Jackie Cizek, right, of Toledo presents a check for $10,000 in memory of her late husband Delane ‘Dempsey’ Cizek to Clutier ZCBJ Lodge #104 President Kathleen Brundage on Saturday, Oct. 12, during the Lodge’s annual appreciation dinner held at ZCBJ Hall in Clutier. The memorial – meant to ‘spark’ further donations – has been earmarked for exterior refurbishment of the 122-year-old building. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

CLUTIER – Clutier ZCBJ Hall will soon benefit from a much-needed exterior facelift courtesy of a beloved town figure.

During the Clutier ZCBJ Lodge #104 annual appreciation banquet held on Saturday, Oct. 12, at ZCBJ Hall in Clutier, Jackie Cizek presented a $10,000 check to the members in memory of her late husband Delane ‘Dempsey’ Cizek – past president and lifelong member of the Lodge who passed away in January – earmarked for exterior renovations on the iconic, 122-year-old building located on the north end of Main Street.

“He loved Clutier,” Jackie said of her late husband to whom she was married for 43 years. “He grew up here. And he just really enjoyed being Santa Claus.”

In recent years, Dempsey had dressed up as Santa for the Lodge’s annual Christmas party in the Hall, entertaining scores of children. But Dempsey’s Clutier roots run much deeper than his Saint Nick persona. Up until the day he passed away at the age of 72, Dempsey continued to run the family business, Cizek Manufacturing & Distributing Co. – Clutier’s oldest continuous business.

“He always helped his father while he was still in school. He dropped out of college to run the business in 1973,” Jackie explained.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Dempsey was a member of the North Tama High School Class of 1969. He took over the family business following his father George Cizek’s death in 1972. The business had been in the family since Dempsey’s grandfather John V. Chizek, along with his brothers, founded the manufacturing business in 1911; John bought out his brothers seven years later.

At its founding, Chizek Bros. Mfg. Co. made several products including hay racks, coaster wagons, washing machines, and various types of farm and wagon boxes. In 1985, Dempsey switched gears and began focusing more on ag repair work rather than manufacturing. The business also became the home of Dempsey’s metalworking artistry.

“He did sell a lot of his [own designs],” Jackie said of Dempsey’s custom metal fabrication. “He made camels and sheep and oxen. He was eventually going to do a whole nativity scene but he never got that done.”

Last December at the Hall, Dempsey dressed up as Santa for the final time. He wasn’t feeling too well that day, Jackie said, but he was determined to travel from Toledo – where he and Jackie lived – to Clutier for the annual Christmas party.

“On his way over here that last day he said, ‘I think this is my last time’,” Jackie recalled.

Jackie Cizek, left, and her daughter Paige Valline pictured during the Lodge banquet on Saturday, Oct. 12, in Clutier. Both reside in Toledo. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

While Cizek Manufacturing & Distributing Co. is no longer in operation following Dempsey’s passing, his memory will certainly live on through the memorial donation to the Lodge. Back in 2020, the Hall’s windows and roof were replaced using a Tama County Community Foundation grant. Jackie is hoping her husband’s memorial will “spark people to donate” so the deteriorating white clapboard siding can be updated as well.

Those who wish to donate to the siding fund, may contact Lodge President Kathleen Brundage using the email Shellbrundage@gmail.com.

“He was a member ever since he was a baby just like me,” Brundage said of her late friend with whom she shares a deep Czech heritage. “My great-grandfather and Dempsey’s great-grandfather were founding members – charter members [of the Lodge]. They joined when they [moved to Clutier]. [Clutier ZCBJ Hall] was the place to be, it was the big thing. The building was built by the members who helped build it either through physical labor or financial assistance.”

And while there are fewer and fewer Lodge members these days – some 300 scattered throughout the United States – both Brundage and Jackie Cizek are hopeful anyone who has a special place in their hearts for Clutier will be spurred to donate in Dempsey’s memory.

Visit Clutier ZCBJ Hall

Clutier ZCBJ Hall pictured on Saturday, Oct 12. The 122-year-old Clutier landmark recently received a $10,000 donation earmarked for exterior refurbishment from Jackie Cizek in memory of her late husband Delane ‘Dempsey’ Cizek. Jackie Cizek is hopeful the memorial will ‘spark’ further donations from those who hold a special place in their hearts for both Clutier and its proud Czech hertiage. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

For those who have not ventured inside Clutier ZCBJ Hall lately — which now offers free WiFi thanks to BetterLife Insurance — the Lodge has several events scheduled for this fall and winter including the annual kids Halloween party ‘Haunt the Hall’ set for Saturday, Oct. 26, from 4:30-7 p.m. There will be contests, door prizes, face painting, food, treats, and more. (The future sheriff of Tama County along with his K-9 officer are rumored to be making an appearance at the party that evening as well.)

The Hall will also host ‘A Faster Horses Christmas’ concert on Friday, Dec. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. by welcoming back Clutier Fun Day 2024 headliner Eli Algers and The Faster Horses. The Nashville-based, six-member band is fronted by Alger who is a native of Des Moines.

According to the band’s website, “Eli Alger and The Faster Horses is a dynamic and passionate musical ensemble that captivates audiences with their electrifying performances and soul-stirring music. Led by the incredibly talented singer-songwriter Eli Alger, the band’s unique blend of country, rock, and western creates a sound that is both timeless and contemporary.”

For more information on the concert including how to purchase tickets, refer to the Clutier ZCBJ Lodge #104 / BetterLife Facebook page.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER