RCNews July 30
 
Stacy, Hailee and Braydon Scheetz spent a few days last week visiting Drew, Melissa & Davis Thompson in Sterling.  The girls and their boys attended the Davis family reunion in Madison, KS where Ellen & Addie Kershner joined them.  Ellen & Addie spent the night in McPherson with her Aunt Carol & Uncle Richard Brown.  Ellen's aunt, Barbara DeJean was also a guest at the Brown house.  Aunt Carol helped Addie get ready for the 4-H style show, by altering some clothes for her.  Barbara, Richard & Carol are getting ready to leave on vacation.  Ellen & Addie stopped in Great Bend and enjoyed the water park where the Laura & Kassie Pechanec, Garrett McCormick and their cousin Audra joined them.
 
The Morgan brothers, Allen & Michael and their wives Bailey and Jerridy enjoyed the Royals basket that was auctioned at the Relay for Life.  They went to a Royals baseball game and Harrah’s.
 
Be careful when you are walking out to the county line, Gary Barnes killed a rattle snake there on Sunday.
 
Forty years ago during the ‘moon walk’ the McCracken cookie team was playing baseball in Bison.  I remember because it was also Jerry’s birthday!  Fifty two years ago this week Vic &  Bill Lovitt were playing for the Hays Larks in State tournament in Wichita, Vic had to come home because he was about to become a father!
 
Joan Buster died at her home in Albuquerque, July 19, 2009.  She is survived by her sons Greg & Larry, daughter Sally and six grandchildren and her sister, Norma Bisagno.  Funeral services were held from the McCracken Methodist Church with burial in the McCracken City Cemetery.
 
Cecil and Sharon McKinley, Hume, Missouri stopped by on Friday. They were looking for the relatives of Fred & Ida Davidson.  Sharon was a daughter of Aileen Snyder Morrow who was a 1935 graduate of MHS.
 
The Hutch Hawks baseball team garnered first place in the 34 team AA State 14U tournament over the fourth of July weekend in Kansas City.  The Hawks won their three games in pool play over the KC Brewers 14-3; Topeka Titans 2-1; and the KC Force 10-2.  In bracket play they won over Lawrence Legend 9-1; Wichita Jets 4-3 in 8 innings; Sumner County Shockers 12-3 in the semifinals and the Kansas Plowboys 9-5 in the championship game.  Tanner Higgins is the shortstop for the Hutch Hawks.
 
In the 44 team AA World Series also played in KC the week of the July 20 they placed 3rd.  They won their three pool play games beating the KC Thunderbirds 22-1; KC Show 8-5; and the Platte City Titans 2-l.  In bracket play the Hawks beat the Lincoln Nebraska Dirt Bags 9-11 and Troy Thunder 9-1.  They lost in the winner’s bracket semi finals to Rockchester, IL Rockets 8-6.  In this game Tanner Higgins homered in the first inning.  The kids then came back and defeated the Princeton Rebels 9-3 and the KC Thunder 8-5.  In their final game they lost again to the Rochester Rockets 12-8.  Playing for Hutchinson at the tournament were Dakota Brower, Jamon Cotton, Tyler Cox, Cole Cruz, Jarod Gagnebin, Tanner Higgins, Juan Martinez, Travis Hirt, Cody Miller, Trevot Turner, Braydon Wells and Seaver Williams.
 
Craig and Kim Cooper, Gunnison met Jean Schutte at 4-Corners in LaCrosse for lunch one day last week.
 
Meredith Grusing, 58, died July 23 of pancreatic cancer.  Jerry Higgins, Bill & Sue Coffman attended funeral services in Wichita.  She was a volley ball coach, referee and teacher.
 
Phyllis Conrad returned home Sunday after being in Wichita for over a week keeping house and caring for kids during Rhonda Allen’s surgery.  Rhonda is home and doing well.
 
A library orientation was held at the McCracken Library last Monday.  We welcome new members, Steve Anderson and Dena Irvin.
 
Weekend guests of Arky & Diana McNair & Charlotte Ochs were Chelsee Martin, Helen Turiek and Colleen Narbi of Deer Trail, Colo.  On Sunday, Roy Conrad opened St. Mary’s Catholic Church for them to visit.
 
Norma McNair and her son, Cory Molloy motored to Topeka this weekend and brought ‘home’ some of Cory’s furnishings.  He is moving into the house in the west end of Beech Street owned by Diz Washaliski.
  
Samantha, daughter of Bill and Lorrie Morgan Frank, West Point, NE was married in Lincoln, NE on Saturday.  Those attending were: Robert Bott; Dixie Bott/Baalman, Megan and Abby; Lonnie and Teresa Morgan, Hays; Lance and Gloria Morgan, Daryl and Melissa Morgan Bradshaw and Alysse, Alexander; Lanny and Josie Morgan, Gracie and Brynn, North Platte, NE; Wade and Leanne Morgan Russell, Hudson; Layne, Kerri, Katlyn and Angela Morgan; Allen, Bailey, Caden and Carter Morgan; Michael, Jerridy, Reece and Eli Morgan, McCracken; Leslie Morgan and Shawn, LaCrosse.
 
There is an upscale version of a tree house from the 60’s located in the backyard of Tony Rues. Uncle Bill Shaw helped with the construction.
 
A rodeo meeting was held Monday evening at the rodeo grounds to discuss many topics.  Those attending were Mark Brackney, L. Pat Casey, Michael Greenway, Bet McCormick, Mike & Jerilyn Stull, Holly Gilbert & Courtney, Roger & Brenda Legleiter, Shawna North, Bill Greenway, Shirley Higgins & Rose Diehl.  There is a rodeo meeting every 3rd Monday of the month.  If you are interested in the rodeo financial statement, please come to a meeting.
 
Shawna North lost her camera on Main Street during the rodeo by the cowboy/cowgirl contest trailer.  It is a silver Kodak easy share and the last pictures are of her sons, Clay and Dalton North.  Please return to her if found.
 
July 23, 2009 News
 
Birthdays:  July 23, Larry Hinman, Marilyn Mills, Shiloh Tomlinson, Melanie Petz; July 24, Misty Irvin, Chandler Allen; July 25, Lauren Shapiro, Dave Derr, Jim Casey; July 26, Scott Irvin; July 27, Furlen Irvin, Marge Elias, Whitney Taylor, Katlyn Morgan, Clayton Kershner; July 28, Candice Casey, Fred Taylor, Twila Higgins, Rachel Grumbein, Susan Keith, Zach Higgins; July 29, Annette Chestnut, Gerald Walker, Kathy Dugan, Bobby Peters.
 
Anniversaries:  July 24, Mike and Susan Keith, July 27, Kent and Judy Bible; July 29, Martin and Julie Pfannenstiel.
 
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.