February 21, 2018 News

Birthday: February 21, Kirk Herdman; February 22, Doug Whitis; February 23, Lynne Hinman, Tonya Hinman, Sheryl McCaskey, Leslie Sager, Maria Albright; February 25, Betty Keener, Presley Wilson; February 26, Nicole Kirk; February 27, Chris Casey, ,Malinda Anderson, Lacey Elmore, ,Jaden Shelit.

No anniversaries.

The final Bleeding Kansas program will be held on Sunday, March 4 at Historic Lecompton. It is entitled “Black Civil War Veterans Build a Church in 1867” by Deborah Barker, Franklin County Kansas Historical Society, executive director, emeritus. Book signing follows presentation. Our thanks to Tim Rues for providing us with the itinerary for the 2018 Series.

On Monday last Carolyn and Shirley attended their Dream meeting at the home of Christine Wagner of rural Yocemento. Others attending were Kathleen Kuchar, Carol Heiman and hostess Christine. After the meeting we got to see Wagner's new dog, Sophie. She was raised by Jamie Basgall. She is just beautiful and we are happy to report that she loves her forever home. Also if you are interested in art, Kathleen will have a show at the Hays Arts Council in August. She is a retired professor of art from Fort Hays State University. Bob Foster was one of her students. We will let you know the exact dates then.

Thank you McCracken! The McCracken City Library appreciates your support; our Death by Chocolate Spaghetti Dinner was a huge hit! The donations will be used to aid us in our day to day operations and ability to offer more programming to the community. It made our hearts happy when we heard from a couple from out of town that attended, "We came for your pioneer lady talk and were made to feel so welcome by your community that we wanted to come back again." Thank you McCracken!

Our sympathy to the family of Eugene Wendling 98, Halstead, who died February 14, 2018. He married Marcelline “Marcy” Moran in 1946 in McCracken. She preceded him in death November, 2003. He is survived by sons David & William, daughters Jean Anne Gleason, Mary Klutzke, one brother Leo Wendling Jr., two sisters, Ruby Harris and Vivian Bush. Burial was in the Halstead Cemetery.

Les Rogers was featured in the Midland Marketing Pamphlet. He is again a nominee for the Marketing Board. Be sure you vote!!!

Thursday evening, February 15 on KWCH, Wichita News gave a report of a Cold Case, September 7, 2011, that featured an unsolved murder of banker, Tim McGuigan. Tim was shot several times in the front room of his home. He was senior vice-president of the Kansas State Bank in Wichita. He was a first cousin of Shirley, parents John and Cecilia Lovitt McGuigan.

Well, we had a really good annual golf meeting on Saturday, February 17 at MCC. First, I want to thank Norma McNair for all of her help as past president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, mower operator, cook, and bottle washer. She is always there when needed to help thank you Norma! The dues have stayed the same, family memberships $125 and singles $65, greens fee’s $5 and with the help of the many that volunteer with the course we can keep the cost down. Next, special thanks to Lance McCormick. Over the last five years, Lance had taken ownership in the course and really dotes over it. If the course looks nice (and it always does), thank Lance. He has several major projects that are coming soon. So stay tuned! Our bridge on #3 should be finished this spring. Come on down and take a look! Thank you Lance! Thanks also to Kevin Anderson and Smokey Fairbanks for stepping up to be President and Vice President for 2018 and 2019. The course is in great hands! These guys have major skills! Finally, I have enjoyed my time as President of MCC. I plan to continue to help however I can. I have considered it a special privilege and opportunity to get to know each of you and to help build a great community golf course. Thank you!

A great big shout-out to Les Diehl, for his dedication to the McCracken golf course as past President. Without his vision, countless hours spent trying to make improvements, building up membership, wearing lots of different hats, returning to McCracken to conduct tournaments, and being a great steward of the game; the golf course would not be in the shape it is today without that commitment. His time as president brought new growth and interest to the club. He is very proud of the McCracken golf course and he has obviously invested a lot of sweat equity into it the last several years. The course is lucky in that he will remain active and continue to work toward making additional improvements. Thank you Les!

Linda Dale, her daughter Audra along with grandson Perrin Flynn, Albuquerque spent this past week in McCracken. Linda is a traveling nurse on assignment in Albuquerque. They were all guests of Joann Micheli.

Kyra and Bryant Reese attended the KU-West Virginia game Saturday night in Lawrence. They were overnight guests of Cameron, Courtney and Elliott Friday night in Eudora. Others attending that I knowabout were Jenna Higgins, Jerry and Karen Casey. Kyra, Bryant and Jenna met after the ball game for a short visit. What a game!!!!

Rose and Les Diehl, Cathy and Ron Casey, Topeka; Martin and Mary Higgins, Lenexa; were McCracken weekend guests. They all attended the ‘Death by Chocolate’ dinner sponsored by the Library Saturday evening.

A KU Watch Party with family and friends was held at the ‘Vacation’ home of Kellye and Sandy Irvin in McCracken Saturday evening. Family members were Anna and Kyle Cooley; Kayla and Tyler Trauer, Scott and Amy Vignesa.

1940 school history notes:

This year finds six of last year’s teaching staff in school and three new members. Miss Helen Irvin, Miss Mary Collins, Mr. Kenneth Dick on the faculty. Miss Irvin is taking the position of Miss Opal Bennett, who taught the third and fourth grades last year and is teaching in the Lyons school system this year. Miss Irvin has spent all of her life around McCracken, graduating from McCracken High School in 1937. She attended Hays College for two years and taught one year in a rural school northeast of McCracken. Miss Collins of Pittsburg, Kansas, is filling the position of Miss Agnes Bowen in the primary department, who will begin teaching in Kinsley. Miss Collins has attended college in Pittsburg for three years and has taught nine years at Pittsburgh. Mr. Dick of Topeka is filling the position of Mr. Homer Martz as coach. Mr. Dick attended Bethany College for a term of four years. This is his first year as a teacher; Primary notes: Bobby Elmore has made a perfect score in spelling every day since school started. Last week Pat Keener was absent from school with the flu; Third and Fourth grade school notes: A club was organized by the third and fourth grades with the following students as officers: Dean Groves, Junior Spomer, J.B. Yawger, Wayne Irvin, Christine Pivonka, Alice Weesner and Charles Sweeney.


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Patricia Petz:

As I understand, the Flu vaccine was only 36% effective to most Americans this year.  So far, I have been lucky enough to avoid this virus, but I know many people in Rush County have not.  Every day this week was filled subbing at either the High School or Grade School.  Teachers and students were both hit with the symptoms of the flu.  Even my mom, has had a terrible cough and has not felt good during this past week.  I hope everyone starts feeling better real soon! 

This year, Wednesday, February 14th shared two very important events.  Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts were exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.  The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.  Although there are many legends about Valentine, the oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.  In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be celebrated around the 17th century.  By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology.  Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700's.  In the 1840's Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America.  Howland, is known as the "Mother of the Valentine," in which she made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures.  Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion Valentine's Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.  (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)  Along with several Valentine's Day cards, I received beautiful bouquet of flowers from both of my children and their families.  A very special treat for me! 

Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar.  It marks the beginning of the Season of Lent.  Ash Wednesday is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  This holy day comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting.  The practice includes wearing of ashes on the head.  The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us.  As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."  The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's palm Sunday Mass.  I was able to attend mass at the beautiful St. Joseph's Church in Liebenthal, where my mom's brothers and sisters, as well as my Grandfather and Grandmother, Andrew and Veronica Depperschmidt were members.   

On Saturday, I, along with many others, enjoyed attending the "Death by Chocolate" event held as a fundraiser for the McCracken Public Library.  They had prepared a delicious spaghetti supper which also had many different chocolate desserts to fill your sweet tooth.  

On Sunday, I attended mass in La Crosse and then stopped by to see how mom was doing.  She looked and sounded better, but she still has a ways to go.  Have you ever hurried off and left your cell phone behind?  Well, that's what happened to me Sunday morning, and I felt that I had lost my right hand throughout the day.  It's funny how we went years without this piece of technology, but now it's something that you don't like to leave your house without!  After visiting with mom, I traveled to Hays to do some shopping.  I made it home without anything going wrong, and boy was I ever thankful!