RCNews October 21

The Shafer Memorial Art Gallery on the campus of Barton Community College will present ‘New Quilts from an Old Favorite’ beginning October 24 - December 20. Opening reception is October 24 / 1-3 p.m.  This is an international contest sponsored by Clover Needlecraft Inc. It challenges quilt makers to create original quilts based on a specific quilt pattern. This year the quilt makers used the traditional Sunflower pattern.  You may also watch quilt making in progress.
 
I visited with Darletha Horyna, Wichita, last week in LaCrosse. She invited me to the home that she and her husband Roger are refurbishing. It was Roger’s grand parent’s home that was built in the early 1900’s and later moved to LaCrosse. It is fabulous the work they have done assisted by Darletha’s sons, Glen and Greg. What a gifted talent to be able to work with wood.
 
Roger McNair assisted by Rob McGaughey and Arky McNair reset the ‘wheat stalk’ that was built by the late Pat Istas. It is in front of the library and when we had the storm it was blown over, cement and all.
 
Congratulations to Shawn Fear and Nikii Trevino on their marriage October 2, 2010. They were married at Bass Hall, Fort Worth, Texas.  Shawn is the grandson of Bob and Margaret Fear.  Also in attendance were Bart and Nicole Tarbell and Braylen.  Braylen was ring bearer.
 
Addie Mills met Norbert, Teresa and Mike Karlin at J.D.‘s chicken restaurant in Hays for lunch last Sunday.  Mike came home with his grandmother to spend a week.  While he was here, Mike and Addie visited with Walter and Janie Rogers, Tina Mills and Evelyn Cosby.
 
Addie and Tina Mills and Mike Karlin enjoyed lunch at Boondocks on Sunday. After Lunch they took Mike to Hays to meet his parents and return home.
 
Those children enjoying story hour were Zoe, Quinn, Rylin, Kamryn, Sadie and Lexi Anderson, Dalton North, Taylor and John Doornbos.  The time was spent making scary spiders and enjoying a Halloween book.
 
Ellis Middle School placed 3rd at the MCEL League Tournament held at Phillpsburg last weekend.  Stephanie Greenway is a member of the team and her mother, Paula is the coach. 
Congratulations.
 
Carl and Velma Legleiter and Addie Mills attended Friendship Night at Hays Chapter 228 O.E.S. on Thursday evening.
 
The Hutchinson Middle School 8th grade volleyball team finished their 2010 volleyball season on Saturday, October 16th by winning the Pioneer League Tournament in Goddard. The Hawks beat Haysville West in the semifinals 25-20 and 25-11. In the championship match they defeated Goddard 25-7; 19-25; 15-7. They finished the season 6-1 in league play and 12-1 overall. Tournament team members were Shayla Degarmo, Jenna Higgins, Angela Johnson, Quinn McKinnis, McKenzie Miller, Maddie Page, Ellysa Tomac, Alex Walker and Emily Wessel.  Head Coach is Amy Reilly assisted by Caroline Ediger.
 
Our very own Jerry Higgins was featured in an October 18 article in the New York Times! The article was entitled ‘In Kansas, Climate Skeptics Embrace Cleaner Energy’. Jerry was pictured in the article with Kylee Addis, one of his seventh grade students at Mount Hope Grade School. Last winter the school prepared and presented a skit about how to conserve energy by using power strips at home. Switching off the power strips prevents the consumption of “phantom power” by devices that are switched off but not in use. To view the article go to www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/science/earth/19fossil.html?emc=eta1. Jerry is in the fourth slide.

Our sympathy to the family of Leroy A. Wilson, 77, who died October 8, 2010 at Rush County Nursing Home, LaCrosse.  He is survived by his son Dave and wife Marietta Ortiz, three grandchildren, Brittany Wilson, Amy Barton and Jeremy Ortiz. I remember Leroy and his son Dave from numerous softball games.  Jerry and Chuck played for State Farm and they played many games against Dave and his team members.  Lots of good memories.
 
Zoe Anderson celebrated her 8th birthday at the Ellis Pumpkin patch in Ellis. 
 
Recent visitors of Joe and Kay Slemp were Jeremy and Ashley Slemp, Dakota and Dillon, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
 
Jean Schutte, Twila Higgins, Joann Micheli, Carl and Velma Legleiter, Addie Mills and Evelyn Cosby were among the many people who were present for the Open House and ribbon cutting at Rush County Memorial Hospital on Sunday afternoon.  Jerry Moran was the featured speaker.
 
Saturday, October 23, is “Make a Difference Day”.  You too can make a difference….recruit friends and family for a project….whether it’s a food drive or visiting a lonely neighbor, cleaning up around town, raking leaves, painting….the list goes on and on…all that matters is that you MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  One day millions of good deeds.
 
October 21, 2010 News
 
Birthdays:  October 21, Cindy Petz, Brady Whitis, Kevin Casey, Sonny Showalter;  October 23, Terri Everhart, Donna Hill, Marty Beth Peach, Brandon Mills, Stephanie Anderson; September 24, Doug Keady, Aidan Anderson; October 25, Jean Herdman, Janet Miller, Maverick DeWitt; October 26, Mitchell Jacobs, Lanette Mathews; October 27, Jamie Herdman, Opal Mills, Tom Betz, Tomi Rues, Dillon Slemp.
 
Anniversaries:  October 21, Aaron and Lesley McGaughey; October 27 Mark and Rhonda Derr.
 
Zoe Anderson’s birthday is October 14.  We had in on the 18th.  Sorry.
 
Dennis Elias gave the Jail/Museum a wooden coat hanger from Curlee Clothes marked Norlin’s McCracken’s Big Store, McCracken, Kans. 
 
McCracken Public Library received a letter from David J. Morrisey-Payne from Quincy, MA.  He is trying to get biographical information on the quizzical life of Sgt. Boston Corbett, who shot President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin (John Wilkes Booth) in Port Conway, VA on April 16, 1865. Booth was shot in a smoke-bellowing tobacco shed after a military detachment of Union Cavalrymen cornered Booth and another assassin on the Richard Garret farm.  Corbett relocated to Kansas in the Fall of 1878, where he resided in both Concordia and Topeka until May 26, 1888, whereupon he disappeared into eternity after he escaped the Topeka Mental Asylum.  Corbett left behind several hand-crafted silver medallions in Boston before he left for Kansas.  They felt that Sgt. Corbett was a schizophrenic because he horded small objects.  If you have any way of finding out information about this fascinating character, let us know and we will pass it on or we can give you the contact information for David Morrisey-Payne.  We understand that sometime ago Sgt. Corbett was featured in a program on the History Channel.  Perhaps some of you have seen it.
 
Roy and Phyllis Conrad attended the mass which honored her aunt and uncle at LaCrosse last Sunday.  Leonard and Nettie Hepp celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.  Nettie is a sister of the late Margaret Gerritzen.
 
The Halloween Parade is Saturday, October 30 at 4:30 p.m.   Meet at the library.
 
Jolene Dinsmore is looking for her Galliert and Colglazier (Coleaser) relatives.  Let us know if you have information.
 
Our sympathy to the family of Doris Charlene Fortune, 83, who died October 9, 2010 in Wichita.  She was born February 22, 1927, in Alexander, in the last sod house in Rush County, to William and Bertha Filbert Schwartzkopf.  She graduated from Brownell High School in 1945.  She married Elo Zane Fortune in Lyons on May 2, 1989.  He died recently.  Survivors include a son Rodney Adkinson and daughter, Penny Lesley.  Her brother, Alfred Schwartzkopf of Ness City also survives her.  She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Alvin Schwartzkopf and a twin sister, Dorothy Weeks Sherwin.  Burial was in the Fairlawn Burial Park in Hutchinson.
 
William “Bill” Schwartzkopf, South Hutchinson, will celebrate his 100th birthday on Saturday, October 23 with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Mennonite Friendship Manor, South Hutchinson.  He was born  October 19,  1910 in the Alexander-McCracken area, and lived in a sod house until age 8.  He graduated from Alexander High School and Fort Hays State University in education.  He taught at Larned as a typing and commerce instructor at the high school level.  He loves sports: Chiefs, Big 12 games especially KU basketball.   Cards can be sent to 600 W. Blanchard, Apt. 36, South Hutchinson, KS 67505.
 
McCracken History Notes
October 1890
 
J. H. Fear left Monday for Florence Kansas, to find work for the winter.
 
Lyman Temple and family left yesterday for Butlerville, Indiana.
 
October 1910
Mr. Ray Brenner and Miss Ethel Coleman were married at the Catholic Church in Hays Wednesday morning.
 
The old livery stable which stood just east of the Haag Place burned Tuesday morning.  The building was put up twenty-three years ago and was owned by Brownell parties.
 
October 1940
Wesley Irvin, who is a welder in the Stearman Aircraft factory at Wichita, spent the weekend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Irvin.  This company is planning to build in the near future an airplane factory at Wichita which will be a mile long and one-half mile wide.
 
October 1960
Mrs. Ralph Hinman has moved into the Charles Rodeman property in McCracken.  Esther Akers moved last week into the William Irvin house in the east part of town.
 
 
October 1980
Grade school volleyball team members are Kaira Miller, Missy Seltmann, Vikki Hopkins, Tricia Seltmann, Susan Thompson, Dixie Bott, Paula Crawshaw, Michle Moran and Debbie Gaunt.  Manager is Kristi Brackney and the coach is Philena Baus.