Hakes: Oaknoll library honor puts late ‘Mother Hubbard’ back in the news

If you lived in Iowa City in the 1940s and 1950s, chances are you opened your morning Press-Citizen to another daily column by “Mother Hubbard.”

And probably enjoyed it.

The late Myrtle Hubbard was a stalwart and beloved feature of the newspaper for 20 years, dispensing recipes, offering subtle advice, and often linking her own family experiences to those of her readers with a homespun flare six days a week.

She was also a sparkplug in local civic affairs, including establishing Oaknoll Retirement Residence, and was named “Iowa Mother of the Year” in 1951.

And this coming week, Oaknoll plans to honor her memory by officially naming one of its libraries after her, plus installing a commissioned portrait of her on the library wall.

“She was the catalyst for Oaknoll,” said Bob Downer, a longtime governing board member. “She had a good idea and kept it alive.”

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Mother Hubbard was a native, small-town Iowan

Hubbard was raised on a farm near Casey, Iowa, taught in a one-room school and later married WWI veteran Gene Hubbard, a University of Iowa-trained dentist, and settled in Iowa City. Classic rural Iowa stories often punctuated her newspaper writing, such as this paragraph from a Christmas meal column describing her father’s elaborate prepping of the family’s main course:

“The goose was Dad’s job. He always bought a live one and dressed it himself, then he’d know it was a worthy bird.  He’d scald it good, then wrap it up in an old carpet we kept on the back porch to let it steam through. Then he’d save the feathers in a big bag and for the last removal of the down, he’d give it a thin coat of paraffin and then let it stand until it was cold so the down would peel right off with the hardened paraffin. Then with a brush and soap he’d give that bird such a scrubbing such as you never saw. A good rinse and it was ready for Mom to take over. He drew the line at the final dressing. That was three days before Christmas, then it was put in the cold back bedroom to lie in state until THE day arrived.”

Hubbard held leadership roles in church groups, women’s clubs, Red Cross, a youth employment service, Community Chest, and the Iowa Centennial board to name a few – plus she was a substitute teacher in the public schools here for 30 years.

It was when her elderly father came to live in her home in his final years that she realized the need for a local retirement residence where elderly people could live comfortably and free of home maintenance. She found a successful project developed by a Jewish community in New York as a model and even made a trip east to investigate it. Back home, she organized a group of local religious and community leaders receptive to the idea and pushed for the facility and its fundraising.

Oaknoll becomes central to Mother Hubbard's life

Oaknoll opened in 1966, after which she and her husband became residents. She immediately filled the hallways with her favorite artwork, a tradition that lives on. My recent stroll through Oaknoll hallways showed images of Kinnick Stadium, NYC cityscapes, wildlife prints, Roman ruins, flowers, cows – a gallery of residents’ cherished art.

Gene died a year later and Myrtle in 1971. The Hubbards raised three children and their daughter, Dorothy Hubbard Housel, is a current resident of Oaknoll.

Housel remembers her mother encouraging her social development by organizing parties and other events with her young friends and their parents during her early years.

“She changed our lives in many positive ways,” she said. “I think she knew more about my wedding than I did. All I had to do was show up!”

Jean Lloyd-Jones heads Oaknoll’s Myrtle Hubbard Library committee which contracted with internationally recognized artist Rose Frantzen of Old City Hall Gallery in Maquoketa to paint Hubbard’s portrait. She said Sandy Boyd instigated this commemorative library project which will be celebrated by Oaknoll residents during a Sept.14 celebration.

“We wanted to create some form of permanent recognition honoring her for getting this place started,” said Jean. “And we’re very proud of how the portrait turned out.”

Richard Hakes is a longtime columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Richard Hakes reflects on "Mother Hubbard's" impact at Oaknoll