DUBUQUE BOWLING ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME

DUBUQUE BOWLING ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME. Initiated in 1965, the hall of fame was to honor those who have achieved honors in the sport and made dedicated service to it. Selection, after nomination by at least three persons, of as many as three members is permitted each year. A Hall of Fame case with the pictures of each member is displayed during the year at the establishment hosting the team event of the annual city tournament. An identical picture is given to the recipient of the honor. Charter members, all elected posthumously, of the Hall of Fame in 1965 were John ARMSTRONG, Martin UNMACHT, Henry RIEDER, Al Murphy, and Harry Walsh.

1966--William Hessel, C.N. Nick Pauly, Kenneth Roeth

1967--Joe Helling

1968--Merle Tanner/Telegraph-Herald, March 10, 1968, p. 6

     Currently in his 16th year as secretary-treasurer of the DBA, Tanner began bowling in 1942 and was secretary
     of three 14-team leagues by 1948. He was elected president of the DBA in 1948-49 and first elected secretary-
     treasurer at the start of the 1953-54 season. Tanner was instrumental in starting the Awards Program of the
     DBA and began the DBA offiers' tournament in 1964 and directed the Oakland Dairy Holiday bowling tournament 
     over fourteen years.

     As a competitor, he scored 700 counts twice and carried a composite average of 184 for the 1966-67 season.He
     competed in seven ABC tournaments and every state tournament since his election as secretary-treasurer. He
     was also known to aid bowlers in times of need.
		

1969--Charlie Kutsch/Telegraph Herald, March 2, 1969

     Largely responsible for bringing the 1969 Iowa State Bowling Association tournament to Dubuque, Kutsch was
     a past president of the DBA, charter member and president of the Dubuque Chapter of the 700 Club of America,
     member of the DBA board of directors, and state delegate for ten years. He was president of the Dubuque
     Classic League for two terns and secretary of the Major League for several years.

1971--Merlyn Spike Weber

1972--Al Bud Gatena

1973--Clem Welsh

1975--Russ Bennett/Telegraph-Herald, February 23, 1975, p. 23

     Bennett joined his first league in 134 and competed in his first American Bowling Congress tournament four
     years later. He rolled an 1879 all events count scoring 679 in doubles, 632 in singles and 569 in the
     team events. He achieved his first 700 count (703) on December 12, 1939 and took first place in the Pla-
     Mor Sweepstakes at La Crosse, Wisconsin. He finished 15th in the Petersen Classic in Chicago and was a
     member of the King of Clubs team that bowled a 3240 team series in 1941. In the 1948 Iowa State Bowling
     Tournament he rolled a 705 singles count. Despite a serious injury in an industrial accident, Bennett with
     Dale Rogers won the doubles title in the 1955 Dubuque city tournament.

1978--A. Bud Oakley

1979--Ronald Sammy Howard

1982--Jim Vogt

1984--Mike Erickson, Dick Rice

1985--Gerry WIEDERHOLT

1986--Dave Feltes/Telegraph Herald, January 19, 1986, p. 17

     By 1985, Feltes had been a member of 35 league championship teams and rolled forty-nine 700 
     games. His high game was 299, high series of 763 and a high league average of 212 in 1975. In
     the sixteen years he entered the Big Ten, he finished fourth or better eleven times, including
     four first place finishes and two seconds. He has one "Great Dubuque Bowl Off" to his credit.

1987--Frank Hessel/Telegraph Herald, March 8, 1987, p. 12

     The younger brother of William Hessel, a charter member of the Hall of Fame, Frank began his career
     setting pins at the Casino Lanes. He began bowling in three leagues a week for over forty years and twice a
     week since 1977. In 1950 he rolled a 715 series and received an ABC gold belt from mayor 
     Clarence WELU for the accomplishment. In March, 1987 he bowled in his 28th ABC
     tournament in Niagara Falls; he had not missed a state tournament in 45 years.

1988--Dr. Robert McCloskey

1990--C.J. Arthofer

1991--John Wiest

1993--Jerry McGrath

1994--Jim Koob

1995--Mel Hocking

1996--Gene Skinner

1997--Ron Fuerst/Telegraph Herald, March 22, 1997, p. 10

     As a junior bowler at RIVERSIDE BOWL, Fuerst rolled four 700 series and his 757 at age
     sixteen tied the city record as a junior. In 1979 he helped STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL
     become the first local high school to win a state team bowling title. In 1984 and 1990 he won
     the Greater Iowa titles, a 1985 state team title, and first place in the 1990 Budweiser Big 10.
     In 1997 he had been a member of 22 league-championship teams. In 1985, Fuerst won the Iowa Open
     tournament in Waterloo and earned a place in the United States Open in Venice, Florida. With 
     Louie Wemett, he won the city doubles title in 1993 and twice won the Hank Reider Award for high
     scratch seriesin the tournament. In 1995 he set the city tournament record for all-events
     scratch series with a 2,155. He also won the scratch and handicap titles that year. In 1997
     Fuerst held more than 250 national honor courts, nine 300 games, four 299s and one 298. In 1995
     his high series was 833.  He was named local bowler of the year in 1996.

     Fuerst worked with the local youth sports association beginning in 1979 and headed the program
     at Riversidee beginning in 1994. He certified other coaches for several years and was involved
     in various state and national programs for juniors.  In 1997 Fuerst was a nine-year member of
     the Dubuque Bowling Council, had served as a past president of the DBA, and was a current
     director for the DBA

1998--Jerry Pregler, Gary Fagan

1999--Marty Lampe, Gene Kament

2000--Steve Oneyear

2001--Jack Hancock, Bob Connolly, Jim Gatena

2002--John Wright

2003--Bob Hochrein

2004--Harold Koppes, Jim Rauscher

2005--Jim Wolf, Floyd Tomter

2006--Dick Koob, Steve Kamentz

2007--Paul Rupp

2008--Ron Dohrer

2009--Bob Willman

2010--Larry Portzen, Kurt Schmidt

2011--Jeff Kamentz, Tom Kramer/Telegraph Herald, May 10, 2011, p. 11

      Kamentz bowled his first 700 at age 16 and scored fifty more before graduating from high school. In
      2011 he had more than 400 series of 700 or more including an 819 and another 800. He scored seven 
      perfect (300) games and missed ten others in the 10th frame. He competed briefly on the PBA Regional
      circuit finishing fifth in Madison, Wisconsin. 

      Kramer's wins include singles and all-events at the Iowa state tournament, 2004 Budweiser Big 10
      championship, and made the Big 10 finals two other times. He has achieved eight perfect games and
      four series of 800 or better. Like Kamentz, he had held several administrative positions in the DBA.
      In 2009 and 2010, Kramer coached the WAHLERT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL boys' and girls' teams to
      state high school championships.

2012--Jim Leach, Glenn Canfield

2013--Brian White