RCNews July 23
The alumni have 3 medium golf shirts left if anyone is interested to make a purchase.
 
If you have not paid your dues, it is not too late.  We use this money from dues to pay for the web site.  If you have rodeo weekend pictures, please email them to me, shirleyh@gbta.net.  We need your help to keep the McCracken Alumni web site ‘running’.  Thank you.
 
 
Congratulations to Angie (Petz) Huggard and Trent Timson on their marriage on July 8.  They were married at Zephyr Cove Beach at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.  Attending their wedding were: Angie's parents: Danny and Patricia Petz from Mc Cracken, Trent's parents: Fred and Joyce Timson from Tucson, Arizona, and grandparents: Leland and Mary Steitz from La Crosse. Best Man was Trent's son, Tyler.  Friends of the couple attending the wedding were: John and Amy Jantz, and Rob and Jennifer Bonham of McPherson and Charlie Cox and Stephanie  Lomax of Kansas City. The couple is spending their honeymoon in Lake Tahoe and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and will return to their home in McPherson, Kansas.
 
The festivities for the Henry & Mary Wasinger Higgins descendants concluded on Sunday with a catered luncheon at the Community Building with the following attending:
Jim & Carolyn Higgins Sekavec, Hoisington; Mary Vogle McCormick, Lance McCormick, Lucy Higgins Vogle, John Showalter, Richard Showalter, Rob & Helena Showalter McGaughey, Austin McGaughey, McCracken; Rick & Tena Vogle Barber, Wichita; Robert & Mary Beth Higgins, Hoisington; Todd Barber, Pasadena, CA; Jerry & Sally Higgins, Lacy, WA; Pat & Angela Schaffer Murray, Kate Higgins Ryan, LaCrosse; Martin & Mary Ann Zeller Higgins, Joe & Cyndi Higgins, Lenexa; Jim & Donna Schaffer, Ulysses; Misty Winger & Payton, Dodge City; Larry & Suellen Higgins Amateis, Aurora, CO; Misty Higgins, Seeley Lake, MT; Ashley McGaughey, Salina; Pat Miles Ryan, Steve & Lynn Miles Summers, Tulsa, OK; Dan & Kim McCormick Townsend & Jacob, Saline, MI; Lennie Higgins & Spencer, Brownsville, OR;
Jan Higgins, Bayard, NE; Darrin & Melissa Murray, Caitlin & Cole, Maize; Lucas McCormick, Merriam; Amanda Showalter, Rianne, Kyson, & Terren,           ElDorado; and Talyn Kleweno, Hays.                                                    
If anyone found a hard case yellow/gold with glasses, please call Roger McNair 394-1101.
 
The golf committee would like to thank everyone that helped with getting the Golf Course for the Alumni Tournament. We had mowing, weed eating, tractor-tune up, sand hauled, painting, trash pick-up and etc. The helpers were Al Abers, Arky McNair, Bet McCormick & Son, Alex Casey, Jeff & Cory Molloy, Les Deihl, Roger McNair. THANK YOU ALL FOR A JOB WELL DONE! If anyone was forgotten, apologies! The beer and pop wagon was run by Tracy Humbert, Cory Molloy and Norma McNair. Thanks!!
 
Family members that came to the home of Babe & Arlene Gilbert on Saturday for the Rodeo were: Anita Butler, Kelly Weber, Bob & Marlene Funk, Dean and LeRoy Gilbert. 
 
 Roger and Norma McNair's guests for the rodeo week were Tracy & Rodney Humbert, Micheal Humbert, Taylor and Tyler Whitaker, Taylor’s friend Jakob all from Topeka; Jamie and Dallas, Mason, Hunter, & Mavrick DeWitt; Jeff, Lexie, & Colton Molloy from Carbondale; Asley and Tristen Honeyman, Holton; Cory Molloy, our old/new McCracken resident
 
Joseph Higgins and Cynthia Yauger were married in Las Vegas on July 8, 2009.  Joe is the son of Mary and Martin Higgins of Lenexa, KS and Cyndi is the daughter of Presley and Linda Stickle of Uniontown, Pa.  They are making their home in Lenexa.
 
Alicia and Leigh Barrett surprised her mother, Arline Rues on her 82nd birthday on the 5th.  Others attending and enjoying ice cream and cake were Tony, Tomi and family; Les & Rose; Cathy, Ron and family.
 
Weekend guests of Joann Micheli were her cousin Curly Juvenal, Dothan, Al; Laura Hobstetter, Lindsay Moery and Westrey Page, all Audra Dale’s friends from Littleton, Colorado.  They loved the rodeo and Kansas!! Linda Dale visited from July 8 – 17th with her mother. 
 
Weekend guests of Thayne & Machree Jones were Chris & Tess Jones and Ethan, Wichita.  Afternoon visitors were Nancy Jones and her granddaughter, Madison.
 
 Rose Diehl was a dinner guest Tuesday evening and Thursday evening of Joann Micheli, Linda Dale and Audra. A doggie get together was held in Joann’s back yard for Tucker, Chappie, Zoie and Sophie.
 
Carla Dorsey, granddaughter of Carl & Velma Legleiter, recently passed the N.C.E. (National Counselors Exam) for Licensed Professional Counselors.   In addition, she participated and successfully completed a training program which enables her to contract with the Oklahoma Dept. of Correction, Community Sentencing Division to perform L.S.I.’s (Lifestyle Inventory) Assessments.  Carla is currently employed as a drug and alcohol therapist in Oklahoma City and works with the Oklahoma County D.U.I. Court.  She has just returned from attending a three-day National Drug Court Conference followed by a two-day National Mental Health Conference, both in Anaheim, California.
 
A news report from Kathy. . . . .Dennis ISN’T dying!!!
 
Tom Rues arrived in McCracken Thursday afternoon from Concord, NH, Tim Rues, Maddie & Lily came Saturday from Topeka and were guests of their mother, Arline Rues; Tony, Tomi, Emma, Kate, Will Rues and Shelby Powers; Rose and Les Diehl.  Ron, Cathy, Catherine, Alex & John were also guests/visitors.
 
Bill Lovitt donated an autographed San Diego Charges football to the Ness County Relay for Life this weekend; it was auctioned off for $550.00.  He also donated a baseball cap that had the Chargers logo on it and it brought $60.  The football he donated to the Rush County Relay for Life brought $520.00 (I think). 
 
Martin, Mary, Cyndi, Joe and Carrie Higgins were "home" in McCracken for the Higgins family reunion, the alumni gathering and rodeo last week end.  Martin's brothers, Jan, Lennie and Tracy and their sister Suellen Amateis were all together.  They all enjoyed their time together.  The cousins, Carrie, Misty, Joe (and Joe's new bride, Cyndi) and Spencer enjoyed their visit together also.  The family will get together again in a couple of years for another reunion in McCracken.  A beautiful wedding cake was enjoyed by the whole family at the reunion dinner in honor of Joe and Cyndi's marriage.  Mary's aunt and uncle, Francis and Julia Zeller and cousin’s Bill, John, Melanie and Cecilia Gilbert also stopped by the reunion to have lunch and wedding cake with the bride and groom.  The group also celebrated the birthdays of Lucy Vogel, Kate Ryan and Doris Schaffer, aunts of the Higgins family.
 
Cecilia will allow her name in the paper again, that ‘nasty’ birthday has come and gone!
 
Pat Salsbury, Topeka, was a guest of Rose and Les Diehl on Saturday and joined Les for the golf tournament.  Nancy & Richard Baker & Lynette Kueffer visited the Diehl’s on Saturday.
 
A storm ‘blew’ through McCracken late Tuesday night with rain and damaging winds.  The light poles on main street were broken off from the ground, lots of tree damage, the tin roof on the building that Bruce Davis just bought and ‘fixed’ was blown completely across the street. Some of it damaged the camper behind the Allen Morgan home and their garage.  Power was off for about 4 hours but you didn’t need a flashlight as the sheet lightning illuminated everything.  We did have 1 inch of rain though.
 
Volunteers that helped Bruce clean up the mess were:  Suzanne Azzarella, Dave Libberton & his crew; Marty Mills, Tony Harp, Roger & Norma McNair, Mike Conner, Linda Dale, Rose Diehl, Cecilia Gilbert, Richard Jones, Kenny Foster, Dave Derr Tony Rues, Les Diehl, Cory Molloy, Francis Zeller & George.
 
A Showalter family reunion was held at the home of Susie & Mona in Buffalo Hills Lake, Lubbock, Texas.  Friday evening they all met at the Lake for a fish fry; Saturday they ate lunch there and enjoyed boating, fishing, skiing, etc.  A catered meal for dinner/supper was served by the Lake.  They all sat around and just enjoyed.  Those attending were Rob, Helena, Austin & Ashley McGaughey; Johnny Mac & Richard Showalter; Amanda Showalter, Rianne, Tyson & Terran; Jason & Jessica Showalter, Havyn, Shaylee & Tabrie; Jeff & Pam Seltman; Lee Allen Showalter; Nathan & Sandy Showalter, Ella, Molly & Maggie; Karen & Rod Borger; Jesse Allen & Jolene Showalter; Joe & Claudine Bono; Andrea, Delaney & Gannon Bird; Jerry & Kathy Dugan, Jennie, Ryan, Kaitlyn & Calene  ?; Toby & Staci Dugan, Rylan & Lexie; Elsie Ann Dugan; Lance , Kara & McKenzie Richolson; Scott & Melissa Richolson & family; Mike & Yvette Dugan & Boon; Mitchell & Terri McCaleb, Hayden, Rider, Eli & Drew; Mickey & Jamie McCaleb.  Unable to attend were Inez Manos and Phyllis Showalter.
 
Richard & Karol Gordon, Mullenville  and his family Crystal & Rick Hester; Greg & Judy Gordon & Tasha; Glen Gordon’s son Levi Gordon visited with Harold & Janet Herdman on Rodeo Saturday. Additional visitors were Glenda & Norman Pfannenstiel; Mitchell & Robin Pfannenstiel; Martin, Julie, Tanner, Hunter & Payton Pfannenstiel; Matt and Stephanie Pfannenstiel, Mason & Madison.  Mitchell & Robin drove the dune buggy in the parade.
‘Fuzz’ Irvin was also a visitor.
 
Chuck Higgins & Zach, Shirley Higgins, Carolyn Thompson, Galen Allen, Judy & Al Hugh attended the Old-Timers’ Night/Larks Oktoberfest Saturday night in Larks Park.  The Larks were winners over the Dodge City A’s 13-5.  There was live polka music by Galen Schmidtberger & Joe Dolezal from 5:30 – 6:45 and traditional German food.  Former Larks received a free T-Shirt courtesy of M&D Excavating.  Chuck Higgins stood in line for his dad, Vic Higgins.  Vic still holds a 52 year batting average record of .458.  Rich Billinger is involved with the Larks and was nice visiting with him & Jeannie.
 
Mike Karlin was a last week visitor of Addie Mills from Wednesday morning through Friday evening.  They also visited with Marty and Tina Mills.  Mike Karlin’s brother, Andy Hansen, came Saturday evening to spend the night with grandmother Addie Mills.  They attended the rodeo together.  Addie was pictured in the crowd in the Hays Daily News also.
 
Renewing members of the Jail/Museum are Alicia Rues and Leigh Barrett.  They also gave a memorial in memory of Al Rues.
 
Bet and Jeanette McCormick re-built and painted the picnic tables for the rodeo.  They were formerly damaged picnic tables from the City Park.  Our thanks for the nice place to sit while eating at the rodeo.
 
McCracken History Notes
 
July 1899
Drew Robertson and D. M. Snodgrass, with their wives, visited the gold mine on the Smoky Monday.  They found a restaurant, a tent and two houses under erection.  The population at present consists of four men, a woman and three dogs.
 
July 1909
The Ryan Lumber Company has put up drying sheds and is actively engaged in making cement blocks again. Billy invites inspection of his samples.
 
July 1919
Ray Nickel and Mildred Harrison were married on July 24 at Alamosa, Iowa.
 
July 1939
Southwest Kansas farmers are in a snit.  They want to cross the highway on a tractor bearing lugs because laying planks would block traffic and many of them can’t afford rubber tractor blocks.  The state highway patrol arrested the last farmer it caught crossing on a tractor with lugs and threatens action against any others who try.
 
July 1959
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Gilbert and Bobby Rhoades arrived here from Pueblo and will remain here during the shut down of the steel mills due to the strike.
 
July 1979
Susan Knoebber and William Coffman were married July 7 at St. Matthews Catholic Church in Topeka.
 
The American Legion tournament was held in Plainville.  The Brownell team took the title by a 7-6 victory over Plainville.  Kellye Irvin was the MVP.  All tournament selections went to Jerry Casey, Kellye Irvin and Joe Conner.  Team members are Fred Bauer, Jerry Casey, Joe Conner, Bernard Flax, Greg Flax, Brad Herndon, Kellye Irvin, Jeff Kenworthy, Brad Lovitt, Jeff McCormick, Marlin Pfannenstiel, Monty Roths, David Storer, Charles Walker and Lennine Zimmerman.  Bill Lovitt, coach and Elmer Fairbanks, manager.