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“Voice of The Frontier" TWELVE
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North-Central Nebraska’s BIGGEST Newspaper
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Volume 75.—Number 35. O’Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, December 29, 1955. Seven Cents
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Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Fluckey . . . spend 36>/2 years on same
farm.—The Frontier Photo.
Fluckeys Observe
Golden Wedding
‘Frozen’ Gas Tax
Money Released
Holt’s Share $39,167;
Pinch Felt
Holt county last Thursday re
ceived a warrant for $39,167.88
from. State Treasurer Frank
Heintze. The amount represented
Holt’s share of “frozen” gas tax
money which had been held
ponding a ruling on Nebraska’s
gasoline tax distribution laws.
Heintze had brought suit aganist
all the counties and deposited
nearly three-m’llion-dollars with
the Lancaster county district
court. Some of the more populous
counties (notably Douglas and
Lancaster) had contended that
Heintze used an outdated formu
la in determining how the coun
ties should share.
Most counties, including Holt,
had felt the financial pinch
when the gas tax money for
three months — October, No
vember and December, 1954—
was held up for a year.
Holt Treasurer J. Ed Hancock
said the money will be distribut
ed like this:
Villages .$ 1,399.09
Bridge . 4,911.48
Road . 12,278.68
Road-bridge . 4,911.48
Mail route . 15,667.15
Total .$39,167.88
Former Residents
Affected by Floods
Relentless rains fed overflow
ing rivers in northern California,
southern Oregon, and western Ne
vada counties this week, making
thousands of persons homeless
during the Christmas holidays.
Flood victims include many
former residents from this area.
Among reports from former res
idents in the disaster area:
Mr. and Mrs. George Curtis
and family, who reside at Novato,
Calif., were forced to abandon
their home located about 40 miles
north of San Francisco. Mrs. Cur
tis is the former Betty Biglin,
daughter of Mrs. F. J. Biglin of
O’Neill.
Mrs. Curtis’s brother, Dr. Rob
ert Biglin of Reno, Nev., reported
to his mohter here a breakdown
of heat, water and sewer facili
ties in the gambling capital, which
was cut in two by the outlaw
Truckee river.
Willard Gray of Lodi, Calif.,
known at Page, helped with fill
ing of sandbags to prevent flood
ing there. He reported to his wife,
who has been visiting Mr. and
Mrs. Melvin Lund at Scotia, that
people were being evacuated from
"nearby Stockton, Calif., but until
Christmas none had been forced
to leave Lodi.
Mrs. Willard Gray will return
to California in time for new
year’s. Mr. and Mrs. John Gray
and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gray,
all of Page, vistied with Mrs.
Willard Gray Sunday at Scotia.
‘Grandma’ Evans
Travels to Store
to Buy Supplies
VENUS — “Grandma” Evans
93, picked out a springlike day
last week to go to the Venus
store to lay in the winter’s sup
ply of foodstuffs.
She made the trip Saturday
with her son, Harrison.
“Grandma” Evans observed:
“It’s such a nice day I decided
it was time to do some shop
ping. Besides, I haven’t been
out much this winter.”
The Frontier for printing!
CHAMBERS — Mr. and Mrs.
Arthur Fluckey celebrated their
golden wedding anniversary Sat
urday, December 24.
A 12 o’clock dinner was served
at the home of their daughter,
Mrs. Vem Wilkinson with around
40 guests present. Open-house was
held in the Fluckey home, foul
miles south of Chambers, from 2
till 5 o’clock that afternoon with
around one hundred signing tre
guest book. They received a
gold-tinted carnation boutonniere
and golden chrysanthemum cor
sage and a television set—gifts
from their children.
Also many gifts and cards were
received from their friends and
relatives
Mrs. Marvin Fluckey of Hast
ings took care of the guest book.
Mrs. Loy Fluckey helped with
the opening of gifts.
The table was covered with an
ecru crocheted tablecloth with a
golden cloth underlay. It was dec
orated with golden candles, gold
en chrysathemums and other
flowers and was centered with a
three-tier wedding cake baked,
decorated and served by Mrs. Ed
ward Nissen of Wayne.
Ice cream, cake and coffee
were served by Mrs. Leyn Fluck
ey of Arlington, Mrs. Gordon
Fluckey of Hastings and Mrs.
Vern Wilkinson of Chambers.
Cal Stewart of The Frontier
took pictures of the couple and a
tape - recorded interview was
heard on the Monday “Voice of
The Frontier” program (WJAG,
780 kc.)
Mr. Fluckey, 75, was born at
Afton, la. His father came to
Holt county in the 1880’s and
took a homestead. He erected a
sodhou.se and the following year
moved his wife and their four
children to their new home in
a covered wagon.
Mr. Fluckey, who was six
years-old, recalls he stood on his
head in the wagon while it creak
ed through the brick streets of
Omaha—much to the delight of
the pedestrians on the streets. His
performance cost him a sound
spanking, he remembers.
The trip from Afton to Holt re
quired nine days. The wagon was
drawn by a small horse and a
mule.
Mrs. Fluckey was born at
Brainard, in Butler county (near
David City). She was 14-years
old when she accompanied her
parents to Holt county.
The couple met at a neighbor
hood party. “He sort of made eyes
at me, we began keeping com
pany, and we’ve been together
ever since.” That’s the way Mrs.
Fluckey summed up the court
ship, marriage and half-century
of wedded life.
Arthur Fluckey and Bessie
Meyers were married at Cham
bers December 24, 1905.
The marriage was performed
in Chambers as a part of a dou
ble wedding. The other couple
(Continued on page 7)
Atkinson High
Senior Is Dead
ATKINSON— Funeral services
were conducted at 2 p.m., Wed
nesday, December 28, from St.
John’s Lutheran church for Don
ald Roger Davis, 19, Atkinson high
school senior. He died about 4:30
a.m., Tuesday, December 27, in
Atkinson Memorial hospital where
he had been a patient four days.
The youth had been in ill health
for several years.
Rev. E. W. Dannitschek, church
pastor, officiated. Burial was in
•Wood Lawn cemetery. Pallbear
*ers were six classmates.
Donald Roger Davis was born
at Atkinson July 5, 1936, the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Davis.
His mother’s maiden name was
Lucille Stansberry. His father is
a veteran postal employee here.
O’Neillite
Dies While
on Vacation
Miss Helen Gallagher
Fatally Stricken
in LaCrosse, Wise.
Miss Helen Gallagher, 46, a
twin daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. James P. Gallagher, pioneer
D’Neill merchants, died suddenly
it 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, December
27, while visiting relatives in La
crosse, Wise.
She and her twin sister, Miss
Hilda, third grade teacher in the
O’Neill city schools, had left O’
Neill last Thursday to go to La
Crosse to spend the holidays with
their brother, Dr. Frank Galla
gher, a prominent LaCrosse physi
cian and surgeon, and their uncle,
Dr. E. E. Gallagher, also promi
nent in Wisconsin medical circles.
The remains will arrive in O’
Neill Friday morning. A rosary
rite will be held at Biglin’s fu
neral chapel at 8 p.m., Friday.
Requiem high mass will be of
fered at 10 a.m., Saturday, De
cember 31, from St Patrick’s
Catholic church with Very Rev.
Timothy O’Sullivan, church
pastor, officiating. Burial will
he in Calvary cemetery.
The late Miss Gallagher was
bom March 28, 1909, at O’Neill.
Her grandfather, Michael Galla
gher, one of the early settlers of
the community, homesteaded 2%
miles east of here. Her mother
was the former Winnie McEnimy,
who was born in Canada.
The twin sisters attended ele
mentary grade school at St. Ma
ry’s academy here for three
years and finished their grade,
high school and college work to
gether at Loretto Heights, Den
ver, Colo. Miss Helen received a
bachelor’s degree in education.
For health reasons she spent
one year in Arizona in younger
life.
The family store here was
closed in 1949 following the death
of the store manager, Miss Mamie
Meer.
Suvrivors include: Twin sis
ter — Miss Hilda of O’Neill;
brother— Dr. Frank Gallagher
of LaCrosse;. uncle—Dr. E. E.
Gallagher of LaCrosse; aunt—
Mrs. Agnes Beher of Casper,
Wyo.
She was preceded in death by
her father, who died many years
ago, and her mother, who died
in 1948.
The late Miss Gallagher was a
member of St. Patrick’s church,
Altar society, and St. Anthony’s
hospital auxiliary.
The Gallagher sisters have al
ways maintained their home at
the corner of Eighth and East
Douglas streets.
Father Lisco, 42,
Dies in Minnesota
Rev. Raymond Lisco, 42, a na
tive of Silver Creek and former
assistant pastor at St. Patrick’s
Catholic church here, died Satur
day at Thief River Falls, Minn.
Funeral masses were at Crook
ston, Minn., on Monday and at
Our Lady of Lourdes church, Om
Father Lisco . . . formerly as
sistant pastor at St. Patrick’s.
—O’Neill Photo Co.
aha, on Tuesday. Archbishop
Gerald T. Bergan of the Omaha
diosese offici+ed in the pontifical
rite on Tuesday.
Father Lisco was ordained in
December, 1943. He was assistant
pastor at Assumption church at
Omaha until May, 1945, when he
transferred to O’Neill. He was as
sistant here and St. Mary’s aca
demy a+hletic director until June,
1947. He served at Flagstaff,
Ariz., before going to Minnesota.
He went from O’Neill to Boys
Town.
Survivors include: Mother —
Mrs. Marie Lisco of Omaha; sis
ters — Mrs. Margaret Peter and
Ms. Blanche Curran, both of Om
aha.
Mrs. Hazel Coulter
Wins Mink Stoic
Mrs. Hazel Coulter of O’Neil]
was declared the winner ir. the
mink stole contest sponsored by
the New Outlaw in West O’Neill,
it was announced by Manager
Phil Cohn. The presentation was
made Wednesday afternoon.
Two Christmas babies were born in St. Anthony’s hospital here: Rare Ann Cameron, being held by her mother, Mrs. Donald
Cameron of Chambers, and Nola Jeanne Angel, being exhibited by her mother, Mrs. Donovan Angel of Spencer.—The Frontier Photo.
Who’ll Be No. 1 in
’56 Holt Baby Derby?
Leading O’Neill merchants once
again will shower the first-born
Holt county baby in the new year.
Thus, the $64 question becomes:
Who’ll be number one in 1956?
Like in previous years, the ba
by derby will get underway at
the stroke of midnight, simul
taneously with the arrival of the
new year. To be eligible to cash
in on the rich gift shower, the
baby must be born within the
boundaries of Holt county, and a
I blank (see page 5) must be filled -
in by the proud parents and for
warded to the First Baby Editor,
The Frontier, O’Neill.
Official winner will be pro
claimed in the columns of The
Frontier. “Voice of The Fron
tier” radio programs will keep
the public posted on progress of
the derby.
With a bit of luck the Monday,
January 2, program (WJAG, 780
k.c., 9:30 a.m.) might have some
derby news.
Occasionally in the past compe
tition has been very keen with a
matter of only a few hours sep
arating the winner from the con
tenders. However, one year—1951
—the stork dallied until January
7 to drop off the champ.
Full details of the shower gifts
for the new royalty — king or
queen—may be found on pages 4
and 5 of this issue.
The gifts in a nutshell:
Case of Meadow Gold vitamin
D milk, courtesy of Beatrice
Foods, Inc.
Bed jacket for mother, com
pliments of the Apparel Shop.
Fresh-cut hospital bouquet
from the Elkhorn Flower Shop.
Fried chicken dinner for the
doting parents, complimentary at
the M&M Bakery & Cafe.
Choice of wallpaper for the
nursery, free, from “Scovie’s”
Western Auto store.
Case of Gerber’s baby food to
first baby, compliments of the
New Outlaw store.
Rexall Stork nurser and fam
ily thermometer with best wishes
from Gilligan’s Rexall Drug.
Ten-karat gold baby ring and
an 1847 Rogers silver-plated in
I fant’s feeding spoon to be pre
sented by McIntosh Jewelry.
One case of Heinz baby food
with congratulations from Shel
hamer Foods.
' Pair of Red Goose shoes, fa
mous for children, from McCar
villes.
One dozen 3x5 mounted prints
from a photo of the champ to be
taken by the O’Neill Photo Co.
Baby must be kept warm —
hence 500 pounds of coal, parents’
choice,, from the Moore-Noble
Lumber & Coal company.
Coyne’s Hardware proudly pre
sents a porcelain enamel diaper
: pail (with lid).
J. M. McDonald company will
present a turkish towel set
(choice of color) to the derby
winner.
The Merri Dr. Pepper Bottling
company will offer the proud pop
two cases of Merri pop.
Midwest Furniture will award
a teeter-babe jumper — an ideal
baby tender for the busy new
mother.
Biglin’s will hail the ’56 derby
winner with a modernistic tripod
lamp — a welcomed addition to
anybody’s living room.
Gambles have set aside a hard
wood nursery chair.
Last, but not least, The Fron
tier will issue a one-year gift,
subscription in the name of the
winner ... a gift the whole fam
ily will enjoy even though his (or
her) majesty may not yet be in
a reading mood.
Accidents Blamed
on Ice Conditions
Two Fremont Women
Hospitalized
A temperature drop early Wed
nesday while a touch of rain was
in the air, created treacherous ice
conditions on O’Neill streets and
on hardsurfaced highways in the
region.
The condition was worse within
about a 15-mile radius of O’Neill,
according to motorists.
Slippery conditions were blam
ed for a series of accidents.
Four teenage Spencer boys
narrowly escaped serious Injury
about 3 o’clock Wednesday after
noon when their southbound car
emerged from the graveled sec
tion on U.S. highway 281 and
went out of control on the icy
blacktopped section. The accident
occurred 15 miles north of O’
Neill. The car flipped over and
went into the nearby “borrow”
pit on the east side of the road.
The vehicle- was being driven
by Gary D. Lauts, 17, of Spen
cer, who told Fred Salak of O’
Neill the ice condition on the oil
mat was “unexpected.”
Robert Schommer, 17, was
thrown from the car and he be
lieves the car flipped over him,
barely clearing his body. Schom
mer suffered a bruised neck,
shoulder abrasions and was
knocked unconsciuos. Other pas
sengers in the Lauts machine
were Floyd Faurer, 17, and How
ard Berns, 17. The latter suffered
a skinned right wrist.
Salak, a northbound passerby,
took the youths to Spencer. A
highway maintainer pulled the
damaged car from the pit.
Salak said he assisted a Butte
man whose car was also in the
ditch.
Power and telephone officials
kept an eye on the weather
when the mercury started to
dip at 6 a.m., when the tempera
ture was 32 degrees. By 9 o’
clock the mercury had dropped
to 28. The drizzle turned into
snow flurries.
Later Wednesday afternoon two
vehicles figured in a mishap west
of Ernmet on U.S. highway 20,
resulting in the hospitalization of
Mrs. Lettie Moritz, 71, of Fremont
and her daughter, Mrs. Donald
McIntosh, also of Fremont. Mrs.
McIntosh was driving a west
bound car. Passengers were her
four children and her mother.
Both Mrs. Moritz and Mrs. Mc
Intosh were hospitalized here;
neither seriously injured. The
children were cared for at the
hospital and boarded the east
bound C&NW train Wednesday
nieht for Fremont.
George Kelly of Hay Springs,
driver of the eastbound car, was
unhurt.
Santa, Stork Assist
with Xmas Babies
Santa gave the stork an as
sist late Christmas day—Sun
day, December 25—at St. An
thony’s hospital. Baby girls were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Donovan
Angel of Spencer and Mr. and
Mrs. Donald Cameron of Cham
bers.
Nola Jeanne Angel was the
first arrival, putting in her ap
pearance at 9:28 p.m., and
weighing 9 pounds IOV4 ounces.
Nola Jeanne has a brother,
Kenneth, 8, and a sister, Di
anne, 5. Her mother is the for
mer June Reynolds. The family
resides four miles south of
Spencer.
Kare Ann arrived little more
than an hour later — at 10:57
p.m.—and weighed 6 pounds 14
ounces. Kare Ann is the only
child of Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Carmeron of Chambers. Mrs.
Cameron is the former Marcel
la Tomjack of Ewing.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
Ralph M. Morrow, 24, of O’
Neill and Neva Mae Bauer, 22, of
Ewing, December 23.
Owen Monroe Davis, 18, of O’
Neill and Mildred Louise Crabb,
18, of O’Neill, December 24.
Joseph L. Bauer, 26, of Creigh
ton and Earline May Woodworth,
19, of Orchard, December 27.
Mr. Syfie . . . well-known in
Holt and Boyd counties. '
(Story at right)
HEARING SET
A parole violation hearing for
Nelson Gibson of Atkinson has
been set for 10 a.m., Wednesday,
January 4, by District Judge D.
R. Mounts.
Win Expense Trip to Bermuda
Mr. and Mrs. William Kelly were thrilled upon receipt of an
air mail special delivery Chr.stmas letter advising them they are
to be the recipients of a seven-day all-expense trip to Bermuda in
March. Mr. Kelly, member of the James J. Kelly & Son plumbing
firm, n October entered a 25-word contest sponsored by the Rheums
hot water heater manufacturing firm. His entry was judged second
f-i-rv-crhnnt +he nation The Kellys will fly from Idlewilde airport
at New York City to Bermuda and return.—The Fronteir Photo.
0
Syfie Rites
in Atkinson;
Dies At 80
Native of Syria to*
U.S. Alone at 16?
Owns 1,500 Acres.
ATKINSON—George Syfie, 80.
owner and operator of the Pheon
ix community store between 1905
and 1947, died Friday, December
23, in Atkinson Memorial has
pital. He had been in failio/:\
health for several years and had
been hospitalized on several oc
casions during the past four years
The late Mr. Syfie was well
known in northern Holt and Boyd
counties and in the Atkinson ami
O’Neill communities.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 2 pji, Monday, December
26, from the Methodist church ir.»
Atkinson.
Burial was in the rural Phoeni t:
cemetery.
The late Mr. Syfie was born ir>
Syria, Lebanon, Asia Minor.
When he was 16-vears-old ha?
came to the United States alone. '
His mother and sister came to
America years later.
In June, 1907, he married Edit; .
Damero at Butte.
lie worked his way from1
Massachusetts to South Dakota,
where he took a homestead in
Lyman county, near the Ken.
nebeck.
A few years later he came ti ~
Nebraska where he started a gro
cery store at Phoenix, northwest
of O’Neill.
Mr. Syfie for many years op
erated the rural Phoenix postof
fice in connection with the start
He retired from active work
when his son, George, jr., return
ed from military service in 1946.
His parents and sister preceded
him in death.
He was always active in
farming and ranching, accumu
lating 1,500 acres of land and
a fine herd of cattle.
Survivors include: Widow —
Edith; daughters — Violet of „
Boulder, Colo.; Mrs. Adrian
(Eva) Mitchell of Atkinson; Mr
Russell (Alma) Angus of Sper?
cer, Mrs. John (Naomi) Schoberj;
of Omaha; son—George, jr..* of
the Phoenix community.
Among those from a distance -
attending the funeral were:
Miss Violet Syfie of Boulder
Colo.; Miss Bertha B ruder of
Boulder, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. Johr
Schoberg and family of Omaha
Ed George of Creighton; Mr. anc
Mrs. Charles Ellis of Winner—
S.D.; Joe Syfie of Gregory, S.D
Rev. and Mrs. Ray Haun of Ains
worth; Mrs. Clint Miller of Ains
worth; Mr. and Mrs. Glen Em
mons of Bloomfield.
Spencer Bonds
Draw 2Vi% Ratr
SPENCER—The village of Spen -
cer, still paying for bond issue:*
for pavement, power and sewer
dating back to 1921, has arranged
to refinance 20-year issue inrun -
cipal bonds at 2% percent inter
est.
Oficials of the state board of *
educational lands and funds saici
the Boyd county town official s
have agreed to accept the rsur
offered by the board.
The board holds 119-thousanc'
dollars worth of Spencer bond
which fall due January 1. Th
municipality asked the board t
refinance these bonds at 1 percei
interest, like the present bond:
The state board said the 214 raf
is cheaper than the village could
sell the bonds elsewhere.
After the village defaulted cr:
interst payments , the origin,
bonds were replaced in 1936 by
20-year refunding issue of 274
thousand-dollars. The village h
whittled this indebtedness to 110
thousand-dollars.
Auction Calendar
Wednesday, January 4: Jof:
and Cora Claussen, north of O’
Neill; 114 head of cattle; lineuj: '
of good farming and haying ma
chinery; some houeshold goods
Col. Wallace O’Connell of O’Neil
auctioneer; O'Neill National Bani
clerk. (Details on page 11.>
Tuesday, February 7: Nfnet? —
seven head of registered Angv
annual spring sale of Holt Coun \
Aberdeen-Angus Breeders’ asso -
ciation, O’Neill Livestock Marke‘
show at 9 a.m.; sale at 1 p.m
Evert Miner of O'Neill, sale man
ager. (Catalogs are being pub -
lished by The Frontier).
STORES CLOSE AT 5:3»
O’Neill stores will close at 5:3C?
p.m., Saturday to enable the pro
prietors and their families t-.r
spend new year’s eve together.
a
To Gordon, Chadron—
Mr. and Mrs. A. P. JaszkewinA::
and daughter, Miss Nyla, returner; :
late Tuesday after having spen *
Christmas with relatives at Gen—
don and Chadron.
*