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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1955)
bHalf Hoar Show? 4 T4. DAPCC "Voice of The Frontier” JO T'/WjUO pf||: ;■ r:, Section *1 ' x Pages 1-12 4 4' ;'r Section 2 Mon. — Wed. — Sot SUPPLEMENT 9:30-10 A.M. — 780 1t.c. Pages 1-24 North-Central Nebraska’s BIGGEST Newspaper Volume 75.—Number 13. O Neill, Nebraska, Thursday, July 28, 1955. Seven Gents Mother M .Bertrand to Alliance Mother M. Bertrand (above), head of St. Anthony’s hospital since before the institution’s opening, has left the position to go St. Joseph’s hospital, Alliance, to convalesce. No successor has been named. Mother Bertrand, who is the former Alice Fleming of O’ Neill, arrived here in July, 1952, to direct the preparation for open ing of the one-half-million-dollar medical center. The hospital was opened September 21, 1952, and Mother Bertrand has been the chief administrator since that time. She was hospitalized here for several weeks this summer.—O’Neill Photo Co. Mercury at 104; Rain Brings Relief Retired Woman Lawyer Dies at 55 °With Secret Service During War INMAN — Miss Grayce Mc Graw, 55, who had been admitted to the bar associations in Okla homa, Wyoming and Washington, D.C., and who during World War II was a secret service operative, died at 11:30 p.m., Sunday, July 24, in an Omaha hospital. She had been hospitalized about three months. About a week before her death she bad submitted to heart surgery and the hospital attendants reported she was “doing well.” The late Miss McGraw had been in failing health a number of months. She was hospitalized in Omaha for four months about a year ago and suffered a heart ail ment. Funeral services will be con ducted at 9:30 a.m., today (Thurs day) from St. Patrick’s Catholic church in O’Neill. Burial will be in Calvary cemetery under the direction of Biglin’s. Very Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan, church pastor, will officiate. Pallbearers will be Earl Watson, Elwyn Smith, Horace Keil, Fred ., Moore, John Sobotka and Kenneth Smith. The late Miss McGraw was born April 22, 1900, on a farm near Creighton, the daughter of the late Thomas and Margaret Mc Graw. When she was four-years old, the family moved onto a farm in Oklahoma. Miss McGraw was graduated from Chickasha (Okla.) high school and began her college education in Oklahoma City. She was awarded her law degree in Washington, D.C. Miss McGraw made a career of civil service work in the nation’s capitol. She was employed by the department of interior, was the first woman to be a member of the treasury department’s tax ap peal board, and during World War II worked for the secret ser vice. Miss McGraw made the of ficial interrogation of Capt. Ed die Rickenbacker after the lat ter had been adrift in the Pa cific for days. She was a member of St. Pat rick’s church at O’Neill. She came to Inman about three years ago to retire and to reside near her brother, Harry. She came here from Burlington, Wyo. Survivors include: Brothers — Harry of Inman; John of Verdon, Okla.; Ray of Meeteeise, Wyo.; Gordon and Roy, both of Glen dale, Calif. Tuesday was a memorable day in Holt county on two counts: 1. The mercury climbed to 104 degrees officially — the highest mark for the season. 2. Thunder showers during the afternoon and evening chased away the torrid temperatures and broke a dry spell, which had the pastures, the growing corn crop, lawns and gardens on the ropes. Showers set in about 11:15 p.m., at O’Neill after rain had threatened since late afternoon. Intermittent rainfall until mid night brought .30 of an inch of ficially. Meanwhile, Atkinson enjoyed a 45-minute mid-afternoon show er which brought welcomed mois ture, totaling about half an inch. Monowi and Verdel received afternoon showers and Plainview and Page were on the privileged list early Tuesday evening. The Chambers locality Tuesday received about an inch of mois ture. There was a good shower about 8 o’clock and a shower la ter in the night. Lloyd deed, who lives six miles west of Chambers, said water was standing on his place and described it as a “wonder ful rain”. The Deloit community on the Wheeler-Holt county line salvag ed only a drop from the scattered showers. North of Ewing at the Frank Cronk, Walter Sojka, Lyle Davis, Herbert Kemper places more than an inch fell. Mr. Cronk, who lives north of Emporia or about 12 miles north of Page, es timated “well over an inch” at his farm. ^ The town of Ewing fared about like O’Neill—.30 of an inch. Vincent M. Thiele, who lives six miles west of Clearwater, said .80 of an inch of moisture was re corded Tuesday night at his place although neighbors to the south received only a sprinkle. »imp me ground was so thirsty the meager amount of moisture was immediately soaked up, the showers broke the dry spell and more showers are forecast today (Thursday). Harold Summers, who lives about 12 miles northeast of Page, has harvested 50-bushel average oats. They were planted April 25 and fertilizer was used. Ivan Heiss, in the same area, cut 45 bushel oats planted about the same time without fertilizer. All ranchers in the Amelia lo cality are busy haying. The crop is reported “very light” on the high ground but “quite good” on the lower ground. Farmers and ranchers are rushing around to get the har vesting and haying done. The la dies are canning and helping in the fields. Could use a little mois ture in the Deloit community. Oats are turning out better than expected in the Riverside com munity, east of Ewing. This is particularly true in view of the dry spring. “Com and alfalfa need a lot of rain,” according to Mrs. Carl Christon, The Frontier’s corre spondent there. “Harvesting and haying are in full swing.” Weather summary: Hi Lo Prec. July 21 . 95 72 July 22 _ 92 73 July 23 .. 87 67 July 24 . 87 56 July 25 . 98 65 July 26 .104 76 July 27 . 99 67 .31 Returns Home— Miss Catherine Ann McCarthy returned home Wednesday morn ing after spending the past two j weeks visiting her sister, Miss I Beverly, in Omaha. Guests at Curran’s— Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Cleary and boys visited at Francis Cur ran’s on Sunday evening. Miss McGraw . . . rites today. Ewing Man Struck by Locomotive Slowing Train Hits ‘White Object’ at Clearwater Station EWING—Cecil A. Bergstrom, 43, who operated the Sinclair service station in Ewing, was killed early Saturday morning, July 23, when he was struck by the 1:05 east bound Chicago & North Western passenger train at the Clearwater depot. It is thought that he was en route to his home at the time. He had spent the evening attending the free day celebration at Clear water and was seen leaving a Clearwater cafe a short time be fore, where he had ordered a late dinner in the company of his wife. C&NW officials reported Bergstrom was lying curled up between the rails when he was struck by the diesel engine. Only the pilot of the diesel en gine passed over Mr. Bergstrom’s Bergstrom ... no one wit nessed the accident. body, and he was not struck by the wheels, the railroad reported. Sidney McNeely of Norfolk was engineer; Mike Palacek of Nor folk was fireman, and Marvin Bergland of Fremont was con ductor. The train was held until the Antelope county sheriff ar rived to investigate. McNeely and Palacek said the train was coming into the station to stop and was traveling slowly. Engineer McNeely said he thought a white object between the rails was a piece of paper. Bergstrom was wearing a white shirt and dark trousers. There was no one else around the station platform and no agent was on duty. When the locomotive got close enough that the engineer could tell it was a man, the emergency air brake was applied but not quite soon enough to avoid the accident. The accident happened in front of the depot. No inquest was held, according to the Antelope sheriff, Lawrence Ritcher. The body was examined by Dr. Frank McClanahan of Ne ligh. Bergstrom suffered a fractured leg, arm and collarbone. Relatives said it was possi ble Mr. Bergstrom might have suffered a heart attack or had taken a fall. He had complain ed of not feeling well in the cafe. The late Cecil Alvin Bergstrom was born March 14, 1912, at Staf ford. He grew to manhood in the Page community, later moving to Ewing. In July, 1945, he was united in marriage to Geneva Tanner of Spencer. The past few years he has operated the Bergstrom Oil company of Ewing. Mr. Bergstrom took an active part in civic affairs. He served as chief of the village fire depart ment and at the time of his death was a member of the village board, acting as water commis sioner. This spring he purchased a home near the Elkhom hotel, across from his service station. Preceding him in death were his parents and one brother. Funeral services were conduct ed at 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 26, at the auditorium of the Ewing pub lic school. Rev. W. J. Bomer of the United Presbyterian church officiated. Presiding at the piano was Mrs. Wilbur Spangler. Favorite hymns were sung by Mrs. Harriet Welke and Mrs. Vera Anson. Pallbearers were H. E. Lampert, LaVem Finley, Ray Angus, Art Kropp, Fay Neisius and R. H. Shain. Honorary pallbearers were Max Wanser, Loyd West and Al len Pollock. Ushers were Wayne Shrader and John Napier. Members of the Odd Fellows lodge also took part. The late Mr. Bergstrom was a member of that lodge. (Continued on page 6) Reverend Dix to Speak Here The annual Holt county Sun day-school group gathering will be held Sunday, July 31, at the Homer Ernst grove northwest of O’Neill. The morning service starts at 10 o’clock. Rev. C. P. Turner will be the morning speaker. The af ternoon service starts at 1:30 o’ clock with Missionary Earl E. Dix of Butte as speaker. He is a re turned Africa missionary. “Everyone is welcome to these services,” a spokesman said Gambles Plan Birthday Event Amateur Musicians to Be Heard Manager Henry Lofflin of Gambles in O’Neill reports inten sive preparations are being com pleted for the firm’s 21st anniver sary sale to be held during August. It was 21 years ago Gamble Skogmo, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., then at the ripe young age of nine, decided to establish an O’Neill company-owned and op erated store. a a muucot ucgummig tiitr store has grown into a 3 *6-floor department store, the biggest in north-central Nebraska. Mr. Lofflin says all shoppers in the area will be entertained while they shop on Thursdays and Sat urdays during the sales event. Purchases of “little or no profit items” were made six months ago in preparation for the August birthday party. Each week these items, including furniture, appli ances and clothing, will be offered at “real savings,” Mr. Lofflin de clares. Gambles are inviting those who are musically inclined or trained to enter a music con test. There are no age limits or disqualifications. Anyone so in clined is invited to compete, Mr. Lofflin explains. Each contestant will be paid at the rate of one dollar per hour for the time they perform. The public will vote on the popularity of the performers cons; iered best. Each full dollar spent on any one floor entitles a customer to one vote for their favorite entertainer. The contestant receiving the most votes at the end of the month will receive $20 in cash. Each contestant is to furnish his or her own instrument. Perform ances will be on Thursday and Saturday afternoons and evenings throughout the month unless nu merous entries make it necessary to offer time on other days of the week. Top contestants will be permit ted to broadcast on “Voice of The Frontier” programs, which will originate on Wednesdays from Gambles furniture (third) floor. The public is invited to watch the half-hour broadcasts, starting at 9:30 a.m. Broadcast dates from Gambles are August 3, 10, 17 and 24. Mr. Lofflin suggests that all can didates stop in as soon as possible at the office in the store so that performance schedules can be worked out. New 4-H Building Nears Completion 24-Page Supplement Tells Premiums Featured in this issue is a 24 page Holt county fair supplement published by the Holt County Ag ricultural society, sponsors of the annual fair. The exposition dates this year are August 17, 18, 19 and 20 and the fair, as usual, will be held at Chambers. Hundreds of dollars in pre miumss will be awarded to 1955 fair exhibitors. Categories, classi fications and amounts are to be found in the premiums for open class and 4-H exhibits. There are dozens of other stories and pic tures concerning the forthcoming four-day event which will be high-lighted on the entertainment side with an RCA-approved ro deo, with $1,500 in prize money. Wednesday, August 17, has been designated as entry day; Thurs day, August 18, as judging day; Friday and Saturday, August 19 and 20, as entertainments. The rodeo will be presented under the lights both on Friday and Satur day. The Chambers Commercial club has established 4-H awards again this year. Loving cups will be presented to exhibitors with the best animals in their class from the purple ribbon winners in each class, regardless of breed. (Details on page 16 in the sup plement.) Finishing touches are being put on the new 4-H exhibit building —the latest addition in a contin uous improvement program. Fair officers and directors helped build the exhibit hall, which has been partially financed by 4-H clubs and Ak-Sar-Ben. Detailed program information will be published later. Thelma and Joyce Summers . . . recall fateful May 1^,—The Frontier Photo. Teacher in Dramatic Recovery By a Staff Writer Late in the afternoon on May 18 three sisters were enroute to their farm home northeast of Page. They hgd spent the after noon at a rural school where the oldest of the sisters, Miss Thelma Summers, 17, had just completed teaching a term of school.. They had spent the day mopping up the place . . . the car was filled with books, papers and personal effects belonging to the teacher, who was contemplating a long and enjoy able summer. Riding homeward with her that afternoon were her two sisters, Leona, 16, and Joyce, 12. Suddenly, with a rending crash two cars collided on an intersec tion on a country road 13 miles east of O’Neill. The three girls were taken by ambulance to St. Anthony’s hospi tal. Two men in the other car, Louis Juracek and Henry Meyers, both of Niobrara, were taken to Creighton for medical attention. Doctors soon determined Le ona and Joyce were not seri ously hurt and would recover. From Creighton came word the men were not badly injured. But the news concerning the smiling and pert little school mom was different. Doctors gave her about an hour to live. She suffer ed multiple internal injuries, skull fracture and considerable hemorr haging. They pumped blood and more blood into her twisted body. A call went out for blood donors. Relatives and close friends kept a vigil near the hospital. And they prayed. By a thin thread she clung to life. More and more blood was needed. Hours passed. Then days. The hospital posted bulletins. The messages were cryptic and not encouraging. Thelma lay unconscious for days. Gradually she began to re gain consciousness and after sev eral weeks she could recognize people and make known wants— but couldn’t speak. She was into the clear, apparently, and on the way to recover. After 33 days she was released fiom the hospital and taken to her home to recover. One day her father, Harold Summers, asked her a question. She said: “No.” That was her first word after a prolonged, agonizing silence. More words came. Last week her Wesleyan Methodist church group held a picnic in the Page park and she conversed with most of them. Thelma now walks about the house—with assistance. She writes and has pasted together a scrap book. The first clipping, taken from the May 19 issue of The Frontier, was headed: “Driver, 17, Critically Injured.” One day she asked to be driv en to the scene of the accident. She had never known the inter section was strewn with books, papers, broken glass, blood and auto wreckage. ' About the future? Miss Sum mers, now 18, hopes to recover sufficiently to resume teaching at the start of the second-half of the 1955-’56 term. She has baffled the medicos since that fatal May 18 afternoon. At the clip she is traveling on the road to recovery, she might be back in the teaching groove soon er than that. Sousa Awards to Johnson, Shoemaker Jaycees Honor Best Prep Musicians First annual presentation of the John Phillip Sousa awards was made Sunday to two high school pupils. The presentation was made by Cecil Baker, presi dent of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. The honirs went to Miss Mar delle Johnson, who was voted the outstanding music student by members of the O’Neill public school band, and to Miss Charlene Shoemaker, voted similar honors by the St. Mary’s academy band. Miss Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Evans, is attending music camp at Interlochen, Mich. Her mother accepted the award in her behalf. Miss Johnson plays the flute and earlier this season was in vited to play in an orchestra created in Oklahoma composed of students from several states. Mis Shoemaker is the daughter of Mrs. Leona Shoemaker. She plays clarinet in the SMA band and has been a leader in the mu sic field at her school. The honors were bestowed at intermission in a concert present ed Sunday afternoon in Ford’s park by the Municipal band, un der the direction of Prof. Charles B. Houser. The Jaycees have provided a permanent plaque for each school. Each year an individual’s nameplate will be added. In addi tion, Sousa medallions will be presented to the individual win ners. DOCTOR DWYER DIES Dr. John Dwyer of Council Bluffs, la., well-known physician and surgeon in the Omaha-Coun cil Bluffs area, died early Wed nesday, July 27, in an Omaha hospital. Mrs. H. E. Coyne of O’ Neill, a sister, was called to Om aha Monday. Doctor Dwyer was born at O’Neill, and was graduat ed from the Creighton university college of medicine in 1911. Make Caravan Trip^ to Kansas City— Boyd Boelter of O’Neill and Roy Boelter of Verdigre joined the WJAG caravan to Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday and Sun day to watch the Kansas City Athletics play the New York Yankees. Miss Johnson . . at Interioch en music camp. Miss Shoemaker . . . best mu sic student in SMA band.—O’ Neill Photo Co. Earl Fox Dies in Hospital Here Earl Fox, who formerly operated a confectionary store here for a number of years, died Wednesday evening, July 27, in St. Anthony’s hospital. City Golf Qualifying Rounds Begin— Qualifying play for the city wide golf tournament starts this v eek at the Country club. All players are to turn in their qualifying scores to A. P. Jasz kowiak by Tuesday, August 2. There will be flights for all play ers, Jaszkowiak said. Mrs. Loran Kruse, 36, III 9 Months, Dies Young Mother Buried at Albion Mrs. Loran M. Kruse, 36, moth er of two children, died at 110 a.m., Monday, July 25, at her home located 16 miles south of O’Neill and one mile east. She had been ill nine months. Funeral services were conduct ed at 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 27, from Bethany Presbyterian church, east of Chambers, with Rev. Ralph Chamberlain of Grand Island officiating. Burial was in Rose Hill cemetery at Al bion under the direction of Big lin’s. Pallbearers were Mark Grib ble, Charles Fauquier, Ralph Hoff man, Max Farrier, OmarMcClen ahan and Emil Klabenes. The late Mrs. Kruse, whose maiden name was Veva Lor raine Hinkle, was born Novem ber 16, 1918, in Platte county, a daughter of G. W. and Ella Eschliman Hinkle. On May 11, 1940, at Fullerton she married Loran M. Kruse. The couple became the parents of two sons and one daughter. One son, Gary Loran, died in infancy. The Kruses came to Holt coun ty in March, 1943, from Boone county. The late Mrs. Kruse was a member of Bethany church, the Ladies Aid society of that church and the Rebekah lodge. Survivors include: Widower— Loran; daughter—Karen Ann, 14, at home; son—James Randall, 10, at home; parents—Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hinkle of Albion; brothers — Everett Hinkle of Buckeye, Ariz.; Elmer Hinkle of Peters berg; Vilas Hinkle of Selah, Wash.; and Merle Hinkle of Ogal lala. sisters—Mrs. Melvin (De lores) Hovelshrud of Petersberg and Mrs. Gerald (Maxine) Wal rath of Loretto. Schmohr, Gibbs Purchase Houses Virgil Laursen, real estate brok er here, announced this week that Walter Schmohr has purchased the “middle” dwelling of three houses owned by C. H. McManus. The “west” house was purchased by Verlyn G. Gibbs. The relatively new McManus dwellings are located on East Clay street, between Ninth and Tenth. Frontier for printing! Company D Will Leave for Ripley Tank Outfit Joining Other Guards for Two-Week Period Two officers and 49 enlisted men, representing company D of Nebraska’s 195th national guard tank battalion, will leave O’Neill early Sunday for a two-weeks’ encampment at Camp Ripley, Minn. The commander, Capt. J. L. McCarville, jr., said the unit would assemble earlier and leave the armory at 7:30 a.*n., for a fortnight of active duty. A noon stop will be made at Sioux City and the company will bivouac that night at Marshall, Minn. The convoy will continue on to Ripley on Monday. Ripley is located near Brainard in the Minnesota north woods country. Thousands of guardsmen from several midwestem states will converge there for the training period. The active duty dates are July 31 to August 14. The O'Neill tankers are look ing forward to field training conditions with tanks. The roster residences are O’ Neill except as designated: Capt. J. L. McCarvill, jr., com manding officer; 2/Lt. Ben Vid ricksen, deputy commanding of ficer, both of O’Neill. M/Sgt. Erwin W. Kramer (first sergeant). Sergeants first-class: Robert W. Amen, Harmon M. Grunke, Low ell E. Nesbitt, Edward T. Schmuecker of Atkinson. Sergeants: Roger W. Bennett of Ewing, Ardell H. Bright, James E. Gallagher, Wilmar A. Young of Orchard. Corporals: John H. Eley, jr., of Orchard, James E. Fleming, Har lan A. Kloepper, Edward S. Price, Donald L. Setting of Elgin, Milo D. Snyder of Orchard, Robert T. Stevens. Privates first-class: Clifford D, Erb of Osmond, Kenneth L. Haas of Ainsworth, Virgil E. Holz, Ver non D. Johnson, Eldon E. Quinn of Ainsworth, Richard P. Schlenz of Elgin. Privates E-2: Elmer L. Becker, jr., of Lynch, Charles Dale Bei lin, Dean W. Connot, Richard E. Cook of Walnut, Richard O. Dye of Spencer, Oscar C. Eaton of In man, Gail Lloyd Heiser of Mon owi, Vernon L. Held of Venus, Thomas J. Hickman of Atkinson, Kenneth L. Huston of Emmet, Eu gene R. Janzing, Richard D. Johnson of Spencer, Lyle D. Ko pejtka of Inman, James Thomas Lueken of Lynch, Alfred R. Mey er of Lynch, Herman C. Meyer, . jr., of Atkinson, Carman A. Nor wood of Lynch, Donald E. Ober mire of Atkinson, Norman F. Reese of Plainview, Harvey L. Sorensen of Creighton, William W. Strope of Orchard, Richard F. Wright of Ewing. . Privates: Donald J. Larson of Clearwater, Frederick A. Mueller of Creighton, Charles F. Scripter of Atkinson, Robert D. Tams of .Ewing, E. Leroy Butterfield. ---• Holt Youths Break Jail at Lynch BUTTE — Three Holt county youth, who were sentenced to jail at Lynch last week and later broke out of jail, are back in custody and serving their senten ces in the Boyd county jail here. The three are James Kubik and William Orsborne of O’Neill and La verne Thurlow of Stuart. They were arrested at Lynch on charges of disturbing the peace and molesting two Lynch girls,, and were meted 30 days in jail by the police judge there. After breaking out of jail they returned to Holt county. Sheriff Claude Collins of Butte went to Holt county during the weekend and returned the three to the Boyd county jail, where they are now serving out the sentences. Old Settlers to Reunite— The annual Old Settler’s picnic will be held on Tuesday, August 2, at the Elmer Devall grove, where it has been held in the past. There is much interest in the picnic this year and additional entertainment is being planned. NEW LOCATION Wick’s Body Shop will be open for business Monday, August 1, in their new, larger building, situ ated on US highways 20-281, two blocks north of Earley’s Service Station. The firm, owned by Marlin Wichman, formerly was located on West Douglas. BREAKS . COLLARBONE ATKINSON — Ronald Bouska, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bouska of Atkinson .fell from a haystack last Thursday and suffered a fractured collarbone. He is in At kinson Memorial hospital. According to the results of a study made by the B. F. Goodrich company, American families are driving 700 miles more per year than they drove 15 years ago.