Former editor, business woman Jane Forte to turn 95

May 18 birthday

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Former West Liberty business woman, Index editor and real estate salesman Jane Forte of West Liberty will turn 95 on Tuesday, May 18, and family members are asking area residents to shower her with birthday cards as part of the celebration.

Dick and Jane Forte were married at the end of WW II in 1946 and moved to West Librty in the early 1950’s, starting the Maid Rite restaurant on Route 6 (where Liqui Grow now resides).

“This was before Interstate 80 was built and Highway 6 was a very busy road,” said Connie Laughlin, Jane’s daughter, pointing out the restaurant did business with a gas station on the same location along with a number of cabins that were rented. She said her mother grew a great reputation for her pie making abilities. She said the restaurant would close every fair season to set up at the fair, one year profiting enough money from just the fair business to buy a brand new Ford sedan.

The couple raised four children including Jackie Walker, Dennis Forte, Randy Forte and Connie Laughlin, all graduates of West Liberty High School. Dick Forte died in 2008. They were married 60 years.

Forte sold real estate in the community with Liberty Reality and also sold Avon beauty products, called a “jack of all trades.” She started running the West Liberty Index in the mid 1970’s, serving as editor. Forte took the position when the publisher of the paper was having a difficult time finding someone to take the editor’s role. It was said he came to town to talk to several businesses, asking them who would make a good editor and Jane Forte’s name came up. “She never had schooling in the paper business but was very successful because of her outgoing personality and love for her community,” her daughter said.She wrote a weekly column called “Jottings from Jane,” writing about all kinds of local people and news items.

The paper was sold to a new publisher and with that brought a lot of new rules and regulations, the owner highly interested in a healthy bottom line. “A lot of towns people were upset with this . . . having to pay for anything that went in the paper,” Laughlin said. So, Jane and a friend from West Liberty, Milly Gregg, started a new weekly newspaper known as “The Enterprise.” The weekly was successful for several years until Forte retired to move to Florida during the winters with her husband.

Jane was a very active member of the United Methodist Church in West Liberty.

Cards should be sent to Jane at 1002 N. Miller St., Heath Manor, Apt. #201, West Liberty, IA 52776.

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