RCNews June 30

A supper was held Saturday evening in Ransom at the home of Bill and Sharon Lovitt to celebrate the engagement of their son Bradley Lovitt and Lori McLendon both of Phoenix, Arizona. Guests present were their family, Jennifer Lovitt and Teresa Lovitt, Dodge City; Scott and Lora Faiman, Rae and Clay, Columbia, MO; Jeff and Kathy Hurd, Eric, Austin and Audra, San Diego; Shirley Higgins; Babe and Arlene Gilbert and the honored guests Brad and Lori.
 
Jerry Schutte, Tempe, Arizona, was a guest of his mother, Jean Schutte from Tuesday – Monday.
 
Our sympathy to the family of Melvin Littler, 89, who died June 24, 2011. He was born May 4, 1922 to Francis E. “Frank” and Elsie M. Earlenbaugh Littler. On April 19, 1942, he married Mildred Seuser. She survives. Others survivors include: a son, Frank; daughters Carol Herdman and Pat Miller; a sister Ruby Myers; seven grandchildren; thirteen great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Funeral was Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in LaCrosse with interment in the McCracken City Cemetery.  Memorials to the church or Hospice at Hays Medical Center.
 
We would like to honor some of our older alumni graduates: Lucy Higgins Vogle is our oldest living graduate, she graduated in 1932. There were 19 in her class. The next oldest is Agnes Shepherd and Inez Showalter, both graduated in 1935; there were 27 in the 1935 class; next is Virginia McCaskey, a 1936 graduate. There were 12 in her class. Helen Irvin, 1937, unsure about Betty Smith; Julia Davenport and Ruby Littler, 1938; Wesley Irvin, Florentine Leiker and not sure about Zella Mae Doerr.
 
Don’t forget, July 6, 7, 8, & 9th is the Rodeo. Hope to see you all there!
 
Birthdays:  June 30, Ted McCormick, Amanda Lamer, Jean Moran, Debra Luft; July 1, Shirley Bundy, Lindsey Tacha, Clay Faiman, Maura Albers; July 2, Mitchell Conner, Emily Tomlinson; July 3, Sharon Irvin, Sheryl Rogers, Kristina Simmerman, Richard Baldwin, Dave Davenport, Arline Rues, Gary Barnes; July 4, Brenda Prosser; July 5, Lucy Vogle (99), Chase Gomez; July 6, Bobbie Irvin.
 
Anniversaries:  June 30, Paul and Cindy Cannatella; July 2, Dennis and Susan Walker; July 3, Danny and Marilyn Mills; June 5, David and Janice Norlin.
 
Congratulation to Lucy Vogle on her 99th birthday.  We understand they are actually going to celebrate her 100th.  Please send her cards to Rush County Nursing Home, LaCrosse, KS 67548
 
Francis and Roberta Wierman hosted the John Kittle family reunion in Salina, Kansas, June 18 and 19.  On Sunday, June 19 Joey and Jill Wierman Herschbach twins, Haley and Brayden Herschbach were baptized at St. Mary's Catholic Church with both sets of grandparents, Ray and Laura Wierman, Bennington, Kansas and Carolyn Herschbach, Corpus Christi, Texas and great grandparents Francis and Roberta Wierman and Wendell and Gladys Hinman in attendance.  June 19 was Joey and Jill's seventh wedding anniversary.  Other family members attending the Kittle reunion were George and Marilyn Sommers, Silver Lake; Rita Brethower, Park City; Cindy, Jerrod and Jennifer Wierman, Bennington; Greg, Sheila and Jesssica Hinman, Lewis and Keith and Wanda Wierman, Minneapolis, attended the baptism.
 
Our sympathy to the family of Larry Kraisinger, 64, who died at the McAlester Regional Health Center in McAlester, Oklahoma on June 16.  Larry Eugene Kraisinger was born April 29, 1947, in LaCrosse to Harry Edward and Mildred Elizabeth Wierman Kraisinger.  He graduated from Ness City in 1965.  He married Sue Dumler on June 1, 1968. Survivors are his wife, Sue, four children, Brian Kraisinger and wife, Kim; James Kraisinger and wife, Erin; Dettra Crawford and husband Jan; and Lorinda McIntire all of Hugoton, eight grandchildren, a step-granddaughter and three nieces.  Larry joined the United State Army National Guard serving for 23 years before retiring.  He also worked in oilfield construction.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing.  The funeral was held at Sacred Heart Church in Ness.  There were also military rites at the Veterans Memorial Park in Ness City with the Frank Stull American Legion Post #152 Honor Guard.
 
On June 23, Francis and Roberta Wierman, Marilyn and George Sommers, Ray Wierman, Betty Greenway and James Wierman attended the funeral services for Larry Kraisinger at Ness City Sacred Heart Church.
 
The Jail/Museum has been readied for Rodeo.  Three of the new display cases given us by Old Fort Hays are now in the museum.  We are featuring the 25 years of Rodeo at the museum during rodeo week.  Letters will be sent out this week so that you can join the museum or renew your membership.  $5.00 dues are collected each year at this time.  If you would like to give a memorial or a donation, it would be appreciated as we operate only on donations.Everyone is welcome to join.  Dues can be mailed to McCracken Historical Museum, Inc., P. O. Box 332, McCracken, KS 67556-0332.
 
Our sympathy to the family of Marcile Brenner, 90, Hays, who died June 23, 2011 at Hays Med.  She was born in Ness County near Bazine, January 14, 1921, to Irl and Nellie (O'Brien) McFadden.  She is survived by a daughter, Cheri Santiago and husband Ric; a daughter-in-law, ShelleAnna Harkness, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her husbands, Myron Harkness and Ed Brenner.  Services will be at a later date.
 
Kansas History note
 
The Disaster of 1874.  The drought came after the wheat harvest and the grasshoppers became a burden.  The winged destroyers came in great clouds darkening the sky and settled down on trees and growing crops, devouring leaf and branch.  The destruction of vegetation was complete all through the summer and fall.
 
McCracken History notes
June 1891
 
The North boys began harvesting on Wednesday with a binder.  The headers will generally start about July 4.
 
T. J. Derrick brought his fine Clydesdale yearling to town Saturday.
 
June 1901
L. C. Horton is building a house on his claim.  They say L. C. has lost faith in the gold mine on the Smoky. 
 
Yesterday afternoon as Capt. J. W. Edwards was driving on the street south of the depot, his horse became frightened and started to run.  Capt. seeing is was impossible to stop the horse, undertook to get out of the buggy, was thrown to the ground with such force he badly hurt his back.  The horse was caught north of town and there was considerable damage to the buggy.
 
June 1911
A LaCrosse gentleman had evidently just taken a drink of Wichita lemonade and it had tangled his wires, when he gave an interview to a Wichita Beacon reporter saying they are elated over crop prospects in Rush County.
 
Harvest is over in this neck of the woods.  No one knew it was going on and it only took about three hours to finish it.
 
June 1941
So far this week little Richard Hardwick has a sore thumb from shutting it in the car door and a bump on the back of his head from falling off the combine.
 
O. B. Elias is driving a new Chevrolet.
 
June 1961
 
Several Rush County students have enrolled for summer courses at Fort Hays State College.  From McCracken:  Philena Baus, Patrick Higgins, Janice Myers, Mae T. Meehan, Margaret M. Buxton, M. D. Buxton, Larry and Joyce Eisenhour, Anna A. Gilbert, Kelly R. Hart and Ruthetta Hansen.