Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
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 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
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
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
2012--Jim Leach, Glenn Canfield
2013--Brian White