News Feb 19

Congratulations to Clinton Kershner. LaCrosse senior, on being named to the All Tournament Team at the Winter Jam basketball tournament in Hoisington.
 
A rodeo meeting is planned for Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Fire Building on Main Street in McCracken beginning at 7:00 p.m.  The dates for the rodeo this year are July 8, 9, 10 and 11th.
 
The McCracken Library board and trustees thank all the volunteers that donated their time  at the library while Mamie Crawshaw was ill and Ruth Crawshaw was with her parents in Fredonia.
 
The Trinity Jr. High boy’s basketball team won the Heart of America League tournament this past week in Inman.  They won over Ell-Saline in the first round game 35-23.  They then defeated the Inman boys in the semi-finals 44-27; the championship game they defeated the unbeaten Bennington boys 35-23. 
 
This past Wednesday, Pat Derr, Jean Schutte, Priscilla Jacobs and Sandra Jacobs celebrated the birthday for Priscilla in LaCrosse at the Café.
 
A thank you to Betty Fear for her donation of 11 boxes of books that belonged to her husband Kay (Red) Fear to the McCracken Library.  Thanks also to Brian for his help in bringing them to the library. They consist mostly of paperback westerns.  Please come in and pick and choose.
 
Anya Foos Graber has 2 converter boxes she wishes to give away.  You may reach her at 785-394-2202.
 
Kyra Horesky, Jenna and Tanner Higgins accompanied their uncle Chuck Higgins to Halstead for the Halstead-Hoisington basketball game Friday evening.  Hoisington lost.
 
 Linda Rice Schwenkmeyer, San Diego, died February 12, 2009 of cancer.  Memorial services will be held later. Linda is the niece of Lorraine Ryan.
 
A small world story:  Dr. Allan and Sandi Miller were in Kansas City this week looking for teachers that he taught with at Washington High School for a reunion.  He was sent to the Wyandotte Museum where he visited with Jeff Jennings.  In visiting with Jeff, he mentioned McCracken and my name (Shirley) Dr. Miller wondered how he knew me, Jeff said through Chuck and Jerry Higgins.  Allan Miller wrote the book Yankee on the Prairie’, which we gave a copy to the KC Museum.  Copies of this book are available, contact Shirley or Carolyn. 
 
Roy & Phyllis Conrad attended the 2009 Winter Q Bar b que contest at Great Bend at the old airport on Saturday.  Competing along with 36 Contestants from all over Kansas and elsewhere was Chris Zordel from Spearville.  Chris placed 9th for his beef brisket and he ranked 13th overall of the 36 participating in the cook off.  He is the son of Albert and Louise Zordel of Ransom.
 
Tomi, Emma, and Kate Rues met some horse friends this past weekend in Wichita for the 12th annual Equifest. The event ran Friday through Sunday. They had a blast. They enjoyed attending clinics and watching all the shows. They also enjoyed the Extreme Cowboy Race. It was amazing. It was also fun because one of Tomi's high school classmates participated. Oh, and the swimming pool and hotub at the hotel were great, too. Tony did a great job of holding down the fort while they were gone.
 
Nancy Bates, Hays, and Carolyn Thompson attended Fort Hays State University "Feel the Spirit!" Gospel Extravaganza Live 2009 at Beach-Schmidt on Sunday afternoon.  Groups participating were Crossroads, First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, West View Church Worship Team and First Baptist Church of Nicodemus Choir.  Individuals performing were Cheryl Glassman, George Jackson, 111, Cris Criscitiello and Tom Wellington.  The event was sponsored by the Diversity Affairs division of the Black Student Union.  Judy Hugh was a member of the Hays Methodist Chancel Choir.
 
Dorothy Eileen Cooley, 90, died February 8, 2008, at Leoti.  She was born March 24, 1918, the daughter of Carl and Pearl Washaliski Grate.  On September 13, 1941 she married Glenn D. Cooley at Bazine.  He died September 20, 1985 at Leoti.  Survivors include one son, Roger Cooley, three daughters, Geraldine Taylor, Phyllis Black and Diana Fahrenholtz, 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grand-children and eight great-great-grandchildren. The funeral was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Leoti.  She was a 1937 graduate of McCracken High School and a cousin of Diz Washaliski, Skip Washaliski, Vivian Simmons and Marietta Kirk.
 
Jean Schutte has donated some items to the Jail/Museum which include a light from Fred’s Market (celebrating “Our 25th Anniversary”), two pens from Fred’s and a cancelled check file from Citizens State Bank.
 
This is an item from Sr. Martina Stegman of Liebenhaus:  “Thanks for the help given to ‘Hope for the Village Child’.  In the summer of 2007, three former Nigerian missionaries, Sister Nancy Jane Kuntz, Sister Martina Stegman and Verlene Wilson returned to Nigeria, West Africa, to visit the territory after returning from there twenty to thirty years ago.  There were many encouraging signs of improvement, but one project that hit hard on our hearts was the “Hope for the Village Child’ managed by Dominican Sister Rita Schwarzenberger, OP, a native of Collyer, Kansas.  We three visitors accompanied the clinic crew in their worn out Land Rover going out to the villages to give treatment.  It was obvious their means of travel was the greatest hazard to rendering the Service!  The windows would fall out, the backdoor needed to be tied and retied as we went over the gullies and ditches in the ”bush” country.  We three decided to adopt purchasing a new Land Rover as our charity plea when we got back to the States.  Each made the need known the best we could, and the donations came in by and by over the course of a year.  Just recently Sister Rita notified us that a new Land Rover was purchased @ $45,000.  She says it’s like a miracle.  Recently it made its first long journey taking children with rickets to Jos for surgery by Germany doctors who volunteer their expertise in this effort.  So, thanks to all of you in Rush County who contributed to the Dominican Sisters African Mission!” 
The mission for Hope for the Village Child, founded in 1995, originally was established to extend health care particularly immunization of children and education to a few villages in the immediate are of the center, but services have been gradually expanded.  Programs include health care, water programs, agriculture, women’s programs, education, HIV/AIDS Awareness, youth activities and rickets research and treatment.  If you would like to help with this project send your donations to Dominican Sisters, 3600 Broadway, Great Bend, Kansas 67501.
 
Whitney Taylor, Ellis High School, received a nomination to compete in a try-out for the 2009 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Game to be held in Miami, Florida on April 1. This nomination recognizes Whitney as one of the top prep standouts in the nation.  As a nominee she will be one of 1,000 to compete to fill one of the 24 positions on the girls team which will feature an East vs. West game.  The final team roster will be announced this month.  Whitney’s other honors include being an “A” honor roll student, National Honor Society member and Student Council President.  Taylor was named to the first team all-league for three years, second team all-state her sophomore year, first team all-state her junior year and is a ten-time state track medalist. She is the granddaughter of Fred and Mary Ann Taylor, McCracken. 
 
Once again we remind you of the Bleeding Kansas programs at Lecompton on February 22 – “The Civil War’s First Blood”.  Then the final program is on Sunday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. entitled “Governor Andrew Reeder:  At the Request of My President.”  It is a first-person portrayal by Rex Patty, reenactor and living history educator.
 
McCracken History Notes: 
February 1879
In the counties of Ellis, Rush and Rooks, the great wheat region of the state, a person can buy land for $3.00 to $7.00 per acre.  By making a farm here he can enjoy from the first all the advantages of markets, churches, schools and society.
 
February 1889
A legal petition has been presented to the board of county commissioners of Rush county to lay out and locate a certain road in Fairview township.  James Littler, H. L. Brown and Michael Garner have been appointed as viewers.  The road is to begin at the SW corner of sec 7-16-19 W. 6th P.M.
 
February 1899
A nice bright eyed little girl, smart as a tack, came to the home of Francis Ryan Sunday night.
 
February 1909
 A McCracken business man who has lived here ever since the town started, say on a rough estimate the town has lost $5,000 by fire for every year it has existed.
 
A fire got loose northwest of McCracken Saturday afternoon and burned over a territory ten or twelve miles in extent. The fire started up somewhere near the Trego county and moved eastward.  Fortunately there was little wind and little property was lost.  Andy Murphy lost ten or twelve tons of feed and others lost more or less provender.
 
February 1919
Miss Sadie Wilson and Carl Kraus were married February 11 at the home of the bride’s parents.
 
February 1929
A fine big boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. D. K. North at the Mid-West hospital at Ransom, February 11.
 
February 1939
Schoenchen, Bazine and Claflin scored opening round victories in the first team bracket of the REN league invitational tournament held in Otis with 20 teams competing.  McCracken drew a bye in the first round to advance to the second where they will meet Ellinwood.  Other teams mentioned were Hoisington, Alexander, Bunker Hill, Dorrance, Claflin, Bison and Pawnee Rock.
 
Babe Ryan, Brownell, was injured Sunday when the car in which he and four others were hunting coyotes struck soft dirt and overturned.  The accident occurred at the Grumbein place northeast of Brownell.
 
February 1949
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Chester Irvin, a boy, Dennis Willard, February 23.
 
February 1959
The Girl Scouts held a talent show and box supper at the school house Tuesday evening.
 
The Lewis telephone exchange serving Lewis and Garfield has voted to merge with the Golden Belt Telephone Association, Inc.  A total of 540 telephone subscribers are served in this area.  This increase will bring the total telephone served to 1646.
 
February 1969
Sharon Parsons has entered the Weaver Airline Personnel School at Kansas City.
 
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Moran, a son, Mark, February 20 at Hays.
 
February 1979
Guard Tammy Higgins scored a season high 32 points in a loss to Ransom Tuesday by a score of 54-47.  The boys brought their record to 11-0 with a win over Ransom.  Jerry Casey was the high scorer with 19 points.