August 5, 2015 News

Birthdays: August 5, Kimbra Melton; August 6, Frank Foster, Emily Keener, Coty Hinman, Mike Keith, Zaccary Hinman; August 7, Denise Fuller; August 8, Shane Anderson; August 9, Cindy Cannatella, Brian Harp; August 10, Maribeth Casey; August 11, Garrison Herdman, Jim Rein.

Anniversaries: August 6, Heath and Paula North; August 8, Jerry and Jodi Higgins, Rick and Tina Barber; August 9, Bill and Sharon Lovitt, Flynn and Audra Holland; August 10, Frank and Sarah Foster, Chad and Tammy McAllastar, Mitchell and Robin Pfannenstiel; August 11, Seth and Jamie Albers.

Renewing their membership in the Jail/Museum are Alicia Rues and Leigh Barrett, and Kayla Weskamp. Kayla gave a memorial in memory of Vic Higgins, Bob and Grace Lovitt and Margaret Hair. Ben and Nancy Anderson and Alicia Rues and Leigh Barrett gave donations.

Jim Leiter, Olathe, was here doing research regarding his great-grandfather and his family. He has sent a picture of them in front of the sod house where they lived and farmed in Fairview Township in 1910. Pictured is Leona Marie age 16, Bessie May age 10, Edward Everett Leiter, age 37, Edward Joseph age 8, Clee Winfield age 12, Roland Thelbert age 4, Frances Johanna age 35 and his grandfather Arthur Lee age 2. If there is anyone who knows this family, he would like to contact them.

Carol Heiman, Christine Wagner and Kathleen Kuchar, Hays, and Shirley Higgins and Carolyn Thompson, had lunch with Sister Martina Stegman at the Dominican Mother House in Great Bend on Friday. They also enjoyed visiting and “dreaming”. Sister has now returned to Michigan.

Congratulations to all the LaCrosse High School cheerleaders who were part of the cheering squad at the Shrine Bowl football game on Saturday, July 25. Lexi Anderson of McCracken is a member of the LaCrosse cheering squad.. Holly Gilbert also attended the event.

Visitors to the Jail/Museum this past week were Donna Zillner and Patricia Wilson of Chanute, Kansas. They were researching the Hauffle family and the Carpenter family of Waring Township. Both families were in the Brownell book written by Dove Walker. The Carpenters are buried at Vansburg Cemetery in rural Brownell. A small child named Clarence Hauffle is in the Ramsey cemetery with his brother, Eddie. We have Clarence's obituary which they were pleased to obtain. They plan to place a stone at his grave. They also received help in their research from Mark Horchem at Ness City.

Bob Peters and his friend Faye Ann Pittman of Hays spent time at the museum with Phyllis Conrad. Bob is the one who won our drawing at rodeo time.

The sequel to the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” entitled “Go Set a Watchman”, has stimulated interest in who might be the Southern lawyer upon whom the fictionalized hero, Atticus Finch, is based. An article in the Baltimore Sun and the Montgomery Advertiser, out this past week, has mentioned it was Clifford Judkins Durr. Cliff and his wife Virginia were the ones who went to the jail to get their friend Rosa Parks out of jail after she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Check out the new book and look up Mr. Durr on the internet. Cliff Durr's daughter, Virginia Foster (Tilla) Durr, has been to McCracken. She is a writer and photographer.

On Austin McGaughey's facebook he gives an interesting look at the bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde, and their connection to Kansas. They lived and worked in Kansas and stole the car in which they were killed.

Last week Ron Baker was playing basketball with the Pan American teams in Toronto, this week he was at the Rush County Fair playing slo-pitch softball with the 316 Misfits!!! Others on the team were Clinton Kershner, Marcus Moeder, Marshall Musil, Evan Wessel, Sloan Baker, Bryce & Brandon Childs, Kaleb Roemer, Joe Stegmen, Dylan Obermiller, Kevin Ronen, J.D. Johnson & Neil Baker.

The team that placed first included Neal and Jaden Jacobs, Don Reidel. I don’t know the names of the rest of the team.

In co-ed softball some of those that played included Clinton Kershner & Lisa, Addie Kershner, Clayton Herdman and again I don’t know the rest of the team. Kayla Weskamp, Springfield, MO was here last week visiting her sister, Tammy Irvin in Russell and her mom, Shirley Higgins. Lindsey Tacha, Ness City spent Thursday night in McCracken.

Fourteen golfers braved the heat Sunday at the McCracken Golf Course. Those playing were Lane Pfannenstiel, Scott Foos, Chad Oberhelman, Gene Erb, Jason Showalter, Mitch Keeley, Kenny Foster, Martin Higgins, Bruce Davis, Les Diehl, Sean Peters, Tony Harp, Johnny Mac & Richard Showalter. Two teams tied for first, Jason & Mitch; Sean & Tony; 3rd Les & Bruce. Longest drive Mitch Keeley, Longest putt Chad Oberhelman, Closest to pin, Jason Showalter.

Gary Stark, his daughters Samatha Stark; BreAnne & Russ Hernandez, Garret, Carlos and Matt, Anthony Macias, & Jessica Watson, from Kansas City. Dennis & Jamie Shell, Clinton & Blake Swan, Amanda & Josh Pierce, Jason, Toby and Ben all of Kansas City. The grandkids LOVE the Rush County Fair.....

History Notes July 1900:

The grasshoppers took 25 acres of wheat for Hugh Sweeney, cutting the heads off as clean as a man could do with a knife

A box car was blown out on the main line at Ryan’s elevator and started toward LaCrosse at 40 mph. It went two miles before it was stopped. The agent reached the car just as the west bound passenger train came in sight.

October 1901: Most of the county schools began Monday. Miss Anna Fear is at Bellespirit; Miss Carrie Darkes at Locust Gove; Ira Myers at Red Wing; H.R. Barnard at Starts and Grace Edwards at Hargrave.

The Kansas State Fair has moved from Wichita to Hutchinson.

July 1902: Sam Catherwood said that the recent flood washed down his sod house and rendered him homeless.

The schoolhouse at Brownell caught fire and burned to the ground last Sunday.

July 1903: Twenty-five headers can be seen running in the fields from the town site at McCracken any day this week.

The prevailing wages paid for harvest hands here this week was $2.00.

January 1904: Rush County was second as a wheat producing county in the State.

At the World’s Fair each state and town will be honored. Kansas week is September 26 and McCracken Day designated October 1.

February 1905: John Wharton has shipped a load of Johnrabbits this week, and up to date has shipped 30,000. It is felt that this has saved 150,000 bushels of wheat in the area. F.C Burch, Scott City, is the new proprietor of the Bain Hotel. It is now the “Tennessee House”.

August 1906: Bert Juvenal made a trip to Kansas City Saturday with 5 loads of cattle. The taxes on a quarter of land varies from $16.00 to $25.00.

April 1907: The public school will close Friday with a picnic at Hick’s grove in which the whole school will participate.

Wages for harvest hands will be $2.50 a day and plenty to eat.

February 1908: Littler and Moran have money to loan at six percent.

John Lovitt purchased a new twenty horse power Rambler automobile from Great Bend.

February 1909: Wheat is selling for $1.00 per bushel.

The Swanzy quarry has been furnishing stone posts to a great many farmers in the area.