RCNews April 23
Chester Rogers had sinus surgery in Hays, Monday so his daughter Deb Smith spent Monday at the hospital and Tuesday at home with he and Mom.  He is recovering well.  Still as ornery as ever!  After teaching for 38 years, Debbie is ‘making parole.  She graduated from McCracken High School in 1967, from FHSU with a BS in elementary education in 1971.  She taught in public school in Larned and Lenora until 1991 when she started teaching GED at the Norton Correctional Facility.  Her retirement will begin July 1.  ‘Ta Da’!  She plans to stay at home, having a huge garden, canning, fishing, learning to play the organ for church and driving her husband even nuttier.

We are very sorry to miss the birthday of Scott Keener.  It was April 20.  Scott, we heard you were VERY upset, now you can quit feeling forgotten.  You made the Rush County News!!
 
Saturday, April 11 luncheon guests of Don and Dena Irvin were Galen and Jennis Irvin, Zoa Manny, Ruthetta Irvin, Kellye and Scott Irvin and Graycie Legleiter; Chad, Amber, Audrey and Chet Irvin; Chris, Jana and Crissa Irvin.  Crissa, Audrey and Chet attended the Easter egg hunt at the McCracken City Park Saturday afternoon.  Ty Elias and Quintin stopped by in the afternoon.
 
Rashell Mills and her fiancé Rob McCarty have been living in Michigan for the past 6 months.  They had Easter dinner with Rob’s parents, Robert and Rhoda, his brother J.C. and wife Char, their daughter Alex and Rob’s sister Maggie.
 
Angie Huggard, and Trent and Tyler Timpson hosted an Easter gathering in McPherson.  Those who were able to attend were Danny and Pat Petz, Mc Cracken; Kelly and Melanie Petz and family, Hays; Jeremy and Lisa Foos and family, Wichita; De.Wayne and Vicky Foos, Leland and Mary Steitz, La Crosse. 
 
Sunday, April 12 lunch guests of Don and Dena Irvin were Dennis and Arlene Irvin, Ruthetta Irvin, Kellye, Scott and Kayla Irvin, Anna and Graycie Legleiter, Chad, Amber, Chet and Audrey Irvin.
 
Babe and Arlene Gilbert motored to Funks in Wakeeney for Easter; Holly, Haily and Courtney Gilbert went to the Kroegers in Ellis; Brett and Erica Gilbert were home nursing fevers.
 
Easter Sunday Marty and Tina Mills and Rocky were Easter dinner guests of Tina’s parents, Bob and Adella Miller in Brookville, Kansas.
 
Madison Davis, Hutchinson was a Thursday, Friday and Saturday guest of her grandparents, Bruce and Susan Davis.  Sunday they joined Cheryl and Allen Werth, Dustin and Lisa Day and family and Bob House for lunch.  In the afternoon they ‘motored’ to Hutchinson where they spent night with Brian, Lisa, and Hunter Davis. Madison stayed home with her parents when they returned home to McCracken.
 
At the Easter egg hunt in the city park on Saturday there were 17 youngsters, 2 high school students and 1 college student.  The 3 older ones hide the eggs.  Four of the upper elementary students went on a scavenger hunt after they hunted eggs.  It was a nice time and a nice turn-out.  We would have had really big numbers if all of Pat Derr’s g-children could have been there but they were all in LaCrosse with Grace. 
 
Memorials have been given to the McCracken Alumni in memory of Earl Leon Marvin and Louise Marvin Burnham from Laurene Marvin.  Louise graduated in 1936 and Leon in 1937.
 
‘Arky’ and Diana McNair and Charlotte Ochs were Easter guests of their families in Denver, Travis and Alice McNair and family; Curtis and Kelly McNair and family.  They went to Denver Thursday and returned home Monday.
 
Walter and Janey Rogers were in Eastern Kansas recently where they did a ‘little’ gambling and were guests of their daughter Terri and Pete Cox in Lone Jack, Missouri.  They drove to Columbia where they visited with Jerome Langdon and his wife.  On their way home they stopped by and visited with Pat and Betty Keener.
 
Gerald and Linda Bittel have donated to the McCracken Museum framed teacher certificates and teacher contracts for Ivy and Ada Lovitt Irvin.
 
A baby shower was held Sunday afternoon in LaCrosse for Nicole Tarbell, daughter of Bob and Margaret Fear.  She received a rocking chair that was refurbished by Betty Fear that belonged to her grandparents, Lee and Gladys Fear along with many other lovely gifts.
 
Kaden Foust broke his leg Sunday on a trampoline at his home in Otis. 
 
Those attending the rodeo meeting Sunday evening at the Fire Station in McCracken were:  Tony Rues, Gary Barnes, Colleen Kerns, Mark Brackney, Bill Greenway, Holly Gilbert, William Greenway, Brenda and Roger Legleiter, Jerilyn Stull, Ty Elias and queen coordinator Barbara Rupp.
 
Congratulations to Laura Linseywho celebrated her birthday at her home with the following guests:  her husband, Russ, Wilfrid & Twila Higgins, Meredyth & Bruce Winter, Jean Schutte, Joann Micheli, and Sandra Jacobs.  We are 'assuming' cake and ice cream were served
 
Congratulations to Grace Wheat Walker Thompson on her 100th birthday.  She would enjoy your greetings. 
 
Celeste Davis, Arlington, Tennessee and LeAnn Knight, Hutchinson, Betty Greenway and James Wierman were Saturday visitors of Francis and Roberta Wierman.
 
Two grain ticket folders have been received from Lucille Pfaff Young of Ness City for the Jail/Museum.  One is from the Farmers Coop. Business Ass’n, 290,000 bu storage – selling Purina Feed and Frontier Hybrids – Phone 4604, McCracken, Kans. Gerald R. Walker, Mgr.  The other folder is from Farmers Union Co-op Merc. and Elev. Co. of LaCrosse, Hargrave and McCracken.
 
 Joyce Mays, daughter of George and Joy Hunter works at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.  The pharmacist at the hospital was involved in a shooting of two employees and then killing himself.  Joyce worked in a nearby part of the Center and the family was concerned when they heard about the shooting.  Joyce had just been in the area where one of the employees was shot a few minutes before.  We are happy to hear that she and the rest of the staff were all right.
 
Those attending the Fort Hays State University special Event “Greater Tuna” on Sunday evening were Francis and Julia Zeller, Bill Zeller, John and Sharon Irvin, Roger and Norma McNair, Cory Malloy, Zelda Brack, Ruthetta Irvin, Lorraine Ryan, Shirley Higgins and Carolyn Thompson.
 
Congratulations to Gary and Marya Brenner on the birth of a son, Thane Andrew Brenner on March 26 at Central Kansas Medical Center.  He has sister, Sienna, 20 months old and a brother Jaron Zamarripa, 21 years old.  Grandparents are Ben and Margaret Brenner of rural Beeler and JoAnn Winkler of Great Bend.
 
 Congratulations to all those named to the All-Area Basketball teams by the Hays Daily News.  Whitney Taylor, Ellis Senior, was named to the Girl’s First Team;  Amanda Casey, Junior of Plainville was Honorable Mention, Lacey Reifschneider, Sophomore, LaCrosse was Honorable Mention; For the boys, Kevin Wissman, Junior, Otis-Bison was named to the Boy’s First Team, Andrew Casey, Freshman, Plainville - Third Team and Marshall Musil, Senior, LaCrosse was an Honorable Mention.  Whitney Taylor recently signed to play basketball for Fort Hays State University
 
Ray Wierman visited his parents, Francis and Roberta Wierman from Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon.
 
Michele and Marge Moran visited Clark, Nicole and Maddie Kirk in Burrton Friday through Saturday evening
 
The Jail/Museum has received a $500.00 matching grant.  The grant is due to a $1,000 donation from former IBM employee, Gary Turner.  Our since thanks to IBM Corporation and Gary and his wife Elaine.
 
McCracken History Notes
April 1899
Start’s machine has been threshing down on the Walnut lately.
 
John Showalter has purchased the Brenner half section.
 
Roundtree will have the contract to build K. C. Plotner’s new mansion.
 
April 1909
It will soon be time to sit on the drug goods boxes, whittle, spit and speculate as to how the wheat crop is going to turn out.
 
April 1919
Chas. Herdman purchased ten head of registered Galloway cattle from B. H. Yawger.  He was recently discharged from the Army and has purchased the Palmer ranch north of town.
 
 
 
April 1939
McCracken High School got off to a winning start Friday in the REN baseball season when they shut out Bazine 11-0 behind a fine pitching exhibition by Marion Foster.  Both Marion Foster and Freddie Foster hit home runs.  Wednesday’s game here with Otis saw the locals hang up their second straight shut-out, 1-0.  Playing errorless baseball, the locals chalked up 11 hits to 2 for the visitors.  Players for McCracken, V. Higgins, lf, W. Irvin, 2b; F. Foster c; W. Mills rf; R. Mills cf; M. Foster p; F. Klee ss; D. Hunt 3b; G. Gordon lb; L. Kueffer, B. Irvin, D. Birdsong, K. Showalter and F. Marak.
 
April 1959
Norman Pfannenstiel was inducted into the army last week.
 
Rush County land has been selling at premium prices from $84 to more than $212 an acre this spring.
 
April 1979
Lucille Lamer, Marjorie Irvin, Rose Showalter and Velma Legleiter attended the Kansas Federation of Women’s Clubs convention in Hays on Wednesday.
 
Brenda Barnes took first in the Great Plains Livestock judging contest in Ness City.