News Feb 28, 2008
 
A baby shower was held for Emma Casey Lawson at Bazine on Sunday afternoon.  Emma is the daughter of Jim and Karin Casey.
 
Dallas and Jamie DeWitt, Mason and Hunter, have moved to Topeka.  I will miss Mason, he was my good little friend.
 
James Slemp was honored on his birthday this past week at Locust Grove in LaCrosse.  Those attending the get-to-gather were Joann Micheli, Twila and Wilfrid Higgins, Laura and Russ Linsey, and Jean Schutte. 
 
The Golden Agers not only need a furnace, they need the whole heating and air conditioning system. It is posted on the Hamburger Helper website.
 
Kevin Casey, Arkansas, spent 10 days visiting his mother, Frances Casey and family.  Friday evening Kevin, Stan Harmon, Frances, Carolyn and Edgar Schadel motored to Plainville where they watched Amanda Casey play basketball against Phillipsburg.  She is a freshman and the daughter of Jerry and Karen Casey.
 
Sister Martina is wondering who borrowed her book “The Holy Longing”.  Please give her a call if you have this book in your possession.  Thank you.
 
Angela Morgan placed 2nd in the free throwing contest held last week in Quinter.
 
Leona Vsetecka and Shirley Higgins enjoyed a fun lunch in Great Bend on Wednesday. 
 
Ellis County has been named by Progressive Farmer magazine as the #2 county in the USA ‘Best Places to Live in Rural America.’  There was a picture taken from the Liebenthal road showing the big round bales and St. Josephs Church that was featured in the magazine.
 
After six months of voting and 24,070 votes were cast, the 8 Wonders of Kansas were finally revealed.  In alphabetical order they are:  Big Well, Greensburg; Cheyenne Bottoms & Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Barton & Stafford counties; Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, Abilene; Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center, Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Hutchinson; Monument Rocks & Castle Rock, Gove County; St. Fidelis Catholic Church (Cathedral of the Plains) Victoria; Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Chase CO.
 
Kenny Foster is doing much better after his surgery.  He met his brother Bob Foster in LaCrosse Friday for lunch.
 
A get to gather was held at the home of Roger and Norma McNair Saturday evening for Roger’s birthday.  Those wishing him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY were ‘Arky’ and Diana McNair, Charlotte Ochs, Shirley Higgins, Travis McNair, Corey Malloy, Morgan Schulz, Helen Tureck, Cathy Casey, John and Alex Casey, Rose and Les Diehl.
 
Ron, Cathy, Catherine, John and Alex Casey and Arlene Rues ‘braved’ the snow and bad roads Saturday and motored to McCracken. 
 
The devastating tornado in Prattville, Alabama last weekend came close but was about a mile from the home of Ed and Juanita Walker Caviness. 
 
Rob and Helena McGaughey, McCracken; Aaron and Leslie McGaughey, LaCrosse and Ashley McGaughey, Salina attended a baby shower for Leslie McGaughey in Beloit Saturday evening.
 
Babe and Arlene Gilbert, Brett and Holly Gilbert, Ty Elias, Tina Harris, Bruce and Ellen Kershner, Roger Legleiter and Larry Brenner representing Farmland Auction, Woody and Chuck all attended the Pheasants Forever banquet in Hays Saturday evening.
 
We are pleased to report that Ruth Axman, mother of Melanie Zeller, is doing well after her surgery.
 
Nancy Benjamin a volunteer for a National Oceanographic group does scuba diving for fish counts.  She is now in Belize and will soon travel to Guatemala.  She is the sister in law of John and Carol Waelchli.
 
Helen Tureck, Deer Trail, Colorado, was a weekend guest of her good friend, Charlotte Ochs.  They were in Hays Saturday and ‘braved’ the snow coming home. 
 
Lindsey Tacha was a weekend guest of Kyra Horesky at McMindes Hall on Ft. Hays Campus.  They attended the wrestling tournament held at Gross Memorial Coliseum Friday and Saturday evening.
 
Sheila and Greg Hinman, Lewis were weekend guest of Gladys & Wendell Hinman.
They all attended the basketball tournament games in Ness City to watch the Lucas/Luray
Girl’s team play.
 
It was nice to see Francis Zeller ‘out and about’ Sunday.  He and Julia were at the Café on Sunday.
 
Golden Belt Telephone Association Board attended the National Telephone Cooperative Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans last week.  Thayne Jones is a member of the board.
 
Congratulations to Reggie and Brenda on their 40th anniversary.
 
Roger McNair’s birthday was February 23.  Sorry we are late on that.
 
Betty Seuser, 71, died February 20 at her home.  Her granddaughter is Shawna North.
 
Addie Mills was a Saturday evening guest of Marty and Tina Mills.  Tina provided a beautiful birthday cake in honor of Addie’s birthday.
 
Shirley has been working on up-dating our McCracken History.  Carolyn is collecting pictures to match the copy.  If you have pictures of the last twenty years you would like in the new book, please bring them to Carolyn.  Also if you have pictures of people or scenes from McCracken that didn’t get in the first two volumes, we would love having them also.  Remember that all photos will be returned to you after we are done with the project.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Klee of Council Grove met Addie Mills in Lindsborg on Tuesday.   They enjoyed a belated birthday dinner at the Seasons Café.
 
  The website to send comments for the Senior Center Project is myhometownhelper.com. 
 
McCracken History Notes
 
March 1908
John Graden, died at his home southwest of McCracken, March 1, 1908.  At the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in Co. C., 103 Pa. Vol., serving 3 years.  He married Mary A. Betty in 1856.  Nine children were born, three of whom survive, Mrs. Dora Washaliski, Mrs. Alice Lazzell and Mr. C. O. Graden.  He married Mary C. Vogle after his first wife died, she survives.  Funeral was held at the Hanson School.
 
Albert Snodgrass died March 1, 2008, at his home near McCracken.  He was born in 1837 in Ohio, united in marriage in 1860 with Clarinda C. Wolford.  He moved to Missouri, Iowa and to Kansas in 1889.  He served his country in the Civil War, a member of Co. K. 136th Ohio Vol. infantry.  He leaves his wife, a brother, a sister and seven children.  Burial was in the McCracken Cemetery.
 
March 1938
John Elias is remodeling the garage at his home and will do mechanical work there.  He is located north of the U. B. Church.
 
Mrs. Oliver H. Lincoln died February 15, 1938.  She was born Sarah Ann Daily in Illinois.  She is survived by her husband John J. Daily, two sisters, Mrs. A. R. Brenner and Mrs. May Wyman.  Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
 
Chester Clee Roser, 52, died March 2, 1928 in Salina.  Burial was in the McCracken Cemetery.
 
March 1948
The baby born Sunday, February 29, to Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Van Winkle of McCracken will be four years old before he will be able to have his first birthday.  The baby, who weighed eight pounds, three ounces, at birth, has been given the name Kenneth Robert.  The Van Winkles have two other children, Gail and Ruth Ellen.
 
Mrs. Janeal Ryan returned to her home here this week after spending two months in Hollywood, Calif.
 
Jessie Arlene Temple, LaCrosse high school senior and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Basil Temple of McCracken, died suddenly early this morning at Hadley Memorial Hospital at Hays.  She was born April 21, 1930, at McCracken and attended grade school at District 17 (Hampton).  She leaves three sisters, Mrs. Kenneth Mills, Mrs. Willard Mills and Mrs. Virgil Huxol and her grandmother, Mrs. C. E. Temple.
 
March 1958
Mr. and Mrs. John Walker are leaving this weekend for Hartman, Colorado, where Mr. Walker will farm.
 
Myrtle Viola Wright Swartz, 68, was born near Lima, Ohio, in 1896 and died February 28, 1958 at her home in McCracken.  She was united in marriage to Samuel E. Swartz at Trenton, Nebraska in 1913.  Survivors include three daughters, Louise Niblock, Rose Grumbein, Mazie LeClair; four sons, Gordon, George, Claude and Jimmie.  Burial was in the McCracken Cemetery.
 
March 1968
LaVern Showalter and family have moved from Colby to Phoenix, Arizona.
 
Brenda Wells and Reggie Irvin were married in the United Methodist Church in Alexander, March 3, 1968.  The couple will make their home in LaCrosse.
 
Gerald and Harlon Anderson are the inventors of the Sunflower Flexible Disc being manufactured b the Sunflower Manufacturing Co.
 
March 1978
Lucille Lamer, Margaret Buxton, June Bible and Adelaide Mills attended the book fair inGgreat Bend on Tuesday.
 
Viola Yost, Twila Higgins and Mildred Anderson met Tuesday to plan the World Day of Prayer Service.