RCNews Sept 4
The benefit fried chicken DINNER for Pat Casey will be held Sunday noon, September 14, at the McCracken Community Building.  Please sign up at Charlie’s if you would like to bring a dessert.
 
LOOKING BACK 1952:  Schoenchen, running second to last in REN league competition, turned on other members of the league and swept through to win the league tournament championship trophy Saturday night.  They had an easy victory, 40-60 over Otis; cut down Bison, the league leaders, in the semi-finals 47-53 to advance to the finals.  Nabbing the third place title was McCracken in probably the most thrilling game of the tournament.  With less than a minute to go the spark-plug of the McCracken team, Richard Gordon, sank a long shot to give the Mustangs the game, 54-53.  Bison led throughout most of the contest.  In the final minutes McCracken was playing with only three men on the floor after losing three team members via the foul route. The Mustangs got the ball after the Buffaloes missed a foul shot.  Bison finished the game with their 5 players on the floor. (I think the three players left on the floor for McCracken were Richard, Charlie Jacobs & Curly Juvenal). Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
Sister Joel, Sister Martina, Carol Heiman, Kathleen Kuchar, Shirley Higgins & Carolyn Thompson met for their 1st fall dream workshop Friday after noon at Liebenhaus.
 
Shannon and Donna McKinney, North Carolina, were here for funeral services for Danielle Poland held in Hoisington this past Thursday.  Shannon was a pall bearer. 
 
Sandra Jacobs has some 'hungry' goats.  One ate one half of her pay check. 
 
BENEFIT DOVE HUNT TOURNAMENT - Saturday, September 6, 2008, McCracken City Park.  Registration:  1:00 P.M.
$25.00 2 person team - cash prizes awarded
 
6:30 p.m.  Dinner at the City Park - everyone welcome
Free Will Donations:  Side Dishes Appreciated
 
Eunice North is a renewing member of the Jail/Museum.  She also gave a donation in memory of Albert North.
 
We appreciate all those who have been buying Volume 111 of the McCracken History.  If you are a genealogist you will find it helpful.  There are many obituaries included in the book.  We will list the names of those who are included in coming columns.  In 1988  - Anna Ree Foster, Della Bullock Edwards, Dewey K. North, Claude Elias, Inez Showalter North Mills, Dell Klema, Sadie Wilson Kraus, Oliver Pearson, Josephine Oliver Herdman, John Brown, Florence “Casey” Janke Crawford, Charlene Brackney Boone, Keith Oelkers, Francis Flax, Mary Ream Stevens,  Ruby Elmore Ryan, Leslie Hunt, William McKinney, William Henry Doerr, Emma Murphy Anderson.  We would also like to remind you that we have obituary files at the McCracken Public Library and McCracken Jail/Museum.
 
Danielle L. Poland, 45, of Hoisington died August 25, 2008 at Hutchinson Hospital.  She was the daughter of Daniel and Cecilia Leiker Schmidt of Hays.  She married Dennis Poland July 13, 1985 at Hays.  She was the principal of Claflin High School.  Survivors are her husband, Dennis, a son, Darin and a daughter, Darci; her mother, Cecilia Schmidt, brother Daniel Schmidt and three sisters, Diane Radke, Debra Brecheisen and Donna Schmidt.  Burial was in St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays.  She will be missed by her family, friends and school personnel and students.
 
Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Saturday, September 6 at 4:00 p.m. with Father David Krause presiding.  All are welcome
 
Ruth Yawger had carpal tunnel surgery last Monday.  On Thursday she and her daughter, Judy Hugh, were in McCracken to visit the places where Ruth lived after she moved here from Tennessee when she was 5 years old.
 
Our thanks to all those volunteers who go daily to get the mail at Alexander.  Our calendar for pickup is set for another month.  We hope that the new air quality test will encourage the postal service and any repairs will be made quickly by the owner.  Remember to keep supporting our post office even if it is located in another town.  I saw Twilla Grumbein yesterday at the post office.  That is the greatest perk of going to Alexander – you get to see friends.  My daughter spent five years at Alexander Grade School.  She got great home-cooked meals for her school lunch.  So thanks to the Alexander community for hosting us once again. 
 
We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.  ~Robert J. McCracken
 
McCracken History Notes
 
September 1908
Misses Carrie and Ida Darkes will have charge of the Brownell schools this winter.
 
Prof. O. J. Weir and Miss Grace Floyd were married at the United Brethren parsonage Sunday evening.
 
Miss Eva Campbell was united in marriage to Lester Davis at the home of her mother, Mrs. Lucetta Campbell.  They will make their home in Kansas City.
 
September 1938
At 8:30 next Monday, September 5, MHS students will be answering roll-call.  At 9:00 grade school pupils will do the same.
 
$17,704.57 will be spent on 65 miles of State highways, K-96 and K-4 in Rush County.
 
Maurice Millspaugh is publisher of the McCracken Enterprise.  Subscription rate is $1.50 a year.
 
September 1948
Kenneth Thompson has been employed to teach the fourth, fifth and sixth grades in the Brownell School the coming school year.
 
Grade school teachers at McCracken – A. A. Maddy, Miss Margaret Lovitt, Mrs. Harriet Shiney and Mrs. Edith Pearson.  High school faculty  - Oliver Pearson, principal and teacher of physical education and mathematics; Marie McCormick, algebra and commerce; Mrs. Margaret Buxton, English and language; Albert Rues, coach and social science.  The music position is open due to the resignation of Gwen Grove.
 
September 1958
The McCracken schools opened with an enrollment of 136 students.  Grade school teachers include Mark Richardson, Mrs. Gladys Green, Mrs. Ethel Rogers, Mrs. Ed Nickel and Mrs. Elmer Baus.  High school:  Oliver Pearson, Mrs. Margaret Buxton, Mrs. Helen Elias, Miss Leonore Willis, Kellye Hart and Joe White.
 
Beginners this year in the grade school are Carl Kent Bible, James Eugene Conrad, Robert Lee Foster, Robert William Grumbein, Raelene Mehler, Floyd Avery Norlin, Laura Ann Pfaff, Glenn Pfaff, Bruce Peck, James Kent Rein, Donna Rogers, Jerry Lynn Schutte, Carolyn Rose Stremel and William Dewey North.
 
September 1968
Mrs. Delores Rein and Deanna have moved to Hutchinson where she has employment.
 
Janice Halbleib has received her cap at St. Francis School of Nursing in Wichita.
 
School enrollment for MHS is 78 and grade school 103.
 
September 1978
Kindergarten members are Tambra Herdman, Travis Elias, Clayton Wilson, Lee Unrein, Matthew Hays, Eric Petz and Kim Newman.  Teacher is Lorraine Norlin.
 
First grade students are Crystal Anderson, Treva Wilson, Dale Basgall, Daryl Basgall, Terri Petz, Reed Bland, Joel Miller, Heath North, Ranay Bedard, Troy Williams, Billy Harp and Travis Williams.
 
September 1988
Michelle Jacobs and Chuck Higgins were united in marriage July 23, 1988, in St. Michael’s Catholic Church in LaCrosse.
 
Keith F. Oelkers died September 8, 1988, at Formosa.  He was born August 22, 1911 in Morganville, the son of Fred and Nita Stay Oelkers.  He was united in marriage to Helen Hillman, February 14, 1935 at Russell.  Interment was in the Clifton Cemetery, Clifton, Kansas.
 
September 1998
Congratulations to Tim and Stacy Rues, Topeka, on the birth of a daughter, Madeline, born August 24, 1998.
 
Layne Moran is hobbling around on crutches due to pulled ligaments in his leg.