Echoes Sep 08, 2004: Sheridan Co. NE GenWeb

Sheridan County Newspapers & Publications

Echoes of the Past
Sep 08, 2004
columns by Helen Selee

Echoes Page Sept 8, 2004

100 Years Ago - 1904

Potatoes are now worth only twenty cents per bushel on the market. That is quite a drop from last week when they were worth 15 cents a peck.

A terrible accident occurred in the evening at the Blue Grass Flat Ranch. It was occasioned by two (supposed) rider-less horses escaping with a hat. A search party was formed and the horses finally recovered about sundown, possessors not only of hats but riders also. Is courtship under difficulties a success??? Just ask Jerry Stauffer.

Rev. J.A. Scamahorn left yesterday morning for Atkinson to attend the M.E. conference. There he will be joined by Mrs. Scamahorn and they will go to Lincoln on business. Then they will resume their journey to the World’s Fair and to Chattanooga, Tenn., to spend the winter. This place is of historic importance to this worthy old couple as it was there where Mrs. Scamahorn’s first husband was killed forty-one years ago, and Mr. Scamahorn was wounded forty years ago.

The first copy of the Hay Springs Enterprise reached our desk last week. It is quite a newsy sheet and we bespeak for its success. It is the successor to the Hay Springs Leader and comes out under the management of F.W. Johansen, who has bought out Mr. E.F. Humphrey’s interests.

Frank Woodmanse, a brother of Mrs. Fred Hutt, is the man who handles the razor and lather brush at Powell’s Tonsorial parlors during the rush. He is an experienced barber of Indianola, Iowa, and is spending his vacation here.

Glenn Coates has had a high fever the former part of this week but the attending physician believes that it will not result in typhoid fever.

Ira Trueblood and Charles King rashly offer five dollars to any girl who will smile at them.

Gene Brown took Will Parsons and Chas. Neno out to his ranch and had them act as sentinels while he slept.

Walter Maggard left for Baxter, Iowa, yesterday morning to visit his parents and friends. It is earnestly hoped that he will soon return by a young heart in this town.

Miss Eva Green of Merriman, who graduated from the school of Pharmacy at Fremont, left for her home Saturday morning after several days visit with Mrs. Bert Bailiff. She will clerk in her father’s store at Merriman in the future.

William Abbott is spending this week with Louie Schmitt who was his neighbor twenty-five years ago at Tyndall, S. Dak. This is the first time they met since Mr. Schmitt has been located here, which is nineteen years.

Pole Creek News
Misses Mary Vollintine and Anna Leach entertained about 25 friends at the Blue Grass Flat Ranch Sunday. A good dinner and supper was served and all report a good time except Claud Brewer, who would have enjoyed it better only he felt rather uncomfortable in his new dress suit and was seriously ill. When the writer last saw him he was trying to recover 15 cents which he had expended at the dinner and also trying to trade for a gentle horse. Say Claud, wouldn’t it be better to get a buggy also?

Quite a crowd from Pole Creek attended the dance at Stauffers Friday night. Some are reported lost but all say they got there o.k. and had a nice time, so it must have been a dream. It seems that they didn’t get to dance enough for all met at Walter Vollintine’s and had another dance on Saturday.

Bennett Alexander, Joel Waddill, Jerry Stauffer and Bud Secrests came down from T.B. Irwin’s ranch Sunday. They report that haying is over at the ranch.

Merriman News
Wm. Metzger is in town under the doctor’s care on a diet of malted milk and water melons, and is allowed a sniff of chicken broth, but not to eat it.

John D. Green called at the Commissioner’s office Monday morning before seven o’clock and called him out of bed to make a homestead application, but this was not as early as we commenced work on the 28th of June.

Eva Green’s diploma as a registered pharmacist now hangs in her father’s store and she has become his clerk.

Rents have been raised in this town and some of the tenants feel pinched, especially the U.S.C.
Jim Childers is reported to be improving somewhat in health. We heard that he is thinking some of erecting a house or two in Cody to rent. It certainly would be a paying investment, as there is not a time when there is not inquiry for vacant houses in this place.

Mrs. Irene Farrell has returned from Council Bluffs, Iowa, having closed out her business there, and will be engaged in ranching in Cherry county. She has her eye on a section of land that she believes will fill the bill. She is an enterprising lady, and it might be well for some one of the bachelor ranchmen to negotiate for a future consolidation of ranches. This is no advertisement, but simply the recognition of the index finger of fate pointing "over toward Farrell’s."

Mrs. Dickinson has decided that she has had enough of the hotel business, and she will retire from the Green Hotel on Saturday. Mrs. Hunter will continue the business there until her term of lease has expired, November 1, and perhaps longer, but she is rather inclined to the opinion that she will not re-lease the place.

The rumor of the buildings to be moved in this town had taken a "reverse curve" when we arrived in town Monday morning, and we were informed that the meat market building had been sold and would be moved to a location on the north side of the railroad. We smote a smile on our informant and asked if the idea was to get further north where the meat would keep cooler? and he admitted the point well taken.

We met Louis Provost in town for the first time in low these many weeks, on Monday, and he informed us that he is now living at Allen, S.D. He came to town to bring his little girl whom he sent to Rapid City, Tuesday morning, where she will attend the Indian school for the ensuing year.

News from Rushville
John W. Mann moved his family back to town from the ranch last week so as to give the children school privileges.

The wife and children of Rev. Girard arrived Friday morning from Switzerland to join him and they went down in the Swiss settlement south of here where they will file on land and make this their home.

A small blaze in the sheriff’s house Monday morning brought out the hose company and citizens post haste, Mrs. Housh turned the garden hose on the fire and extinguished what would have been a bad fire if it had gotten much more headway.

The railroad company will furnish fare at one and one-third rates to Rushville from all points between Chadron and Merriman to those who wish to attend the barbecue next Tuesday. The tickets will be good to return home the day following.

Mrs. Joseph Webber has moved into town from her place between Rushville and Gordon and has bought a nice piece of property here. It is her desire to educate her children and this is the cause of her coming to town to live.

Dr. Wilson was called 35 miles southeast of town Tuesday night to see Mrs. Ed Ostrander, who is quite sick with plural fever.

J.W. Ostrander was up from his ranch in Cherry county this week after supplies as the rain made it possible to lay off haying for a few days.

Potatoes are now worth only 20 cents a bushel on the market. Last week they were 15 cents a peck.

75 Years Ago - 1929

Eugene Clark Williams, 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Williams, was instantly killed late Sunday afternoon when a delivery truck, driven by Floyd Hedrick, ran over him while he was playing in the street in front of his home on North Main Street. The child was playing with his older brother in front of his home and as the car approached, he ran into the street and was there struck down. Hedrick is a 17-year-old boy who is working for George Brewer in the truck and delivery business. A coroner’s jury was called by County Attorney Jordan, the members being Frank Coates, Otto Pfeiffer, Charles Clark, Dr. W.A. Montgomery, Charles Foster and John O’Connell. They found the child "came to his death in Gordon by an automobile driven by Floyd Hedrick on September 1, 1929, and that it was an unavoidable accident."

Edward Monnier of Merriman, a railroad section hand, was severely burned about the back and arm while working on the section east of Merriman last Saturday. He was riding one of the handcars when a cap came off the radiator and the steam badly scalded him. He was brought to Gordon for medical attention.

O.H. Rager was the winner of the prize offered by the Dempster-O’Connell Hardware Company for the largest bass caught this summer, his 4½ pound catch taking the fine Shakespeare reel. The fist was caught rather spectacularly as he was fishing in company with Wes Winters, who up to then had the prize winner. Mrs. R.F. Brittain of Irwin won the rod offered to the lady catching the largest bass, and Harry Armstrong won the reel for the largest perch. The contest attracted great interest and Mr. O’Connell stats that next year they plan on an even larger one.

50 Years Ago - 1954

Prize winners in the Lions Club sponsored Whisker contest have been announced and prizes will be presented in front of the Sheridan Hotel immediately preceding the Fair and Rodeo Parade on Saturday morning. Claiming awards will be: Ben Sanders Sr. - salt and pepper; Arden Clark - longest; Claude Buckner - curliest; Everett Brakeman - reddest; Ben Sanders Jr. - novelty; and Wayne Lynch - blackest.

Bud May, Martin, S.D. was the number 2,000 patient to be admitted to Gordon Memorial hospital when he entered on Sunday. This gives the hospital, which opened in March of 1952, an average of approximately 69 patients a month. This figure does not include "out-patients."

Frank Diercks is getting about on crutches this week as a result of an accident at his farm home Monday. The ligaments in his left knee were torn when a cow trampled him. The injured limb has been placed in a cast to be worn for the next several weeks. ---Hay Spring News

The First Methodist church in Rapid City, S.D. was the scene of the marriage of Miss Marilynn Olds, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Merle Olds of Gordon, to Pvt. Leland O. Watson, son of Mrs. Hattie Watson of Rushville. The lines of the double ring ceremony were read by the Rev. Friedman, pastor of the church, at 4 p.m. on Sept. 3, 1954. The bride is a graduate of the Gordon high school, class of ’54, and has been employed at the Lee store and the Pace theatre in Gordon. Her husband is a graduate of Rushville high school, class of 1954 and has just completed training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. The couple left Monday morning for Fort Sill, Okla., where they will make their home while Pvt. Watson is attending an army school.

Darlene Russell, daughter of Mrs. Vera Russell, and Kenneth Rust, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Rust, were married by Judge Edson D. Harrison of Chadron, on August 25, 1954.

Terry Magowan, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Magowan, celebrated his tenth birthday with a theatre party Saturday. Guests were Ted Carpenter, Marty Hansen, and Mike and Bill Magowan.

Jim DeWolf, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry DeWolf, who recently returned from overseas duty aboard the aircraft carrier Princeton, was discharged in San Diego, Calif., Aug. 23. He arrived in Gordon last Thursday.

Miss Karen Carter was honored at a miscellaneous shower at the Kate Petersen home on Friday, Aug. 27. The Misses Pat Davis and Mary Lou Petersen were hostesses. The evening was spent playing games. Winners of prizes were Deonna Matula, Betty Leach, Karen Carter and Anna Marie Dohse.

Miss Marian Haslow was the honoree at a linen shower given at the J.E. Drake home by Miss Joan Drake on Tuesday evening, Aug. 27th. The guest list included Donna Armstrong, Connie Vollintine, Rose Marie Robson, Mildred Gealy, Carmen Gates, Bonnie Musfelt, Susanne Evans, and Bonnie Bowman.

The Midway club met at the home of Mrs. Glenn Calkins for a desert luncheon Sept. 7th. Officers for the coming year were elected. Mrs. Glenn Calkins was elected vice-president; and Mrs. Esther Haller was elected secretary.

Births at Gordon Memorial hospital included:
*Mr. and Mrs. Russell Clyde, a son, Russell Chapman, September 4, 1954.
*Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Braunersrither, a daughter, born September 7, 1954.
*Mr. and Mrs. Richard Barth, a son, born September 8, 1954.

Larry Swick recently returned from the Methodist Student Movement (M.S.M.) regional leadership conference held at Lake Poinsett, S.D. Aug. 28 thru Sept. 4. Larry is publicity chairman for the state M.S.M. and recreational leader of University of South Dakota’s Wesley foundation.
Gregory Boyd Bolie, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Bolie of Batesland, S.D. was born in Gordon, Nebr. on March 2, 1954, and died Sept. 7, 1954. He was born with an incurable ailment. All that medical skill and human hands could do, was done for the alert baby boy. Graveside services will be held at 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon, Sept. 9, 1954, at the Gordon cemetery with Rev. Ben Wallace officiating.

Funeral services for Alfred Nelsen, who died Aug. 25, 1954, were held at the Lutheran church in Batesland, S.D. on Aug. 28. Mr. Nelsen lived on a farm north of Gordon for several years following his marriage to Bertha Nowka of Gordon in 1933. In 1936 the family moved to a farm near Martin, S.D., where he lived until the time of his death. Survivors include his wife, Bertha; four children, Duella Jean, Maurice James, Linda Lou and Dennis Lee, all living at home; his mother, Mrs. Sophia Nelsen of Newman Grove; seven sisters, four brothers and many other relatives and friends.

25 Years Ago - 1979

The Rev. and Mrs. Harold Holmes have just completed their first month of ministry at the Gordon Wesleyan Gospel Chapel and view Gordon as the friendliest town in which they have ever lived. Rev. Holmes is a graduate of Bethany Nazarene college in Oklahoma and attended Bethel Seminary in Minneapolis, Minn. The Holmes have three children; the youngest, Mary Ann is a junior in Gordon High School and the other two are living in Oklahoma and in California.

Miss June Glover, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Merton Glover of Rapid City, became the bride of Thomas Wiedmann, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Wiedmann, Aug. 18, 1929, at the Grace Lutheran church in Gordon. Mrs. Wiedmann is a 1978 graduate of St. Martin’s Academy in Rapid City. She is enrolled for the fall term at NCB in Rapid City. Her husband was graduated from Bennett County High School, and is now attending South Dakota School of Mines. After a honeymoon trip in Yellowstone Park, the newlyweds will be at home at 119 E. Signal, Rapid City.

Cathy Valaika is among 23 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students who have been awarded scholarships valued at $300 for use during the 1979-80 academic year. Cathy, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Valaika of Gordon, was awarded the Zeta chapter of Delta Zeta sorority scholarship.
Mrs. Lyle Sanders took her daughter Toni to Scottsbluff on August 29th and helped her move into her apartment. Toni will return to Scottsbluff Sept. 4, and will begin classes at the Accredited Beauty College in Gering.

Approximately 100 friends and relatives of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Forster gathered at the Church of God Sunday, August 26, in honor of the couple’s 40th wedding anniversary. The event was hosted by the Forster’s children; Mr. and Mrs. Errol Brakeman, Mr. and Mrs. Ward Forster, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wilder, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Forster and Mr. and Mrs. Cliff McCune.

BIRTHS: at Gordon Memorial Hospital in Gordon:
*Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Homan, of Eli, son, born Aug. 29, 1979.
*Mr. and Mrs. Gary Brehmer, Rushville, a son, born September 3, 1979.

OBITUARIES:
Mrs. Gonne Grooms: Gonne A. Hanson Grooms was born May 17, 1896 to Hans and Marie Hanson at Davis, S.D. and died Aug. 22, 1979, at Gordon, Nebr. On Dec. 25, 1912, she was married to Frank Grooms. In the spring of 1913 they moved to a homestead 20 miles south of Van Tassel, Why., a community to become known as Prairie Center. In 1918 the couple moved to a home in Wounded Knee where they lived until her husband’s death two years ago. Also preceding her in death were four sons, Joseph, Aaron, Samuel and Davis. Survivors include Frank, Mary (Mrs. Paul Gabriel), Victor, Gertrude (Mrs. Clyde Coomes), Henry, Pat and Martha (Mrs. Leo Woodhouse).

Ruby Rose Stewart: Ruby Rose Stewart was born Feb. 22, 1890, and died Aug. 24, 1979, at Gordon Memorial hospital. Born in Louisville, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Daniel Carter, Ruby was united in marriage to E. Elmer Stewart in 1908. Two children, Beulah and Leo, came to bless this union. The Stewarts arrived in Gordon in 1930 and remained there until her death. Ruby was a longtime and active member of the United Methodist church in Gordon, and a good neighbor to all. Preceding her in death were her parents, daughter Beulah, and her husband Elmer. Survivors include her son Leo of Kansas City, Mo.

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