(told after he passed away)

Seeing Red

Jeff Jordan did not reveal all in the collection of anecdotes he wrote recently for Omaha magazine. He unselfishly saved one of his better stories for me. It concerns one of his old Missouri Valley, Iowa, buddies, the late Harry Risney.

Risney was a full-time paint story operator and a part-time broadcaster. For a time he did a weekly show, "The Missouri Valley Hour," for Council Bluffs radio station KRCB

It was a live show, broadcast by remote control from the front window of Harry's store. Harry would report on the happenings of downtown Missouri Valley as he observed them from the vantage of his window.

One day Harry was the victim of a fiendish practical joke.

Several of his fellow businessmen came into the store while Harry was on the air. They helped themselves to ladders, a gallon of red paint and paint rollers.

While Harry watched, wide-eyed and helpless, they went outside and painted the window glass, completely obscuring his view.

#2 From obituary printed in the Tuesday, March 28, 1978 Omaha World-Herald, p. 32

Harry C. Risney, 63, of Missouri Valley, Iowa, passed away.

He was a veteran.

Survived by his wife, Kathryn; daughter, Anne Risney, Missouri Valley; 2 sons, Lt. John Risney, US Army, Worms, Germany and brother, John W. Risney, Sun City, California; 4 sisters, Ann Tobler, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Rose Bassarich, Florida; Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Petit, both of Pico-Rivera, California.

Services 11am Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Missouri Valley, Rev. James Ford officiating. Interment at Fort Calhoun cemetery.

Hennessey VanCleave Hurley, Missouri Valley, Iowa.

~~~from obituaries courtesy of the Washington County, Nebraska Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska~~~

FindaGrave #18176361