I apologize to Phyllis Higgins for not getting this in the news last week.  She spent Thanksgiving with her sister, Maddie Petz in Hutchinson.  Joining them were Jim and Terri Everhart and family; Jim and Donna Rein; Sabrina and Ron Hurt and Sam, Sarena Higgins and Mr. and Mrs. Everhart.
 
Don’t forget Santa Claus!!  He will be at the McCracken City Park Sunday, December 17 at 4:00.  Again, if you would like to make a monetary donation to the Community Club it would be appreciated.  You may mail the donation to John Irvin, McCracken.
 
The Hoisington High School girl’s basketball team won the Larned Invitational tournament Saturday evening by defeating Larned 55-26.  They had wins over Haviland, Pawnee Heights and Larned.  Cassandra Nye won the 3 point shooting contest, Samatha Burns placed 3rd.  Hayley Glynn, Samatha Burns and Kyra Horesky were named to the all tournament team.  Teams represented were Kinsley, Chase, Otis-Bison, Haviland, Pawnee Heights, Larned and Hoisington.  Kyra was chosen MVP for the tournament.
 
Bill Lovitt, Jim McGuigan, Eric and Austin Hurd attended the Kansas City Chiefs – Baltimore game Sunday afternoon.
 
Lorraine Ryan enjoyed lunch in Great Bend with Marva Jo Bell this past week.
 
Sunday afternoon Jean Schutte, Laura Linsey, Joann Micheli, Roy and Phyllis Conrad decorated St. Mary’s Church for Christmas.
 
We have returned from a trip to Branson on All American Tours, led by Ron and Susan Legleiter.  Our bus driver was Jim Cairns.  We were joined by people from Hays, Russell, Ellis, WaKeeney, Colby, Ellsworth, Salina and from McCracken, Priscella Jacobs, Jean Schutte, Mary McCormick.  We were entertained by the Presley Family, Lowe Family, Gatlin Brothers, Lennon Sisters, Shoji Tabuchi and the Baldnobbers.  Lots of time was allowed for shopping at Tanger Mall, Stone Hill Winery, Osceola Cheese Factory and Russell Stovers.  We had great food and all came home a few pounds heavier. 
 
Louise Marvin Burnham, Fremont, Nebraska, has donated a 1920 doll cradle and a 1926 Celluloid dresser box to the Jail/Museum.  She brought it to Howard and Helen Yost to give to us.  In Arlington, Colo. an elderly neighbor of Charles and Della Marvin crafted the doll cradle out of an orange crate for three year old Louise Marvin.  He painted it dark red.  In the 50’s it was painted light blue when Louise’s daughter Dell used it for her dolls.  In the 90’s the paint was removed.  You can see some of the words that were stamped into the crate.  The dresser box was a gift to Louise Marvin on her 9th birthday from her Aunt Anna (sister of her father, Charles Marvin).
 
We understand that there are some good Christmas movies in the theatres right now.  Roy and Phyllis Conrad recommend The Nativity.
 
Dwight and Sherry Eisenhour, Cimmaron, took Icis Eisenhour out to lunch on Sunday. Following lunch they drove to McCracken.  Icis sat in the lawn chair and watched Arlyn North put up Christmas lights. 
 
Ben Thompson has sutures and putty in his mouth and is drinking Slim Fast five times a day.  Sounds like torture to us, actually he is having dental work at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
 
Spring Blackwell, Hays, was a medalist at the Northwest District of KMEA on Saturday for being in honor band on the French Horn for four years.  Andrew Taylor was an elementary school participant from Sacred Heart in Colby.  He is the son of Freddie and Kim Taylor.
 
Jan North went to see her grandson Brandon North play “Biddy-ball”at Ellis on Saturday. 
 
Shannon will not be able to be here for Christmas as his dog, Jed, is aging (age 14) and arthritic.  Also Donna has to work.
 
 Lucille Crotinger has moved to Kingman to the Wheatlands facility.  Gayle, her granddaughter, is the administrative assistant there.  It is more convenient for the family to have her in Kingman where they can visit her every day.  Sam and Dorothy (Crotinger) Graham plan to attend the football bowl game in Houston on December 27.  The whole family gets to go.
 
Francis and Julia Zeller attended the Memorial Service in Hays for former Fort Hays President Gerald “Jerry” Tomanek held at Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center at Fort Hays on Sunday.  Jerry Moran, Mike Hayden and President Ed Hammond were all speakers. The minister was Jerry’s son-in-law and the co- minister was his grandson.    One daughter gave a talk about her father.  The burial was at Mount Allen cemetery.  The service lasted about an hour and a half.  Bob Maxwell sang two songs. Bob is an ex-Marine as was Jerry and he was dressed in his Marine uniform.  Jerry and Francis Zeller lived together at West Forty horse barns that were converted into barracks for the boys attending Fort Hays.
 
Saturday evening Arlyn and Jan North took Eunice North, Brandon, Logan, Carson and Clay to see the lights at Cedar Bluff.  The boys roasted marshmallows over an open fire and they loved it that Santa Claus escorted Grandma Eunice back to the car.  Everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to see these lights.
 
McCracken History Notes
 
December 1906
The city of Brownell is billed for a big dance on Christmas night.  The Opera House will have a Christmas dance December 27th.  Samuel Twiselton is chief violinist for the occasion.
 
Dell Travis, the state game warden, recently received several pair of English pheasants imported especially for Kansas which will be distributed over the state.  The pheasant is a cross between the ring neck pheasant and the pheasant of southern Europe.
 
December 1936
Roy VanWinkle started to work in the Citizens State Bank this week.
 
Bard Stephens, Percival Grumbein and Elmer Roughton are attending school in Los Angeles.
 
December 1946
Earl McCaskey attended the wedding of his daughter, Maurine and Edward Thompson, which took place in Wichita on Saturday.  Also attending were Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thompson and Allen.
 
Mrs. Kate Derr has purchased a lot east of Mrs. Eunice Foster’s house in the north part of town and will move her house from the farm to this location.
 
Geo. Ree is preparing to move the house from the Henry Ree homestead north of town to the lots he recently purchased of R. W. Van Winkle.
 
A dinner honoring John Norlin on this 90th birthday was given at the Norlin home Sunday evening.
 
December 1956
McCracken third grade student letters to Santa.  All the letters started out as “I have tried to be a good boy/girl”:
Would you please bring me a watch and football?  I wish you a Merry Christmas, Daryl North.
Would you please bring me a watch and a doll?  Merry Christmas, Ruth Ann Sloan.
I like everyone in my room.  I love you too.  Would you please bring me a Dale Evans watch and a bicycle?  Goodbye for now.  Madeline Jane Rein.
Would you please bring me a watch and a bicycle?  Ronald Rein.
Would you please bring me a watch and record player?  Karen Ruth Norlin.
 
December 1966
LeeRoy Schuckman was named outstanding young educator by the Rush County Jaycees.
 
Leila Rixon entertained her birthday with ice cream and cake for her cousins Joy, Peggy, Craig and Kirk Rixon; Mitchell, Sandra and Neal Jacobs.
 
December 1976
 Mr. and Mrs. Audice Thompson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the McCracken Hotel on December 19 with an Open House. 
 
MHS girls squad are Cheryl Foreman, Ellen Davis, Janet Unrein, Kerri Derr, Kim McCormick, Patty Swartz, Terri Rogers, Norma Elmore, Tammy Higgins, Diane McFarren, Lisa Schuckman.  Coach Sue Knoebber.
 
December 1986
Laura North was one of 26 Tabor College students and six faculty members recently helped the Mennonite Disaster Service clean up flood damage in the emergency at Bartlesville, Okla.
 
McCracken Centennial History Notes appeared for the first time in the RCN on December 4, 1986.  The first item was from October 26, 1888:  John Rixon is in Lawrence, Kans. where he is working for an ice company putting up ice houses.
 
December 1996
Margaret Higgins, former city clerk, is now living in Edmonds, Washington.
 
Urban renewal has come to Main Street, McCracken.  Two buildings were leveled on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The first was the Lyle Davenport building and the other was the former McCracken library.