The Frontier
VOLUME SB—NUMBER 17. OTfEILT, NEBRASKA. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 2. 1948 PRICE 7 CENTS.
"Grandma" Benson ... a recent fall has slowed her. but has
not stopped her. Her dog's name is "Midgie." (See story be
low.)
GRANDMA BENSON
AT 93d MILESTONE
Horn in Ohio, She and
Late Husband Settled
Here in 1883
Still Keen and Active
Mrs. S. J. (“Grandma”) Ben
son, one of Holt county’s old
est residents, celebrated her
93rd birthday anniversary Sat
urday, August 28, when a
birthday supper was held in
her honor at her old home
stead site, situated 15 miles
north and three-fourths of a
mile west of O’Neill.
Close relatives and friends
helped her mark the occasion
quietly.
Mrs. Benson, the former
Alice Purdy, was born in
Toledo, O., a daughter of an
Amreican-born couple. She
was reared and educated in
Ohio and at Iowa City, la.
She and her husband were
married in Illinois and began
housekeeping there.
The Bensons came to Holt i
county and settled on a home-1
stead north of O’Neill in 1883.1
Mr. Benson died in April, 1935,
at the age of 83, after they had ;
survived together the trials of;
pioneer life and had success
fully reared their family.
There are 5 children, all liv-j
ing: C. L. Benson, of Norfolk; j
Mrs. G. J. Hess, of Wayne; j
Della Harrison, of Norfolk; |
Jess, of Owanka, S. D., and
Blake Benson, of O’Neill.
Still keen and active, Mrs.
Benson enjoys “very good |
health,” her relatives say, and i
makes her home with her son,!
Blake. She reads and writes |
well and keeps abreast of the j
times.
A recent fall, which was
capable of hospitalizing a
person many years younger,
has slowed Mrs. Benson, but
has not stopped her. On the
day of her birthday parly she
was getting around with lit
tle assistance from any one
else and without the use of
crutches or a cane.
Those attending the birthday j
supper were: Mr. and Mrs. J.
L. Benson, Della Harrison,
Hugh Benson, Mr. and Mrs.
Ed Thornton, Stanley Benson
and Mrs. and Mrs. Blake Ben
son.
Mrs. Hess was unable to at-1
tend the supper because of ill-1
ness, and C. L. Benson is in j
St. Louis, Mo., visiting a,
daughter.
Rebekahs Sponsor
a Family Night
INMAN — Arbutus Rebekah
lodge met Wednesday evening,
August 25 for a regular meet
ing at the IOOF hall. The
meeting was followed by a
family night with the Theta |
Rho girls as special guests.!
The evening was spent social
ly and lunch was served.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
Percy Merrill Anderson, 22,
O’Neill, and Ilene Marie Sear
les, 20, of O’Neill, August 25.
Leonard Young, 35, of Or
chard, and Mrs. Alice Victor
ia Wecker, 30, of Orchard, on
August 31.
STORE ENTERED
CHAMBERS — Ed Smith’s
store here was entered during
Tuesday night or Wednesday
morning. Some cash was taken
out but the full loss has not
been determined.
Schollmeyer Quits
as a Supervisor
Joseph Schollmeyer, veteran
Holt county farmer and coun
ty official, has resigned hia
post as supervisor because of |
ill health. Mr. Schollmeyer,
who is oyer 80-years-old, ten
dered his resignation as the
board was closing a meeting
here Tuesday, August 24.
Herbert Jansen, a Shields
township farmer, has been ap
pointed to complete the unex
pired term in the Second dis
trict, which is comprised of
Antelope, Iowa, Paddock,
Scott, Shields, Steel Creek and
Willowdale precincts,
Mr. Schollmeyer was not a
candidate in the April prim
ary election. Axel Borg, Re
publican, and George D. Han
sen, Democrat, won the nom
inations.
FRANK TOMJACK
DIES SUDDENLY
Heart Attack Fatal to
Ewing Resident;
Burial Today
EWING—Frank J. Tomjack,
63, well-known resident of the
Ewing community, died sud
denly Sunday night at Spauld
ing. He had suffered a heart
attack and had been ill only 3
hours.
Funeral services will be held
today (Thursday) at 9:30 a. m.
at St. Peter’s Catholic church
at Ewing with Rev. Peter j
Burke, church pastor, officiat
ing. Burial will be at Ew
ing.
The late Mr. Tomjack was
born at Ewing on November
15, 1884, a son of Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Tomjack, who
were natives of Poland.
On October 24, 1914, he mar
ried Lena Torey, at Ewing.
They became the parents of 4
sons and 2 daughters.
Survivors include: Widow:
sons—Frank Tomjack, jr., of i
Ewing; Maurice Tomjack, of
Hawarden, la.; LeRoy Tom
jack, of Baytown, Tex.; Don
ald Tomjack, of O’Neill;
daughters—Mrs. Mildred Star-1
key, of Spaulding, and Miss |
Marcella Tomjack, of Ewing;
brothers — Thomas Tomjack, \
Anton Tomjack and Michael
Tomjack, all of Ewing; sister
—Mrs. Dora Rosno, also of
Ewing.
The pallbearers will be: Leo
Tomjack, Walter Tomjack,
John Rosno, Joseph Rosno,
David Burke and Leo Hawk,
all of Ewing.
Mrs. Hermonie, 72,
Dies in Lincoln
- !
ATKINSON — Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. Elizabeth Herm
onie, 72, were held Wednes- |
day, August 25 at Lincoln.
She died 3 days earlier in St.
Elizabeth’s hospital at Lin
coln. The funeral rites were
held at Ebenezar Congregat
ional church with Rev. Ferdin
and Sotcler officiating. ,
Mrs. Hermonie had made her
home in Lincoln for 41 years.
Survivors include: Sons—Ja
cob, of San Francisco, Calif;
Harry, of Lincoln; daughters—
Mrs. Lelia Reis, of Atkinson,
and Mrs. Rachel Brown, of
Omaha; 14 grandchildren and
17 great-grandchildren.
The late Mr. Hermonie died
on August 10, 1944.
GODEL JOINS LOHAUS
Lloyd M. Godel, a custod
ian at the O’Neill public school
for the past 11 years, has re
signed to work for the Lohaus
Motor Co.
MRS. WINKLER
DIES IN OMAHA
Death Claims Holt Farm
Woman Who Had Been
III for 4 Years
Mrs. Henry Winkler, who
would have been GO-years-old
in October, died Tuesday in
Omaha following a 4-years’ ill
ness. Twice during the past 2
years Mrs. Winkler submit
ted to major surgical opera
tions in an Omaha hospital.
The last operation took place
on February 25. She never re
covered and was bedfast until
her death.
Funeral services will
be held at the Church of the
Epiphany at Emmet on Fri
day morning and burial will
be in Calvary cemetery at
O'Neill. Rev. Joseph Lane
will officiate.
The late Mrs. Winkler, for
merly Tena Lesemann, was
born in Omaha on October 5,
1888. Her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Lesemann, now
deceased, moved their fam
ily to Hooper, then to Lincoln
and in 1911 to Holt county.
Mr. Lesemann was a farmer
and settled 10 miles northwest
of O’Neill.
The Winklers were married
at Hillsboro, N. D., on Octob
er 14, 1914. Mr. Winkler, a
lifelong Holt countyian, farm
ed at Hillsboro lor 3 years
following their marriage. Af
ter returning to O’Neill for 2
years, the Winklers resumed
farming on a place 12 miles
northwest, where they contin
ued to reside.
Survivors include: Widower;
daughter—Mrs. Percy (Dor
othy) Watenpaugh, of Omaha;
2 granddaughters—Donna Jean
and Darlene Watenpaugh, also
of Omaha; sister—Mrs. J. E.
Taylor, of Lincoln. A brother,
William Lesemann, of Billings,
Mont., died 4 months ago.
EXAMINATION SET
There will be a teachers’ ex
amination given today (Thurs
day), August 26, for a tempor
ary certificate for rural schools
according to Elja McCullough,
county superintendent of pub
lic instruction. Candidates
must have either 12 college
hours or normal training and
6 college hours in order to
take the examination. F. B.
Decker, of the state depart
ment, will be in charge.
Ridgeway Rites
Held Wednesday
The body of Pvt. Robert R.
Ridgeway, son of Mr. and Mrs.
I. Ross Ridgeway, of O’Neill,
arrived here early Wednesday
and final interment was made
in Calvary cemetery here fol
lowing brief semi-military rites
at Biglin Brothers funeral
home. Flags in the city were
flying at half-mast.
killed on Leyti on January
13, 1945, while in combat
with the Thirty-second in
fantry division. He was 29
years-old at the time of his
death.
Rt. Rev. J. G. McNamara,
pastor of St. Patrick’s Catholic
church, officiated. Pallbearers
were: John Grutsch, Clyde
McKenzie, William Conard,
Charles Felber, Orville Eppen
bach and William White.
The deceased soldier was
born at Scottville, reared and
educated there. He was single.
Survivors include; Parents;
sisters—Mrs. Daniel Sullivan,
of Grand Island; Miss Margar
et Ridgeway, of Santa Clara,
Calif.; brothers—Wilfred and
Charles, both of O’Neill; Jos
eph, of North Platte, and Don
ald, of Tacoma, Wash.
2 Chambers Families
Move into New Homes
CHAMBERS — Mr. and Mrs.
Mer^e Fagon and family are
moving into their new home
this week.
Mr. and Mrs. William Thom
son and family have also com
pleted their home and will
move into it this week. The
homes are both located in the
east part of Chambers.
Wallers Enterlain —
Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Waller
attended a family reunion at
3t. Edward on Sunday, August
22. Mr. Waller’s mother, Mrs.
Margaret Waller, returned with
them for a week’s visit. Don
ald Waller arrived Wednesday,
August 25, to spend the rest of
the week at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. W. W. Waller. He
left for his home in Sioux City
an Sunday. Mrs. Margaret
Waller returned with him.
Missing Cearns
Youth Is Found
ATKINSON—Freddie Cearns,
j 15-year-old Atkinson farm
! youth, who disappeared from
the Joe Hendricks farm home
on Tuesday, August 24 has
been found.
He had located a job at Bel
vadcre, S. D. On Sunday, Aug
ust 29, an appeal from the
youth’s parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Roy Cearns, was broadcast
over radio station WNAX,
Yankton, S. D. The boy’s new
found employer recognized the
boy and ordered him to step
to the telephone and call his
parents.
Irwin Parsons took the par
ents to Belvadere.
ANXIOUS EYES
WATCHING CORN
Prolonged Heat Brings
Downward Revision
in Yield Estimates
Hay 75% Put Up
In this hay country, where
the crop is usually put up and
forgotten by September first,
the 1948 haying is lagging sev
eral weeks behind schedule.
The last week of August saw
only about 75 percent of the
crop put up, and the crop this
year rates only about two
thirds of normal.
Meanwhile, anxious eyes
have been watching the corn.
Prospects continue good—ex
ceptionally good for Holt coun
ty—but prolonged heat during
the last half of August forc
! ed downward revisions in
! yield estimates.
Most of the late corn that
wasn't laid by when the in
tense August heat moved in
is suffering worst, accord
ing to Holt County Agent A.
Neil Dawes.
“Holt corn is withstanding
the heat well,” Daw^ explain
ed, “and many farmers antici
pate record yields despite the
unusual growing season.”
Pastures are in good con
i dition, most observers report,
but rainfall is needed.
Many farmers have already
cut two crops of alfalfa where
it was decided not to let the
first stand go to seed.
Heavy shipments of cattle
this week have been headed to
market as producers hastened
to take advantage of the high
prices. This flow of stock has
; been in evidence here.
The week’s weather sum
mary:
Date Hi Lo Moist
August 26 95 63
August 27 88 62 tr.
August 28 87 62
August 29 95 69
August 30 101 61
August 31 92 66
September 1 97 60
JOHN C. KELLY
FUNERALTODAY
Retired O’Neill Farmer
Came to Holt from
Michigan in 1875
A Holt county resident for
71 years, John C. Kelly, 73, ,
died Monday at 11 a. m. at his
home here.
He had suffered a lingering
illness for a number of years, !
but had been seriously ill only
3 weeks.
Funeral services will be held
today (Thursday) at St. Pat- i
rick’s Catholic church at 10 a.
m. and burial will be in Cal
vary cemetery.
The body was taken from
the Biglin Brothers funeral
home to the Kelly residence at
3 p. m. Wednesday. A rosary
service was to have been held
Wednesday evening at the Kel
ly home.
The late Mr. Kelly was
born August 12, 1873, at
Calumet, Mich., a son of the
late Con J. and Hannah Kel
ly, who were among the
earliest settlers in the O'
Neill community, homestead
ing 3 miles northeast of
here.
Following the death of his
parents, Mr. Kelly carried on
at the family place.
Survivors include a sister,
Miss Mary A. Kelly, also of
O’Neill. The brother and sis
ter had made their home to
gether for many years.
Pallbearers are: D. N. Mur
phy, Bartholomew Murphy, i
Tim Harrington, Patrick Sul- j
livan, H. E. Coyne, Francis
Sullivan, Edward Hanley and
Harry Jolley. Honorary pall
bearers are: William Hanley,
Laurence Barret, Philip Har-<
rington, D. F. Murphy and
Charles Fleming.
300 to 400 Attend
Knights’ Picnic Sunday
Charles Carroll of Carroll
ton council of the Knights of
Columbus held a picnic at the
Frank Deiterman ranch, Sun
day, August 29. The picnic
vwes held in a huge grove of
trees and was reported as the
coolest spot in the vicinity.
Footraces and sackraces were
held for the girls, boys and
men. Everyone brought a bas
ket lunch.
Later in the day, fee cream
and pop were served to the
children.
Between 300 and 400 people
from O’Neill, Atkinson, Emmet,
and Stuart attended.
The picnic turned out so
well that plans are being made
to make it an annual affair.
INMAN FARM SELLS
FOR $50.25 AN ACRE
The E. H. Smith quarter sec
tion of land, located 4 miles
west of Inman, sold at auction j
Wednesday afternoon to Fran
cis Musil, of O’Neill, for $50.- j
25 per acre, a total considera- !
tion of $8,040. Ernie Weller, of |
Atkinson, was the auctioneer.
The Frontier’s
Jack and Jill
CORNER
— -
DOGS IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES . . . Folks, these young
men are Johnny Ray Schmidt (left) and David Michael Gras
mick. Johnny, the 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J.
Schmidt, of Atkinson, has dark brown eyes and medium brown
hair. He loves to play with his dog, “Shep,” and is fond of
riding on the tractor with his Pop. David is 14-mc>nt’v-old,
weighs 25 pound He is a happy little fellow and 1 kes to play
and romp with his father. David has a female cocker spaniel
he loves to feed bits from his high chair. This, of course, pleas
es the dog, too During idle moments he plays with her big
ears. David is .supremely happy with a graham cracker in his
hand. Come bedtime, David is not content without his teddy
bear. David is the son of Mr and Mrs. Sam Grasmick. of O’
Neill—O’Neill Photo Co.
JOHNNY RAY SCHMIDT DAVID MICHAEL GRASMICK
Youth Fractures
Neck in Diving
Herbert Longfellow, 19
. . . little hope is held for
his recovery.
(See story at right.)
CHAMBERS MAN
FIRST REGISTRANT
Troxel E. Green, Family
Man and World War II
Vet, First to Sign
The first Holt county man
to register under the 1948
peacetime draft law was Troxel
E. Green, of Chambers, a 25
year-old veteran of World War
II
A married man and a father,
Green reported at the selective
service office on the second
floor of the First National
bank building shortly after the
doors opened Monday morn
ing.
Fifty-nine other 25-year
olds registered the first day,
according to Mrs. W. H.
Harty, a Gold Star mother
who has been appointed
clerk. Sixty-seven register
ed the second day—Tuesday.
Most of the early registrants
are veterans, Mrs. Harty
said.
Assisting with the early
“rush" of registrants on the
first day were Mrs. James
Harty and Mrs. Fay Robeson
Jhe clerical work
were Mrs. Ma
bel McKenna, who was clerk
for the wartime draft board,
and Jack Harty.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Guy
N. Henninger, of Lincoln, head
of the state selective service
system, has not formally an
nounced the names of the new
draft board rnembers.
All men being registered
Monday were born between
August 30, 1922, and January
1, 1923. Tuesday and Wednes
day all men born in 1923 were j
registered.
95 Boarding Pupils
at (he Academy
—
j
Classes were in full swing
Wednesday at St. Mary’s arad
e m y following registration
Monday and Tuesday for high
school pupils and half-day
classes for grade school pup
ils.
Mother Superior M. Boniface,
formerly of the St. Francis mis
sion at St. Francis, S. D., is
the new head of the academy, j
One hundred and ninety
pupils were enrolled in the
grade school; 167 in high
school. These include 95
boarders—a capacity num
ber. The boarders come
from 5 states — Colorado,
Wyoming. Iowa. South Da
kota and Nebraska.
O’Neill public school classes
begin Tuesday, September 7.
Both schools will be idle La
bor day—a national holiday.
Supt. Ira George, of the pub
lic school, said Tuesday that
Miss Nita Bellinger, of Arca
dia, a recent University of
Nebraska graduate, has been
signed as home economics in
structor, filling a vacancy. A
teaching vacancy still exists
in the vocational agriculture
department.
Football Coach Marvin Mil
ler issued the first call to grid- I
ders Monday. Thirty-two can
didates reported.
Coloradoians Here _
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Lane,
of Colorado Springs, Colo., are
spending the week visiting Mr.
and Mrs. Ned Allendorfer. Mr.
Lane is a brother of Mrs. Al
lendorfer. They plan to re
turn home Saturday, Sept 4.
Herbert Longfellow, 19,
an Ohio Tourist, Injured
Critically
Flown Back to Ohio
A western vacation trip for
3 Greenville, O., farm youths
ended abruptly late Sunday
when they stopped-off for a
swim in the Elkhorn river near
the junction of highways 20
and 275, southeast of Inman.
Herbert Longfellow, 19,
suffered a fractured neck as
a result of a dive into wa
ter less than 3 feet deep.
For 2 Yi days he lay in crit
ical condition in the O'Neill
hospital, and at 2 p. m. Wed
nesday he was transferred
to an air ambulance and
flown to Dayton, O.
Herbert’s companions were
Kenneth McClure, 19, and
Wayne Arnold, 23. They had
departed from their farm
homes, in the Dayton vicinity,
at noon Saturday, and were
enroute to Yellowstone na
tional park via the White
Horse Ranch in B6yd county.
They had planned to reach
the ranch Sunday evening and
upon crossing the Elkhorn
they decided to take time for
a plunge.
Longfellow had been a life- • *
guard at a Greenville pool for
2 seasons and this Summer had
served as a part-time guard.
He was with Arnold when
he made the dive. Arnold said
Herbert was completely par
alyzed from the neck down
from the moment he entered
the water.
His companions related that
Herbert knew the water was
only 3 feet deep and was in
tending to “dive shallow.”
Arnold remained with the
injured youth while McClure
went to find a doctor. Unfam
iliar with the towns, he first
went to Ewing, found no doc
tor there, retraced back to
Page and found no medical
assistance there. Later Dr. O.
W. French was summoned
from O’Neill. Nearly an hour
elapsed before help arrived,
McClure said.
Hospital attendants held
little hope for youth's sur
vival, and Wednesday his
condition remained unchang
ed. He never lost conscious
ness.
His father, Alva Longfel
low. was advised of the acci
dent by long distance tele
phone. It was exactly 4 years
ago when the youth’s mother
died.
The father, a sister, Mar
lene, and her husband, John
DeWeese, and Harry McClure,
father of the McClure youth,
arrived in O’Neill early Tues
day.
An air ambulance was sum
moned from Lincoln. The in
jured youth was attended on
the flight by a registered nurse.
56th Annual Holt
County Fair Opens
CHAMBERS—All roads lead
to Chambers this weekend,
Wednesday through Saturday,
September 1-4, as the 56th an
nual Holt county fair and ro
deo is held here. Fair offic
ials early Wednesday reassur
ed Holt countyans that the
1948 exposition would be the
biggest and best in history.
Playoff Series
Is Arranged
Arrangaments were complet
ed Wednesday for a 2-out-of-3
game playoff series between
the O’Neill and Atkinson en
tries in the Holt county base
ball league. They are respec
tive champions of the first
and second-half of the split
season.
The initial rub contest will
be staged Sunday, September
5, at 2:30 p. m. at Atkinson.
The second contest will be
played under the lights in Car
ney park at O’Neill on Wed
nesday, September 8.
If a third game is required,
it will be played under the O'
Neill lights on the following
Sunday, September 12.
Final standings in the sec
ond-half follow:
W L Pet
Atkinson _5 1 .834
O’NEILL_ 4 2 .667
Page - 3 2 .600
Ewing _ 3 2 .600
Stuart _ 1 4 .200
Chambers _ 0 5 .000
Results Sunday. August 29t
Atkinson 5 . . at O'NEILL 4