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  • Thirty-one years later, Gorder having fun in her Bradford cafe

    Jo Gorder worked for the previous owners before taking over her cafe in Bradford, Iowa.

    BRADFORD, Iowa -- This is Jo Gorder's 31st year as the owner of Gorder's Cafe, located on the curve across from the elevator in Bradford. Before that, she worked for former owners Helen and Harold Brandt for six years. At that time, it was a service station and a cafe, and the eatery was half the size it is now. The kitchen wasn't much bigger than a closet. After much pondering and discussion, Gorder and her husband, Gary "Butch", bought the business from the Brandts who wanted to sell due to health problems. "We got the cafe, service station and the house next door as a package deal," Gorder said. A number of years ago, Bruce, the Gorders' son, took over the service station eventually moving it around the corner because he needed more room. The cafe has doubled in size and has a spacious kitchen. "My husband loved farming, and so after Bruce took over the service station, he went to work for a farmer, and he loves it," Gorder said.

  • Museum speaks of a time when sugar beets grew in Iowa

    Larry Turner is president of the Belmond Historical Society of Wright County.

    BELMOND, Iowa -- Belmond was once home to a sugar beet factory and its history is documented at the Belmond Historical Society Museum. "The sugar beet plant played a vital role in the economic health of Belmond during the 1920s, and that's why we feel it merits a prominent display in our museum," said Larry Turner, president of the Belmond Historical Society.

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