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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: funk51 on December 24, 2024, 04:43:49 AM
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Mabel Rader passes away and the remaining half of the driving force behind Ironman magazine is gone. May she rest in peace.
Jan Todd
I am sad to report that my oldest friend, Mabel Rader, died yesterday (December 21, 2024) in Alliance, Nebraska. She was my "oldest friend" not in the sense that I knew her longer than anyone else (although I'm pretty sure we met for the first time in 1975--which IS a very long time ago), but because she lived to such a great age, dying at 106.
This photo was taken at Mabel's 100th birthday party which Terry and I were honored to attend in 2017. Mabel gave a short speech at the party, attended by more than 100 family members and friends. She talked about her childhood and how she had lived in a sod house and rode her horse to school because they lived so far out on the plains of western Nebraska. In this photo you can see how vigorous she still looks for 100, and sitting to her right, as you look at the photo, is her son, Gene and his wife, Janice, who also lived in Alliance and helped her in her later years. Beyond them is her other son, Jack, and then Terry Todd in the yellow shirt.
Many people will remember Mabel as Peary Rader's wife, and his partner in the publishing of Iron Man Magazine which they ran from 1936 to 1986. But Mabel's contributions to the world of physical culture go beyond just being Peary's wife. Mabel was the first woman to hold a referee card in all three weight sports: bodybuilding, powerlifting and weightlifting, and she was the first chairperson for women's weightlifting in the United States. She helped organize the first modern weightlifting meets just for women in the early 1980s and she also played an enormous role in the organization and fight for drug testing in women's powerlifting.
Mabel was smart and fearless and was always ready to stand up and fight for women's right to step onto a lifting platform, even if she didn't ever compete herself. I admired her greatly, even though she was well ahead of me in years, and her presence in the early days of "starting" both women's powerlifting and weightlifting was a real boon, as she was so respected by most of the men who still "controlled" those sports at the time.
Kim Beckwith wrote a great profile of Mabel in Iron Game History which you can access for free here: https://starkcenter.org/.../mabel-rader-a-champion-for.../.
Rest in peace Mabel, and thank you for all you did to advance the world of women and strength.
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RIP
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RIP
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Mabel was an epic schmoe...
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Rip
It's okay, we have Dr goodrum and Johnny bravo to cover the sport now.
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I dealt with Mrs. Rader for many years when I had my ad in Iron Man magazine, she was a pleasure to deal with. Iron Man (1936-1986) was the absolutely best Weight Lifting Journal ever produced, it covered it all and left no one out, the authors that contributed were outstanding. She lived an interesting and long life and has completed her mission here on Earth and has made it "home".
Be safe and strong.
Big Pat
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Incredible to read she was born June 17, 1917, well over a year before the end of World War I
https://www.usapowerlifting.com/womens-hall-of-fame/mabel-rader/
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R.I.P. Mrs.Rader I loved Ironman mag back in the day
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PIP Mabel, Perry’s waiting there for you.
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R.I.P. Mrs.Rader I loved Ironman mag back in the day
ditto
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(https://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=695259.0;attach=1546499;image)
swingers movie intro
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RIP.
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The early digest sized IronMan's were the best. Covered all the Iron sports.
I still have a bunch of those, though I would need a magnifying glass to read the tiny text these days.
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I only have a few,sold the rest like a dumbass. :(
Best magazine ever bar none IMO.
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I only have a few,sold the rest like a dumbass. :(
Best magazine ever bar none IMO.
Agreed. The cover's were the best!
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I only have a few,sold the rest like a dumbass. :(
Best magazine ever bar none IMO.
My favorite. Couldn't wait until the next month's copy was available. Dropped off a little after Balik bought it.
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My favorite. Couldn't wait until the next month's copy was available. Dropped off a little after Balik bought it.
It just wasn`t the same when Balik bought it......still a good mag but nothing like when the Raders owned it.
I couldn`t wait to get the next issue in my mailbox.
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100+ is impressive!
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100+ is impressive!
I agree, she left us too soon.
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I agree, she left us too soon.
Serves her right for getting vaxxed.
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Serves her right for getting vaxxed.
:D On a side note, Mabel never lifted. Is there a lesson here?
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:D On a side note, Mabel never lifted. Is there a lesson here?
but peary did.
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Serves her right for getting vaxxed.
;)
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Her and Peary were real nose to the grindstone hard workers. They had a printing business, the publishing arm, the gym equipment business (outfitted the Cornhuskers , and were probably the earliest Eleiko dealers), plus a few other things. It was always nice to see them make it.
RIP.
(Also nice to see Jan Todd wrote the remembrance, Mabel and Peary gave her a lot of early and kind press back in the day.)
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I dealt with Mrs. Rader for many years when I had my ad in Iron Man magazine, she was a pleasure to deal with. Iron Man (1936-1986) was the absolutely best Weight Lifting Journal ever produced, it covered it all and left no one out, the authors that contributed were outstanding. She lived an interesting and long life and has completed her mission here on Earth and has made it "home".
Be safe and strong.
Big Pat
Lovely message. Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you.
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100+ is impressive!
Yup. 75ish is my family average. Gutted
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Yup. 75ish is my family average. Gutted
Pretty much true for everyone. Centenarians are outliers.