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North-Central Nebraska’s BIG Newspaper
* 4 j*"-"" ■
Volume 72.—Number 18. O’Neill, Nebr., Thursday, September 4, 1952. Seven C t
St. Anthony’s Will
Open September 24
Pierson, Young
Win State Laurels
O’Neill 4-H’ers Win
Top Purple
Two Holt county 4-H club girls
won purple ribbons late Tuesday
at the Nebraska state fair with a
rag rug demonstration. The pur
ple winners are Doris Pierson,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. M.
Pierson of O’Neill, and Alice
Young, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Young, also of O’NeilL
They were judged the top
purples in homemaking in the
state. Today (Thursday) they
are to compete with other pur
ples in clothing, food and health
demonstrations for an all - ex
pense club congress trip to Chi
cago, 111., in November.
Miss Pierson and Miss Young
participated in a purple award
review Wednesday evening at
7:30 at the fair in Lincoln.
Meanwhile, six Holt youths
received blue awards during
Monday’s and Tuesday’s compe
tition. *Donald Hickman of At
kinson won a blue on a chain
halter; Joellyn Backhaus of
O'Neill, on yard beautification.
Demaris Wefso of Atkinson, on
salad making, and Kay Dvorak
of Atkinson, on a first aid dem
onstration entitled, a pair of
burns; Jeanene Backhaus of
O’Neill, yard beautification; Kar
en Garwood of Amelia, music
identification.
The Holt group won a red in
music: Jacqueline Taggart,
Chambers, red in star revue;
Raymond Wagman, Atkinson,
red, tractor driving contest.
A Bovd countv clo+hing team
in the homemaking division won
a purple. Members of the team
are Shirley Seiler of Spencer
and Anita Nelson of Bristow.
Holt Ranks 24th
in Cattle Values
Cherry county, (Nebraska, was
second only to Los Angeles coun
ty, California, in total value of
livestock in 1950, the census
bureau has reported. Holt county
ranked 24th in the nation.
The value of all major classi
fications of livestock in Cherry
county when the 1950 census was
taken was 31.1 million dollars.
In Los Angeles county it was
34.4 millions.
Several other Nebraska coun
ties scored in the list of the top
one hundred livestock counties in
the United States.
Custer, with a valuation of 18.7
millions, was 16th.
Holt’s valuation was 17.3 mil
lions.
Lincoln county, 14.6 millions,
o was 37th.
a Sheridan county, 12.9 millions
in livestock valuation, was 70th.
Cuming, 11.4 millions, was 98th.
The value of livestock on all
American farms in 1950 was Sll
OO?,311,836. The report includes
cattle and calves, sheep, horses,
mules and dhickens
Chambers Couple
Wed 45 Years
CHAMBERS—Mr. and Mrs.
Jake Hoerle celebrated their
45th wedding anniversary with
an open-house Sunday afternoon
and evening in the Lutheran
church basement. Beeween 75
and one hundred persons at
tended.
The event was sponsored by
their sons, daughter and daugh
o ters-in-law Mr. and Mrs.
Hoerle received many gifts, a
large number of cards, also a tele
gram from Pastor L. A. Dale and
family of Pratt, Kans. Mr. and
Mrs. Otto Dargatz and family of
Detroit, Mich., telephoned.
The Hoerle’s son and family
called from Seattle, Wash., and
the visit lasted for 15 minutes.
Mrs. Mary Stoll of Lance
Creek, Wyo., and Mrs. Willie
Schlecht of Clearwater were
present at the wedding 45 years
ago.
Out-of-town guests were from
Elgin, Clearwater, Orchard, At
kinson, Amelia, Maywood, Calif.,
Lance Creek, Wyo., and Minne
sota.
Ressel Again Holt
P M A Chairman
Returns of the Holt county
PMA committee election held on
Friday at the courthouse annex
in O’Neill show that Harry E. Res
sel of O’Neill was elected chair
man; Fred R. Mark of Atkinson,
vice-chairman, and A1 J. Sauser
of O’Neill, third member. Homer
J. Ernst of O’Neill and Vern Sa
geser of Amelia were elected al
ternates.
All of the committeemen are
farmers. They took office Sep
tember 1 and will be responsible
for the county administration of
the agricultural conservation pro
gram, price support activities and
other activities which may be as
signed.
In the coming year they will ar
range for the training of com
munity committeemen, direct the
farm-by-farm contacts which
community committeemen will
make, and have responsibility for
approval of conservation prac
tices carried out on Holt county
farms.
Mr, and Mrs. Herbert Kaiser
and children returned Monday
from a five-day trip which took
them to Ft. Randall dam and the
Black Hills. S.D., and to Casper,
Wyo., where they visited Mr.
Kaiser’s mother, Mrs. Sadie Kai
ser. and his sisters and their
husbands, Mr. and Mrs. Trea
mon Stevens and Mr. and Mrs
Ross Bowers, and their families.
Mrs. J. V. Towle spent Tuesday
in Aurora on business.
\
The opening of the new half
million dollar St. Anthony’s hos
pital will be Wednesday, Septem
ber 24.
These were the words spoken
Wednesday by James M. Corkle,
who has been chairman of the
building committee.
Hosptal committee and officials
have been discussing the pos
sibilty of conducting the dedica
tion on a Sunday.
Concrete driveways and park
ways have been completed and
this week workmen are building
winding sidewalks through the
hospital park and grounds.
It was not decided late Wednes
day whether patients will be ad
mitted into the hospital before
the dedication. Corkle explained,
however, that the Sisters of St.
Francis, who will own and oper
ate the hospital, are “virtually
ready for the opening now.”
5 Will Be Inducted
on September 10th
Five Holt county selective ser
vice registrants will be inducted
on Wednesday, September 10, it
was announced this week by
Mrs. W. H. Harty, chief clerk of
the Holt county selective sendee
hoard.
They are:
William B. Miller, Bernard E.
Weichman and James S. White,
all of Atkinson; David A. Weyh
"ich of Ewing and Gerald R
Grimes of Chambers.
Meanwhile, seven registrants
are being ordered to report on
Monday, September 8, for pre
induction examinations.
They are:
Buddy Miles of Dorsey, Rich
ard L. McDonald of Ewing, Glen
J. Tuttle of Ewing, Roland L.
Shald of Stuart, Arnold L. Dal
legge of Bartlett, Harry E. Gra
ham of O’Neill and Donald J.
Harding of O’Neill.
Earl Tomsick, 67,
Rites at Atkinson
ATKIfNSON—Funeral rites for
the late Emil Tomsik, 67, who
spent nearly all of his life in this
community, were conducted by
Rev. E. G. Hughes at the Meth
odist church in Atkinson at 2
o’clock Friday, August 29.
Mr. Tomsik, who had been in
ill health for 14 months, died
Tuesday, August 26, at his home
two blocks east of the Methodist
church in Atkinson.
Born March 30, 1885 on a farm
west of Atkinson, he was the
son of John K. and Anna Laitner
Tomsik. Except for one year,
1913, when he went to Bonesteel,
S. D., and operated a butcher
shop in partnership with his
brother-in-law, Ben Hess, his
entire life was spent on farms in
the vicinity of Atkinson.
Mr. Tomsik was married to
Bessie L. Matousek at O’Neill on
December 15, 1932. They recent
ly sold their farm north of Atkin
son to Charles Deermer and
moved to town.
Survivors include his wife;
half sisters Julia Hess, Verdigre;
Rose Judy, Omaha; Ann Tomsik,
Verdigre; Mary Runnyon, Lin
coln; Barbara Jones, Omaha;
Christina Tomsik, Washington,
D.C. and a half brother, Joe Tom
sik, Lincoln.
Wilbur Brown Will
Be Delegate —
INMAN — Arbutus Rebekah
Lodge met in regular session at
the IOOF hall Wednesday eve
ning, August 27. Mrs. Lucile Hut
ton. noble grand, was in charge.
Mrs. Ellen Brown was elected
as a delegate to the Rebekah
assembly to be held in North
Platte in October.
At their meeting on Tuesday
night the Odd Fellows elected
Wilbur Brown as their delegate
to grand lodge.
Carolinians Here—
Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Chambers
and son of Columbia, S.C., spent
the weekend with Mr. and Mrs.
H. E. Asher and family and C. E.
Chambers. Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Asher of Valentine were also
guests at the H. E. Asher home
during the week.
To Stale Fair—
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Young at
tended the state fair at Lincoln
on Wednesday. Their daughter,
Alice, and Doris Pierson gave
4-H demonstration that evening.
They had entered the state com
petition as Holt county winners.
l*r
HARTY TO CHEYENNE . . .
A/3c Thomas Harty, son of Mrs.
P. B. Harty and the late Mr.
Harty, spent the labor day
weekend in O’Neill with his
mother and other relatives. He
was met at Grand Island by
Mrs. Harty and her brother,
Julius D. Cronin. Airman Har
ty recently was transferred
from San Antonio, Tex., to Ft.
Warren, near Cheyenne, Wyo.,
where he is entered in an air
force supply school.
R. B. Crellin,
Ex-Editor,
Dies at 66
Former Owner Ewing
Advocate Long 111;
Masonic Burial Rite
EWING—R. B. Crellin, 66, re
tired publisher of the Ewing Ad
vocate, died Saturday evening at
his home in Ewing. He had suf
fered a lingering illness and had
spent considerable time during
the past year and a half in hos
pitals.
Funeral services were con
ducted Tuesday afternoon at the
Ewing Methodist church with
Rev. Charles C. Chappell offi
ciating. The members of Sanders
American Legion post 214, Ma
sonic lodge and the Order of
Eastern Star, Ewing, attended
in a body.
Mrs. Harriet Welke and Mrs.
Vera Anson sang “Asleep in Je
sus,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul”
and “Abide with Me,” acom
panied by Mrs. Wilbur Spangler
at the piano. Elmer Bergstrom
and Everett Ruby acted as ushers.
Pallbearers were Wilbur Ben
net, Leonard Hill, James Pruden,
jr., all of Ewing. William Sim
mons and William Howells, both
of Page, and D. K. Fudge of
Newman Grove. Burial was in
the Ewing cemetery with Ma
sonic rites.
Mr. Cre.lin retired from ac
tive business in September,
1951, due to ill health.
Even after entering retirement,
however, he assisted his succes
sor, Miss Thelma Drayton, and
he also assisted M. H. Snider of
the Clearwater Record.
It was in April, 1952 that his
condition grew worse and no
hope was held for his recovery.
Raymond Blaine Crellin, son
of Daniel and Martha Crellin,
was born December 8, 1886, at
Lyons. He spent the greater
part of his life in Ewing. For 31
years, he was publisher of the
Ewing Advocate. Always active
in affairs of the community, he
served a number of years on the
village board, board of educa
tion and commercial club. During
World War I he enlisted in the
navy, serving two years. As a
member of the American Legion,
he held various offices in the Ew
ing post.
Mr. Crellin was a member of
the Ewing Methodist church for
almost 30 years having served a
number of those years as trustee
and chairman of the official
board.
He was past master of Pytho
gous lodge, AF&AM, also past
patron of Jephthah chapter 86
and a member of the Scottish rite
order.
On September 14, 1921, he was
united in marriage to Miss Alice
Stainton of Omaha, formerly of
Lincolnshire, England. One
daughter, Martha Joyce, was
bom to them.
In a brief eulogy Reverend
Chappell described the late Mr.
Crellin as "a man who loved
his church, his family, his
community and his work.
“He lived, as few men do, to
see how much he could give to
his community, not how much
he could take from it.
“He was one of the ablest lead
ers of the Methodist church,” the
pastor continued.
The scripture was taken from
the XV chapter of I Corinthians
and the funeral sermon dwelt on
suffering.
The church was filled to ca
pacity and there were numerous
floral tributes. District Judge
Lyle Jackson of Neligh was in
charge of the Masonic portion of
the rite.
Survivors include: Widow —
Alice; daughter—Martha Crellin
Rickard; grandson—Randall Rick
kard of Rockford, Wash.; sisters
—Mrs. Mary Kennard of South
Pasadena, Calif.; Mrs. Olive Web
ster of Cozad; Mrs. Gene Kellar
of North Hollywood, Calif.; Mrs.
Warren Davee of West Point;
Mrs. Dewitt Mason and Mrs.
Gretel Haul both of Los Angeles,
Calif.; brother—George Crellin,
also of Los Angeles.
His parents and one grandson
preceded him in death.
Class to Meet
September 6—
History (after 1865) will meet
for the first time September 6 at
9 o’clock, according to Miss Alice
French, Holt county superin
tendent of public instruction.
Visual aids for teaching has
been scheduled for September
13. This off-campus course comes
from the Universitv of Nebras
ka, Miss French added.
RAMSAY IN ATKINSON
ATKINSON — Dr. James E.
Ramsay and his family have
moved to Atkinson and are mak
ing their home in the Robert H.
Clifford residence in the north
east part of town. The doctor
has opened his office in the
downtown building until recent
ly occupied by the Freeman
\hatchery and farm supply store.
The Ramsays moved here from
Stuart, where Dr. Ramsay had
been practicing medicine and
surgery the past year and a half.
Try Frontier want ads for
quick results!
R. B. Crellin. World War I veteran ... he guided The
Advocate 31 years—The Frontier Photo
The casket is borne from the Ewing Methodist church ... it
was a Masonic burial rite.—The Frontier Photo.
’52 Holt Fair
Attendance Up
Amelia Cowboy Hurt
in Spill
(Livestock results on page 3}
CHAMBERS— Attendance at
the 1952 Holt county fair and
rodeo, which drew to a close
here late Friday, was substantial
ly up over the year before, it
was announced by Fair Presi
dent Vern Sageser of Amelia.
The increase was noted in
spite of cloudy skies which |
threatened to dampen the festiv- i
ities the final two days—Thurs
day and Friday. These days tra
ditionally are reserved for enter
tainment.
Henry Wood of Ewing, super
intendent of the livestock divi
sion of the fair, declared the
livestock entries were the best
ever. Mr. Wood, a veteran stock
man and fair official, said the
cattle competition in both 4-H
club and open-class divisions
was “extremely keen.”
An accident marred the
Thursday afternoon rodeo per
formance. Edward Coolidge,
28, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Coolidge of Amelia, was in
jured when he fell from a wild
bronco after it roared out of
the chute.
He was not trampled but the
spill caused a severe head con
cussion. Unconscious, he was
taken by ambulance to O’Neill
hospital. No bones were broken.
He was released from the hospi- '
tal Wednesday.
The grandstand and bleachers
were filled both Thursday and
Fridajr afternoons and most spec
tators were generous in their
testimony in behalf of the rodeo
performers.
In Thursday’s baseball game,
Chambers blasted O’Neill, 6-2.
On Friday, the Clearwater crew
rapped the North-Central league
all-stars, 6-2.
Bobby Grego walked off with
the most money in rodeo compe
tition.
Entertain Sunday_
Sunday dinner guests in the H.
E. Asher home were Mr. and Mrs.
L. R. Chambers and son of Co
lumbia, S.C., Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Asher and Mr. and Mrs. M. E.
Asher and family of Valentine
and Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Chambers
and family of Ringsted, la.
To Atkinson—
Neil Harshfield moved their
household goods to Atkinson on
Monday where Mrs. Harshfield
and family will reside until Mr.
Harshfield can locate a residence
in Blair.
70 Boarding Pupils
Enroll at Academy
Seventy boarding pupils rep
resenting several states have en
rolled at St. Mary’s academy for
the 1952-’53 term, it was an
nounced by Sister M. Antonella,
principal.
Grade school enrollment is
226; high school, 158, totaling
384.
Enrollment by grades:
Kindergarten, 33; first, 27; sec
ond, 19; third, 21; fourth, 20;
fifth, 32; sixth, 17; seventh, 25;
eighth, 32; ninth, 53; 10th, 35;
11th, 37; 12th, 33.
September 30
‘Pancake Day
Tuesday, September 30, has
been designated by the Chamber
of Commerce as pancake day in
O’Neill.
The Chamber has arranged for
several tents to be erected in the
heart of the business district and
pancakes with trimmin’s will be
served free to all comers.
O’Neill merchants are planning
a host of pancake day bargains
in connection with the event, Sec
retary Laurence Haynes said.
Boyles Return from
Western Trip —
Mr. and Mrs. James Boyle, Pa
:ricia and Gaylon have arrived
lome after spending a week in
the Black Hills and Yellowstone
oark. They were accompanied by
mother daughter, Mrs. Robert
rrowbridge and two small sons of
Omaha, on their vacation trip,
which took them to Moorcroft,
Wyo. There they were guests of
the Jack Wolfe and Mrs. Char
lie Slattery families.
From there they went to the
Black Hills and also to Yellow
stone.
BUYS TAVERN
Don Lowery of O’Neill recent
ly purchased from Ben Oetter,
formerly of O’Neill, a beer tavern
in Butte. Mrs. Lowery, who has
been employed several years at
the Holt county judge’s office,
resigned Saturday.
Dr. Irwin Gallagher of St.
Louis, Mo., arrived Wednesday
evening and were overnight
guests of his nieces, the Misses
Hiyuda and Helen Gallagher,
nroute west to do some troutlvl
The men were enroute west to
do some trout fishing.
Mrs. Minnie Hoppens and son,
Raymond, and wife of Harvard
and Mrs. Tillie Hoppens o? Clay
Center were August 23 and 24
weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Fox.
Oil Drillers
Start Work
Near Page
Twibell to Make Try
on Neil Asher Farm;
Will Bore 3,750 Ft.
Four truck loads of drilling
equipment has been unloaded on
the Neil Asher farm IV4 miles
north and 3 miles east of Page.
The lease is owned and operated
by Lloyd J. Twibell and assoc
iates.
A contract has been let to the
Stearns Drilling company of Rus
sell, Kans. The contract calls
for a total depth of 3,750 feet;
unless oil or gas is found in com
mercial quantities at a lesser
depth; or unless granite or some
other unpenetrable substance is
encountered at a lesser depth,
Mr. Twibel said.
500 Pupils Register .
at Public School
Nelson reported
Wednesday that 500 pupils were
registered for the 1952-’53 term,
which began this week at the
O Neill public school. This in
cludes 324 grade school pupils,
170 high school pupils and six
others who are attending the
state fair.
The public school plant has
been extensively redecorated and
cleaned during the summer
months.
New playground equipment
has been installed, including
two sets of multiple swings, two
jungle gy~ns and one merrvgo
round.
Wednesday’s enrollment fig
ures by classes follow;
Kindergarten, 42; first, 35;
second, 30; third, 33; fourth, 39;
fifth, 36; sixth, 39; seventh, 33;
eighth, 27; special room, 10;
ninth, 54; 10th, 41; 11th, 36; 12th,
39—total 494.
Car Sides wiped;
Arm Is Amputated
Charles Russell, 36, of Page,
lost an arm late Thursday aft
ernoon on U. S. Highway 275 two
miles west of Clearwater in what
appears to be a hit-and-run acci
dent, Lt. Harry Brt of the state
patrol reported.
Russell is in a Norfolk hos
pital, where the arm was ampu
tated. His condition is de
scribed as good.
Russell was found by passing
motorists sitting on the highway
in a dazed condition and unable
to tell what happened.
There are some indications that
a truck may have sideswept Rus
sell’s car. Three men who reached
Russell said they didn’t see the
accident, but saw two trucks near
the scene of the mishap.
Patrolman R. R. Shorney of
Ainsworth investigated the acci
dent. The patrol plans later to
question Russell to see if he can
recall what happened.
Man Without License
Figures in Mishap—
Two accidents were reported
over the labor day weekend.
On Monday, September 1, on
US. highway 20, \Vz milss east
of Stuart, a truck driven by Leo
E. Masters of Wood Lake side
swiped a Chevrolet pickup driv
en by E. A. Biltoft of Bassett.
Neither driver was injured. Ed
Luhct, also of Wood Lake, was
a passenger in the Masters truck.
He was not injured. Damage to
both vehicles was slight.
Another accident happened
Tuesday, September 2, at the
bridge south of Atkinson on
state highway 11. Clare A. Rine
hart of Cozad, who had left Co
zad at 9 p.m. and had been driv
ing continuously with the excep
tion of a half-hour’s rest at Sar
gent, struck loose gravel and hit
the bridge at 4:30 a.m. He re
ceived minor injuries to liga
ments in the right rib section.
Mr. Rinehart’s driver’s license
had been suspended in August,
1951. for reckless driving and had
not been reinstated.
Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Layh
and son, Ricky, of Hartington
were weekend guests of Mr.
Layh’s parents, Mr. and Mrs.
George Layh, and Velma. Mon
day visitors were Mr. and Mrs.
George Layh, jr., of Burlington,
Colo. They had visited on Sun
day in Ainsworth with Mrs.
Layh’s parents and attended her
brother’s wedding. Their daugh
ter, Lynn, "who had spent *he
past month with her grandpar
ents, returned home with them.
III—W. j
Harold S. Leise . . . died
instantly.
★ ★ ★
Lightning Victim
Buried Here Friday
Harold Leise Bom in
Colorado
Funeral services for Harold S.
I^ise, 48-year-old north-H|)lt
county farmer, who was killed
instantly Wednesday afternoon,
August 27. when struck by a bolt
of lightning, were held Friday,
August 29, at the Methodist
church. Rev. John Thomas,
Church of Christ pastor, officiated
and burial was in the Prospect
Hill cemetery.
Rev. A. C. Utterback of Clear
water assisted. Miss Shirley Joh
ring sang two solos accompanied
by Mrs. Howard Manson. at the
organ.
Harold Seymour Leise,
voungest child of Grant and
Anna Usher Leise, was born
at Sterling, Colo., on January
1, 1904. When he was 2-years
old his mother died. He was
reared by hit aunt* Mrs. Claia
Johnson, at Blenooe. Ia.
When he was 11-years-old he
joined his father, brother and
sister on a farm near Ewing. His
elementary schooling was re
ceived in Iowa and Nebraska.
On April 4, 1929. he was mar
ried to Miss Pauline Eppenbach
of O’Neill. The marriage took
place at Inman. The first six
years of their married life v/as
spent in the Deloit community
south of Ewing.
In 1935, Mr. and Mrs Leise
moved onto a ranch north of
O’Neill. On July 18, 1946, he
joined the Church of Christ.
He was preceded in death by
his mother and father.
Survivors include: Widow —
Pauline; sister — Mrs. Eula Ep
Denbach of Ewing; brother —
Charles of Palatine, 111.
Pallbearers at the rites were
Howard Manson, Donald Johring,
Ben Johring, Norris George,
Bennett Sanders, Estel Thomas,
PhilliD Allendorfer and Carl
Widtfeldt. Those in charge of
floral tributes were Mrs. Harrv
Lansworth and Mrs. Mabel
Wrede.
I
Relatives and friends attend
ing from a distance were: Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Leise of Pala
tine, 111.; Mr. and Mrs. Calvin
Eppenbach and son of Los An
geles, Calif.; Mrs. Eula Eppen
bach and family, Mr. and Mrs.
Jerold Snyder and family, Mr.
and Mrs. Fred Colfack, Mr. and
Mrs. Raymond Johnson, Mr. and
Mrs. Leland Johnson, Mr. and
Mrs. Howard Eppenbach and
Mrs. Wilma Eppenbach, all of
Ewing.
Haying Bee Friday
at Leise Place—
Neighbors and other friends
have arranged for a haying bee
at the Harold Leise place Friday.
It will be an all-day affair.
Page Man Inliured
In Kilenball Tilt—
PAGE — Herbert Kemper of
Page suffered a crushed shoul
der in a kittenball game here
Monday evening. He collided
with Donald Heiss when he was
running bases.
Kemper was treated by a Page
doctor and then taken to his
home several miles northeast of
Page.
BACK FROM KOREA
BUTTE— Sgt. Garry Wilson,
son of Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Wil
son, arrived home Sunday on
rotation from Korea. He has
served the past year in Korea
with the First marine division.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and daugh
ters went to Grand Island Sun
day to meet him.
Leaving for Canada—
EMMET—Mr. and Mrs. John
Conard and Mr. and Mrs. Rob
ert Cole plan to leave Sunday
for a week’s fishing in northern
Canada.
Mrs. Hattie Carson of Page vis
ited Mrs. Sadie Derickson Friday
afternoon.
Nurse, 23,
Killed; Then
Her Mother
Both Known Here;
Double Burial Rites
Saturday at Denver
A 23 - year - old Omaha St.
Catherine’s hospital nurse and
her mother, both known at
O’Neill, are dead as the result of
two successive highway tragedies
in the same family.
Miss Loretta Berkenkotter of
Denver, Colo., who was return- o
ing to Omaha after having spent
the labor day weekend with
friends at Ord, was fatally in
jured Monday night west of
Fremont on U.S. highway 30.
The car in which she was riding
went out of control, careened
into a ditch, got back onto the
highway and collided with a
truck. The driver, Gertrude 0’
Kressa of Ord, also a student
nurse, was injured.
Miss Berkenkotter died sev
eral hours later in a Fremont •
hospital.
Meanwhile, her mother, Mrs.
O F. Berkenkotter, of Denver,
Colo., the former Margaret Cron
in of O’Neill, was rushing in the
night to her daughter’s bedside.
West of Kearney her son, Rich
ard, 33, the driver, was blinded
by the early morning sun and
crashed into the rear of a stalled ,
truck.
. Mrs. Berkenkotter was killed*
instantly. The son is in a Kear
ney hospital with leg injuries.
Mrs. Berkanlcotter died nof
knowing that her injured
daughter had died a short time
before.
Double funeral rites will bo
held at Denver, probably Satur
day.
Mrs. Berkenkotter was a
daughter of Mrs. D. J. Cronm of
Omaha and the late D. J. Cron
in. The Cronins were O’Neill
homesteaders. They left O’Neill
in 1947 to make their home in
Omaha.
Mrs. Berkenkotter’s survivors
include: Widower; sons— John,
Robert and Richard, and daugh
ter Mary Lois, all of Denver;
mother—Mrs. D. J. (Mary) Cron
in of Omaha; five sisters and
three brothers.
Mrs. Berkenkotter’s sisters and
brothers include: Mrs. A1 Sauser
of O’Neill, who departed early
Wednesday for Denver; Miss
Julia Cronin of Cheyenne, Wyo.;
John and William Cronin, both
of Omaha; Philip Cronin of ChT
c?go. 111.; Mrs. Loretta Johnson
of Omaha; Mrs. Grace Guynan
of Missouri Valley, la., and Mrs.
Mary Roach of Omaha.
Mrs. Berkenkotter attended*
St. Mary’s academy here. Her
husband was reared at Elgin
where he was a druggist
Flying Hay Bales
Blamed for Accident
Flying bales of hay shortly aft
er 3 o’clock last Thursday caused
a car accident five miles west of
Wisner on Highway 275, Patrol
man Allen Bligh reported.
Fred Watson, Hastings sales
man, escaped injury when three
bales of hay fell from a' truck
driven by Joseph L. Hoff men
of Clearwater and struck his car
before they landed on the ground.
Watson managed to keep con
trol of his car and stop it on the
highway.
A passing motorist overtook
Hoffman, who was unaware the
bales had dropped from his
truck. Hoffman returned to the
scene of the aeident.
The Watson car was damaged
about the front end.
51 - Degree Spread
in Temperature Here.
Holt countyans this week ex
Derienced a 51-degree variation
in temperatures. On Saturday
the mercury mounted to 90 de
grees. Early Tuesday the official
reading here was 39 degrees —
an unseasonal low.
Week’s summary:
August 28 _ 82 63 .21
August 29_74 62 .02
August 30 _ 90 67 .02
August 31 __82 52 .1!
September 1"_75 48
September 2_71 39
September 3 84 45
Total- .3ff
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Phailn
and sons, Michael and Larrv, of
Sioux Falls arrived here Sunday
to viist his mother, Mrs. Frank
Phalin.
o