March 17, 2016 News

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! “Top of the Morning to you”, says Shirley And the Balance of the Day to you” says Carolyn.

Birthdays: March 17, Brian Davis, Bruce Kershner, Brandon Herdman; March 18, Mark Baus, Joshua Miller; March 19, Laura Wierman, Bill Wetzel, Andrew Zimmerman, Alexandra Anderson; March 20, Nicole VonLehe, Carla McCarrell, Shari Funk, Dylan Derr, Roxane Dechant, Sonia Mae Conner; March 21, Robert Higgins, Hanna Enslow; March 22, Greg Hinman, Trisha North, Jenni Rogers, Sr. Martina Stegman, Kay Hardwick.

Anniversary: March 20, Jerry and Ann Schutte.

Paul West, Wichita, formerly of Nekoma was in McCracken on Friday to visit the Jail/Museum regarding his West family. Paul's father was Lloyd West. His great-grandfather was Hamer Thomas West. He bought a farm and moved on it 3.5 miles south of Nekoma in 1896. He came from central Missouri with six sons, one Paul's grandfather, John West, who was born in August 1894. Other descendants in the area are Diane Schaben, Fred Lohrey and Dale West. He also visited the City Cemetery to see the grave of Paul Lloyd West, who lost his life in the Battle of the Argonne. Our Legion post is named for Paul West and Fay Burch. The World War 1 soldier was the son of Clement and Mary West who lived west of McCracken. Paul is trying to connect the families. He gave the Museum a “Kansas Memory of Paul West, W. W. 1 Soldier” from the Kansas Historical Society. It contains pictures and letters about Paul.

Last Saturday Lynn Kochenower drove to Colby and spent the day with Shannon Shaw and Kelsee and Allen and Kelly Folke, Shannon's parents. They celebrated Kelsee's birthday. It was a Cajun party with masks and Cajun food. They had alligator, jambalaya, gumbo and crawfish.

Mike Aylward, Hoisington, gave the museum a newspaper from Photoplay News about Al and Ray Rockett's Abraham Lincoln Directed by Philip Rosen and Scenario by Frances Marion. George Billings was Abraham Lincoln. It shows pictures in the life of Lincoln. The film was shown on Tuesday and Wednesday April 7-8 at McCracken in the Strand Theater. The prices were 15 and 40 cents. The movie received the Photoplay Medal of Honor for 1924 by Photoplay Magazine. You can read about it on the internet. Mike also gave an envelope from the Missouri Pacific Railraod Company, The Texas and Pacific Railway Company

Suzanne Sauer has given the Jail/Museum two mugs of the Centennial of McCracken 1887-1987 of the Jail House.

Brooke Deines is a coach at Heartland Academy of Gymnastics and Cheer in Hays. She is the daughter of Gloria Blackwell. She was pictured in the Hays Daily News on Sunday with Zerelda Fox age 4 on her bar routine.

Tessa Jacobs is teaching the 4th grade students at Larned Elementary School in Larned. I’m thinking most of the students are ‘bigger’ than she is!!

We received word that Peggy Harper Wycoff recently died, was cremated and is buried next to her husband in Leavenworth. Peggy was the daughter of Bill and Thelma Harper, attended high school in McCracken and graduated in 1958.

The McCracken Mustangs Relay for Life Team is selling Papa Murphy’s Bake your own Pizzas for the upcoming Final Four weekend. Anyone interested in helping a worthy cause and having a great pizza on hand for the games, should contact any member of the Relay for Life Team. They will be delivered Saturday, April 2th. Times to be announced later. Team members are Charmaine Wolfe, Rose Jones, Janet Herdman, Lynnette Doornbos and Austin McGaughey.

The daffodils in front of the home or Ron and Cathy Casey are beautiful. We are afraid that the flowering trees and flowers are going to get ‘frost bite’ as it is still winter.

Angela Willoughby, Denver, visited with her parents, Chris and Ali Ault. She came for her mother’s birthday which was March 6.

The McCracken swimming pool plans to be open this year on Memorial Day weekend.

Pat Conroy, one of my favorite authors, died last week. He wrote “ Prince of Tides” which was a block buster movie in 1999. Two of my favorites are “South of Broad” and “Beach Music”.

1975 History Notes:

Andrea Dome received 2nd place in the county spelling bee. MHS baseball team placed 4th in the Dodge City Invitational Tourney this past week. Out of 16 participating teams they were the only class 1-A school represented. MHS won over Great Bend 16-3; lost to Dodge City 5-0; won over Mission Valley 8- 1, over Great Bend again 6-1 and defeated Victoria 9-8 in 9 innings. Winning pitchers were Scott Kershner and Jerry Higgins. Steve Foreman took the loss. Baseball members are Layne Morgan, Larry Buster, Tom Rues, Les Rogers, Dan Halbleib, Jerry Higgins, Glen Ryan, Chuck Higgins, Steve Foreman, Mike Conner, Gary Schuckman, Scott Kershner and Greg Hinman. Coach is Rich Billinger. Speech students qualified for 50 percent of all events at the regional speech tournament held in Garden City. This enables them to attend the State Tournament in Hays. The one act play “The Little Toy Dog” has as cast members Nancy Higgins, Fritz Foster, Roberta Halbleib, Robin Schuckman, James Unrein, Marsha Healy, Dan Halbleib, Sue Skillett, Glen Ryan, Rosemary Rues, Gary Schuckman, Paulette Healy, Tim Rues, Lynette Legleiter and Kent Brown. Don Casey placed third in the class 1-A shot put in the State boy’s indoor track meet at Ahearn Field House Friday in Manhattan. His throw was 471/2 feet. The following seniors of MHS went on the Kansas Educational Tour of Washing ton, DC and New York last week; Robbie McGaughey, Bill Greenway, Allen Kober, Jerry Higgins, Glen Ryan, Kent Brown, Nancy Higgins, Rosemary Rues, Sally Buster, Julie Seltman and Linda Sloan. The Boy Scout Pack #489 placed third at the Scout Show in Great Bend. Pack members are: Mike Woods, Richard Wittman, Shawn McKinney, Chad Herdman, Gary Barnes, Mike Still and Doug Elias. The MHS Home Economic Department sponsored a fashion show entitled “Fountain of Fashions” May 1 in the grade school gym. The students are Rosie Casey, Ellen Davis, Cheryl Foreman, Hope Johnston, Shelly Kershner, Peggy Rixon, Karin Seltman, Janet Unrein, Jeannie Augustine, Paulette Healy, Kim McCormick, Diane McFarren, Jane Moran, Terri Rogers,Sue Skillett, Rose Grumbein, Nancy Higgins, Lynette Legleiter. The instructor is Sheryl Sowers. KBK Fiber Glass Industries will locate in Rush Center.