Curt Froyen, a 1966 graduate of Clarion High School, has recently published his first book, “Elm Lake Days.”
According to the author, “Elm Lake Days” is a book about memories. Memories of a time that was perhaps a little more “laid back”, a time before computers, cell phones and the myriad distractions that can interfere with a slower pace through our daily activities. The stories are about growing up in Clarion. They are stories of hunting and fishing along the shores, and on the waters, of a prairie marsh in North Central Iowa near Clarion in Wright County. Elm Lake was a place where the author spent thirty years developing his love of the natural world and cultivating the friendships of men and their families who would help shape his personality.
Froyen hopes this book will bring to life the places, the people, the pets, and the sounds that are special to you. He hopes you will decide to share your stories with your family. Gather them to you, turn off the TV, silence the cell phones, shut down the computers, and share your stories with your children and grandchildren. Share your own special “Elm Lake Days”.
Curt Froyen and his wife Kathy live on their 300-acre farm south of Knoxville, Iowa. Curt is the son of Art and Dorothy Froyen who owned Froyen’s Bakery in Clarion from 1950-1968. Curt’s wife, Kathy Thomas Froyen is a 1967 CHS graduate and the daughter of Walter and Olga Thomas. Walter and Olga raised their family on a farm south of Clarion. Curt and Kathy are 1970 graduates of the University of Northern Iowa. Curt spent the 1970-71 school year teaching elementary art in Clarion.
Froyen is also a Navy veteran who served as a Communication Officer about the USS Ticonderoga CVS-14, the prime recovery ship for the Apollo 17 and Skylab I and II space missions as well as Commanding Officer of Fast Patrol Boat 19 (PTF-19). He is Commander of American Legion Post 168 in Knoxville, Iowa and an active volunteer working with veterans in hospice care. Curt serves as Board President of the Knoxville Panther Scholarship Foundation. He and his wife Kathy spent their careers as educators.
Copies of “Elm Lake Days” have been donated to the Clarion Library and Heartland Museum. They are also available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.
For additional information on the book, contact-
Curt Froyen
641-891-7170
1957 120th Ave
Knoxville, IA. 50138
