The History of the Roy R. Estle Memorial Library

 

Roy R. Estle 1918-1969

Roy R. Estle was born in Dallas Center and lived here until moving to LaGrange, Illinois.  He returned to Dallas Center following graduation from high school and attended Grinnell College and later Cummings School of Art in Des Moines.  He was an avid aviation enthusiast and received his pilot license in 1939.  He was a flight instructor for the Civil Air Patrol and in 1944 joined the Army Air Force.  After serving time in the Army Ferry Command, he was assigned duty in the Burma-China Theatre of operations and served there until his honorable discharge in 1946.  After his discharge he returned to Dallas Center and engaged in farming.

After his death in 1969, his mother, Minnie honored him and his love of reading with a bequest in her will to donate the funds needed to build the library.  She passed away in 1971 and the library was completed in 1976.

 

Conrad and Doris Labor 1898-1989    1905-2004

Conrad "Coonie" and Doris Labor were lifelong residents of Dallas Center.  Coonie operated Labor Electric for 60 years.  He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of the American Legion, Dallas Center Rotary Club and the Commercial Club. 

Doris attended Iowa Teacher's College at Cedar Falls and taught first and second grades at Gladbrook and Van Meter.  She was active in the Dallas Center community all her life.  She played piano and organ and was a pianist for the Dallas Center Rotary Club for 50 years, choir director of the First Presbyterian Church and volunteer organist at Spurgeon Manor.

Doris was a supporter of the Roy R. Estle Memorial Library, at one time serving on the library board.  With her generous offer of a donation of $150,000 and with a further donation from her son, Jim, other area residents and businesses, and the City of Dallas Center, an addition was built on the library and dedicated as the Conrad and Doris Labor Program Room in 2001.

 

The Burnet Family

Burton, Willene and Penny Burnet were long time residents of Dallas Center.  Burton owned and operated two service stations and the local Ford dealership.  He was very active in community organizations.  Willene taught school in Dallas Center and Chester, Iowa.  Penny was a high school English teacher and then counselor at Southeast Polk Senior High.

The family was very community minded.  When Burton and Willene died (in 1976 and 1974), they determined that the bulk of their estate should be left to the community of Dallas Center.  When Penny died in 1983, her "Will" honored their wishes.  Those that benefit include Dallas Center High School scholarships, the First Presbyterian Church, Spurgeon Manor Retirement Community, Southeast Polk High School scholarships, and the City of Dallas Center for the library, youth recreation and to provide loans to people wanting to start businesses in the community.

In 2020, a remodel and addition were built on to the Roy R. Estle Memorial Library and the Conrad and Doris Labor Room with the funds left by the Burnett Family.  Many area residents, businesses and the City of Dallas Center also supported with generous donations.  This addition includes the children's library as well as the Shelly Cory Community Room.