January 2, 1995
Des Moines Register
Don Hoover, 84, of Norwalk, died of a heart ailment Saturday at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at McLaren's Funeral Home with burial at Webb Cemetery.
Mr. Hoover was a lifelong Norwalk resident. He was retired dairy farmer and a member of the American Milking Shorthorn Society and the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society.
Survivors include his wife, Winifred; three sons, Jerry and Pat, both of Norwalk, and Joe of New Virginia; thee daughters, Diane Hoover of Norwalk, Rosemary Hoover of Indianola and Jeanette Warren of Des Moines; a brother, Bob of Tucson, Ariz.; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Norwalk Rescue Unit.
# # #
1st Recipient of Massee Sportsmanship Award
Don Hoover of Silver Valley Farms, rural Norwalk, was presented the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, Saturday, August 18, 1990.
He is the first recipient of this award which is presented in memory of Bob Massee, a breeder and exhibitor of Jersey cattle.
The award is based on good sportsmanship and interaction with other Iowa State Fair dairy cattle exhibitors, as well as quality of past exhibits.
Hoover has exhibited registered Milking Shorthorns at the Iowa State Fair for 45 years, where he has had many Grand Champions.
# # #
Recipient of the Milking Shorthorn Citizen of the Year
(Text of speech given by John Sparkman, Republic, Missouri, as he presented the Citizen of the Year at the National Milking Shorthorn Convention, July, 1994, in Oklahoma.)
"Ladies & gentlemen, the 1994 recipient of the Citizen of the Year award is Don Hoover. Don & Winifred Hoover established the Silver Valley Milking Shorthorn herd in 1939 at Norwalk, Iowa. Silver Valley Farm was one of the first herds on Plan I and Don was always a leader in DHIA in Iowa. The herd consistently was in the top group for production in Iowa, winning classes at the state fair and Silver Valley ads were always in the Milking Shorthorn journal.
Silver Valley Farm never missed a show at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and at the National Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa. Don often organized all the juniors to go out to eat together. I especially remember one incident where Don had everyone in his pickup going to eat and in the course of conversation, Don discovered he had driven about four blocks the wrong way on the freeway.
In the 1960's and the 1970's he branched out by exhibiting Silver Valley cattle at Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma state fairs. Most memorable was Don exhibiting Silver Valley King who was champion at six major shows.
Don has been bestowed with other awards also. In 1990 he received the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, which is chosen by all dairy exhibitors, and he was its first recipient.
Silver Valley Farm consigned several high quality cattle to many state and regional sales. While in Oklahoma at the shows and sales he was known for taking all of the junior exhibitors out to dinner.
Don served as the Milking Shorthorn President, was an officer in the Iowa Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, Iowa Dairy Association and served as a national Milking Shorthorn director for two terms.
Don helped establish the milking parlor at the Iowa State Fair. Seems that he had an unfortunate incident with his portable milker enroute to the Iowa State Fair one year. The milker, setting in the back of his pickup, fell out and backed up traffic on a very busy 4-lane street. Don was also named the first June is Dairy Month Chairman by Iowa Governor Norman Erbe in 1954.
The Hoover's have six children, two sons are dairymen and son, Pat, has taken on some of Dad's roles as a DHIA board member, even to the national level. Their children are Pat, Diane, Jeanette, Jerry, Rosemary and Joe. Could you all join me in congratulating Don Hoover as citizen of the Year."
# # #
History of Warren County
Published by Warren County Geneological Society, 1987
Doniven G. Hoover (Don) was born October 11, 1910. He was the second child of George and LuCretia (Cretia) Hildebrand Hoover, who lived on a farm in Section 30, Greenfield Twp., Warren Co., Ia He has two sisters, Faye and Merlie Hoover Glascock, both deceased, and a brother Ivyl Wayne (Bob).
He was educated at Spring Hill Consolidated School located three miles from his home. He was known to his classmates as "Bunk". He rode a horsedrawn school bus to school. If he attended any evening or after school activities, he usually walked. He graduated in 1930. The class had nine graduates.
1930 found this country in the midst of a severe depression. Numerous farmers had lost their farms and jobs were scarce. One worked at anything he could find to make a living. Don did field work for local farmers for $1/day. In the fall he got a job picking corn. His wage was 2¢/bushel and he scooped the loads into the corn crib by hand.
Located close by his parents' farm was the Hargrove and Arnold Farm. It was a large dairy farm recognized throughout the U.S. for its excellent Holstein-Friesian cattle. A lot of local help was hired there. On December 30, 1932, Don began working for them. He was hired to help prepare for their dispersal sale of 253 cattle in February 1932 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. He was paid $1.50/day.
He continued working for them after their sale. He milked 22 cows by hand twice a day for $35/month and furnished his own board and room.
Following the presidential election of 1932, President Roosevelt originated his NRA (40-hour week) Plan. As this plan got established the economy began to improve slowly.
Don contracted to drive a school bus for the Spring Hill School District in 1934-35. His pay was $40/month. Drivers furnished their own bus and paid their own operating expenses. At that time gasoline sold for nine gallon/$1.
He married Winifred King, daughter of Patrick and Mary (McNamara) King of Lee Twp., Madison Co., Ia., on November 17, 1934. To this marriage was born three multiple births and two single births: Jerry and Jeanette, September 1935; Alan (Joe), William and Helen, November 1936; Patrick (Pat), June 1943; Ross and Rosemary, June 1946; Mildred (Diane), August 1947. Two of the triplets died in infancy. Ross died from sulfuric acid burns when he was 16 months old. All of the children reside in Warren Co. except Jeanette.
In the early 1930's, McDonald Brothers, who had other coal mines in Warren Co., spot tested the Norwalk Coal Mine and sunk a new shaft in it. Don dug in this mine the winter of 1935. Diggers were paid $1/ton.
Don's granddad, S.C. Hildebrand, was a dairy farmer in Section 30, Greenfield Twp. Due to failing health, he needed help. Don entered into a partnership with him in the spring of 1936.
His first year of farming was not too profitable as the area had a drought. 1937 was a little better. That spring, sleeping sickness hit the horse population and many farmers lost good work horses which were important to their livelihood. Don lost only one.
S.C. Hildebrand died in 1942. Don bought the farm in 1947. (His granddad bought it in 1897.)
Don enjoys working with cattle very much. He bought a Milking Shorthorn cow and bull in 1939. He began establishing a prominent herd of registered Milking Shorthorn cattle. The farm name, Silver Valley Farm, was registered in 1947. He has showed, judged and classified cattle in many states. He had a dispersal of 70 head of cattle in 1983.
Two of his sons carry on the family tradition of dairying in Warren Co. Joe has a dairy farm in Virginia Twp. Since late 1984 Pat established the Silver Valley Farm on a smaller scale in Greenfield Twp.
Don has served his community in numerous capacities. He served on the Spring Hill School Board for eight years; member of the Warren County DHIA Board; Webb Cemetery Board; Warren County ASCS committeeman; Greenfield Booster 4-H club leader; director of the American Dairy Association in the 1960's; President of the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society; board member of the National Milking Shorthorn Association for six years.
Des Moines Register
Don Hoover, 84, of Norwalk, died of a heart ailment Saturday at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at McLaren's Funeral Home with burial at Webb Cemetery.
Mr. Hoover was a lifelong Norwalk resident. He was retired dairy farmer and a member of the American Milking Shorthorn Society and the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society.
Survivors include his wife, Winifred; three sons, Jerry and Pat, both of Norwalk, and Joe of New Virginia; thee daughters, Diane Hoover of Norwalk, Rosemary Hoover of Indianola and Jeanette Warren of Des Moines; a brother, Bob of Tucson, Ariz.; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Norwalk Rescue Unit.
# # #
1st Recipient of Massee Sportsmanship Award
Don Hoover of Silver Valley Farms, rural Norwalk, was presented the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, Saturday, August 18, 1990.
He is the first recipient of this award which is presented in memory of Bob Massee, a breeder and exhibitor of Jersey cattle.
The award is based on good sportsmanship and interaction with other Iowa State Fair dairy cattle exhibitors, as well as quality of past exhibits.
Hoover has exhibited registered Milking Shorthorns at the Iowa State Fair for 45 years, where he has had many Grand Champions.
# # #
Recipient of the Milking Shorthorn Citizen of the Year
(Text of speech given by John Sparkman, Republic, Missouri, as he presented the Citizen of the Year at the National Milking Shorthorn Convention, July, 1994, in Oklahoma.)
"Ladies & gentlemen, the 1994 recipient of the Citizen of the Year award is Don Hoover. Don & Winifred Hoover established the Silver Valley Milking Shorthorn herd in 1939 at Norwalk, Iowa. Silver Valley Farm was one of the first herds on Plan I and Don was always a leader in DHIA in Iowa. The herd consistently was in the top group for production in Iowa, winning classes at the state fair and Silver Valley ads were always in the Milking Shorthorn journal.
Silver Valley Farm never missed a show at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and at the National Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa. Don often organized all the juniors to go out to eat together. I especially remember one incident where Don had everyone in his pickup going to eat and in the course of conversation, Don discovered he had driven about four blocks the wrong way on the freeway.
In the 1960's and the 1970's he branched out by exhibiting Silver Valley cattle at Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma state fairs. Most memorable was Don exhibiting Silver Valley King who was champion at six major shows.
Don has been bestowed with other awards also. In 1990 he received the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, which is chosen by all dairy exhibitors, and he was its first recipient.
Silver Valley Farm consigned several high quality cattle to many state and regional sales. While in Oklahoma at the shows and sales he was known for taking all of the junior exhibitors out to dinner.
Don served as the Milking Shorthorn President, was an officer in the Iowa Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, Iowa Dairy Association and served as a national Milking Shorthorn director for two terms.
Don helped establish the milking parlor at the Iowa State Fair. Seems that he had an unfortunate incident with his portable milker enroute to the Iowa State Fair one year. The milker, setting in the back of his pickup, fell out and backed up traffic on a very busy 4-lane street. Don was also named the first June is Dairy Month Chairman by Iowa Governor Norman Erbe in 1954.
The Hoover's have six children, two sons are dairymen and son, Pat, has taken on some of Dad's roles as a DHIA board member, even to the national level. Their children are Pat, Diane, Jeanette, Jerry, Rosemary and Joe. Could you all join me in congratulating Don Hoover as citizen of the Year."
# # #
History of Warren County
Published by Warren County Geneological Society, 1987
Doniven G. Hoover (Don) was born October 11, 1910. He was the second child of George and LuCretia (Cretia) Hildebrand Hoover, who lived on a farm in Section 30, Greenfield Twp., Warren Co., Ia He has two sisters, Faye and Merlie Hoover Glascock, both deceased, and a brother Ivyl Wayne (Bob).
He was educated at Spring Hill Consolidated School located three miles from his home. He was known to his classmates as "Bunk". He rode a horsedrawn school bus to school. If he attended any evening or after school activities, he usually walked. He graduated in 1930. The class had nine graduates.
1930 found this country in the midst of a severe depression. Numerous farmers had lost their farms and jobs were scarce. One worked at anything he could find to make a living. Don did field work for local farmers for $1/day. In the fall he got a job picking corn. His wage was 2¢/bushel and he scooped the loads into the corn crib by hand.
Located close by his parents' farm was the Hargrove and Arnold Farm. It was a large dairy farm recognized throughout the U.S. for its excellent Holstein-Friesian cattle. A lot of local help was hired there. On December 30, 1932, Don began working for them. He was hired to help prepare for their dispersal sale of 253 cattle in February 1932 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. He was paid $1.50/day.
He continued working for them after their sale. He milked 22 cows by hand twice a day for $35/month and furnished his own board and room.
Following the presidential election of 1932, President Roosevelt originated his NRA (40-hour week) Plan. As this plan got established the economy began to improve slowly.
Don contracted to drive a school bus for the Spring Hill School District in 1934-35. His pay was $40/month. Drivers furnished their own bus and paid their own operating expenses. At that time gasoline sold for nine gallon/$1.
He married Winifred King, daughter of Patrick and Mary (McNamara) King of Lee Twp., Madison Co., Ia., on November 17, 1934. To this marriage was born three multiple births and two single births: Jerry and Jeanette, September 1935; Alan (Joe), William and Helen, November 1936; Patrick (Pat), June 1943; Ross and Rosemary, June 1946; Mildred (Diane), August 1947. Two of the triplets died in infancy. Ross died from sulfuric acid burns when he was 16 months old. All of the children reside in Warren Co. except Jeanette.
In the early 1930's, McDonald Brothers, who had other coal mines in Warren Co., spot tested the Norwalk Coal Mine and sunk a new shaft in it. Don dug in this mine the winter of 1935. Diggers were paid $1/ton.
Don's granddad, S.C. Hildebrand, was a dairy farmer in Section 30, Greenfield Twp. Due to failing health, he needed help. Don entered into a partnership with him in the spring of 1936.
His first year of farming was not too profitable as the area had a drought. 1937 was a little better. That spring, sleeping sickness hit the horse population and many farmers lost good work horses which were important to their livelihood. Don lost only one.
S.C. Hildebrand died in 1942. Don bought the farm in 1947. (His granddad bought it in 1897.)
Don enjoys working with cattle very much. He bought a Milking Shorthorn cow and bull in 1939. He began establishing a prominent herd of registered Milking Shorthorn cattle. The farm name, Silver Valley Farm, was registered in 1947. He has showed, judged and classified cattle in many states. He had a dispersal of 70 head of cattle in 1983.
Two of his sons carry on the family tradition of dairying in Warren Co. Joe has a dairy farm in Virginia Twp. Since late 1984 Pat established the Silver Valley Farm on a smaller scale in Greenfield Twp.
Don has served his community in numerous capacities. He served on the Spring Hill School Board for eight years; member of the Warren County DHIA Board; Webb Cemetery Board; Warren County ASCS committeeman; Greenfield Booster 4-H club leader; director of the American Dairy Association in the 1960's; President of the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society; board member of the National Milking Shorthorn Association for six years.
January 2, 1995
Des Moines Register
Don Hoover, 84, of Norwalk, died of a heart ailment Saturday at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at McLaren's Funeral Home with burial at Webb Cemetery.
Mr. Hoover was a lifelong Norwalk resident. He was retired dairy farmer and a member of the American Milking Shorthorn Society and the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society.
Survivors include his wife, Winifred; three sons, Jerry and Pat, both of Norwalk, and Joe of New Virginia; thee daughters, Diane Hoover of Norwalk, Rosemary Hoover of Indianola and Jeanette Warren of Des Moines; a brother, Bob of Tucson, Ariz.; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Norwalk Rescue Unit.
# # #
1st Recipient of Massee Sportsmanship Award
Don Hoover of Silver Valley Farms, rural Norwalk, was presented the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, Saturday, August 18, 1990.
He is the first recipient of this award which is presented in memory of Bob Massee, a breeder and exhibitor of Jersey cattle.
The award is based on good sportsmanship and interaction with other Iowa State Fair dairy cattle exhibitors, as well as quality of past exhibits.
Hoover has exhibited registered Milking Shorthorns at the Iowa State Fair for 45 years, where he has had many Grand Champions.
# # #
Recipient of the Milking Shorthorn Citizen of the Year
(Text of speech given by John Sparkman, Republic, Missouri, as he presented the Citizen of the Year at the National Milking Shorthorn Convention, July, 1994, in Oklahoma.)
"Ladies & gentlemen, the 1994 recipient of the Citizen of the Year award is Don Hoover. Don & Winifred Hoover established the Silver Valley Milking Shorthorn herd in 1939 at Norwalk, Iowa. Silver Valley Farm was one of the first herds on Plan I and Don was always a leader in DHIA in Iowa. The herd consistently was in the top group for production in Iowa, winning classes at the state fair and Silver Valley ads were always in the Milking Shorthorn journal.
Silver Valley Farm never missed a show at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and at the National Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa. Don often organized all the juniors to go out to eat together. I especially remember one incident where Don had everyone in his pickup going to eat and in the course of conversation, Don discovered he had driven about four blocks the wrong way on the freeway.
In the 1960's and the 1970's he branched out by exhibiting Silver Valley cattle at Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma state fairs. Most memorable was Don exhibiting Silver Valley King who was champion at six major shows.
Don has been bestowed with other awards also. In 1990 he received the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, which is chosen by all dairy exhibitors, and he was its first recipient.
Silver Valley Farm consigned several high quality cattle to many state and regional sales. While in Oklahoma at the shows and sales he was known for taking all of the junior exhibitors out to dinner.
Don served as the Milking Shorthorn President, was an officer in the Iowa Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, Iowa Dairy Association and served as a national Milking Shorthorn director for two terms.
Don helped establish the milking parlor at the Iowa State Fair. Seems that he had an unfortunate incident with his portable milker enroute to the Iowa State Fair one year. The milker, setting in the back of his pickup, fell out and backed up traffic on a very busy 4-lane street. Don was also named the first June is Dairy Month Chairman by Iowa Governor Norman Erbe in 1954.
The Hoover's have six children, two sons are dairymen and son, Pat, has taken on some of Dad's roles as a DHIA board member, even to the national level. Their children are Pat, Diane, Jeanette, Jerry, Rosemary and Joe. Could you all join me in congratulating Don Hoover as citizen of the Year."
# # #
History of Warren County
Published by Warren County Geneological Society, 1987
Doniven G. Hoover (Don) was born October 11, 1910. He was the second child of George and LuCretia (Cretia) Hildebrand Hoover, who lived on a farm in Section 30, Greenfield Twp., Warren Co., Ia He has two sisters, Faye and Merlie Hoover Glascock, both deceased, and a brother Ivyl Wayne (Bob).
He was educated at Spring Hill Consolidated School located three miles from his home. He was known to his classmates as "Bunk". He rode a horsedrawn school bus to school. If he attended any evening or after school activities, he usually walked. He graduated in 1930. The class had nine graduates.
1930 found this country in the midst of a severe depression. Numerous farmers had lost their farms and jobs were scarce. One worked at anything he could find to make a living. Don did field work for local farmers for $1/day. In the fall he got a job picking corn. His wage was 2¢/bushel and he scooped the loads into the corn crib by hand.
Located close by his parents' farm was the Hargrove and Arnold Farm. It was a large dairy farm recognized throughout the U.S. for its excellent Holstein-Friesian cattle. A lot of local help was hired there. On December 30, 1932, Don began working for them. He was hired to help prepare for their dispersal sale of 253 cattle in February 1932 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. He was paid $1.50/day.
He continued working for them after their sale. He milked 22 cows by hand twice a day for $35/month and furnished his own board and room.
Following the presidential election of 1932, President Roosevelt originated his NRA (40-hour week) Plan. As this plan got established the economy began to improve slowly.
Don contracted to drive a school bus for the Spring Hill School District in 1934-35. His pay was $40/month. Drivers furnished their own bus and paid their own operating expenses. At that time gasoline sold for nine gallon/$1.
He married Winifred King, daughter of Patrick and Mary (McNamara) King of Lee Twp., Madison Co., Ia., on November 17, 1934. To this marriage was born three multiple births and two single births: Jerry and Jeanette, September 1935; Alan (Joe), William and Helen, November 1936; Patrick (Pat), June 1943; Ross and Rosemary, June 1946; Mildred (Diane), August 1947. Two of the triplets died in infancy. Ross died from sulfuric acid burns when he was 16 months old. All of the children reside in Warren Co. except Jeanette.
In the early 1930's, McDonald Brothers, who had other coal mines in Warren Co., spot tested the Norwalk Coal Mine and sunk a new shaft in it. Don dug in this mine the winter of 1935. Diggers were paid $1/ton.
Don's granddad, S.C. Hildebrand, was a dairy farmer in Section 30, Greenfield Twp. Due to failing health, he needed help. Don entered into a partnership with him in the spring of 1936.
His first year of farming was not too profitable as the area had a drought. 1937 was a little better. That spring, sleeping sickness hit the horse population and many farmers lost good work horses which were important to their livelihood. Don lost only one.
S.C. Hildebrand died in 1942. Don bought the farm in 1947. (His granddad bought it in 1897.)
Don enjoys working with cattle very much. He bought a Milking Shorthorn cow and bull in 1939. He began establishing a prominent herd of registered Milking Shorthorn cattle. The farm name, Silver Valley Farm, was registered in 1947. He has showed, judged and classified cattle in many states. He had a dispersal of 70 head of cattle in 1983.
Two of his sons carry on the family tradition of dairying in Warren Co. Joe has a dairy farm in Virginia Twp. Since late 1984 Pat established the Silver Valley Farm on a smaller scale in Greenfield Twp.
Don has served his community in numerous capacities. He served on the Spring Hill School Board for eight years; member of the Warren County DHIA Board; Webb Cemetery Board; Warren County ASCS committeeman; Greenfield Booster 4-H club leader; director of the American Dairy Association in the 1960's; President of the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society; board member of the National Milking Shorthorn Association for six years.
Des Moines Register
Don Hoover, 84, of Norwalk, died of a heart ailment Saturday at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at McLaren's Funeral Home with burial at Webb Cemetery.
Mr. Hoover was a lifelong Norwalk resident. He was retired dairy farmer and a member of the American Milking Shorthorn Society and the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society.
Survivors include his wife, Winifred; three sons, Jerry and Pat, both of Norwalk, and Joe of New Virginia; thee daughters, Diane Hoover of Norwalk, Rosemary Hoover of Indianola and Jeanette Warren of Des Moines; a brother, Bob of Tucson, Ariz.; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Norwalk Rescue Unit.
# # #
1st Recipient of Massee Sportsmanship Award
Don Hoover of Silver Valley Farms, rural Norwalk, was presented the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, Saturday, August 18, 1990.
He is the first recipient of this award which is presented in memory of Bob Massee, a breeder and exhibitor of Jersey cattle.
The award is based on good sportsmanship and interaction with other Iowa State Fair dairy cattle exhibitors, as well as quality of past exhibits.
Hoover has exhibited registered Milking Shorthorns at the Iowa State Fair for 45 years, where he has had many Grand Champions.
# # #
Recipient of the Milking Shorthorn Citizen of the Year
(Text of speech given by John Sparkman, Republic, Missouri, as he presented the Citizen of the Year at the National Milking Shorthorn Convention, July, 1994, in Oklahoma.)
"Ladies & gentlemen, the 1994 recipient of the Citizen of the Year award is Don Hoover. Don & Winifred Hoover established the Silver Valley Milking Shorthorn herd in 1939 at Norwalk, Iowa. Silver Valley Farm was one of the first herds on Plan I and Don was always a leader in DHIA in Iowa. The herd consistently was in the top group for production in Iowa, winning classes at the state fair and Silver Valley ads were always in the Milking Shorthorn journal.
Silver Valley Farm never missed a show at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and at the National Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa. Don often organized all the juniors to go out to eat together. I especially remember one incident where Don had everyone in his pickup going to eat and in the course of conversation, Don discovered he had driven about four blocks the wrong way on the freeway.
In the 1960's and the 1970's he branched out by exhibiting Silver Valley cattle at Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma state fairs. Most memorable was Don exhibiting Silver Valley King who was champion at six major shows.
Don has been bestowed with other awards also. In 1990 he received the Bob Massee Sportsmanship Award at the Iowa State Fair, which is chosen by all dairy exhibitors, and he was its first recipient.
Silver Valley Farm consigned several high quality cattle to many state and regional sales. While in Oklahoma at the shows and sales he was known for taking all of the junior exhibitors out to dinner.
Don served as the Milking Shorthorn President, was an officer in the Iowa Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, Iowa Dairy Association and served as a national Milking Shorthorn director for two terms.
Don helped establish the milking parlor at the Iowa State Fair. Seems that he had an unfortunate incident with his portable milker enroute to the Iowa State Fair one year. The milker, setting in the back of his pickup, fell out and backed up traffic on a very busy 4-lane street. Don was also named the first June is Dairy Month Chairman by Iowa Governor Norman Erbe in 1954.
The Hoover's have six children, two sons are dairymen and son, Pat, has taken on some of Dad's roles as a DHIA board member, even to the national level. Their children are Pat, Diane, Jeanette, Jerry, Rosemary and Joe. Could you all join me in congratulating Don Hoover as citizen of the Year."
# # #
History of Warren County
Published by Warren County Geneological Society, 1987
Doniven G. Hoover (Don) was born October 11, 1910. He was the second child of George and LuCretia (Cretia) Hildebrand Hoover, who lived on a farm in Section 30, Greenfield Twp., Warren Co., Ia He has two sisters, Faye and Merlie Hoover Glascock, both deceased, and a brother Ivyl Wayne (Bob).
He was educated at Spring Hill Consolidated School located three miles from his home. He was known to his classmates as "Bunk". He rode a horsedrawn school bus to school. If he attended any evening or after school activities, he usually walked. He graduated in 1930. The class had nine graduates.
1930 found this country in the midst of a severe depression. Numerous farmers had lost their farms and jobs were scarce. One worked at anything he could find to make a living. Don did field work for local farmers for $1/day. In the fall he got a job picking corn. His wage was 2¢/bushel and he scooped the loads into the corn crib by hand.
Located close by his parents' farm was the Hargrove and Arnold Farm. It was a large dairy farm recognized throughout the U.S. for its excellent Holstein-Friesian cattle. A lot of local help was hired there. On December 30, 1932, Don began working for them. He was hired to help prepare for their dispersal sale of 253 cattle in February 1932 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. He was paid $1.50/day.
He continued working for them after their sale. He milked 22 cows by hand twice a day for $35/month and furnished his own board and room.
Following the presidential election of 1932, President Roosevelt originated his NRA (40-hour week) Plan. As this plan got established the economy began to improve slowly.
Don contracted to drive a school bus for the Spring Hill School District in 1934-35. His pay was $40/month. Drivers furnished their own bus and paid their own operating expenses. At that time gasoline sold for nine gallon/$1.
He married Winifred King, daughter of Patrick and Mary (McNamara) King of Lee Twp., Madison Co., Ia., on November 17, 1934. To this marriage was born three multiple births and two single births: Jerry and Jeanette, September 1935; Alan (Joe), William and Helen, November 1936; Patrick (Pat), June 1943; Ross and Rosemary, June 1946; Mildred (Diane), August 1947. Two of the triplets died in infancy. Ross died from sulfuric acid burns when he was 16 months old. All of the children reside in Warren Co. except Jeanette.
In the early 1930's, McDonald Brothers, who had other coal mines in Warren Co., spot tested the Norwalk Coal Mine and sunk a new shaft in it. Don dug in this mine the winter of 1935. Diggers were paid $1/ton.
Don's granddad, S.C. Hildebrand, was a dairy farmer in Section 30, Greenfield Twp. Due to failing health, he needed help. Don entered into a partnership with him in the spring of 1936.
His first year of farming was not too profitable as the area had a drought. 1937 was a little better. That spring, sleeping sickness hit the horse population and many farmers lost good work horses which were important to their livelihood. Don lost only one.
S.C. Hildebrand died in 1942. Don bought the farm in 1947. (His granddad bought it in 1897.)
Don enjoys working with cattle very much. He bought a Milking Shorthorn cow and bull in 1939. He began establishing a prominent herd of registered Milking Shorthorn cattle. The farm name, Silver Valley Farm, was registered in 1947. He has showed, judged and classified cattle in many states. He had a dispersal of 70 head of cattle in 1983.
Two of his sons carry on the family tradition of dairying in Warren Co. Joe has a dairy farm in Virginia Twp. Since late 1984 Pat established the Silver Valley Farm on a smaller scale in Greenfield Twp.
Don has served his community in numerous capacities. He served on the Spring Hill School Board for eight years; member of the Warren County DHIA Board; Webb Cemetery Board; Warren County ASCS committeeman; Greenfield Booster 4-H club leader; director of the American Dairy Association in the 1960's; President of the Iowa Milking Shorthorn Society; board member of the National Milking Shorthorn Association for six years.
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