukebox upstairs and we could dance.
I met your dad there. I had my eye on a guy named Mike Jenson and wanted Mike to come over and ask me to dance. Mike was with this other guy. Instead, the other guy, Harland, came over and
said, "wanna dance Susie?" Stub, as your dad was called back then, and I started dating in 1938
." When I asked my mom and dad what ever happened to Mike Jenson, they said he had died in WWII. Dad and Mike were were good friends in College and were on the football team
together. My dad was in the Alpha Chi Epsilon (AXE) fraternity. The AXE had a Boiler Maker's Brawl every year - the reason it was called "boiler maker" was because all the pledges would paint up the boiler maker
lunch pails
for each of the AXE members. The pails would be taken to the dance for the member and their date to pick up when they went into the dance. Dad remembers food being put in the lunch pails and thought mom made it, but mom said nope! So we assume the pledges made the food in the lunch pails!
Mom received her KG-PR Teaching Degree in 1939 from the Iowa State Teacher's College. The Summer between her graduation and teaching in Brandon, there was an article that came out in the Dubuque Newspaper that Susan
Hayward was coming to the Des Moines State Fair for a week. Since Susan was new to Hollywood, and she was a redhead, her publicity manager thought it would be good publicity to have a Red Headed Beauty contest at the fair. The
newspaper article stated that the contestants should cut off a lock of their hair and send in a picture
to Susan's address in Hollywood - one girl would be chosen from each Iowa District and sent to Des Moines for a week to select the winner. Mom was encouraged to enter but she said, "no, I'm not going to do that!" But, dad was visiting and he sneaked up to the back of mom, snipped off a lock of her hair, and sent it in with her picture. Mom received a telegram from Susan Hayward saying mom was picked to represent her District in Iowa. So off Dolores went for a week at the Drake Hotel in Des Moines Iowa! There were
luncheons and dinners
every day to show off the redheads. Susan Haywood's staff members interviewed twenty-one redheads from the Iowa districts during that time, and five were chosen as the finalists - mom was one of the 6 finalists
for the "Queen of Iowa Redheads" crown. The finalists were presented on the big fairground at the Des Moines State Fair and there was a dinner and dance that night. My dad came up to be mom's escort, and grandma and grandpa Nyberg also came up for the event. The fair was in August 1939. Although mom didn't win, it was a very exciting summer - the girl that won was mom's roommate at the Drake. Mom's teaching career started that Fall in Brandon Iowa where she
taught the 1st and 2nd grade
for two years and then taught 1st grade Jesup for one year. My dad and mom were married in 1943 and that ended her teaching career for other people's children - but it was good experience for her to have with her five children to come. I don't think I can remember of ever being bored while growing up, there was always some activity or another going on. So I know she carried on what she learned in College to her own children .
Ancestory Links:
Harland Troy Ancestors
Dolores Nyberg Ancestors
Kids and Grandkids Anniversary Picture Links:
Harland & Dolores Troy - 25th Anniversary
Harland & Dolores Troy - 50th Wedding Anniversary
Harland & Dolores Troy - 55th Wedding Anniversary and Postville Herald Article
Harland & Dolores Troy - 57th Wedding Anniversary
Harland & Dolores Troy - 60th Wedding Anniversary
Link to construction page (pictures/information under consideration to add).
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