KDSN RADIO News
DOW CITY-ARION ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONORS TWO GREYHOUND AWARD RECIPIENTS
Dow City, Iowa - John “Ernie” Kline and Mike Weber have been named the 2024 Greyhound
Award Recipients by the Dow City-Arion (DC-A) Alumni Association. A presentation team
including past Greyhound Award recipient Marvel (Popp) Heistand (class of ’68), Larry Nielsen
(class of ’90), Erin Weber (class of ‘18), and Joe Weber (class of ’18) will recognize Kline and
Weber at the upcoming DC-A Alumni Banquet held on May 25 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 in 5 th 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 D1 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 sports commentator for KDSN Radio 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 ten years. He coached junior high
track, football, and girls’ basketball, a role he served alongside Weber. Kline says 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 150 th 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 2
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 4 th 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 (5) and Brooks (2) Summerfield.
Kline and Weber both chose to move back home after college and make a notable
impact on their alma mater and community. Their commitments prove they are worthy recipients
of the Greyhound Award.
Previous recipients of this prestigious award have included 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 annual Alumni Banquet will be held on May 25rd, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the Boyer
Valley North School (former DC-A School) Gymnasium, Dow City, Iowa. 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. Please include with
your payment, the year of your graduation and, if applicable, your 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, please contact Tracey
Schechinger at 712-269-2413, or email DCAalumni@hotmailcom.
