RCNews July 9
Everyone is welcome to the Cowboy Church Services which will be held Sunday morning, July 12, at the rodeo arena beginning at 8:30 a.m. 
 
Memorials have been given to the McCracken Alumni in memory of Kay ‘Red’ Fear from Bob Fear and Terry Peters; Norma Jean Heiser from Terry Peters; Donald Greenway from Betty Greenway and Allan and Donna Hill; Roberta Anderson Bullock from Ben & Nancy Anderson; Donna Schuckman, Bert & Lenora Schuckman from Donald Schuckman; Bob Derr from Pat Derr; Keith North and Glenn Ryan from Daryl North.
 
Tables will be reserved for the MHS classes of 1959, 1961, 1969, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984 at the dinner held at the community center on Saturday, July 11 beginning at 12:30.
 
Jaden Jacob is on crutches.  He has a broken ACL, happened at a softball game. He and his sister Tessa and friend Jenna spent a few days last week in McCracken with his grandmother, Priscilla Jacobs.
 
The City Park has a new merry-go-round thanks to the McCracken Alumni.  Those who helped install it were Bet McCormick, Sandra Jacobs, Glenn Pfannenstiel and Brad and Travis Gruna.  Thanks a bunch. 
 
The children present at Summer Reading this week were Keera and Krew Lacock, Shelby Bowers; Emma, Kate and Will Rues, Lexie, Zoe and Rylin Anderson, Emarie and Kaelyn Aldridge.  Emma, Lexi and Emarie helped the three littlest ones.  Everyone had puppets and stories.  Tomi Rues was the coordinator this week.
 
An update on the MHS class of 1974!!  They will hold their 35th year informal reunion at the McCracken City Building for lunch at 12:30 Saturday.  A table will be reserved,
 
Scott and Lora Fairman, Rae and Clay, Columbia, Missouri; Jeff and Kathy Hurd, Eric, Austin and Audra, San Diego, California; Teresa Lovitt and Jennifer Lovitt were 4th of July week guests of Bill and Sharon Lovitt. The Faiman’s and Hurd’s returned home Tuesday.
 
Weekend guests of Lorraine Ryan over the 4th were Tom and Claudine Dalton, Kansas City.
 
Family and friend get-to-gathers were held all over town on Saturday evening, July 4th. 
 
Don’t forget the kid’s games beginning Saturday morning at 11:00 at the City Park.  It has been sprayed for mosquitoes.
 
Welcome to the Rodeo/Alumni Week.
 
Congratulations to Spring Blackwell and Zachary Bentham on their up-coming wedding on Saturday, July 11, 2009, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Hays.
 
Edna E. Whitehair, 81, died June 26, 2009 in Irvine, California.  She is the mother of Greg Whitehair.
 
Andrew Ryan Jones, 32, died June 28, 2009 at Overland Park.  His uncle and aunt, Thayne and Machree Jones live here.
 
Renewing members of the Jail/Museum are George and Joyce Hunter, Pat Derr, Linda Parker-Jennings Tim, Stacy, Maddie and Lily Rues, John and Sharon Irvin, Fran Work, Carolyn Thompson, Roy and Phyllis Conrad, Shelley Oelkers,  Kris and Katie Holm, Phyllis A. Dooley, Kathryn Stephens, Stephanie Stephens, Reba Baker, Juanita Caviness, Francis and Julia Zeller, Lucy Vogle, Robert and Marlene Wilson Funk, Marlene F. Bronish, Larry and Joyce Eisenhour and Galen Lee Oelkers.  Memorial were given in memory of Ruby Neal Wilcox (1912-2009) granddaughter of Nancy Jane Neal Hays and great great grandmother of Fran Work from Fran Work; Margaretha and George Gerritzen from Roy and Phyllis Conrad; Erman Oelkers from Shelly Oelkers; ‘Doc’, Edna and Jack Cheney from Phyllis Dooley; Bard L. Stephens and Ruth and Claude Stephens from Kathryn Stephens and Stephanie Stephens; Bev Irvin from Reba Baker; Erman Oelkers, Mr. and Mrs. John Oelkers, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hardwick, Fern Oelkers and Donna Shuckman from Galen Lee Oelkers; Paul T. Grumbein from Marlene Bronish and daughters, Paula, Betty, Mary and Connie; Phil Carver from Robert and Marlene Wilson Funk; Henry and Mary Higgins and Carrie House from Lucy Vogle; Joseph W. Jennings from Linda Parker-Jennings.  Donations were received from Tim, Stacy, Maddie and Lilly Rues, George and Joyce Hunter and Shirley Higgins.
 
Special exhibits at the Jail/Museum during rodeo/alumni week are a McCracken pen and pencil collection of Lee Fear loaned by Bob Fear; the wedding dress and veil and personal items of Louise Marvin Burnham (a member of the class of 1936 who died this year); and the collection of research on the Ryan, Stephens, Hicks, Fish families from Mildred Stout who wrote” More Ryan Roots”.
 
A special thanks to Roy and Phyllis Conrad who helped clean, paint and re-furbish the jail/museum.
 
The Wild West Festival in Hays held a Cutest Cowboy and Cowgirl Contest.  The picture was in the Sunday, Hays Daily News.  Our own Ava North was the coordinator.  We look forward to this weekend’s cutest cowboy and cowgirl after the McCracken Rodeo Parade.
 
Our State Board of Education member, Sally Cauble and her fellow Board member, David Dennis, will be here for the rodeo.  David is Carolyn’s brother and represents south central Kansas.
 
McCracken History Notes
July 1899
 
Charles Lovitt has taken to bathing as a cure for rheumatism.  The remedy may be alright, but we would hate to practice it.
 
Sherd Edwards and Clarence Kline are thinking of going to the Philippines.
 
July 1909
Arrangements have been made for the holding of a banquet at the new Burch hotel on the evening of July 31.  Mr. Burch says the big house will be practically completed by that date and in good running order.  The merry-go-round will be here and the band will be brought out.  The new hotel will be a dandy when completed.
 
Prof. Winchel who had charge of the McCracken schools three or four years ago, died of typhoid fever in Emporia Wednesday and was buried in the City Cemetery beside the remains of his mother.
 
July 1919
Paul Warden and wife moved to Kansas City after living here for thirty years.
 
Ralph Elmore sold Frank Littler, Harley Greenway, A. L. Dugan and the Klee Brothers 30-60 engines and a 36-60 separator Oil Pull Rumley.
 
July 1939
The Busy Bee Club met at the home of Vera Wilson with 12 members present.  Delicious refreshments were served to Mesdames Fern Higgins, Merle Conrad, Rilla Dixon, Ruby Singleton, Mildred and Sylvia Kinnamon, Hazel Greenway, Juanita Moses, Jessie Tiller and Anise Irvin.
 
Green Beetles have been seen on telephone poles so thick that one was on top of another and the whole effect was that of a vine covered tree truck.  They are stripping leaves off young trees.
 
July 1959
Eighteen elementary schools and five high schools in Rush County were accredited this week for the past year by State Superintendent Adel F. Throckmorton.  Elementary schools are LaCrosse, McCracken, Otis, Bison, Rush Center, Alexander, Brown, Walnut View, Liebenthal, Timken, Victory, Elm Grove, Nekoma, Chilly Knob, Loretta, Eagle Valley, Shaffer Church school and St. Michael’s.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thompson have purchased the Washaliski house in the west part of town from Mrs. Carl Grate.  They plan to move in the near future.
 
July 1979
Substitute teachers in USD 395 will be paid $30.00 a day for the first five days and $35.00 a day after that.  The board also approved a written request from a district family to change attendance centers within the district.