RCNews June 19
 
A letter from Virginia McCaskey Barnes tells us how much she enjoyed our alumni letter this year.  She especially enjoyed the salary of Mr. Pearson and the basketball game with Bison in which McCracken won with three players.  She and Louise Marvin Burnham are the two surviving graduates of the class of 1936.  She will be 93 in October. 
 
Memorials have been given to the McCracken Alumni in memory of The deceased members of the class of 1951 from Carolyn Thompson; Ben McCaskey from Virginia McCaskey Barnes; Celestin Stremel from Shirley Stremel Bundy; Luceil Plotner from Adrian Doerr; John Hanson Sr., from John Hanson Jr. Gerald Hinman from Ronald Hinman; Dean & Inez Brackney Irvin from Reggie Irvin; Gene Petz & Kenny Mills from Kathleen Rourke Kazmaier; Emmett Sloan from Norma Sloan McNair; Charlie Jacobs from Priscella Jacobs; George Myers from Ruby Littler Myers; Gene Petz from Madeline Rein Petz; Gerald Hinman from Kevin Rourke; Norma J. Schuckman Kirby from LeeRoy Schuckman; Liz Conner from Myron & Debi Baus Schuckman; Andrew & Evelyn Plotner Higgins, Luceil Plotner & Marilyn Higgins Herdman from Carolyn Higgins Sekavec; Avery & Lorraine Norlin from Karen Norlin Simmerman; Willard & Augustine “Hippy” Thompson from Bob Thompson; Jack Wilson from Clayton, Kizmin & Gunner Wilson; Buddy & Venita K. Schrott, Lorraine Norlin, Lyle Davenport, Corrine “Cory” Brenner, Vic Higgins, Rose Rein Showalter, Daniel “Danny” Conner, Patricia “Trish” Casey Harman & Keith Crawford from Diz & Wilma Washaliski.
 
Yvonne McFarren Grothen is unable to make the trip home for the reunion because of health.  Adrian Doerr may NOT be able to make it but he is sure going to try.  Arthritis he says is a mean Arthur.
 
LOOKING BACK:  Grade School Notes:  April 1938 - About one half of the students were absent last Friday due to the snow storm; Donald Hinman was taken to the hospital in Hays last week suffering from pneumonia; Mrs. Rodeman taught fifth and sixth grades Tuesday while Miss Lovitt was absent; Those in the third and fourth grades to have a perfect spelling lesson last week were: Donald Greenway, Joann Juvenal, Blanch Pratt, Orin Webster, Dorothy Klug, Lawrence Morris and Paul Moses.
June 1951:  Boat races, speeches by visiting dignitaries, banquets, band music and a dance are all on the program for the dedication of the Cedar Bluff dam Saturday and Sunday.  More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the celebration.  Construction started April 1, 1949.  The dam is full of water. Cedar Bluff is an earth-fill structure 12,560 feet long.  It rises 134 feet above the streambed and is 202 feet above its lowest foundation.  Total capacity of the reservoir is 373,850 acre-feet.
 
Alex and John Casey were guests of their grandmother, Arline Rues this past week.  Les and Rose Diehl came ‘home’ this weekend and the boys returned to Topeka with them.
 
Randy Pieper and his helper Kevin from California started working on the Frog Hollow building this past week.  We are thankful he didn’t ‘burn it or tear it down.’
 
Janice Brack Haney has compiled a book titled, "Greensburg: The Twisted Tales".  It is a
book on 61 individuals who went through the May 4, 2007 EF-5 tornado and
tells in their own words of what they experienced.  She will have a booth on Saturday, July 12 at the McCracken Library and later at the City Park by the Big Top.  
 
Roy and Phyllis Conrad wants to thank Jean Schutte and Twila Higgins for helping paint the basement entry way to the basement of St. Mary’s Church this last week.  Drive by to inspect the job and if anybody wants something painted, please contact Twila or Jean for an estimate for any project.
 
Babe and Arlene Gilbert attended the wedding Saturday in Lakin for Dustin Thompson son of Lyna Gilbert Lero and the late Ken Lero and Wyatt Thompson and Michelle Beymer, daughter of Diane and Beymer.  Father Mike Helms performed the ceremony.
 
Family and friends celebrated Sharon Lovitt's birthday Sunday evening with a cook-out at the Gilberts.  Included was a late birthday celebration for Carolyn Thompson and early congratulations to Diz Washaliski on his up-coming B-day. 
 
‘Rush County Lighting’ MAYB Basketball team plays at 9:00 a.m., Noon, and 3:00 p.m. at FHSU (one of the small gym’s) Saturday, June 21. Joe's ‘Amigos’ MAYB Basketball team also plays at FHUS Sat. June 21.  This is Angela Morgan's team plus some more Rush Co. H.S. girls.   Angela doesn’t have their times.  Some of the Ness County H.S. Boys will also have a team entered.  We understand they are great to watch. They have a 6'6" young man from Healy on their team.  We also don't know their name or their times.  It should be a great weekend of watching bb teams of local young people.  We are not sure if Whitney Taylor’s team is entered in this tourney or not.  If you are looking for something to do, this would be a good way to ‘enjoy’.  
 
Monday Shirley and Carolyn visited with Larry Moore who was a member of the Big Red I stationed at Ft. Riley for 3 years.  He was originally from California, loved being in Kansas so he has moved back and is living in Victoria. 
 
Rolling Hills Wildlife Refuge will present a program at the McCracken Public Library on Friday, June 27, at 1:00 p.m.  The theme for the summer reading program is “Catch the Reading Bug at your Library”.  They will be bringing bugs and animals.  Everyone is welcome.
 
Butch Hayes and his son Mac were in town last week to visit R. B. Hayes.  R. B. took them on a tour to where Butch, R. B. and Tommy use to live.  (Their home was where Mitch and Nikki live now.)
 
Alana Rogers had back surgery on Tuesday at Dodge City.  We wish her a speedy recovery.
 
Carolyn Thompson and Galen Allen attended the musical, “Suessical, Jr.”, presented by the Central Kansas Children’s Theatre Academy at Ellsworth.  Shannon Keith was a part of the cast.  The academy is funded through a trust from the Wilson-Duckwall Foundation.  It was directed by Pam Harrell of Lincoln.
 
Butch, Kaira and Mac Hayes flew to Philadelphia Thursday.  Kaira participated in ceremonies leading to being awarded a Doctorate in Neuro-Psychology at Drexel University.
 
An art exhibit, “Ansel Adams:  The Man Who Captured the Earth’s Beauty” is opening July 5 at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Park near Salina.  The photographs are part of a museum set edition published in 1980 and 1981 from vintage negatives. 
 
Abi Watson Weitzel, died June 13, 2008, at Rush County Nursing H ome.  She was the daughter of Phillip and Lulu Mae Schreiber Weitzel.  She was a 1929 graduate of Mercedes High School, Mercedes, Texas.  Survivors include a son, Jay Pfeiffer, three grandchildren and two-great grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Pfeiffer.  Burial was in the LaCrosse City Cemetery.
 
Mark and Sharon Miller (Mark was a former high school math teacher in McCracken) are new grandparents.  Their daughter, Klara, had a baby girl.  She weighs 6 lbs 6 oz.  The Millers are in Texas to help out with the new baby.  Congratulations.
 
Gerald Crotinger writes that he was interested to see the history note about Sid Saunders being related to the Disneys. Sid’s uncle John G. Saunders was married to our Dad’s great aunt, Cora May Stiers Saunders. I had always known there was a relationship, but hadn’t been able to find out what Harry S. Saunders’ wife’s maiden name was. Now know her name was Elizabeth Jane Disney. Elizabeth Jane Disney Saunders was an aunt of Walt Disney. Walt’s grand parents Kepple and Mary Richardson Disney are buried in Mt Hope Cemetery in Ellis, as are about 20 other Disneys.
 
Sid’s name was actually Harry Sidney Saunders, the same as his fathers.
 
I think John G. and Cora Stiers Saunders and Harry S. and Elizabeth Jane Disney Saunders are buried in LaCrosse Cemetery. The Saunders lived on the Liebenthal Road a mile east of Frank Littler’s place. John on the north side of the road and Harry on the south side. Their father, also John G., ran the Saunders post office which was in the same area from 1886 to 1908.
 
The July-August-September Summer issue of Kansas Traveler is now here.  As soon as the post office is up and running, you can get a free copy.  The Kansas Traveler is provided by the Jail/Museum.  Are you interested in native plants?  Mark your calendar for October 3-5 in Hays.  The Kansas Native Plant Society is hosting the 30th annual Wildflower Weekend.
 
If you want to read a good book about a Baptist minister who survived an accident in Texas where they had declared him dead, check out “90 Minutes in Heaven” at the McCracken Public Library.
 
Congressman Jerry Moran was at the Rush County Nursing Home in LaCrosse on Friday to present a U S flag that was flown over the nation's Capitol on Kansas Day.  The flag was flown in honor of Icis Eisenhour who has shared the January 29th birthday with Kansas for 89 years.  The RCNH Chime Choir played "The Star Spangled Banner".  Congressman Moran said he had heard the National Anthem played many, many times but none as good as this.  Icis and Francis Janke are both members of the Chime Choir.  Icis retired from the McCracken Post Office and the folding of the Nation's flag at the end of the day was important to her.  She told Jerry that she had tried to raise her kids to be patriotic! 
 
June 19 is the 70th anniversary of Msgr. Leahy’s becoming a priest.  You might want to send him a card. His address is 6900 E. 45th North #D1, Wichita, KS 67226.
 
McCracken History Notes
June 1908
A couple of painters are at work giving the school house a thorough cleaning by calsomining and painting each of the rooms.  That is a great help, and now if the proper authorities will give some assurance that the old trap won’t fall down and kill half the kids in town, we are willing to let it go at that.
 
Thomas Russell, 53, was born at Roxbury, Ohio in 1855 and died June 18, 1908 at his home northeast of McCracken.  He married Miss Hettie Whitehead in 1887 and to this union one child was born, Clyde R. Russell.
 
June 1938
Wheat market – 60 cents;  Eggs – 15 cents per dozen.
 
Mabel Blanch Temple Hearity died June 11 at St. Rose Hospital.  She was the wife of Edward J. Hearity.
 
The total number of Social Security account numbers issued in Kansas is 399,994.
 
June 1948
Ralph Thompson was the winner of a new 1948 Hydra-Matic Oldsmobile   He bought the winning ticket from Vernon Sell.  The keys were given to Thompson by W. D. Weigand.
 
Rain amounting to one-half inch fell Monday night.  The rain was accompanied by a high wind and some hail.  Out in the McCormick neighborhood the damage to wheat fields was heavy.
 
Born to Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Flynn, of Kansas City, a girl, June 4.  She has been given the name Mary Jane.  Mrs. Flynn is the former Ruth Moran, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Moran.
 
June 1958
Sonny Showalter and Fuzz Irvin, McCracken called on Mr. and Mrs. Bus Showalter and Karen Sunday afternoon.
 
Jim Jones, who is serving with the Navy aboard the USS Alamo, left to return to the base near San Francisco.
 
June 1968
Jeanette Herrman and Ben Rogers were married Saturday morning at St. Joseph’s Church in Liebenthal.  Congratulations on your 40th.
 
Lola Rixon attended a workshop in micro-teaching techniques at Fort Hays.
 
June 1978
Seaman Kenneth A. Foster recently departed for an extended deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.
 
Nancy Higgins and Michael Wiebe were married Saturday, June 10 in St. Mary’s Church.  They will be at home in Dodge City.  Congratulations on your 30th.
 
June 1988
The first load of 1988 wheat to arrive at the new Farmers Co-op Elevator in McCracken was brought in by Chester and Leslie Rogers.  Unloading the wheat was Sylvester Conrad.
 
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Wierman on the birth of twins, June 22, 1988, Jerod Wayne and Jennifer Kay.  Happy 20th.
 
June 1988
A cold front moved through McCracken on Saturday night which brought high winds and dust.  A large section of a maple tree in Brett Gilbert’s yard was blown down.
 
Sarah Rixon, daughter of Pete and Lola Rixon, Seminole, Texas will be a junior at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas in the fall.  Her major is bio-chemistry.