I REMEMBER...60 years ago

From the files of the "Aurora News"

• May 28, 1997 - Isabella Steenburg, Bonnie Hinrichs, Gerald Cole and James Gunnerson are four eighth grade honor students who will receive medals for high scholarship and good citizenship at regular commencement exercises next Wednesday, according to an announcement by Mrs. Anna B. Allen, principal of the department this week.

  A reading will be given by Elinore Nelson, district 4, and a piano solo by Anne Wodder, district 10. Both girls lead the list of honor students made public recently by Supt Scranton.

• June 4, 1997 - The Aurora water main improvement project will be completed in the next ten days, according to the contractors.

  Two lads claiming to be from Oklahoma were arrested in the freight yards last Wednesday morning by Sheriff Andrews and Police Officers Spry and Herron, and charged with robbing the Beard Grocery on Ninth Street..

• June 11, 1997 - Marion VanBerg, Columbus, formerly of Aurora, lost two race horses in the Ak-Sar-Ben fire in Omaha last week. VanBerg had the horses, Julia R. and Beau Grado, stabled in he building that burned to the ground.

  Reports of damage caused by grasshoppers in the county are steadily increasing. Farmers report that after cutting alfalfa the hoppers have moved into the corn fields and are doing much damage to the tender stalks. Hoppers are doing considerable damage to oats and barley.

• June 18, 1997 - The local re-employment office announces that all men registering to work on the construction work which will start with the letting of the paving and grading contacts, must have Social Security numbers when they register.

  Word was received here Wednesday morning that two WPA, Farm to Market Road projects in Commissioner District One and Two, have received official approval from WPA headquarters.

• June 25, 1997 - An eighteen foot diameter windmill wheel, the largest in the county, is being erected on the F.E. Edgerton farm near Phillips.

  Harold E. Edgerton was the winner of the "Best National Paper Prize in Theory and Research" and was awarded a certificate on Monday morning at Milwaukee by the American Institute of Electrical Engineering on his, "High Speed Motion Pictures."

• July 2, 1997 - Wayne Skinner, who has been WPA engineer of Custer County, has been appointed WPA engineer of Hamilton and Merrick counties. Mr. Skinner will live in Aurora and maintain an office in the courthouse here.

  Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Edgerton went to Lincoln, Sunday, where they were guests at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Tabernacle Christian Church, at 20th and South Street. The Edgertons who were charter members of the church when Reverend E.J. Sias was its first pastor, were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Sias for the day.

• July 9, 1997 - E.R. Springer is showing the results of an interesting stunt in his Frigidaire display rooms. Last Saturday the trays were taken from the freezing unit of one of the Frigidaires and a heavy carton containing 10 gallons of water was fastened below the unit. In approximately 24 hours the water was frozen and the carton torn off and a cake ice hangs below the unit, weighing 80 pounds. A wire was frozen in the center of the cake, showing the temperature to be 2 above zero. It is interesting to see.

  Joe Hoffbauer and his son, operating a combine on the Emken farm southeast of Aurora, last Monday afternoon were ordered out of the field at the point of a gun in the hands of Clayton Cooper, a neighbor of the Emkens.

• July 16, 1997- Wilbur Akerson, 21, son of George Akerson, prominent farmer residing three miles north of Aurora, was seriously injured Monday forenoon while combining wheat on the Akerson farm.

  The Aurora American Legion Junior baseball team won over Geneva last Sunday at Streeter Park by a score of 19 to 6. Brondel and Watson were the Aurora batteries. Brondel pitched a good game and all the Legion lads were hitting the offerings of the Geneva pitchers.

• July 23, 1997 - Ivan Griess well known young man, and the son of Mrs. Helmut Greiss who lives southeast of Aurora was slugged with a hammer near the noon hour last Friday by three inmates of the Kearney State Industrial School, who fled in his automobile. Young Griess, who is a state dairy inspector, was assaulted while he was setting up his milk testing apparatus in the dairy barn at the school, and his car keys taken from him

  With Harvest practically over, the softball teams will resume their games this evening in Streeter Park when Pence Hardware Juniors will play Giltner and the Town Team with play General Foods of Grand Island.

• July 30, 1997 - President Bryan S. Stoffer of Doane College at Crete has been invited to be the guest speaker at the Sunday morning services of the Federated Church in Aurora, August 1.

  Mrs. Walter Lauritsen will present Maurine Malster in an advanced piano recital at the Federated Church this Friday evening at 8 o'clock.

  Margaret Eloe will sing vocal numbers. Miss Eloe who attends Hastings College is a voice student of Prof. Wm. Pfeiffer.

• August 6, 1997 - A small twister struck seven miles south and four east of Aurora, shortly after 5:00 Monday afternoon. Threshers were working on the Don Upp farm when the storm struck. Hay racks were overturned and a number of small buildings torn from their foundations. The wind lifted a new hay rack belonging to C.W. Titman, from the running gears, carrying it some distance. The new rack was literally torn to pieces and only a few full length boards remained.

  Prof L.F. Heaney has made arrangements for a unique musical program on Tuesday evening of the Harvest Festival from 7:30 to 8:30 when a massed band will be presented in concert.

• August 13, 1997 - Guy Wright, of Aurora, veteran conductor on the Burlington between Aurora and Burwell, received an airmail letter July 31, that his wife had written him from Los Angeles, California, on December 14, 1936. The letter was mailed from Los Angeles at 8:00 p.m. and was placed aboard the ill-fated Western Airways Express that crashed December 15, 1936, twenty four miles out of Salt Lake City.

  The members of the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department met Thursday evening, August 5, and elected officers for the coming year. The present officers were all re-elected: Howard Olson, president; Max Williams, vice president; Harry Toof, secretary treasurer; Ralph Spry, chief; Merle Barnes, assistant chief.

• August 20, 1997 - Miss Emma Steel of Lincoln, a graduate of the state university, has been employed by the Board of Education as instructor of the Commercial Department of the Aurora High School, for the ensuing year. Miss Steel, who has had two years previous teaching experience, replaces Nonda Challburg, who will take an office position in Denver.

  Winners of the Harvest Festival Parade last Monday were: 2st, Murphy Milk Slingers, 4-H Club; $15; 2nd, Historical Society, $12; 3rd Clown Band, $7, 4gth, Murphy Merry Mixers, 4-H Club; $5; 5th Wodder Girls Marionette Show; $3; 6th, Peppy Clover Club, $2; 7th, Aurora Fire Department, $2.

• August 27, 1997 - Dr. H.V. Nothomb spent Thursday and Friday of last week attending the American Veterinary Medical Association held in Omaha.

  Emory Biecker returned the first week from Denver, and points in western Nebraska, with some specimens of giant grasshoppers found in that section.

• September 3, 1997 - Ted Frazier, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Frazier, will leave with his parents the first of next week on an extended motor tour through the eastern states before entering Harvard University late in September.

  The first infantile paralysis case reported in the Aurora vicinity is that of Jimmy, 16 months old son of Mr.and Mrs. Russell Reichardt, who was taken ill with the malady a week ago.

• September 17, 1997 - Nine hundred Hamilton County residents had secured their new drivers licenses according to Myrl Swanson, examiner for Hamilton County. Handling on an average of something over 80 a day, examiner Swanson said some days the office was rushed while business was slow on other days.

  United Brethren pastors have been assigned to their pastorates for an other year. Reverend Paul Porter was returned to Aurora and Lyle Anderson to Marquette and Richland.

• September 24, 1997 - The 13th annual convention of the Hamilton County Federation of Woman's club will be held in Aurora at the Federated Church. The convention theme will be "Our Golden Opportunity."

  With Many reports coming in that the hoppers have nipped off new wheat as soon as it makes its appearance for several yards around the edges of newly sown wheat fields, farmers are daily carrying out hundreds of sacks of the government bait for distribution mostly in their wheat fields.

• October 1, 1997 - Ludwig Norgaard of the Farmers Union Creamery can lay claim to being one of Hamilton County's champion potato raisers. He has five Irish cobblers weighing over five pounds.

  The Dramatic Club of the Aurora High School elected the following officers; Gerald Menzie, present; Max Oswald, vice president; Evelyn Williams, secretary; and Ruth Cole, treasurer.

• October 8, 1997 - One hundred thirty friends called the Joseph Pithchall home Wednesday afternoon on the occasion of the 100h birthday anniversary of her father, George Fisher.

  Attorney and Mrs. C.C. Fraizer returned from a month's eastern vacation. They visited in Chicago and Indiana and continued to Cambridge, Mass. where their son, Ted enrolled as a freshman at Harvard University

• October 15, 1997 -Doctor A.G. Zuspan was host when Osteopathic Physicians of Central Nebraska, and their wives met at the Aurora Hotel. Doctor C.N. Olmstead of York, and Doctor H.D. Walters of Hastings gave addresses.

  Forty six members of the Rotary Club, with their wives, enjoyed a get together at Refshauge Shack on the Platte River. Rotary chefs included Levi Anderson, Doctor J.F. Cole and August Drier.

• October 29, 1997 - Hans Dohring of Gordon, Nebraska has leased the building on the north side of the square formerly occupied by the Gamble Store, and will open a new modern bakery.

  The First Christian Church of Aurora has been named as a beneficiary in the will of the late John K. Strohm, to receive one-sixth of his entire estate. The estate consists of 160 acres of good farm land, located five miles northeast of Aurora, town property and some personal property.

• November 12, 1997 - County Extension Agent Kathryn Graff and Burchard priest, Father Joseph Ress, both died in a car crash at an intersection seven miles west of Aurora. Seriously injured in the same crash was Mrs. Frank Sims; Mrs. Myrtle Hurts and Mrs. Bernard Thierer had less serious injuries. Also hurt in the crash was Miss Mayme Hesser of Beaver Crossing the priest's housekeeper

  Van Pelt, Toof and Workman led the offense as Aurora defeated Fullerton in football, 33-6

• November 19, 1997 - The new paved highway 34 from Hampton to York was opened for traffic last Monday. This opening connects Aurora to Grand Island with paved roads to the west, and from Aurora to York with paved roads to the east.

  The season's first snowfall was recorded on November 17.

• November 26, 1997 - Ruth Meader of Phillips won an all-expense paid trip to Chicago's National 4-H Congress. She was Nebraska's champion in foods and in judging. Also set to attend the Chicago conference from the area were Wilma Lewis and Imogene Johnson, canning winners; and Doris Bamesberger and Eunice Stauffer, clothing winners.

  Nebraska football coach Biff Jones and his staff are scheduled to speak at the Aurora Chamber of Commerce's football dinner.

  C.A. Krause, C.O. Bobst and F.M. Hansen were re-elected to the board of the Hamilton County Agricultural Society.

• December 3, 1997 - Wilma Lewis of Aurora and Imogene Johnson of Marquette, Hamilton County's canning team, won first place at the national contest at the 4-H Club Congress in Chicago.

  Grace Orphanage at Henderson will open its doors to 16 homeless children later this week. Proceeds from an 80-acre farm will help support the independent institution.

  The Blue Lantern Lunch offered lunch and dinner specials for 25 cents and 35 cents.

• December 10, 1997 - Mae Stanek took over duties as the County Home Agent.

  The County Red Cross membership drive totalled $327.06 to date. The successful drive netted $50 more in donations than last year's effort.

  Santa was due to visit downtown Aurora December 11; he was to motor into town and be met by Aurora Mayor J.A. Pence and Aurora businessmen.

  Chapman's Furniture offered cedar-lined walnut chests for $14.50; lamps were also suggested Christmas gifts, starting at $1.25.

• December 17, 1997 - Proceeds of $850 from a grain drive in Illinois were donated to the people of Pleasantville Mennonite Church southwest of Aurora. The gifts came from Illinois, where crops had been better, to the people who had suffered several years of crop failures in this area. A committee of Chris and Ben Springer, Maurice Kremer, Sam Zehr and Ed Springer was set up to distribute the money in the form of hay and feed.

  Gale Hendricksen of Hampton won the annual $100 Union Pacific Scholarship to the Nebraska Ag College.

  Glen Haworth, jeweler, received his first shipment of watches by air express.

• December 24, 1997 -The county had temperatures up to 66 degrees on Sunday. By Tuesday, two inches of snow covered the ground.

  B.E. Bengston of Hordville was the subject of a feature story. He had a personal museum of Indian artifacts gathered from the old Pawnee Village two miles north of Hordville. Besides this collection, Bengston, a 73-year-old retired farmer, teacher, and banker, was manufacturing violins and doing other wood working.

• December 31, 1997 - 21.56 inches of rain were recorded in the county in 1937. although it was extremely dry, moisture wasn't as short as in 1934 when 14.21 inches were recorded or 1936 when 15.73 inches of rain were received.

  Six young Aurora men working with the National Youth Administration were rebuilding the bleachers at the ball park.

  The rural Swedeburg home of Mrs. Frank Anderson burned to the ground.
  A defective chimney was the cause of the fire.