RCNews May 9

Birthdays: May 9, Katie Wills, Gladys Hinman, Shannon Keith, Abigail Moran; May 10, Jodie Higgins, Lynn Kochenower; May 11, Charlotte Peters, Joe Conner, Lucas Taylor; May 12, Elaine Littler, Madison Sparrow, Aidan Martin; May 13, Valerie Anderson, Kristian Gembala; May 14, Brooke Deines, Drake Timson, L. Pat Casey; May 15, David Moran, Tran Pham, Kelly Weber.

Anniversary: May 10, Kelly and Sandy Biesner

Family pictures of the Bales family have been donated to the Jail/Museum. Morris Luther Bales and his wife Cora Dearing Bales and their children Arthur, Mayme, Annis and Verill in about 1911 were in the pictures. They lived on the McKittrick farm west of the Catholic Cemetery and four miles north of McCracken on the John Thompson farm. Also sent were pictures of Manley and Rowena Rush and their home. The house was across the street from Jean Schutte. These pictures were a gift of Roland and Virginia Bales of Kansas City, Missouri. Roland and his sons visited here recently. A souvenir poster from J. P. Warden in 1904 features the picture of a praying girl. At the bottom is the prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep”

Christopher John Mills, 26 years, died April 29, 2013 at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was the son of John Mills of Clark, South Dakota and Deb Mills of Redfield, South Dakota. He was the grandson of the late Leonard and Georgia Mills. Chris fought a long and valiant battle with muscular dystrophy.

Senior companions who attended funeral services for Virginia Herman at St. Michael's in Lacrosse on Saturday morning included Benita Serpent, Rosalie Renzo, Addie Mills, Fritizie Weichen, and Hankie Bartonek. They were joined by Jolene Niernberger, Director of the Senior Companion Program and Darlene Misegadis, Social Service Director at LTC, Rush County Memorial Hospital.

Interesting fact

Why is the symbol for a prescription Rx?

It is the sign of the Roman god Jupiter (the patron of medicine).

Why is something done secretly on the Q. T.?

It comes from the first and last letters of quiet.

Why does 'that's all she wrote' mean “You're Gone, Buster”?

Because the expression, which came into vogue during and after World War 11, refers to the same heartless “she” who wrote the infamous “Dear John” letter.

Father David Kraus who died April 28, 2013, presided at mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church in McCracken 36 times since 2003. We were grateful for his presence. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He had a J.C. L. degree in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he graduated cum laude. He will be missed.

Russ and Andie Rymill, Enumclaw, Washington, were Saturday visitors to the Jail/Museum and McCracken Public Library. They were looking for Hastings family information. J. M. Hastings lived here when the town of McCracken was founded. He was a petitioner for incorporation. He then purchased the Hovey Store. Both Russ and Andie are retired law enforcement officers.

The Catholic parishes of Hutchinson celebrated the Confirmation of their youth Thursday evening, May 2, at Holy Cross Church. Other churches were Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Teresa's. Jenna Higgins, daughter of Jerry and Jodi Higgins and Konner Brening, daughter of Kevin and Pat Brening were 2 of the 74 who were confirmed.

Jessica Watson, Samantha Stark and BreiAnne Hernandez visited the Jail /Museum/and (hay mowLibrary Sunday afternoon, found some books to take home with them and made a lovely donation. They along with their dad Gary Stark, D.J. Cook, Jay and Erin, Clinton, Tara, Taylor and Blake Swan; Scott, Cody were here from Kansas City, Kansas this weekend.
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Who of our readers know about Yips? A Yogi Berra saying “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” Sports writer Pat Sangima of the Hutchinson News says of Yips…they have the potential to psychologically cripple an athlete and they can ruin a baseball player's aptitude to perform his most basic function. I (Shirley) watched a double header baseball game between Hutchinson High School and Wichita Campus High school on Monday, May 6 with Hutchinson losing the 1st game 13-0. The Campus catcher was having a great day, 3 hits, threw out players trying to steal but then in the second game he lost his ability to throw the ball back to the pitcher. His throws bounced off the pitcher's mound, they went wide to the right and others went over the pitcher's head. In the third inning of the nightcap he misfired back to the pitcher 9 times. Of course the Hutchinson team 'got on' him for making the throws and his own coach was getting upset. He went to the bull pen and threw the ball several times then he played fairly well until the 7th inning. Hutchinson scored 5 runs coming from behind an 8-5 deficit to win. The sports writer wondered if his throws back to the pitcher played into the pitcher's loss of contact with the strike zone. I had never heard the word YIPS. I really felt sorry for him, but was glad that Hutch won the game!!

Congratulations to Katelyn Engel who sang the National Anthem at the opening of the barb wire museum in LaCrosse on Thursday, May 2nd and again at the May Day Parade in Utica, Saturday May 4th.

A nice crowd attended the salad supper at the Methodist Church Sunday evening. The program, given by Norma McNair was about wedding memorabilia. The salads were wonderful, as always.

Congratulations to Austin McGaughey who passed the math for his GED.

Congratulations to Breonna North, a 5th grader at Washington Elementary School in Ellis, who wowed the judges at the 17th annual Hays Arts Council Famous Figures competition Friday to earn the first-place trophy. She chose the character Jessica Tandy. Breonna is the daughter of Travis and Ava North.

Bob Fear and I (Shirley) were reminiscing after we read about a barn dance being held in LaCrosse Friday evening. There were barn dances at our granddad Oscar Elias in the early 1940's. Those we could remember that played in the band were Fern Oelkers, Bud Foster, Herb Doerr, Freddy Foster, Gene Johnson and Arietta Foster. During the intermission sandwiches were served, Dutch Hollow chicken (bologna) in big enamel dishpans. We both remembered a buffalo robe and blankets were in the southeast corner of the barn for kids to sleep on, there wasn't such a thing as baby-sitters. There was a hole in the center of the dance floor where feed was thrown down so you had to be extra careful to dance around it. We couldn't remember who all had fallen through, if any!!!!! Great memories.

Carolyn Davenport was a guest of Ty, Tina, and Quintin Elias. On Thursday she attended the adoption of Quintin Elias in LaCrosse. The proud parents are Ty and Tina Elias. He was glad he got to keep Quintin as his first name because that is what his friends call him. On Friday she attended the Colby Invitational Track Meet in Colby to watch her granddaugher, Katie Elias participate. Due to cold and windy weather Carolyn did not participate in the Barbed Wire Craft Fair in LaCrosse.

Lauren Sewell celebrated her birthday with Caelyn, Clayton, Helena McGaughey, Ashley and Austin. They had dinner at LaFiesta in Great Bend.

Congratulations to the United Methodist parishioners who now have a new roof on their church. Let's please have a rain to test it!!

The potted plants in front of the post office look wonderful. We hope the wind doesn't whip them to pieces.

McCracken History Notes

May 1973

The movie “Paper Moon” will make its Midwest premier in Hays, July 11.

MHS track team: Dave Derr, Roger Legleiter, Randy Taylor, Donald Casey Jim Casey, Robbie McGaughey, James Unrein, Bill Greenway, Richard Conrad, Tim Rues and Bill McKinney Coach.

A son, Jason Michael, was born March 9 and adopted by Mr. and Mrs. James Elias.

MHS baseball team now has a record of 9 wins and 3 losses.

Cookie League baseball will begin June 3. McCracken lost eight of its starters from last year's 25-1 record, losing to Smith Center, Kansas State Champs. Their record the past 6 years is 83 wins, 7 losses

Leslie Rogers took first discus at the tract meet in LaCrosse.

Kathy Weeks and Randy Willour were married May 4 in Ransom.

Katherine Ann Collins and Floyd A. Norlin announce their engagement.

First communion members were Brenda and Gary Barnes, Douglas and Randy Brenner, Kevin Casey, Janet Conner, Rhonda Conrad, Douglas Elias, Kayla Higgins, Paul Suppes and Sandra Taylor. Rev. Eugene Kenny conducted the services.

Eighth grade graduates: Mike Conner, Paulette Healy, Kim McCormick, Diana McFarren, Jane Moran, Benny Pfaff, Don Phillips, Leslie Rogers, Terri Rogers and Gerald Rourke.

Sandy and Kerri Peters spent the weekend with their grandmother, Mildred Rein

Cheryl Lamer received her degree from Washburn University May 13.

MHS seniors are Lonnie Irvin, Maureen Janke, Lorrie Morgan, Cathie Ryan, John Irvin,

Daryl Casey, Laura Hinman, Danny McFarren, Renee Schwindt, Tom Moran, Don Johnston, John Rourke, Janice Brack, David Wetzel, Betty Moran, Darwin Grumbein,

Gloria Baus Bland was awarded an academic scholarship to St. Mary of the Plains College.

Kirby Petz graduated from NW Kansas Area Voch Tech in carpentry on May 25.

Jake Edwards returned to the LaCrosse Rest Home after spending a few days here at home.

Maude Peer, 86, died Sunday after a long illness.

John A. Higgins died May 26 in the VA hospital, Topeka.