News : Lions hear about Ray House history from Bob Moen

Bob Moen shares some Ray House history with the Vinton Lions Club.

The Vinton Lions Club held their regular Wednesday meeting at the Pizza Ranch. There were 53 members and 2 guests present. Club president Julie Zimmer called the meeting to order. Member Mike Barron introduced his son Scott Barron. Scott has recently completed his studies at Palmer School of Chiropractic in the Quad Cities and will be interning for the next four months under the supervision of Dr. Matt Betterton.

Three new members were introduced by their sponsoring members. Those newest members include Sara Larkin, Dick Montgomery, and Nathan Hesson.

Next, President Zimmer presented the club with a certificate that was given to the club by Carroll Jackson of the Leader Dog organization. The club donated to the Leader Dog organization recently. The Leader Dog organization provides leader dogs to visually impaired individuals to assist with mobility and independence. Carroll Jackson is an alumnus of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton.

Member Pat Lyons then gave a report on the progress in setting up a club outing to the Iowa Theatre Artists Company in the Amana Colonies on July 30th to attend a dinner theater performance of “All School Reunion”. At this point 15 members and their spouses will be attending. There is still room on the bus if any other members and spouses would like to attend. Members may contact Pat Lyons for more information.

After the business portion of the meeting, member Steve Wood presented guest speaker Bob Moen who gave a very interesting account of the history of the Ray House. The Ray House is a historical structure located on 1st Avenue in Vinton. The Vinton landmark was the home of the late 1800’s businessman Frank Ray and his family. The Ray House is now used for special events including class reunions, club meetings, graduation parties, family gatherings, school field trips and many other activities.

Moen said the Vinton Historical Society plans on renovating the entire upstairs of the Ray House starting this year. Fundraising events are being planned for the near future and will be announced at a later date. The total cost of renovations will be approximately $60,000 to restore the upstairs level of the structure to historic accuracy. The Ray House, located at 912 1st Avenue in Vinton is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Moen invited the members to attend a tour of the Ray House and grounds on Monday, July 19th at 7 pm. After the tour an open forum will be held for those interested in becoming more involved in preserving the three buildings owned by the Vinton Historical Society, the Vinton Depot, The Ray House, and the Horridge House. Refreshments will be served.

The Vinton Lions Club is one of the largest and most active service organizations in Vinton. The club meets every Wednesday at the Vinton Pizza Ranch. Each week members hear an interesting program and enjoy the company of their fellow Lions Club members. The Lions Club food trailer can be seen at numerous community events in Vinton throughout the year. Funds from the sales of funnel cakes and other goodies are used to support many community projects. If you would like more information on becoming a Lion, please contact any Lions Club member, or join us for lunch at the Vinton Pizza Ranch at noon on Wednesdays.