Dec 28
Jessica Braun, daughter of John and Carol Waelchli of McCracken, was featured in the Monday edition of the Hays Daily News.  Jessica is a veterinarian in Hays that works with the Colorado Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue organization that fosters and finds suitable homes for golden retrievers from all around the country. 
 
Sandra Jacobs enjoyed lunch Tuesday in LaCrosse with Kerrie Seltman Schnell and her daughter Kylie.  Kerrie was in LaCrosse visiting with her mother, Mary, who is a resident of the Rush County Nursing Home.
 
Apologies to Addie Mills on all the misspelled names in her news article a couple of weeks ago in the McCracken News.
 
Andy Hansen and Addie Mills were Sunday afternoon visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Karlin and Mike.  They had an early exchange of Christmas gifts.  Addie also visited with Joann Klee in Hays. 
 
Kellye Irvin found and donated to the McCracken Library a baseball plaque honoring the McCracken Baseball Hall of Fame Old Timers which was started in 1977.  That year Freddy Foster, Frank McGaughey, Chet Irvin, Wilbur Hawley, Bob Lovitt and Forrest Ramsey were honored, 1978 Ivy Irvin, Bill Rice, Howard ‘Babe’ Ryan, Wesley Stephens, Paul Musselman and Pete Metz; 1979 Henry Walker, Al Roth and Jack Stephens; 1980 Vic Higgins, Phil Richolson, Fritz Lovitt, Bruno Basgall and Harry Phillips; 1981 Bill Lovitt, Bill Hinman, Dean Irvin and Chet Phillips; 1982 Claude Stephens, Billy Metz and Glenn Conner; 1983 Harry Seiling. The plaque for the 1977 K-18 Champion baseball team will also be donated.  The players were Shannon McKinney, Scott Moore, Dale Elias, Craig Stull, Neal Jacobs, Kenney Roth, Doug Elias, Kellye Irvin, Jeff McCormick, Jerry Casey, Troy Zinn, Jim Cole and Kevin Casey.  Jim Schafer, Chet Irvin and Jerry Higgins Coaches.
 
An early Christmas gathering at the Wendell Hinman home over the week-end of the 16th was enjoyed by Laura & Ray Wierman, Cindy, Jennifer, & Jerod ;Jill & Joey Herschbach ; Sheila & Greg Hinman, Jessica and Jeff Hinman, Jeannie & Casey Grimme & Connor ; Ellen & Larry Hinman & Sarah; Tonya & Wade Hinman , Zaccary & Coty Hinman.  They also celebrated Wendell's birthday and great- grandson Connor's 4th birthday.
 
December 17th after seeing Santa at the park Jenni Rogers, Scott Stirnkorb,
Valerie, Kevin, Lexi, Zoe and Rylin, Emily Rogers, Scott Keener, Pat Derr,
Walter and Janie Rogers enjoyed Christmas at the home of Deb Rogers.
 
An article in the December 20th edition of the Great Bend Tribune featured Bev Higgins and her nativity collection.  A portion of her collection is on display at the Hoisington Public Library through Jan 5.  She began her actual collection in college when she purchased a small plastic Nativity for her dorm room.  She has 32 Nativity sets; 30 Nativity miniature sets, 84 Nativity ornaments, 15 miniature Nativity ornaments and 64 Nativity items.  Bev is the wife of Keith Higgins.
 
A note from Marlene Bronish said she had LOTS of snow after the storm in Denver.  It took her son in law Rudy two days to ‘dig’ out her car, sidewalk and driveway.   She is planning on going to Longmont for Christmas.
 
When Chandler and Ashleigh Allen, Wichita, grandchildren of Roy and Phyllis Conrad, arrived in McCracken they exclaimed ‘look, grandpa hauled in some snow in the back yard for us’!! 
 
We understand that someone received a raise in the amount of a thin dime.  They are really living it up on this raise.  Gas goes up twenty cents a gallon and the workers get ten cents extra an hour.  This is not an item from 1900 – it is from December 2006
 
Bryan and Treva Bergquist, Anna and Audra, and Verlene Wilson have returned from a cruise.  Here is Treva’s account:  “We sailed out of Galveston, Texas, on the Grand Princess.  The water was really rough.  I think a lot of people were feeling it.  Our first stop was at Costa Maya, Mexico.  It was cool, misty, and windy.  I told Bryan the wind probably followed us from Kansas!  Next was Roatan, Honduras.  We went horseback riding along the shore and saw some beautiful countryside.  The weather was awesome…we all got sunburned!.  Next was Belize.  Bryan, the girls and I went snorkeling off of Goff’s Caye.  We saw a small stringray and Audra found a hermit crab.  Since Mom can’t swim, she went on a tour of the city and zoo.  She found it very interesting.  Once again the weather was incredible.  Our last stop was Cozumel.  We did some shopping the first part of the day, then mom and girls went back to the ship, so Bryan and I met up with some of the others that went on the cruise at Carlos & Charlies.    We barely made the last tender back to the ship!!  We had a great time, but it was nice to be home.  One thing I noticed about the Gulf of Mexico at night, is there are more lights from oil rigs than there are in Western Kansas!”.  (Ask to see Bryan’s picture in his big hat).
 
A friend affectionately said that coming to McCracken “is like coming to a playground”.
I suppose that means we are all relaxed and enjoying ourselves.  We wish that for all of you in the New Year.  The theme for 2007, Relax and Enjoy – leave stress behind.
 
Our thanks to Father David Kraus for presiding over Mass for St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Saturday.  Those helping were Roy and Phyllis Conrad, Jim Schafer, DeAnna Bergquist, Fred and Mary Ann Taylor, the Casey Family, Dan Petz, Wilfrid Higgins, Carolyn Thompson, Whitney Taylor.  A special collection was taken for the Philippine relief.  The church was beautifully decorated.  Our thanks again for those who did such a magnificient job. 
 
McCracken History Notes
December 1906
Mrs. E. L. McCurry and children of Hoisington spent the holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Casey.
 
The Missouri Pacific had a bunch of wrecks to the number of three on Wednesday, which delayed trains considerably.  One occurred at Red Wing, one at Boyd and one at Otis.
 
 
December 1936
Businesses in McCracken:  Jess L. Tadlock Café; Irma’s Beauty Shop; Dr. R. H. Cheney, dentist; McCracken Oil Company; Jack Clark’s Confectionary; Standard Oil Station, C. W. Stephens; Farmers Union; Everett Moses Creamery; Barr Mercantile Company; Stein Tailor Shop; J. P. Moran; H. W. Graber, M. D.; McCracken Hardware, M. L. Morris; Art Shaefer Garage; Citizens State Bank; City of McCracken, J. I. Edwards; Farwell Funeral Service; Ryan Motor Company; McCracken Enterprise Newspaper; D. D. Hunt Rexall Drug Store; Garden Theatre, R. C. Buxton; Ada North Vanity Beauty Shop; Western Light and Power; Frances Kline Millinery; Harley Kinnamon Dray service; J. R. Juvenal Sale Barn; Dr. R. A. Crouch, Physician and Surgeon; Dr. W. A. Spomer, Dentist; Dr. W. Singleton, Physician and Surgeon; R. C. Mortimer’s Rustic Tavern; W. F. Ramsey; Norlin’s Grocery Store; Roughton Grocery; Humburg’s; and Joe Warta’s K-T Oil Company.
 
December 1946
The McCracken chapters of A. F. & A. M. and the Order of Eastern Star held a joint installation at McCracken.  G. B. Van Winkle presided and Mrs. Harriet Shiney was installing officer for the O. E. S.  Officers for the Masonic were August English, Fay O. Jennings, Elmore Ryan, Carl Bible, Leonard Dugan, Lavern Fletcher, Wm. Skaggs, Harold Walker and Roy Van Winkle.  New Eastern Star officers were Mrs. Alvin A. Ricks, Fay Jennings, Mrs. Margery Walker, Harold Walker, Mrs. Harriet Richolson, Mrs. Helen Van Winkle, Mrs. June Bible, Mrs. Wilma Jennings, Mrs. Minnie Jennings, Mrs. Cora Nowles, Mrs. Carmen Sultzer, Mrs. Rachael Fletcher, Mrs. Velma English, Mrs. Elsie Showalter, Mrs.  Carol. Skaggs, Mrs. Rose Showalter and Mrs. Stella Van Winkle.
 
December 1956
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Casey, McCracken, a daughter born December 18, 1956 in LaCrosse.
 
The church pageant, “The Star and the Stable” will be presented at the ME Church.  The cast includes Russell, Mike and Dennis Peters, Donna and Benny Rogers, Karen and David Norlin, Vic and Sharon Parsons, Linda and Reggie Irvin, Debra and Roxann Rogers, Jan and Dwight Eisenhour, Susan and Mike Reinhardt, David Rogers, Mike Legleiter, LeRoy and Terry Herdman and Roy Jones.
 
December 1966
The kindergarten class of Alexander has a unique Christmas tree this year.  Each student brought five decorated cookies to school and were placed on the tree for decorations.  During the final week each student is allowed to eat one cookie per day until the tree is bare and Christmas is here.  Youngsters in the class are Martin Mills, Freddy Taylor, Larry Hinman, Loretta Augustine, Craig Rixon, Lanette Stremel, Kerri Derr, Jeffery Keener, James Webs, Jeffrey Renz, Jerry Casey, Joe Conner, Timmy Seltmann, Mitchell Jacobs, Susan Moran, Lisa Schuckman, Andrea Dome, Patti Schwartz, Lynne Josefiak, Kell Wendler, Cheryl Wagner, Suzy Renz and Karrie Stout.
 
 
 
December 1976
Janice North and Daniel Basgall were married, Saturday, December 18 at St. Michael’s Church in LaCrosse.  They will make their home in Jetmore.
 
Roger Legleiter has completed the course in auctioneering and auction sale management at the Missouri auction School.
 
 December 1986
Jerry Crotinger, McCracken junior is the new staff photographer at the Fort Hays State University Leader.  It is a twice-weekly student newspaper.
 
The McCracken Leopard Cubs basketball teams won three of four games in Ness City.
 
December 1996
Last weekend guests of Carol and John Rixon were her sister, Claudine and Phil Gaudet, San Antonio, Texas.  Afternoon visitors were Robert and Rose Rein, Great Bend; Ronnie and Janice Rein, LaCrosse and Joy Petz.
 
Rose Jones shot a 10 point buck during the deer season.