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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1947)
STATE HIST SOC xxx J 4 VOLUME 67.—NUMBER 2! O’NEILL. NEBRASK ARTHURSI) AY, MAY 22, 1947._PRICE 5 CENT8 TAX FIELDMAN AT WORK HERE Motz Says Reception ‘Nice’; Expects to Finish Saturday Jacob Motz, fieldman for the Nebraska state tax commission er’s office, said today (Thurs * day) that his reception “with few exceptions has been very nice” in Holt county. Mr. Motz is here working on the state’s new ex perimental tax assessing proce dure set up by Tax Commission er Robert Armstrong. Mr. Motz is one of six field men sent out from Lincoln to call on county assessors. His ter ritory includes Holt, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Wheeler, Rock, Keya Paha, Garfield, Knox, An telope and Loup counties. He has already completed work in three counties. Mr. Motz is primarily concern ed with business schedules but has, when incidents occur, gone to the country to confer with taxpayers and assessors. Some Indifference Generalizing on the entire as sessing program, he said that “county assessors have been giv ing good cooperation, but pre cinct assessors have been found to be indifferent.” When Armstrong sent the fieldmen to their respective dis tricts the first of the month their job was to hold general conferences with county assess ors and later return to each county to process socalled naa returns” where the assessor is doubtful. In Lincoln Wednesday Arm strong issued a press statement to the effect that personal prop erty assessed at more than 500,000 had been added to the tax rolls in the first 10 days o activity by the fieldmen. Ihe increase was divided, f90?’000 ^ tangible property, and $600,000 • in intangibles. In Holt county Mr. Motz is working with County Assessor L G Gillespie. He expects to finish the job here this week end, he told The Frontier. "Tag Day’ Here Nets Cancer Cause $246.85 “Tag day” in O’Neill, sponsor ed by representatives of the American Cancer society, netted $248.85, it was announced this week by Mrs. Ralph Rickly, chairman. Mrs. Rickly said Saturdays drive “exceeded all expecta tions.” Forty girls donated their services as a part of the nation wide fund-raising drive to com bat cancer. Mrs. Rickly stated that the * canvas netted $243.05, the Alpha club contributed $5 and an anon ymous $5 gift was received, to taling $253.05. Expenses were listed at $6.50. Mrs. Rickly said the drive would continue through the month of May. Containers are placed in stores for the conven ience of donors. Mrs. Vernon Carder, Husband Injured in Auto Accident PAGE—Mrs. Vernon Carder, the former Evelyn Suzama, and her husband were seriously in jured in an automobile accident * while traveling from Hastings to their home at Plainview. Mr. Carder is in a hospital at Central City. He suffered a crushed chest. Mrs. Carder was taken to a Grand Island hospital where she was placed in a cast for several weeks. Mrs. Carder resided in Page before moving to Plainview. ‘Men of Tomorrow’ at Royal Theater “Men of Tomorrow,” an inter esting motion picture “short” * filmed in behalf of the Boy Scouts of America, is currently showing at the Royal theater hCThc “short” coincides with a fund-raising drive now in prog ress. It is expected to help provide for a full-time Boy Scout field executive in this area. J. E Davis, of the Midwest Mo tor company here, is heading the drive in O’Neill. GO TO CHICAGO Mr. and Mrs. Ned Allendorfer and Phillip Allendorfer departed late Wednesday for Chicago, 111., to attend funeral services Friday for Mrs. Marion Allendorfer, who died there Wednesday. The deceased is a sister-in-law of Phillip Allendorfer. • ___ Leaves for Omaha — Miss Kathryn McCarthy re turned today (Thursday) after visiting relatives in Omaha for a week. For Donna Mae ... a Diploma and a Tribute Until today (Thursday) there had been only two really exciting moments in the life of 14-year-old Donna Mae Fuhr er, an O’Neill farm girl who has been completely paralyz.d since 1940. Afflicted by a suc cession of appendicitis, osteo myelitis, and infantile paraly sis, life has been grim for the blue-eyed Donna Mae, unable to move even a finger. Her first big moment came July 10, 1943 while she was at the Children’s Orthopedic hos pital at Lincoln. Word reach ed her that a little sister had arrived to live at her house. That was nearly four years ago—when Donna Mae was 10. She lay in a huge steel cast and counted the days until she could join her little sister, Carolyn Jean, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar “Ed’’ Fuhrer, who live two miles south of O’Neill. The second b i g moment came on September 18, 1945. That was the day she was re warded for her fight against the odds that had been stack , ed against her. The doctors said she could go home. She wasn’t, through by any means. The wounds through which infected bones had been taken from her body were finally healed. The cast could now be put aside and a body-length brace used instead. The doc tors thought they had done all they could do for her at the time. Going home was a big thrill in itself; meeting a little sister, a made-to-order com panion, was wonderful. Loves Watching Trains In the unpretentious four room farm home Donna Mae has spent the intervening months watching the trains and automobiles speed by her window, her father’s cattle wading in the Elkhorn river that flows through the pasture, and occasionally catching a glimpse of her Dad in the field. The rest of the time she sleeps, reads and studies. Thanks to Mrs. Phyllis Loy and Miss Twila Hicks, the teachers in rural school district number 5, Donna Mae re sumed her studies where they were interrupted and is now completing the eighth grade course of study. Her teachers came semi-weekly to her bed side and read and lectured to her, and told of the activities at school. All the recitation was oral and in arithmetic and spelling she excelled. She re ceived 100 percent in the final spelling examination—the on ly perfect score in the county! Completely paralyzed, Don na Mae Fuhrer, 14, smiles for her teacher. Miss Twila Hicks, Donna Mae has learned to read very well, but her Moth er or Little Carolyn have to be on, hand to turn the pages. Her favorite reading is “about an imals with an occasional ad venture story.” Donna Mae once had a dog named Pal. A rat terrier, he was a faithful dog. Before he was two-years-old, however, he began to lose interest. He preferred to romp and scoot with the neighbor’s children. Rarely the helpless little girl gets to O’Neill. On those occasions she is carried to the car where a bed is made. Her mother always attends her. One of Donna Mae’s chief sources of entertainment is the railroad that passes the house a stone’s throw away. The Chicago & Northwestern trains, bound to and from Omaha, cause the dishes to rat tle in the' kitchen cupboard. She counts the cars on the long freight trains by day, and can accurately estimate their length by night. This Spring, while her play mates in early childhood ad vance well into their high school careers, Donna Mae thinks about them and re counts her first two years in the district 5 schoolhouse down the road where she ranked with the best playing and County Superintendent i Elja McCullough. Tomorrow 1 they will present her an baseball. Most of them have . long since forgotten those two precious years that Donna Mae remembers so well. Another Big Moment At 10:45 today (Thursday), Donna Mae experienced an other big moment. Ted Ma lone, America’s human inter est radio reporter-philosopher, told her story to a nationwide America" Rroadcastinc Com pany audience, heard here ^. Ted Malone (above) ... ra dio's human-interest reporter philosopher . . . tells story of Dona Mae Fuhrer to nation wide audience . . . "just one sweet girl . . . the only one in her class." i eighth grade graduation cer tificate. — The Frontier Photo by John H. McCarville. over WNAX at Yankton, S. D. “There’s one commencement I'd like to attend,” Malone said. “No big auditorium . . . just one sweet girl . . the only one in her class ... in a four room farm house near O’Neill, in Holt county, Nebraska. The story of Donna Mae Fuhrer is the kind of a story that streng thens the heart." Ted Malone's broadcast or iginated in New York City. Tears came to the eyes of many of his listeners. “She is a symbol of the power of the spirit over adversity.” he said. On Friday she will receive her eighth grade graduation diploma. The WNAX special events staff will make a tran scription of the event as Miss Elja McCullough, Holt county superintendent of schools, and Teacher Hicks present the di ploma. About the future Donna Mae weighs the possibility of ac quiring a high school educa tion “I think I’ll try to take an extension course,” she says. “I don't think I’ll be very good, though, in high school sub jects.” Meanwhile, Donna Mae has a generous smile for all her visitors. Today, however, she had a special smile when the radio voice of Ted Malone mentioned her name. 'COURAGE NEEDED' M'INTYRE SAYS Norfolk Dean Warns Graduates of Concern for Atomic Energy Dr. Frank O. McIntyre, dean of the Norfolk junior college, told 45 members of the O’Neill high school graduating class here Wednesday night that the atom ic age deserves sober and grave concern for the youth of today. He warned of the scope of atom ic power and placed squarely on the shoulders of the youth re sponsibilities of the new era. He said a great deal of courage would be needed to face the fu ture. Richard Connell, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Connell, was pre sented the regents’ scholarship from the University of Nebraska. I The honor was awarded on a I competitive basis among 1947 Nebraska high school graduates. Other awards: Alta Boatman, church college scholarship; Hel en Burival, state college schol arship, and Lois Bredehoft, Nor folk junior college scholarship. These three scholarships are in terchangeable to suit the con venience of the winners, Cpl. Raymond Smith received a diploma', having completed his high school training by exten sion work provided by the Ar my. He is here on furlough. Graduation for the 35 St. Ma ry’s academy seniors will be held at 10:30 a. m. tomorrow (Friday) at St. Patrick’s. Catholic church. Rev. Albert Krejci, of Lynch, will deliver the sermon. (Composite pictures of the O’ Neill high and St. Mary’s senior classes, together with the class rosters and individual activitv records may be found on page 7 of this issue or The Frontier.) FIRST CONCERT SET The first summer concert by the Municipal band will bo Mon dav at 7:30 p. m. at the O’Neill public school auditorium, it has | been announced by Director Ira 1 George. j Bonnie Bernholtz Takes Post at Yale ‘U’ PAGE—Miss Bonnie Bernholtz left last Thursday for Lincoln, where she will be employed as administrative dietician in the University of Nebraska college of agriculture cafeteria during the summer months. The first of September she will go to Yale university at New Haven, Conn., where she will be assistant administrative dietician in the university dining halls. AINSWORTH TOPS ROCKETS 11 -1 O’Neill Manages Only 4 Bingles Off Grene and Kudnick Stock in the O’Neill Rockets nosedived Sunday as Ainsworth coasted to a 11-1 victory before a fair-sized O’Neill crowd. The game was played at the O’Neill high school field with threaten ing skies overhead. The Rockets could manage on ly four hits compared to Ains worth’s 16. Grene and Kudnick did the hurling for the winners; Helmer and Graham for O’Neill. O’Neill plays Verdigre at Ver digre Sunday. O’Neill (1) AB R H Tomjack, c, If - 4 1 2 Bright, 2nd .4 0 0 Tibbetts, ss . 4 0 0 Ellingson, rf . 3 0 0 Calkins, 3rd 4 0 0 Morrow, 1st . 4 0 1 Hungerford, If ... 200 Tomlinson, cf, c . 3 0 1 Helmer, p - 2 0 0 Sipes, rf . .-10 0 Wolf, If . -2 0 0 Graham, p .—.2 0 0 Totals . 35 1 4 Ainsworth (11) AB R H C. Richardson, rf 5 2 2 G. Richardson, If .... 5 2 3 B. Schissler, ss - 5 0 1 Nelson, 2nd . 5 14 E. Clark. 2 5 0 1 Richardson, rf —.—5 3 2 First Big Catches of Season Reported REDBIRD—Lee Wells land ed two “nice” catfish in the Niobrara river near the large b idge last Thursday evening. One tipped the beam at nine pounds, and the other weighed seven and one-half pounds. In addition, Mr. Wells I caught several others in the four- and five-pound class Mr. Wells’ report is the first “big fish” catch of the season. Leaving for California — Mr. and Mrs. Clyde R. Elkins and family attended a dinner in Chambers Monday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Smith. Miss Barbara Jean Wilcox, who was guest-of-honor, is leaving soon for California. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Stor johann visited the latter’s sister, Mrs. Edward Loomis, and Mr. Loomis, mother’s day in Spen cer. _ Seimer, 3id - 4 2 3 Urban, p . 3 0 0 Kudnick, p .—. 2 0 0 Grene, p 1 0 0 Totals —..40 11 16 Bang’s Disease iopic at Cattle Meeting Dr. W. F. Christ, of Arcadia, Federal animal industry inspec tor, discussed brucelosis (or Bang’s disease) with members of the Holt County Breeders’ a se dation in a meeting here Satur day night. He was introduced to the group by County Agent A. Neil Dawes. D. E. Bowen, of Page, is chair man of the organization; James W. Rooney, of O’Neill, secretary. Arrives from Washington — | Mr. and Mrs. Frank Froe’ich I are expecting the arrival Friday | nf the latter’s sister, Miss Kay Kerwin, of Washington, D. C., and brother, A. J. Kerwin, and I Mrs. Kerwin, of Norfolk. They will attend the graduation of the Froelich twins, Jane and Jean, at St. Mary’s academy. Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Schroeder of Fresno, Calif., arrived Tuesday to spend about six days with rel atives including Mrs. M bel i Gatz, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Gatz and Mrs. J. Vincent. M • s. Schroeder is a sister of Mr. Gatz land Mrs. Vincent. .. ST. MARY’S ALUMNI HOLD BANQUET The photographer snapped this informal picture during the annual St. Mary's academy alumni banquet held Sunday at the academy. Seated left to-right are: Miss Helen Big lin, Quinten Cavanaugh, Miss Mary Ann Janousek, Robert Parkins (master of ceremon ies), Rt Rev. J G. MeNamrra, Mrs. Hugh J. Birmingham, William G. Beha, and Mrs. Thomas Green. Mrs. H. J. Lohaus was elect ed president for the new ' ear. —The Frontier Photo by John H. McCarville. Vo News Good News; Stork Intervenes The Frontier went to press today (Thursday) without news from its Emmet corres pondent — the first time in many months that the Emmet - onians have been slighted. The reason is adequately ex plained. however, in the letter that follows: Emmet, Nebr. May 20, 1947 Dear Editor: There will be no Emmet news this week as 1 am unable to write it. The stork left us on Monday. May 19, an eight-pound boy, Patrick Henry. I’ll try to get the news in next week. Sincerely yours, Mrs. Henry Benze ESTIMATE 25% CORN PLANTED Holt Lags the Nebraska Average; Hail Near Inman Wednesday Warm weather and moisture during the past week enabled good progress in corn planting in the O’Neill region. It is estimat ed that 25 percent of the corn has been planted as compared with a 34 percent official figure for the state. The small grain outlook is “good,” according t o County Agent A. Neil Dawes. Soil condi tions are favorable in almost every way. On the livestock front, reports indicate an ample supply of pasture for cattle. Meanwhile, farmers on the Ni obrara river north of here are re j covering from losses suffered during a flash-flood on May 13. | Small pigs were washed away and small chickens were drown ed on the August Storjahnn place. There were numerous re ports of soil erosion damage. The Redbird vicinity received a quarter-inch of rain Sunday and on Wednesday afternoon a short-lived hail storm visited the Inman vicinity, but the stones were small and no dam age was reported. The week’s weather summary, based on 24-hour periods ending at 8 a. m. daily, follows: Date Hi Lo Moist. May 16_._ 69 41 .02 May 17 -.-. 65 49 .03 May 18 _75 53 May 19 _80 47 T May 20 . .66 44 .05 May 21 ..67 38 May 22 _79 46 .10 RITES HE : FOR YOUNG WOMAN Mrs. Walter B. Pharris, 28, Dies at Gregory After Short Illness Mis. Walter B. Pharris, 28, of Gregory, S. D., a former O’Neill resident, was buried Wednesday afternoon at Neligh following funeral services at the Methodist church here. Mrs. Pharris diec Sunday in Gregory following £ recent illness. Veramae Gertrude Landis was born October 9, 1918, at Neligh She spent her childhood in Ne ligh and Brunswick. In 1935 she graduated at the Royal hi:;h school, and later moved to O’ Neill where she worked as a beautician for several years. Married in 1943 On January 23, 1943, Miss Lan dis was married to Mr. Pharris of the United States Naval F' serve, at Charleston, S. C. Fol lowing their marriage they r1 sided in Inglewood, Calif. Wh n Mr. Pharris went overseas sh< returned to O’Neill When h " husband was separated from the cer'-ice they took up residence in Gregory. Survivors include the wi ’ew er: mother, Mrs. May Landis oi tnr. Mrs. Harrison Bridge o' 0’N°ill, and two brothers. Cec'l of Payette, Ida., and DeWayne. of O’Neill. P illbearers were William W Griffin. Herbert Peterson Rob ort E. Evans, Howard Man^on. ■nr r Gillecei" nnd John W t inn nil of fVWnjll Rev. L’ovd W. Mullis officiated and inter r>' in the Laurel Hill cemetery at Neligh. Amelia WSCS to Ship Clothing Abroad AMELIA — The chanter of the Women’s Society for Christian Service h re plan' to send clothing to the Pbil’ip pine Islands at a future date. Mrs. George Fullerton is col lecting the clothing. REV. O'BRIEN TO BE SPEAKER HERE Emmet Pastor Engaged for Memorial Address; Parade Planned Rev. John J. O'Brien, pastor of the Catholic Church of the Epi phany at Emmet, will deliver the Memorial day address in O’ Neill, it was announced this week by the American Legion, sponsors of the program. The Memorial day activity will begin at 9:30 a. m. when those that will take part in the parade will form at the site ol the new Legion hall, near the Grattan township library. In the parade will be the Municipal band, ex-servicemen, and others. Legion officials said that all ex servicemen are urged to join in the parade. The parade will leave the le gion building site at 10 a. m. and reach the O’Neill public school auditorium at about 10:15 a. m. after a circuitous routing through the business district. Besides delivering the address, Rev. O’Brien will also pronounce the invocation and benediction. Both O’Neill high school and St. Mary’s academy will furnish tal ent for special selections, and the band will play the national a» them. The American Legion will car ry the colors to the cemeteries for a brief ceremony there. Miss Hilda Gallagher a%d Miss Loretta Enright will be in charge of decorating the graves at the cemetery. As is customary, O’Neill bus iness firms will be closed. There will be a Memorial ser vice at Paddock Union church at 2 p. m. A special invitation has been extended to war veterans residing in the Paddock vicinity. NEW PLAN WILL IMPROVE TRAINING Karl O. Bathke, chief of the Veterans’ Administration educa tion and training unit at Noifulk, j has urged employers in this area to help speed inauguration of a new plan to improve on-the-job training for ex-GIs by promptly returning VA forms used in out lining each veteran’s training course. Under the new plan, the vet* era ns themselves will be requir ed to report their progress in on ; the-job training courses. Thia move, Bathke said, js expected to give the veterans *a better sup ervised course of training. Be fore this improved reporting sys tem can be put in operation, however, employers offering training are being asked to de velop and furnish an individual training program for the GI trainee to follow. “Employers can help material ly,” Bathke said, “if they will map their training program quickly on the forms the VA sends to them and return the forms promptly to the VA’s edu cation and training unit at Nor folk.” The VA training unit at Nor folk serves these counties: Mad ison, Pierce, Knox, Antelope, Holt, Boyd, Keya Paha, Brown, Rock, Blaine, Loup. Garfield, Wheeler, Boone, Platte, Stanton, Wayne, Dakota, Dixon and Ce dar. ‘Poppy Girls’ Chosen for Saturday Selling The "poppy girls” selected for canvassing the city Saturday are Cathern Judge, Marie Houchin, Barbara Streeter, Kathryn Gold en, Verle Ralya, Marjorie Hun gerford. The proceeds from the poppy day sales, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary her \ will go to disabled veterans of World War I and II. Mrs. De n Streeter is chairman of the Aux iliary’s poppy sale committee. The artificial flowers, replicas of the poppies that bloom in France and th» Low Countries where numerous American mil itary battles have been fo”ght, were fashioned by hand at the Veterans’ hocnital at Lincoln. More than 1.500 flowers are ex pected to be sold here. MARRIAGE LTCENSER Harry D. Leas, of Omaha and Bernadine M Venteiche", of Or chard, May 17, 1947. William W. Watson and G^n? va Pribil, both of O’Neill, May 16, 1947. . ... Tommy J. Dunn. ir.. and Alice E. Mohr. bo*h of Atkinson, May 17. 1947 Donald Raymond Rossmeitr, of Lynch, and Betty Jane Chris tensen, of Monowi, May 20, 1947. Here from Boys Town — Gene Wolfe, of Boys Town, spent the weekend here with his wife and infant son, Daniel Eu | gene. -