You will notice we are now carrying the American Profile magazine.
This will come with your Advocate on a weekly basis throughout 2009. We hope you enjoy this addition to our paper, as it will carry features, recipes, and many other interesting items. In the coming months, we will be adding more interesting and timely material from American Profile to our web site at www.calhouncountyadvocate.com
In this week’s American Profile, you can read about “Cool, Crazy and Uncommon Collections,” “David Eaton skates off the weight,” and two recipes for breakfast in a bar.

Lois Buttolph of Twin Lakes is the kind of woman who warms your soul. Her soft smile and delicate ways remind you of a favorite grandmother or great aunt. For the last eight years, Lois has warmed the hearts of mothers and heads of babies at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City. She is one of the ladies that knit’s hats for babies born at SMCH and just recently hit a milestone! In December, she donated baby cap number 500, a soft pink cap with a neatly attached tag displaying the significant number.
More than 60 years ago, Buttolph got her start in knitting after she was taught the craft during night school in Auburn, IA. “My daughter, Linda, was just a baby then and I made afghan blankets and gave them to people”, noted Buttolph. She and her husband Lyle, lived just outside of Rockwell City most of their married life, Lyle farmed and Lois had her own beauty shop. A few years ago, they moved to Twin Lakes.
Over the years, her generosity has spread all over the area. She has made quilts and caps for people with disabilities. “I’ve made adult caps for people at the Howard Center, Opportunity Living, Faith, Hope & Charity and Camp Courageous”, she says. “I don’t watch TV really, so I have to keep my hands busy.” She also stays busy with other volunteer activities. She is a Hospice Volunteer for SMCH and helps with funeral luncheons at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Rockwell City.
With one six-ounce skein of yarn, she knits about seven baby caps. Each one is completed with her signature white pom-pom on the top. “The little pom-pom sets them off a bit”, noted Buttolph with a smile. It also catches her eye when she sees a baby with one of “her” hats on. “I saw a baby in Rockwell City wearing one of the caps I made, and I told the mom that the cap looks familiar to me,” grinned Lois. “I just wanted to pick that baby up and hug her,” laughs Buttolph.
While she may not meet the babies that bear the blessing of a warm knit cap, she says it makes her feel good to know she can help out. “I think it’s an advantage to help others out. Doing for others is important in life,” stated Buttolph. And she plans to keep “doing for others” in the future. “I will keep making them, maybe not another 500, but I will keep making them,” she stated.
That is the attitude Buttolph has always had, one with ambition and purpose. “You always have to have a goal. Even if it’s to make cookies tomorrow, everybody should have a goal.”

If you think you’re life is too busy for a mammogram, try fitting cancer into your day. It’s difficult to imagine when you are already overloaded with work, your children’s school functions, family and volunteer activities. That’s why an annual mammogram for every woman over 40 is vital. To make scheduling an appointment easier, Stewart Memorial Community Hospital has expanded the hours available to get a mammogram.
“We want to accommodate women with all different schedules, so we are now available to do exams as late as 8:30 in the evening,” commented Mary Reiter, Radiology Manager.
In 2007, nearly 180,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed and over 40,000 women died from the disease according to the American Cancer Society. “Research shows that early detection is the best defense when it comes to breast cancer,” noted Reiter. “We know women are busy with hectic schedules, so we want to be as flexible as possible. That’s why we will schedule mammograms as early as 8:00 AM and as late as 8:30 PM.”
To schedule a mammogram at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital or learn more about the services we offer call 1-800-262-2614 or 712-464-3171. You can also learn more about SMCH at www.stewartmemorial.org