The “Let the Bells Ring” campaign to complete the four octave carillon officially began in 2015 with the goal of celebrating the completion on the 50th Anniversary of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower on Oct. 16, 2016. A number of bells had been purchased by donors 20 years earlier during a similar campaign but the campaign wasn’t completed and the bells purchased were displayed in the courthouse. The bells of the middle octaves still needed to be financed. Following the Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation’s award of $61,500 to purchase the two most expensive bells in early 2016, the Bell Tower Foundation applied for a Vision Iowa grant and was awarded $82,000 on June 8, 2016 with the provision that the rest of the amount needed could be raised. The “Let the Bells Ring” campaign reached the goal with the announcement to purchase the rest of the bells during the Bell Tower Festival of 2016.
Bell Donations
The original fourteen bells were Gifts to the Citizens of Greene County by Mr. & Mrs. W.F. Mahanay – 1966 Here is a list by octaves and weight:
First Octave – C (4,730 lbs), D (3,300 lbs), E (2,332 lbs), F (1,990 lbs), F# (1,683 lbs), G (1,408 lbs), A (1,000 lbs), A# (836 lbs), B (704 lbs)
Second Octave – C (583 lbs), D (407 lbs), E (290 lbs), F (253 lbs), G (198 lbs)
The generous donations of others have made this 47 bell, 4 octave carillon possible These donors are listed below:
Bell – Weight of Bell – Donor – Inscription on the bell
First Octave
G# 1,188 lbs. Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation
Second Octave
C# 484 lbs. Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation
D# 341 lbs. Wild Rose Casino and Resort Jefferson – Wild Rose Casino and Resort
F# 220 lbs Katheryn J. Shriver – The Shriver Family
G# 176 lbs. Michael & Margaret Mumma
A 154 lbs John and Allice Hamilton Family – Gift to the Citizens of Greene County
A# 141 lbs. John & Kathy Milligan – To Greene County for the Enjoyment of All
B 130 lbs. Larry & Pam Thomsen & family – A.F. & Verna and E.H. & Maxine Thomsen and Families
Third Octave
C 119 lbs. Canady Family – Honoring All Canady Family With Greene County Ties
C# 108 lbs. Roger, Carole & Whitney Custer – Family of Jacob & Lorada Custer
D 99 lbs. Jefferson Telecom – Memory of Mary & Gene Daubendiek
D# 88 lbs. Don & Debbie McAtee – Honoring All McAtee Family Members
E 81 lbs. James O. & Jacque Andrew- Honoring Our Andrew & Eilbert Families
F 75 lbs. Velma Radebaugh
F# 68 lbs. Velma Radebaugh – Rory Radebaugh
G 62 lbs. Ed Gose, Pat Gose Perrin, Margaret Gose Schilling – Memory of Lowell E. Gose
G# 57 lbs. Home State Bank Charitable Trust – Home State Bank Est. 1934
A 53 lbs. In loving memory of Gene & Sara Melson – The Melson Family
A# 48 lbs. Dean & Lois McAtee Family
B 44 lbs. Memorials for Newt Seela – Newt Seela
Fourth Octave
C 40 lbs. Jotham Custer & Mary Catherine Custer Dodson – Deskin E. & Clara Custer
C# 37 lbs. Jefferson Lions Club
D 35 lbs. Charlie Davis Family – Charles & Leora Davis
D# 34 lbs. For the loved ones of Mark & Sarah Erickson – Erickson Loved Ones
E 33 lbs. Everett & William Hawn- The Hawn Family
F 32 lbs. Ardis Ryerson Brown, Leola Black, Carla Greiner – Spike & Irma Ferguson
F# 31 lbs. Sue Durlam Lucht, Dave Durlam & Joan Durlam Lang – Loran & Gracelyn Durlam
G 30 lbs. Jotham Custer & Mary Catherine Custer Dodson – Jacob & Mary Ann Wolf
G# 29 lbs. Sue Durlam Lucht, Dave Durlam & Joan Durlam Long – Loran & Gracelyn Durlam
A 28 lbs. Greene County Arts Council
A# 26 lbs. Velma Radebaugh – Vivian Autenreith
B 25 lbs. Jotham Custer & Mary Catherine Custer Dodson – Jacob & Mary Ann Wolf
Fifth Octave
C 24 lbs. Charlie Davis Family – Charlies & Leora Davis