Days Gone By
Ten Years Ago, 2012 The St. Paul City Council met on Monday evening for their first session after the election…Mayor Jim Snow presented a plaque to Tracy Howard for his five years of service on the St. Paul City Council. Howard commended the city employees for their dedication and said he enjoyed the opportunity of serving on the council. He said that St. Paul is a progressive community that is moving forward. Incumbent Howard Beck and newcomer Brenda Klanecky, both elected in the General Election, took the oath of office that was administered by City Clerk Connie Jo Beck. The interlocal agreement with the library was discussed. The city and school each have three members on the board, who must be residents of the city and/or school district. Lowen Clausen, who lives in Washington state, has served on the board for many years. His status will be changed to member-at-large, with no voting rights. Mike Feeken will now be St. Paul’s third representative on the library board. It was noted that the city is responsible for paying personnel from 3:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on school days, and for weekends, holidays, and during the summer, and for helping to maintain the building. Mayor Snow said no city funding should be used to provide food, such as the rice crispy bars that were on the most recent bills from the library.
Nebraska’s high school graduation rate ranks fourth nationally, with eighty-six percent of seniors graduating in 2011, according to the United States Department of Education’s first-ever study focusing on a new method for determining graduation rates…Under the new calculation method, called the Cohort Graduation Rate, Nebraska and other states are required to track students as ninth graders to determine how many graduate four years later. Iowa ranked at the top, with a graduation rate of eightyeight percent, followed by Vermont and Wisconsin, with eighty-seven percent graduation rates each. Nebraska ranked fourth, with an eighty-six percent graduation rate, tying with five other states: Indiana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.
Twenty Years Ago, 2002 On Wednesday, November 27th, Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul held a mortgage burning service. In 1998, the congregation had remodeled and moved the parsonage and began construction of the fellowship hall and narthex. Countless volunteer hours were furnished by church members to the project and much of the construction was by the “Laborers for Christ.” Participating in the ceremony were Pastor Carl Stenzel, Congregation Executive Director Larry Bahensky, Mathew McCarty, and members of the Stewardship Committee Jim Christensen and Dave Scheer.
Thirty Years Ago, 1992 Norma Smith was recognized at the Central Nebraska Community Services governing board meeting held Tuesday, November 17th. Bob Moyer, board chairman, presented a plaque to Smith recognizing her for fifteen years of service to CNCS as the Community Service Outreach Representative. She is responsible for the CNCS satellite office in St. Paul and conducts outreach activities in four counties: Howard, Boone, Greeley, and Wheeler.
Connie and Bill Coxbill of Elba will be celebrating the grand opening of B & C Country Market in Elba on Saturday, December 5th. They purchased the business from longtime owners Pete and Maxine Zyntek of Elba and began operating the store on October 5th. The independently owned grocery store has a complete line of groceries and miscellaneous items and a fresh meats and deli department.
Forty Years Ago, 1982 Bo Wilson of the Nebraska Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association held the chapter’s memorial services Sunday morning at the American Legion Hall in St. Paul, with Carl Mogensen Post 119 providing the color guard. Sunday’s observance marked the forty-first anniversary of the 1941 attack that began the United States involvement in World War II and included the playing of President Franklin Roosevelt’s address to the nation announcing the Japanese attack, the playing of taps, a moment of silence for those who died that day, and a few words from Ralph E. Naslund of Beatrice, a Pearl Harbor survivor, and Marlyn Vik of St. Paul, commander of Post 119...Seventeen survivors and their guests were present for all or part of the festivities. Fifteen survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 were present for the memorial services on Sunday morning. The weekend gathering was hosted by C.E. Thompson of Wolbach, publisher of The Wolbach Messenger and the St. Paul Phonograph-Herald.
Orville Jelinek was sworn in as the mayor of St. Paul on Monday night at the regular December meeting of the St. Paul City Council. Newly elected city councilman John Shoemaker and Maury Eiberger, who was reelected in the November election, also took office.
Fifty Years Ago, 1972 In appreciation of those who do their Christmas and other shopping in St. Paul, a group of twenty-eight merchants have combined their talents to offer a free color television set as a reward. The neat television is on display in the window of Bryan Jensen Clothing store, and it will be given away the week before Christmas. Customers began registering for the prize today in the various places of business involved.
Sixty Years Ago, 1962 According to reports received by The Phonograph, over forty telephone patrons in the Wolbach area have discontinued the use of the company’s service by having their telephones disconnected. The action came when the State Railway Commission, after a hearing held in Greeley late in the summer, allowed the Cornhusker State Telephone Company more increase than they had requested...Patrons state that the main reason for their action is because they are not receiving the service that they should be getting. Some farm patrons state that many times they are unable to use their phones because of malfunction.
Julie Bahensky was bitten on the hand by a strange dog on the school grounds Thursday. Mrs. Roy McKoski assisted in chasing the dog away. Local authorities were notified of the attack, but, at this time, the dog has not been apprehended. Julie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dick Bahensky.
In a fire on Monday morning near the midway corner west of St. Paul, a Turner Construction Co. truck had an estimated damage of $250. A barrel of tack oil, which is used for road repair, was being heated by a propane torch. The quick heat caused the oil to expand rapidly, breaking the barrel. The burning fluid caught the cab of the 1954 model truck on fire. The St. Paul Volunteer Fired Department was called to the scene and was able to save the rest of the truck. The cab was a complete loss.
Seventy Years Ago, 1952 The armed forces claimed three more men from Howard County this week. Charles E. Taylor, Jr., clerk of the draft board, said that the men were sworn into the armed services at Omaha on Monday. From there, they were assigned for training. They are Lawrence Lukasiewicz, Farwell; LeRoy Bell, St. Paul; and Paul Volkl, St. Libory.
Pvt. Dale L. Reimers, son of Mrs. Emma Reimers, Dannebrog, is a new patient at Brooke Army Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Reimers is being treated for wounds received while in action in Korea. He was flown to the center by Air Force Military Air Transport Service from Japan.
Eighty Years Ago, 1942 Enlistments—Dennis Sherman of Dannebrog left for Omaha on Sunday, where he will enter training for the Air Force. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clark Sherman... Donald Kaminski went to Omaha on Tuesday, where he enlisted in the Navy. He passed his physical test, but the branch of work he was to enter was filled, so he returned home on Thursday, and will be called when there is an opening. He is from Elba... Edward “Bud” Bartle went to Omaha on Monday to see how his Army enlistment status was at the time, because enlistments had been prohibited by proclamation Saturday, Bud returned home the same day, having been accepted in the field artillery. He reported in Omaha on Wednesday morning to be sent to Leavenworth, Kansas, for induction...Another Howard County boy, Robert E. Fredrickson, of Cushing, has enlisted in the Navy Air Corps and left Sunday, December 6th, to take civilian pilot training at Las Vegas, Nevada. for two months. After that, he will be assigned to a Navy pre-flight school for three months.
The Howard County Chapter of the American Red Cross is being constantly reminded of the urgent need of more of the service kits for men in service. Many local chapters are receiving letters of appreciation from the recipients of the kits. One soldier said it was “like getting a gift from a Christmas tree when I was a child;” another said, “I would like to inform you that the little bag did quite a much toward boosting my morale as a package from home; in fact, it was far better, because it arrived at a time when packages from home were impossibilities.”
Ninety Years Ago, 1932 The St. Paul merchants are getting their holiday goods in now from day to day and are dressing up their stores and display windows in readiness for the holiday trade. Some of them have already put up beautiful decorations, and before the week is up all of them will be fixed up in fine shape for Christmas. St. Paul stores usually have a good line of merchandise and Christmas goods, and this year is no exception to the rule.
100 Years Ago, 1922 Jim Szwanek was down from his home near Elba yesterday, and he was willing to admit that it was cold. He found it out while driving here with a team and wagon. He tells us he had to walk a great deal of the way, as it was so cold that he could not stand it to ride.
110 Years Ago, 1912 As we go to press, we are in the midst of a snowstorm that bids fair to be a severe one before it lets up. The wind is in the north, and snow is falling fast, and, in the event the wind raises, we will have an oldtime blizzard.
Miss Frances Larsen arrived home from Lincoln on Thursday, where she is attending the state university, taking a course at the state farm. She is having some trouble with a sore foot, and, while here, had Dr. Grothan treat it for her. Years ago, a sand bur briar entered the foot that is now causing so much trouble, and for years it caused no inconvenience. But last summer an operation was performed, and the bone was scraped. And since that time she has been getting along reasonably well. But of late the foot has caused her considerable trouble.
Jacksonville, Florida— Richard Frayne, aeronaut, fell 2,000 feet here on Sunday afternoon and was instantly killed. Three thousand persons witnessed the accident. The aeronaut was thrown from his seat in the parachute immediately after he cut loose from the balloon. His body landed in the driveway of the Evergreen Cemetery, near Jacksonville.
120 Years Ago, 1902 J.F. Leach was down from Fairdale on Saturday. He brought to this office some samples of corn that were exceptionally good. He has some of the old-fashioned squaw corn, one ear measuring eight inches in circumference and nearly twelve inches long. They were the largest ears of corn we have seen so far this year.
I respectfully ask all of our old customers to call and settle their accounts at once, as I must have such settlements prior to resumption of business. – Mrs. Frank Bartle.
130 Years Ago, 1892 The first six months of business in the cigar factory were good, and the stockholders are well pleased with the results, the investment so far paying about ten percent. Over $3,000 has been paid out for wages during the time.
On last Wednesday evening, while Mrs. Judge Norton and daughter were attending a prayer meeting, they tied their horse near the courthouse square. During services, some miscreant stole one of the tugs from the harness, and, strange enough, they got clear home before they found it out, and without accident, the holdback straps being cause so as to pull the buggy. A man who would do such a deed is too contemptible for anything.
140 Years Ago, 1882 Elder Parvin desires that sneak thief who visited his kitchen one night last week and stole the ham of meat to call and get the mate to it, as it is lonely, but suggests that he come in daylight, as he might in the darkness blunder on something and get hurt. He has no sympathy for anyone too lazy to work who has to resort to stealing for a living.
The usual Nebraska winter is upon us, and we, as usual, bask in sunshine every day. No storms, but slight frosts; no rains or snows, and no wind. What more can one want in any country than can be found here? Every day alike, and September the year through. Coupled with this, see our large crops, our rich farms, our fertile soil, our fat cattle, and our jolly farmer wives, and it is no wonder that thousands of people fly from the cities and the workshops to join our throng. There is room for more. Come along.