Man who knocked teeth out now delivers them
By Tim Gallagher, Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2008
Howard Pearson, 78, holds up some teeth he'll deliver to a dentist's office in Sioux City for Prodenco Group, where he works part-time. Pearson was once a Golden Gloves boxer in Sioux City. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- A man who used to knock teeth out now delivers them.
Meet Howard Pearson, 78, a former Golden Gloves welter-weight who works 30 hours per week running partials and such to local dentists for Prodenco Group, which has a facility on Omaha Street, one block east of Hamilton Boulevard.
"No, I don't knock teeth out anymore," said Pearson, flashing a wide smile that shows his pearly whites -- all of them originals.
He did once, however. In 1954 Pearson slugged fellow boxer Terry Taggart in a street fight, not in the ring. He knocked Taggart's front teeth loose, sending him to the dentist.
Pearson felt terrible. "You're supposed to love your neighbor, not hit him," he said.
So he took the holiday bonus money he received that Christmas from customers on his postal route on Sioux City's north side and helped pay Taggart's dental bills.
This love-thy-neighbor attitude probably prevented Pearson from reaching greater heights in the boxing world.
"I boxed because I loved the sport," said Pearson, who learned to box with two brothers as they grew up in Sioux City. "I didn't care if I won or lost, which was probably my downfall. The guy in the ring with me may have wanted to kill me; I just wanted to box."
It's not as though he didn't have any success. Pearson competed in his first Golden Gloves tourney locally in 1948, the year he graduated from Central High. He then won some bouts and earned a spot on a U.S. Army boxing squad during a one-year full-time military commitment. He later served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Returning to Sioux City, Pearson worked with an uncle in the cement business. He climbed back into the ring and learned under legendary coach Frankie Williams.
Two years later he earned a job carrying mail and would do so for the next 35 years.
Steel gut, glass jaw
In 1955, Pearson finished his mail route one afternoon, climbed into his new Ford and drove through a blizzard to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., where he appeared on the card against South Dakota's 147-pound state champion.
"I told him when we were in the ring that this was just an exhibition," Pearson remembered. "We boxed for two-and-a-half rounds and then I suppose he got tired of it. He hit me and knocked me out."
A buddy drove Pearson home. He "came to" while standing at work the next morning. That's when it dawned on him he'd been knocked out the night before.
"I had a steel gut, but I also had a glass jaw," said Pearson. "You can't have a glass jaw in boxing."
His career trading punches ended the day he wed Janet Swanson on Sept. 2, 1955 at Central Baptist Church. Her parents did not want their son-in-law entering the ring any longer.
So Pearson and Janet raised their two children and Howard spent his free time coaching boxing at the Boys' Club in Sioux City.
He carried mail until his retirement in 1988. Janet, who was diabetic, died in 1989.
"Janet and I had plans to travel, but we didn't get to," Pearson said. "And then I heard about Prodenco in 1991. They needed a driver here to deliver dentures and things like that to dentists in town. I needed something to do; I needed to be around people."
Pearson reported to work and has rarely missed a day in 17 years.
"He's remarkable," said Guy Watkins, president of Prodenco. "Howard is 78 and probably has more energy that most people do in their 20s. I think the only time he's missed work is for missionary work (overseas)."
True. Pearson has frequently visited daughter Pamela Zellmer, who does missionary work with her family in Kosovo.
And about that energy level? Pearson credits genetics, his mail route and the sport he has always loved.
"All the time I carried mail and boxed I did 25 daily push-ups at home," he said. "I now weigh 150 pounds and I still do my daily sit-ups, push-ups and squats."
Could he still get in the ring?
"Nah," he said, with a laugh and a statement about the sport he now pursues at Hidden Acres -- golf.
After a pause, he leaned forward to offer a confession. "I have my gloves at home," he said with a smile. "And I still shadow box."
Meet Howard Pearson, 78, a former Golden Gloves welter-weight who works 30 hours per week running partials and such to local dentists for Prodenco Group, which has a facility on Omaha Street, one block east of Hamilton Boulevard.
"No, I don't knock teeth out anymore," said Pearson, flashing a wide smile that shows his pearly whites -- all of them originals.
He did once, however. In 1954 Pearson slugged fellow boxer Terry Taggart in a street fight, not in the ring. He knocked Taggart's front teeth loose, sending him to the dentist.
Pearson felt terrible. "You're supposed to love your neighbor, not hit him," he said.
So he took the holiday bonus money he received that Christmas from customers on his postal route on Sioux City's north side and helped pay Taggart's dental bills.
This love-thy-neighbor attitude probably prevented Pearson from reaching greater heights in the boxing world.
"I boxed because I loved the sport," said Pearson, who learned to box with two brothers as they grew up in Sioux City. "I didn't care if I won or lost, which was probably my downfall. The guy in the ring with me may have wanted to kill me; I just wanted to box."
It's not as though he didn't have any success. Pearson competed in his first Golden Gloves tourney locally in 1948, the year he graduated from Central High. He then won some bouts and earned a spot on a U.S. Army boxing squad during a one-year full-time military commitment. He later served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Returning to Sioux City, Pearson worked with an uncle in the cement business. He climbed back into the ring and learned under legendary coach Frankie Williams.
Two years later he earned a job carrying mail and would do so for the next 35 years.
Steel gut, glass jaw
In 1955, Pearson finished his mail route one afternoon, climbed into his new Ford and drove through a blizzard to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., where he appeared on the card against South Dakota's 147-pound state champion.
"I told him when we were in the ring that this was just an exhibition," Pearson remembered. "We boxed for two-and-a-half rounds and then I suppose he got tired of it. He hit me and knocked me out."
A buddy drove Pearson home. He "came to" while standing at work the next morning. That's when it dawned on him he'd been knocked out the night before.
"I had a steel gut, but I also had a glass jaw," said Pearson. "You can't have a glass jaw in boxing."
His career trading punches ended the day he wed Janet Swanson on Sept. 2, 1955 at Central Baptist Church. Her parents did not want their son-in-law entering the ring any longer.
So Pearson and Janet raised their two children and Howard spent his free time coaching boxing at the Boys' Club in Sioux City.
He carried mail until his retirement in 1988. Janet, who was diabetic, died in 1989.
"Janet and I had plans to travel, but we didn't get to," Pearson said. "And then I heard about Prodenco in 1991. They needed a driver here to deliver dentures and things like that to dentists in town. I needed something to do; I needed to be around people."
Pearson reported to work and has rarely missed a day in 17 years.
"He's remarkable," said Guy Watkins, president of Prodenco. "Howard is 78 and probably has more energy that most people do in their 20s. I think the only time he's missed work is for missionary work (overseas)."
True. Pearson has frequently visited daughter Pamela Zellmer, who does missionary work with her family in Kosovo.
And about that energy level? Pearson credits genetics, his mail route and the sport he has always loved.
"All the time I carried mail and boxed I did 25 daily push-ups at home," he said. "I now weigh 150 pounds and I still do my daily sit-ups, push-ups and squats."
Could he still get in the ring?
"Nah," he said, with a laugh and a statement about the sport he now pursues at Hidden Acres -- golf.
After a pause, he leaned forward to offer a confession. "I have my gloves at home," he said with a smile. "And I still shadow box."
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Kris wrote on Mar 18, 2008 12:15 PM:
keith & Pam Zellmer wrote on Mar 16, 2008 8:23 PM: