This week’s featured alumni is a 1977 graduate of Eagle Grove High School who went away to live the “big city” life, but returned to re-anchor her roots in the town where she grew up after having children of her own.
After graduating from EGHS, Colleen (Mersch) Bartlett attended the Spencer School of Business before returning to work for Cec Dunn and John Govern at Security Bank for six years. Intrigued by the idea of living in a bigger city, she moved to Des Moines where she worked at a bank there for a year. In 1985, since she was “young, single, and free…and it was a chance to get away from the cold,” this Iowa girl headed to Dallas, Texas to try an even bigger city life.
While in Texas, Colleen got a job in real estate, but unfortunately was laid off after only six months. She moved on to work for an oil and gas company.
“I did not like it all,” she recalled.
Not long after, she met the love of her life, Bob Bartlett. They were married and made their home in Grapevine, Texas where she got a new job at a healthcare corporation. They eventually had a son, Jonathan (now 30 living in Austin, Texas with his wife, Kelsey), and Katherine Baessler (now 28 living in West Des Moines with her husband, Christopher).
“We were getting antsy about living in Dallas because of the crime and the education as kids got older, and had been talking about moving to Tulsa,” said Colleen.
In 1994, with Bob’s dad not doing so well, the Bartletts decided to move their family to Tulsa, Oklahoma to be with him. Shortly after, Bob’s dad passed away. In 1998, after having the thought several times over the years, Colleen and her family would make one final move, to Eagle Grove, in order to be closer to her mom and dad who were no longer able to make trips from Iowa to visit them because of health issues.
“Bob retired from the Postal Inspection Service (where he was working), and we came back to Eagle Grove for family. Pure and simple,” she said. “We would usually come up twice a year – a week in the summer and a week at Christmas. So we missed a lot of events.”
Bob was the one who actually suggested it.
“I was the one to push to move to Tulsa to take care of his dad, but Bob is the one who came to me and said, ‘You moved to Tulsa for me, so now it is time for me to move to Iowa for you.’”
That, and the fact that their oldest was ready to start kindergarten, is what made the move easy for them.
“Best decision we ever made,” said Colleen. “If we had not moved back to Eagle Grove, the kids would not have had the chance to spend time with my mom and remember her. Of course, they had many years with their Grandpa Nick.”
In 2004, Colleen began looking for something to do as a “side gig.” Her mom had died a couple years before and when she was alive, Colleen had spent so much time with her, that she sometimes felt lost.
“I had a need to help people…and with a Bachelors in Human Services, which I got when I turned 52 years old – I graduated from Upper Iowa one week after Jonathan graduated from Oklahoma State University, I started my own business, Eagle Monument Company. Katherine, my daughter, designed my logo in memory of her Grandma Rita.”
A while later, Colleen also got a job working with Wright County Economic Development.
“I don’t believe in coincidences. God has a plan for each of us,” said Colleen, explaining how that job led her to the Career Academy. She had attended a meeting about two years before the Academy opened in Webster City with Economic Development Director Denny Bowman, Iowa Central President Dr. Kinney, along with other reps, the area high school superintendents and different business and industry professionals. The discussion centered around an Academy, where to build it, and more importantly, how to fund it. There was no clear-cut answer.
“I remember on the drive back with Denny to Clarion, I told him, I am going to work in that facility some day when it opens,” said Colleen.
A year or so later, the Iowa National Guard moved out of the Eagle Grove Armory building. They donated it to the City. Dr. Kinney had been in the Guard and knew what kind of facility it would be.
“Well, the rest is history – Iowa Central purchased the building from Eagle Grove,” said Colleen.
She started working for Iowa Central in 2014
“It is such a great facility for students and for Eagle Grove. Just think – you can earn up to 19 credits without cost for tuition, fees, books or materials. I try very hard to get to know the students,” she said. “They come in from Eagle Grove, Clarion, Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Webster City and St. Edmonds.”
Colleen said she loves absolutely everything about being back in Eagle Grove all these years, but by far, the most important thing is being back close to family.
“Having my kids know their grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins is priceless. People knew my kids and they could ride their bikes up and down the street. In Tulsa, we did not know our neighbors, had a 6 ft fence around our backyard, and the kids couldn’t play in the front yard unless we were outside,” said Colleen. “They never knew what trick or treating was until we moved back to Eagle Grove.”
She says the funny thing is that what she considers to be a good thing about Eagle Grove, is what others actually don’t like – that “Everybody knows your business.”
“That doesn’t bother me. Just don’t do anything wrong,” she said with a little laugh. “When there is something wrong, people help. A neighbor’s tree fell down during a storm — immediately, people came right away and chopped it up. Most recently, my dad passed and family and friends were at our doorstep to help with food, cards, etc. Neighbors helping neighbors.”
Other reasons she treasures being back in the town where she grew up: Getting reacquainted with friends. It seems like she never left; being able to go to the ballpark during the summer and seeing just about everyone in the community; and the school system here which offers sports, music, academics, and a staff that is committed with the kids in mind.
“The opportunities provided to our students are awesome. The administrators, board and staff work hard to make sure our children have a great education,” she said.
She noted that Eagle Grove is also fortunate to have such great businesses.
“Just take a look down Main Street at almost every business and you will find an EGHS graduate that owns or operates the business. That says a lot for our small town. We have three 50+ year old businesses that draw people from the surrounding area. It’s friendly. People know each other and going into a business for something “quick” can easily turn into a 30 min visit,” she said. “There is a lot going on here. Get an online subscription to the Eagle Grove Eagle. You will be amazed at all the good things going on.”
Then there are the neighborhoods. She likes that everyone still knows the people who live around them; that they take care of each other just like “back in the day.” There is housing that costs much less than in a big city. New additions and established homes are being fixed up and sold. A few years back the Eagle Grove Economic Development Group (CDC) teamed up with the City to rehab or tear down many homes in the community. The program was actually looked at by several other Iowa communities. City Administrator Bryce Davis is forward-thinking and has secured many grants for our community for housing, streets and a downtown revitalization. There are big, beautiful trees all over town.
And there’s more.
“Eagle Grove is economical. Do you work from home? Housing is much less than in the City. Want to travel? United Airlines flies out of FD, which is about 25 miles away. Des Moines airport about 90 miles away,” she pointed out. “There’s a new motel, a fitness center with a new addition going up soon, Swimming pool, and parks. apartment living downtown getting ready to open with a new business down below. There’s the golf course – Wow! What a gem! Very affordable and well kept and many denominations of churches. Do I need to go on? Come visit. Stay in the new hotel.”
Colleen is thankful that they had the opportunity to move back when they did. Jonathan and Katherine each have life-long friends from here. She and Bob have re-established friendships and made new friends. Of course, her family is here. She hopes there are other alumni out there who will also choose to move back to Eagle Grove, whether they left two or four years ago for post-secondary education, or they’ve been gone for decades. It’s never too soon, or too late, to come back home again.
