Nov 22
Allen Casey took his orals and passed them after two and one half hours.  He now has to write his thesis.  Congrats and good luck.
 
Jenna Higgins won 1st place in the Respect Life Poster Contest in the month of October.
She also placed 1st in the T-shirt design contest. Her winning design will be featured on this year’s spirit shirt.  She is a 5th grader at Holy Cross Catholic School in Hutchinson and the daughter of Jerry and Jodi Higgins.
 
Congratulations and thanks to all who have helped with the McCracken Swimming Pool.  They have received a $6,000 grant from Hamburger Helper.  The project is posted on My Hometown Helper.com so please ‘take a look’.
 
Guests of Shirley Higgins this weekend were hunters Steve Orendac and Adam, Oklahoma City; Chuck Hamm and Jake, Polo, Missouri; Jeff Jennings, Kansas City, Kansas; Roy Powers, Springhill, Kansas; Dean Kolich, Liberty, Missouri.  They were very interested in Hampton and purchased the history books. My thanks to Layne and Kerri Morgan for keeping these fellas well fed!
 
May your stuffing be tasty and your turkey be plump, may your potatoes and gravy have never a lump.  May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize, and may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off of your thighs. A Very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
 
The Park committee began setting up for Christmas a week ago last Saturday.  Those helping were Phyllis and Roy Conrad, Gladys and Wendell Hinman, Twila Higgins and Jean Schutte, Pat Derr and
 
  Francis and Julia Zeller, John and Melanie Zeller, Tracy Lewis, Carol Weber, Sylvia Werth, Lorraine Ryan, Carolyn Thompson, Susan Rebel, John Irvin and Jessie Irvin attended the Encore presentation Cirque-Works Birdhouse Factory on November 14, at Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
 
Jason, Michele, Bill and Marge Moran were at John, Ellen and Joshua Moran’s home in Great Bend for Thanksgiving.  Also attending were Shirley Ensley, Larry Merchant, Robert and Cody and Jessie and Lynn Merchant.  In the evening Bill, Marge, Michele and Ellen went to Burrton.  Bill and Marge babysat with Maddie Kirk, while her parents, Nicole and Clark Kirk and Michele and Ellen went shopping in Wichita.  Jason, Michele, Bill and Marge attended Leroy and Marie Reischneider’s 60th anniversary party at LaCrosse on Saturday evening.
 
Hoop and Twila Higgins left Monday for Grand Island, Neb. and spent the night with granddaughter, Michelle.  They left Tuesday for Wheatland, Wyo. to spend time with granddaughter, Haley and Jake.  They then went on to Riverton, Wyo. for Thanksgiving with Larry, Melody, Matt and Bailey, Luke, Chris and Gabe.  They returned home Monday after delivering Michelle back to Grand Island, Neb.
 
Mike, Susan and Shannon Keith and Carolyn Thompson visited family for Thanksgiving at Wichita, Wellington and Hutchinson.
 
 We had a letter from Sally Buster in Albuquerque.  Her son Miles is in the 10th grade and is starting to drive.  He is active in Boy Scouts and is starting work on his Eagle Scout Project.  Hailey is in the 8th grade.  She is president of the middle school Student Council.  She plays the flute in the Albuquerque Junior Symphony – they practice three hours every Saturday..  Mariah is in the 4th grade.  She plays the piano and recently started on the trumpet.  Sally spends most of her time volunteering at the kids’ schools.  She is on the PTA executive board for the elementary school.  She hopes to bring her family for the rodeo next summer if it works out with summer activities.
 
 Guests of Eunice North on Thanksgiving Day were Paul North, Travis, Ava, Brianna, Abby and Natalie North, Daniel, Janice and Dylan Basgall, Danae Basgall and Tylan, Ted, Shawna, Dalton and Clay North, Kayla Schmidtberger and Joshua North.
 
McCracken History Notes
November 1887
The first mail west over the Missouri Pacific went over the road Monday morning.  J. A. Kline returned from the front Wednesday and will perhaps remain here permanently.  Now that the D. M. & A. has been completed to Pueblo, we will expect to see a number of boys back again.
 
November 1907
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Elias last Friday night, a ten pound boy. (John)
 
Mr. James Nichol was married to Miss Mary Rodeman at Olathe, Kansas.
 
November 1937
A box supper will be held December 3 at the Rourke school house 14 miles northwest of McCracken.  Teachers are Irene Squires and Ruth Durand.
 
The cast for the senior play “Glass Dishes” has been selected.   They are Julia Davenport, Violet Crawford, Ruby Littler, Basil Davenport, Drewie McGaughey, George Doerr, Ben McCaskey, Lucille Elmore, George Myers.  Property committee members are Marjorie Norlin, Lillian Murphy, Malcolm Brown, Paul Sweeney, Paul Grate and Edward Thompson.
 
November 1947
Damage High as Blizzard Numbs Area. . . There were heavy losses of livestock and hazardous highway conditions which caused four car wrecks.  A 1946 DeSoto owned by George Meyer of the Meyer Hardware was struck broadside while it was parked in front of the Meyer store.
 
During the blizzard Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Rein who live on a farm nine miles northwest of McCracken decided that they needed to get Mrs. Rein to the hospital.  He bundled her up  and put her on a farm tractor.  It took them two hours to reach McCracken.  Mrs. Rein gave birth to a 7-l/2 pound daughter at the home of Mrs. Rein’s sister, Mrs. Joe Gaschler.  The little girl, the Rein’s fourth child, was named Madeline Jane.
 
November 1957
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Graf and family moved the first of the week to Denver where they will make their home.
 
A/lc John Stull returned home by plane Sunday from Germany.  This was his first trip home for two and one-half years.
 
November 1967
Ruthetta Irvin has been chosen to represent this area as a participant in the Specialist Training session at Greeley, Colorado.
 
Blanche Swisher was hostess of the What Knot Club on Tuesday.  Members attending were Gladys Fear, Hattie Albright, Ann Foster, Merle Hardwick, Alverta Seelye, Sophia Doerr and Lottie Schutte.  The ladies spent the day quilting.
 
November 1977
McCracken’s water supply has an unusual amount of fluoride.  The new well dug by the Rush County Rural Water District No. 1 has 2.8 parts per million.  The maximum acceptable is 1.8 parts per million.
 
The American Agriculture Movement held a rally in Hays on Sunday.  Strike leaders had more than 950 tractors, truck and farm implements in the parade.
 
November 1887
Rainbow trout has been stocked in Cedar Bluff Dam.
 
The McCracken gift shop is open for Christmas shopping at the Assembly of God Parsonage.  A full line of Indian jewelry, rugs and pottery are available.  Julia and Francis Zeller operate the shop.
 
November 1997
Congratulations to Stacy and Terry Spenst on the birth of a son born November 9, 1997.  He has been given the name Nathan Wayne.  Maternal grandparents are Juanita and Sanford Foreman, Woodward, Okla.
 
Georgia Lytle and Sharon have purchased the Janeal Ryan residence and hope to be moved by Christmas.