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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1951)
12 PAGES — 2 SECTIONS North-Nebraska’s Fastest-Growing Newspaper VOLUME 71._NUMBER 1. O'NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY. MAY 10, 1951. PRICEj 7 CENTS 78 Seniors in City's Schools 0 _ A - ■ ■- ■— Whirl o f Activities for O’Neill High Graduates A busy week lies ahead for the 38 members of the graduating class of the O’Neill public school. Rev. Ralph Gerber, pastor of First Presbyterian church of O’ ( Neill, will give the baccaulaur eate address Sunday evening, May 13, at the high school audi torium. Monday, May 14, has been chosen as the night for the an nual class night program, which includes the reading of the class will, the class prophecies, and other entertainment by the grad uates. The public is invited to the program and no admission will be charged. Commencement exercises will be held at 8 p.m., Wednes 1 day. May 16. Dr. L. A. Bur gess, president of the board of education, will present the di plomas. Scholarships will be awarded by Supt. Ira George and Prin. Howard Dean. Grade school graduation will also be held in the auditorium Wednesday evening. Diplomas will be presented by Mr. George, who will also announce the win ners of the “fair and square” a wards. These awards are given each year to the student in each class who is chosen by his class mates to be the “fairest and squarest." Thursday evening, May 17, be ginning at 8 o’clock, in the high school auditorium the band and the mixed chorus will give the last concert of the year. A short f operetta, “The Dizzy Baton,” will be the highlight of the evening. The term-end whirl for the graduating class has included the junior-senior banquet and prom on Wednesday, May 2, and the senior class play, which was pre sented Tuesday evening, May 8. Members of the graduating class are: Leo Babutzke, Arthur C. Benash, Irene Benash, John Brady, Donna J. Crabb, Clifford Dick, Vernyce M. Dye, June Er nst, Robert Fox, Donald Fridley, Dolly Grunke, Barbara Hancock, Lois Harder, Marjorie Huebert, Lois Hull, Opal Huston, Joan Kallhoff, Don Kloppenborg, Alice Knepper, Ted Lind berg, Madeline Meyer, Earl Miller, Ivan McClan ahan, Frank McKenny, Laverna f Nekolite, Richard Nelson, Don Petersen, Dorothy Pinnt, Shirley Rieck, Leonard Ritts, Wayne Schollmeyer, Phyllis Seger, Lean M Serck, Donald Sparks, Mavis Spry, Rosalie Summers, Helen Thomas and Ivan Wayman. The term will officially close Friday, May 18. Lincoln Sowers Coining Today The Sowers club, of the Lin coln Chamber of Cotnmerce, will \ reach O’Neill at 11:50 a.m. today (Thursday). The touring boosters will have treats for the children and other mementos for the men and women. . , , O’Neill’s Municipal band win serenade the Lincoln wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers when they step from their eastbound chartered busses. , The visitors will be served lunch at the American Legion auditorium, dining with members of the O’Neill Chamber. It will be a “Dutch affair ’ and tickets are $1.50 each. The meeting will also serve as the regular month ^meeting of the O’Neill civic b°The Sowers club schedule at other Holt county points ^day includes: Arrival at Stuart. 10_20 i am departure 10:30 a.m., ar rival at Atkinson, 10:55 a.m., de parture 11:15 a.m., arrival at In man 1'40 p.m., departure 1.5U p.m.’; arrival at Ewing, 2:10 p.m., departure 2:25 p.m. — The Omaha Chamber merce goodwill caravan will stop in O’Neill at 2:45 p.m., Saturday, May 19. There will be plenty of candy and balloons. The 100 Omaha businessman wiU be traveling by special train. O’Neill Composer s Selection Aired Mrs. Howard Wallace, wife of an employee of the Force Con > Struction Co., has composed about 30 tunes and written words lor her music. .. “MritH One of these selections, Notn ing Ventured, Nothing Gained, recorded in Hollywood, Cald. was broadcast Wednesday v9 45 a.m., WJAG, 780 kc) on the -Voice of The Frontier” program. Mrs. Wallace’s music is written under her maiden name,.Phylhs Katuska. Her home address is Pomona, Kans., route 2 she be gan composing music at the age of 25, received a certificate of merit from the Haven Press, New York Citv and has been compli merited’for her literary efforta by the Atlantic Monthly. Visit New York— Mr and Mrs. William J. Beha and family arrived late Tuesday from Sioux Falls, S. to visit < relatives for 2 days. The Behas were returning from New Ro chelle, N. Y., Alumni Banquet, May Crowning Next for SMA Seniors Amid traditional ceremonies and social events, 40 St. Mary’s academy seniors will close their high school careers in the next 3 weeks. On May 18 the high school stu dents will present their "Spring Revue,” a program of singing, dancing, and dramatic entertain ment. It will begin at 8 p.m. at the public school auditorium. Members of the senior class will be honored guests at the an nual alumni banquet to be held Sunday evening, May 20. This will be followed by the May crowning ceremony on Tuesday May 22. The coronation will take place in St. Patrick’s Catholic church and the public is invited to attend. On Monday, May 28, the sen iors will present their class night skit, "Memories.'' This program will also be held in the public high school auditor ium and will begin at 8 p.m. Several awards will be pre sented. Commencement exercises will begin at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 29, at St. Patrick’s Catholic church. Rev. Peter Burke, of St. Peter’s Catholic church, Ewing, wiil address the graduates. After the presentation of the diplomas, scholarship winners will be an nounced. (Continued on page 8.) CITY LEASES PARKING AREAS Strategically Located Lots, Lighted and Policed, Will Aid Visitors The city of O’Neill this week completed arrangements for leas ing 2 well-located parking areas. Both areas will be graveled, lighted and policed. These facili ties will help relieve the thorny traffic and parking problem in the city—particularly on Thurs days (livestock sale days) and Saturdays. The largest area lies between the Arbuthnot service station and the American Legion club. The property measures about 50 feet by 180 feet and easily will ac commodate more than 50 cars. - This real estate is owned by the J. B. Ryan estate and is be ing leased for the consideration of tax payments only. The second parking area is lo cated south of the Texaco service station near the corner of Second and Douglas streets. This area is smaller than the Ryan property but is a parking lot centrally-lo cated. The city will lease this ground for only $1 per year. Lt. Baker Heard in Recorded Interview “Voice of The Frontier” listen ers Saturday (9:45 a.m, WJAG, 780 kc) heard a recorded inter view with 1/Lt. John Lee Ba«er, of O’Neill, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Lohaus. By special arrangement with the air force, the “Voice of The Frontier” played-back a 3Va-min ute question-and-answer discus sion between an air force public information officer and Lieuten ant Baker, a jet fighter pilot. Baker has flown more than a hundred missions against the North Korean reds and Chinese reds, including many close-sup port sorties. Baker has been in the Far East theater for a year and a half. He expects to be pro cessed in Japan May 14 and be enroute back to the U.S. by air on May 18 or 20. 130 Attend Mother Daughter Banquet — CHAMBERS — One hundred thirty attended the mother and daughter banquet held Friday evening, May 4, at the Metho dist church parlors It was spon sored by the Women’s Society of Christian Service. Mrs. C. V. Robertson was the toastmaster. The program open ed with a group song, “Our Mother,” followed by a wel come by Mrs. Sarah Adams; “Tribute to Mother,” by Lylas Tangeman; “Tribute to Daugh ters,” by Mrs. E. R. Carpenter; duet, “I’m Wearing a Flower for You,” by Herbetta Hutton and Irma Brown; reading, by Leve na Grimes; talk, by Buelah Grimes; pageant, “Patch Work,” by Mrs. J. W. Wintermote, Con nie Werner, Judy Fagon, Jo ane Daas, and Armenta Gleed. Legion to Talk '51 Celebration— At the regular monthly meet ing of Simonson post 93, of the American Legion, principal item on the agenda will be the 1951 Legion-sponsored celebration. Meeting will begin at 8 o’clock tonight (Thursday). Also to be discussed will be Memorial day observance plans, which will be in charge of Glea H. Wade. HOLT RESIDENT 27 YEARS EXPIRES Edwin A. Walker, Page, Dies at Son’s Home in Norfolk PAGE—Edwin A. Walker, 69. died at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 6, at the home of his son, C. Fred Walker, in Norfolk. He died sud denly. He had been ill 5 months. Funeral services for the late Edwin A. Walker were held on Tuesday, May 8, at 2 p.m. in the Methodist church at Page. Rev. C. E. Wilcox, church pastor, offi ciated. Burial was in the Page cemetery under the direction of Big] in Bros. Pallbearers were Alton Brad dock, Frank Cronk, Jerome Allen, Bernard Allen, Robert Gray, Carl Max, Leonard Miller and Jesse Kelly. The late Mr. Walker was born in Collins, la.. March 20, 1881, a son of John and Mark Walker. When he was 4-years old the family moved to Mid dlebranch. In 1900, he went to Hurdsfield, N. D., to reside. On March 9, 1910, he married Mary E. Neiman at Carrington, N. D. In 1923 the Walker family moved to the Page community from North Dakota. Except for a short period during World War II, when the late Mr. Walker was employed in a defense plant at Wahoo and Los Angeles, Calif., he lived in the Page community continuously until his death. As a young man he was engag ed in farming and at Page was employed in various businesses until retirement in 1950. Mrs. Walker died in January, 1950. He was preceded in death by 3 brothers and 5 sisters. Survivors include: Sons — Cordes, of Page; C. Fred, of Norfolk; John D., of Ewing; daughters—Mrs. Anthony (Beu lah) Craig, of Norfolk; Mrs. James (Carol) McNally, of Den ver, Colo.; brother—Dave Walk er, of Vineland, N. J., and a sis ter, Clara, who lives in Oakland, Ore.; and 13 grandchildren. Singers were Ralph Gray, Ver nie Hunter, Marvin and Dale Stauffer. Mrs. Alton Braddock, Mrs. Ralph Larson and Mrs. Ivan Heiss (Continued on page 8) Henry Werner, Wife Wed Half-Century “Henry Werner and Miss Millie Myers, both of Emmet, were united in marriage at the Meth odist parsonage in this city on Wednesday, Rev. Rominger offi ciating.” This is an excerpt from the files of The Frontier dated May 16, 1901. Tuesday Mr. and Mrs. Werner, who are now residing 5 miles southeast of Atkinson, will cele brate their golden wedding anni versary. A family dinner, to be held Sunday, May 13, will be followed by a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. to which all their friends are invited. Two sons, Harry and Kenneth, of Atkinson, and two daughters, Mrs. Cecil Bogue and Mrs. Lila Snyder, also of Atkinson, will oe present for the festivities. A third son, Wayne, is living at Spen nard, Alaska. Joan Kallhoff Is FFA Queen Miss Joan Kallhoff, high school senior, ruled as queen at the an nual parent and son banquet of the Future Farmers of America, Monday evening, May 7. Clifford Dick was presented , with the DeKalb award as the senior ranking highest in farm- : ing and leadership abilities. James W. Rooney was guest • speaker. Richard Nelson served ( as toastmaster. Arizonan Conducts Sunday Rites — •NORTH OF STUART-Church : services at the Cleveland rural church were conducted Sunday ] morning by Rev. Tab Loats, of | Phoenix, Ariz. He represents i the interdenominational Cook Christain training school for In dians. Mr. Loats showed films of mission work among the Na vajo Indians in Stuart Sunday evening. MAY 19 POPPY DAY Saturday, May 19, will be pop- 1 py day in O’Neill. Mrs. Dean ! Streeter, poppy chairman of the * American Legion auxiliary, Si monson post 93, will be on the streets of O’Neill with her staff of poppy distributors. ‘Grandma Johnson Now 91 AAA ▲ _ HEADS TWO 5•'GENERATION GROUPS . . . Mrs. Mattie John son, a Holt county pioneer, posed on her 91st birthday anniversary with two 5-generation groups. Top photo: Standing—Henry Walt ers and his mother, Mrs. J. Victor (Christine) Johnson (widow of the late William Walters); seated—Mrs. Benny (Lavone) Johring, her son, Freddie, 1, and “Grandma” Johnson. Lower photo: Stand ing—Mrs. Dewayne (Wilma) Anson, Mrs. George (Helen) Nelson, Mrs. J. Victor Johnson; seated—Sharon Kay Anson, 8-months-old, and “Grandma” Johnson. All persona in both pictures reside in the O’Neill community. Besides, Freddie Johring and Sharon Kay Anson, the 91-year-old Holt woman has 8 other great-grandchil dren.—O’Neill Photo Co. 'ormer Amelia Resident Dies AMELIA— Chester Sammons, H, died Monday, May 7, at the Beth-Page home at Axtell, where le had resided about 20 years. Funeral services will be held loday (Thursday) at the Metho iist church in Amelia and burial vill be in the Chambers ceme ;ery. The late Mr. Sammons was jorn September 17, 1910, a son >f the late Mr. and Mrs. Otto iammons. He attended school iere, lived for a time with his mcle, A. E. Sammons, and also [ or a time with a neighbor, Vern , Sageser. Survivors include: Brother—N. r. Sammons, of Chicago, 111.; sis er—Mrs. Morris Nelson, of Min leapolis, Minn. Vorth-Central Press Meet Here May 19-20 The north-central district meet- 1 ng of the Nebraska Press asso :iation will convene in O’Neill Saturday and Sunday, May 19 md 20. Newspapers from 9 counties in he district will be represented n addition to state officers and visitors from nearby counties. Niobrara Basin Meet Here July 17 Annual meeting of the Nio brara Basin Development asso ciation will be held in O’Neill on Tuesday, July 17. At last year’s meeting the O’ Neill Chamber of Commerce ex tended to the association an in vitation to meet in O’Neill in 1951. Dr. E. A. House, of Ainsworth, president of the group and also president of the Nebraska Recla nation association; Verne P. Lin iolm, secretary of the Ainsworth Chamber of Commerce, and Ulyde Burdick, project engineer 'or the bureau of reclamation's Niobrara plans, met last Thui - lay with O’Neill Chamber of Commerce officials, including President D. D. DeBolt and Sec -etary James W. Rooney. Tentative plans include invit ng a high official from the Washington, D. C., bureau of rec lamation to be principal speaker it the banquet in the evening, which will conclude the day’s activities. A formal affair is scheduled several days later in connection with the Big Thompson project jf Colorado and it is possible a group of reclamation officials will fly first to O’Neill and then 3n to Colorado. Tune in! “Voice of The Fron tier,” 9:45 a.m., Mon., Wed., Sat. Holt Pioneer Heads 5 - Generation Group Mrs. Mattie Johnson celebrated her 91st birthday anniversary last Thursday at a party at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. Victor Johnson. There were about 29 guests. Mrs. Johnson, who was born in Denmark, came to America at a bout the age of 20. She was mar ried to Andrew Johnson in Iowa December 28, 1881, at the age of 21. In the spring, they came to Holt county and settled on the farm where Mrs. Johnson still resides. Mrs. Johnson became the mother of 9 children. They are: Mrs. J. Victor (Christine) John son, of O’Neill; Jens Johnson, of Bellingham, Wash.; Andrew, jr., north of O’Neill; Mrs. Esther Harding, of Whiting, la.; Mrs. Anna Harding, of Modesta, Calif., Mrs. Otto (Emma) Claussen, of Inglewood, Calif.; and Mrs. John (Cora) Claussen, who resides on the home place. A daughter, Mrs. Mary Clev enger, of O'Neill, died in 1922 arid another daughter, Minnie Johnson, died at the age of 14 months. Mr. Johnson passed away De cember 22, 1926. Mrs. Johnson has 29 grandchil dren, 50 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren. At the party, 2 angel food cakes baked by Mrs. J. Victor Johnson and Mrs. John Claussen were served with sandwiches, ice cream and coffee. JOHN W. FINCH, SR., ILL 3 DAYS, DIES Funeral Rites Tuesday for Middlebranch Store Proprietor John W. Finch, sr., 68, died a bout 4 p.m. Sunday, May 6, in the O'Neill hospital. The late Mr. Finch became ill Thursday evening, was taken to the hospital Friday evening and died 2 days later. He suffered an internal hemorrhage, caused by stomach ulcers. He was born at Naperville, 111., a son of Ora and Sarah Finch. On September 20, 1905, Ve married Alta Wolfe, of Ce dar r.apids. They farmed for 18 years. Mr. Finch, who formerly lived at Fullerton, purchased the Mid dlebranch store in 1923, and con tinued to operate that rural store until his. death. Survivors include the widpw. Alta Finch; sons—John W., jr., of Orchard, and Clarence, of Venus, daughter — Mrs. Kenneth (Paul ine) Waring, of Page; brothers — Bryan, of Middlebranch; Frank, of Crawford; O. S., of Fullerton; Arthur, of Walterville, Ore; sis ters— Mrs. Irene Smith, of Al bion, and Mrs. Maggie Fish, of Buhl, Ida.; 9 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 8, at Hamilton fu neral home in Orchard at 1 p.m. and at Venus church at 2 p.m. with Rev. Charles Phipps offi ciating. Burial was in Enterprise cemetery. The Strope singers sang “In the Garden” and "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere.’ Mrs. Hester Edmisten, Mrs. Roy Waring, Mrs. Mable Davis and Mrs. Sidney Faulhaber were in charge of the flowers. Pallbearers were Frank Sholes, C. J. Schroth, Don Huston, Vin cent Jackson, Sidney Faulhaber and Glenn Waring. Relatives present from a dis tance were: Mr. and Mrs. Frank Finch, of Crawford; Mr. and Mrs. O. S. Finch, of Fullerton; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Smith, of Al bion; Johnson Caskey and Mr. and Mrs. Dale Caskey and daugh ter, of Rose; Mr. and Mrs. Val i’ichler and Mrs. Lon Pichler, of i Grand Island; Mrs. Clyde Allison, Miss Shirley Rathbun, Mrs. Mearl G.-ek, of Cedar Rapids; Mrs. Ai-.iam Kolm, Mr. and Mrs. Janies Wolfe and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rathbun, of Belgrade, and Maurice Waring, of Omaha. Boys' Town Director Stuart Speaker— STUART— Baccalaureate ser vices will be held in the city auditorium Sunday, May 13, at 8 o’clock. Rev. A. J. Paschang will be the speaker. Rt. Rev. Nicholas Wegner, di rector of Boys’ Town, will deliver the address for commencement exercises which will be held in the city auditorium May 17 at 8 o’clock. WILLIAM GRUTSCH EXPIRES AT LYNCH Prominent O’Neill Farmer in Failing Health Several Years William Grutsch, 65, prominent Holt county resident, died at 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, May 9, at Sa cred Heart hospital in L^ncli where he had been a patient onjy one day. He had been in failing health for several years, dating from a pneumonia attack in 1943. Tawt week he spent several days at the hospital and reentered the hospital early Tuesday. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, March 11. ha St. Patrick's Catholic church and burial will be in Calvary cemetery. George Curran, Francis Curran, Henry Murray, Levi Yantzi and Dave Moler will be pallbearers. The body was removed from the hospital Wednesday after noon and taken to BigUn Bros, funeral home. A rosary will be offered at 9 o’clock tonight at the funeral home. William Grutsch was the youngest spn of the late John and Bndgeit Grutsch, who came to the U.S. from Canada. He was born on the family place 12 miles north of O’Neill, was reared and got his elementary education in a country school in that commun ity. He then spent several year* in Canada where he served on the police force of Stratford, Ontario. On May 15, 1907, he married Miss Celia Morris, of Ontario, Canada. One son, John, was horn in Canada, the family coming to Holt county in the spring of liMUl settling northwest of O’NedL where the late Mr. Grutsch re sided until his death. He was active in Rock Falls township activities. Survivors include: Widow; sons—John and Joe, both of O’ Neill; aaugnters — Mrs. James (Marjory) McNulty, Mrs. Harry (Mane) Lansworth, Mrs. Lyir lueila) Vequist and Mrs. Berruuof (Vera) Pongratz, all of GNed|; 12 grandchildren; brother—John M., of O’Neill; sisters—Mrs. Sid ney (Elizaoeui) Mitchell and Mrs. Maggie ACivcii, of Stratford, Oni, Can. McDonalds Show 1 21 Percent Gain J. M. McDonald Co., midwest department store organization, with 56 units and whose manag er here is Joe Stutz. has published its third annual report to share holders. J. M. McDonald Co. report* that for the fiscal year ended January 31, 1951, sales were ap proximately 21 percent greater than in the previous fiscal year, and the best in the company^ history. Although earnings weir approximately 68 percent in ex cess of a year earlier, they were not the beat annual record be cause of narrowing profit mar gins and ever increasing tax costs. Comparing the sales and earnings for the two years, 1951 1950, the results were as follows: Yr. Ended Yr. Ended Jan. 31. ’51 Jan. 31,50 Net Sales .-.$9,602,473 $7,949,123 Earnings be fore taxes .. 903,360 509,111 Provision for taxes_ 383,181 195,421 Net earnings after taxes _ 520,179 313,740 Earnings per share Com mon Stock 1.62 .98 Dividends pd. per share of Com. Stock .90 .80 Commenting on taxes, in the annual report just distributed ta» the company shareholders, Pres ident J. M. McDonald, jr., said that in the year ended January 31, 1951, taxes required 42.4 per (Continued on page 3) Mayor Turns $100 ‘Salary’ to Hospital « St. Anthony’s hospital build ing fund Tuesday got a $100 boost in the form of a warrant drawn on the city treasury, ac cording to James M. Corkl^ building fund chairman. O’Neill’s Mayor J. E. Davis, who receives a $100-per-year “salary,” endorsed his check and deposited it in the build ing fund account at one of the local banks. The mayor’s ar.d city cotw cilmen’s salary is considered only a token because of the a mount of time consumed func tioning in those jobs.