Many Vinton children collected fireflies for Sigma for decades in the late 1900s.
Jenny Whitson, pictured wearing the dress she bought in 1980 with 'firefly' money.
Joe Wood and Donny Haefner and a firefly catcher.
Growing up 30 miles north of Vinton, but with friends and cousins who lived here, I learned a bit about the town as a kid. I looked forward to riding “The Bell” at Riverside Park, and am among those who wish it were still available – although I have also heard many people explain their not-so-healthy memories of that particular playground memory.
Another thing I learned from my Vinton peers in the late 1970s and early 1980s was catching fireflies. Both friends and my cousins came to town and asked me why on earth I was NOT out there catching fireflies to put in jars to pass on to people who could sell them for a penny each.
I was skeptical.
Turns out, I was wrong – incredibly wrong. The firefly story should have been my first journalism lesson, had I been paying attention: If two people whose only connection is living in the same town tell you the same hard-to-believe story, that story may be more believeable than it appears.
Nearly 30 years after long-time Vinton educator Judy Wood was featured in many national publications for her many years of firefly/lightning bug collecting, a current nature writer has revisited the story.
“The true firefly mafia, though, was in Vinton, Iowa,” wrote Cara Giaimo, in an article published this week in the online Atlas Obscura magazine.
Giaimo wrote about Wood and the many children she worked with to collect fireflies. Basing her story on an interview with a former Sigma Chemical Company employee who worked with the Sigma Firely Scientists Club decades ago – as well as those media stories from the 1980s – Giaimo recreated the history of Vinton's enthusiastic firely hunt.
“I remember selling Judy all of my fireflies and then being excited to spend that money at “Cat & Dog Days” in Vinton and I bought a dress for $8,” recalls Jenny Whitson. “It was so exciting for a 1st grader.”
Many Vinton residents share similar memories.
“We used to catch enough to take our kids on vacation,” recalls Cheryl Werling.
Those fireflies funded many a vacation back then.
“We were serious about it. It helped fund our trip to Adventureland one summer,” says Danielle Spear-Herring.
Judy was beloved by the children she worked with, and many recall the enthusiasm Judy shared with them on this project.
"When Judy sent them to the company then she would laugh and say she just bought them a ticket on the bus." says Kathe Karr.
Another resident with fond memories of Judy Wood and the firelfies is Virginia Utsinger.
"Judy and Joe lived through the alley from me," Utsinger recalls. "We spent hours catching fireflies and then freezing them in old Cool Whip containers. Everyone had a firefly net. My grandmother made ours out of pillow cases, wire hangers and a wooden dowel. I remember standing in line in Judy's driveway."
Like many people, Utsinger's husband was skeptical of the firefly story.
"Now, when I tell my children and husband about this, he suggests that it was all conspiracy to keep the kids in Vinton busy during the summer," she says.
Besides the fireflies, Utsinger remembers other unique things about Joe and Judy Wood: "Judy also worked in the school. Her husband, Joe, worked for McDowell's and delivered papers. For awhile Joe had a "pet" crow that would deliver with him named Joe the Crow. They were great people."
Jody Wood Nelson grew up helping her parents with the fireflies each summer.
"Fireflies were a huge part of our lives," says Nelson. "Great memories, too. People seem to always bring it up when I am in town visiting."
Along with the pennies earned, the fireflies also became a fond part of summer life for countless youngster in the Vinton area.
“It's one of my favorite memories from childhood,” says Lisa Clark.
Click the links below to read more about Judy Wood and her firefly flame.
Comments
Submit a CommentPlease refresh the page to leave Comment.
Still seeing this message? Press Ctrl + F5 to do a "Hard Refresh".