Remember When
Ten Years Ago, 2012 Nearly 100 children were in Wolbach on Sunday afternoon to visit with Santa Claus at the community center. Some were naughty and some were nice!
The top-ten-ranked Cedar Valley girls won their opening game Thursday night at Clarkson/ Leigh 56-38 after leading 16-7, 30-12, and 38-22 at the quarter breaks. Two Maverick players had double- digit nights. Skylar Erickson had twenty-three points, eleven rebounds, one blocked shot, and one steal. Evey Choat scored eleven points and had a team high sixteen rebounds, while also managing three blocked shots, one steal, and two assists.
Twenty Years Ago, 2002 Staff and board members from public libraries across Nebraska recently attended training as part of a grant program from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grants provide computers that will be available for public use free of charge, as well as for training focused on assisting libraries as they order equipment and set up computer systems. The computers will be installed and ready for use in early 2003. Wolbach Public Library, located at the school, is one of the grant recipients.
On Monday, December 2nd, the Wolbach High School (WHS) one act play cast and crew headed north to Clearwater to compete in the District D2-3 play contest, where they had a chance to qualify for state competition. At the end of the day, Wolbach ended up placing third out of seven schools in the district. Outstanding acting recognition was given to Emily Steenson and Amber Teter for their performances in Wolbach’s play, No Show. Clearwater received district runner-up with their play, Drive-In, and this year’s district champion, which will go on to state competition in Kearney, was Elba, with their play, Competition Piece…“ I am proud of my kids and thank them for the time and effort they gave this one-act season,” said Gailen Volquardsen, the WHS one act play director. “Good job WHS one act cast and crew!” Thirty Years Ago, 1992 Sunday, November 29th was the last day of business for the Wolbach Drive In, owned and operated by LaFerne (Mrs. Carl) Lange. Mrs. Lange opened the business in Wolbach on March 1, 1970, serving meals and short orders and catering dinner parties over the years for various clubs and organizations. A group of friends and relatives gathered at the Wolbach Drive In Friday morning for a farewell coffee hour, where they presented Lange with a gift.
Wolbach athletes were named to the daily newspaper all-star teams in Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island. In Football, the Omaha World-Herald named Chris Teter and Troy Ryan to their D-3 honorable mention list, while Teter also made the honorable mention list in the Lincoln Journal-Star. Amanda Christensen was named to the D-2 in volleyball honorable mention lists of both newspapers.
The Grand Island Independent named Chris Teter and Amanda Christensen to their honorable mention lists in class D.
Forty Years Ago, 1982 Christmas decorations and greetings were recently painted on the windows at the community center by Mrs. Peggy Nealon, Head Start teacher, and her assistant, Mrs. Leslie Steele. Ben Steele, from the high school art class, helped with the artwork.
Bo Wilson of the Nebraska Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association held the chapter’s memorial services on 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.
Fifty Years Ago, 1972 Miss Janet Gail Nesbitt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Nesbitt of Belgrade, became the bride of Alvin Theodore Wemhoff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Wemhoff of Platte Center on December 2nd at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church in Fullerton.
The Mustang mat squad won their opening dual match of the year at Palmer on Tuesday night, 15-12. There were only six matches in the meet, due to limited personnel, with each team winning three matches. Sophomores Mike Rother and Randy Bergantzel posted falls in their division, which provided the winning margin. Stan Rother opened with a decision in his first competition, as a freshman, for the fifteen Mustang points.
Sixty Years Ago, 1962 The first wrestling match in the history of the Wolbach high school will be held Tuesday night, according to coach Maynard Tinquist. Eight matches are billed for the inauguration of the sport against Callaway High School. The visiting team is coached by Elwin “Pete” Moriarity, a former resident, who needs no introduction. Wrestling mats and equipment and uniforms have been received the past week, and preparations are being made to complete the program this week...Each match consists of three two-minute rounds, with a decision following in the event there is no pin. A pin ends the match. The match starts on the mat in the center position, with the wrestlers at an even advantage. In subsequent rounds, the athletes are stationed in a “referee’s position.”
The State Railway Commission granted authority to the Cornhusker Telephones Co. of Wisner, Nebraska to raise its rates for telephone service in the Wolbach community… A public hearing was held at Greeley on September 21st, with a number of protestants appearing before the railway commission... The report received here this week by the community club revealed that the phone rates had been increased even over what the Cornhusker Telephone Company has sought in their proposed application.
Seventy Years Ago, 1952 Hello World—Lindsley: Born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lindsley, a seven- pound daughter on Monday, December 22nd, at the Memorial hospital in St. Paul. Mrs. Lindsley is the former Marlene Barr.
Snows here the past week have brought a fall of from twelve-to-fourteen inches. Neither the snows of Friday nor Monday were accompanied by winds. Roads in this section are passable, but are slick, making driving hazardous.
Our Service Men—Pvt. Harold Perry of Fort Bliss, Texas arrived Sunday for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Perry, and with other relatives and friends. He will leave for Camp Steward Georgia on New Year’s Day.
Eighty Years Ago, 1942 Along Mainstreet—We were a day late in publishing last week and did not get out a very good paper because we were called to Fort Crook for army examination and were gone Wednesday and Thursday. Sorry to say, we didn’t pass. Each week, we hope to print brief items about different boys from this community who are in the service. If you have a news item about one of the boys, or he comes home on a visit, send the news in. Do not make them too long... Wolbach homes and stores are getting ready for the holiday season by setting up Christmas trees and decorating. Christmas may not have the meaning it has had during past years, but it is well to keep up the home spirit.
Ninety Years Ago, 1932 Arrangements are being made to have a basketball court in Wolbach this winter where high school teams and town teams may play. The upstairs (hay mow) of the new dairy barn being built by P. Sorensen has been leased for that purpose. High school girls’ and boys’ teams will be organized, and there seems to be much interest in the game by older players, and one or more town teams will likely be organized. It has been several years since any basketball has been played in Wolbach.
100 Years Ago, 1922 John A. Smith, who ran for Congress from this district, polled a total vote of 3,672. As Mr. Smith ran on a short, concise “wet” platform, we can now tell just how many people from the Sixth District like their little “nip.”
A bill has been introduced in the lower house of Congress by McLaughlin of Nebraska limiting loans to farmers to $10,000. At the same time, the foreign countries, now in our debt, can call for a loan running into the millions and get the money. The farmers of this country are being called upon every day to contribute to the poor and afflicted of the European countries. Where does right show up in McLaughlin’s bill?
110 Years Ago, 1912 The large, new Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church located fifteen miles north of St. Paul was totally burned on Sunday during the exercises. Loss was about $3,000, insurance $2,000.
Miss Bessie Clayburg— who was seriously burned about two weeks ago when live coals fell upon her clothing, setting them afire, while she was employed in the laundry at St. Elizabeth’s hospital at Lincoln—died on Friday morning.