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Volume 75._Number 41. O’Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, February 9, 1956. Seven Cents
o
Trophies are heaped on Louis Bartos of O’Neill (left) follow
ing Angus stock show here Tuesday. He holds the Chamber of
Commerce cup which accompanied grand champion honors while
William Mattern, C of C secretary, describes The Frontier’s tro
phy, which Bartos received for exhibiting the best pen of three.
Story below. (More Angus pictures next week.)—Frontier Photo.
o _- __
46 Angus Bulls Hit
$391 Average Here
Company D Finally
Gets Medium Tank
98,000 - Pound Unit
Arrives Sunday
(Photo below)
.* O’Neill’s tank - less national
guard company, in existence more
than eight months, Sunday got its
first glimpse of its major equip
„ ment item: A model M-47 (me
dium) tank.
The 98,000-pound unit arrived
via a Burlington railroad flat car
from Camp George West at Gold
en, Colo. The machine was un
loaded Monday morning under
the direction of two army main
tenance men from the Kearney
ordnance depot and clattered up
Douglas street attracting consid
erable attention.
Lt. Ben Vidricksen, deputy
company commander, said the
tank measures 23 feet in length
when the 99-mm. cannon is in
trailing position. When in for
ward (combat) position the
overall length is 27 feet.
Vidricksen said the M-47 type
tank, born during World War II,
was used little at that time but
saw considerable duty in the Ko
rean war.
It carries a normal crew of five.
As a basic infantry weapon, it has
a flat deck which can accommo
date up to 25 combat-laden sol
diers.
The M-47 is powered by an air
cooled 810-horsepower Continent
al engine. Other armament in
cludes two 30-calibre machine
guns and one 50-calibre.
The armor plate measures
five inches in thickness. Weight
is distributed on the tracks so
that the square inch pressure is
less than an automobile.
The M-47 has been the subject
of a series of lectures for the
company D personnel since the
unit was founded. Most members
of the company had limited ex
perience with the M-47 tank dur
ing the August encampment in
Minnesota.
The tank is stored in a garage
near the Texaco station on Sec
ond street and within a few feet
of the armory in the basement of
Shelhamer Foods.
Lieutenant Vidricksen was in
the copilot’s compartment and
M/Sgt. E. W. Kramer was in the
tank commander’s position when
the M-47 made its maiden run on
O’Neill’s main thoroughfare. A
warrant officer from the Kearney
depot was the pilot.
Cub Pack Prepares
Window Display—
Cub Scout pack 210 has on
display in the west window oi
the J. M. McDonald store a
number of various objects com
pleted by pack members. Each
member has made one object to
contribute to the display, which
will be on display all week.
o «
“Big success” was the descrip
tion for Tuesday’s show and sale
of registered cattle at the O’Neill
Livestock Market sponsored by
the Holt County Aberdeen-Angus
Breeders’ associatidn.
Sale Manager E. L. Miner said
the 10th annual sale was unique
because of the large offering, ex
cellent weather, large crowd, and
high enthusiasm. Ninety-five head
were shown and sold.
The 95 brought a total of
$24,762.50. Forty-six bulls av
eraged $391; 49 females aver
aged $144.65; six 4-H and FFA
calves averaged $124.10.
The judge, Ralph May of Val
entine, selected Steel Creek Band
olier 152d, jointly consigned by
Ray Siders of Inman and Louis
Bartos of O’Neill, as the cham
pion bull. The champ was bought
by Ed Novotny of Colome, S.D.,
for $530. For reserve champion,
May selected Barbara Bandolier,
consigned by Bartos, and pur
chased by Jackson Brothers of
Valentine for $450.
The top-selling bull of the sale
was a Siders-Bartos bull, which
went to E. G. Mogck of Tripp,
S.D., for $635.
Honors for the best pen of
three also went to Bartos, a
young farmer living about 9Vi
miles north of O’Neill, and he
was presented The Frontier’s
trophy.
Bartos swept the field a year
ago. It was a virtual duplication.
Judge May picked Steel Creek
Karama 16th of the Ray Siders
consignment for champion female.
She was purchased by Eddie
Krugman of O’Neill for $340.
A heifer from the farm of Frank
Beelaert and Son of Page was
chosen for the reserve female
honors. Proud Effie of BBB was
sold to Leon Hendricks of At
kinson for $200.
Col. Ralph Kurh of Blair con
ducted the fast - moving auctior
with most of the cattle going tc
Nebraska and South Dakota buy
ers.
A banquet was held at the
Town House Monday evening
Frank Seibert of Valentine, sec
retary of the Sandhills Cattle
man’s association, was the mair
speaker.
Slides were shown by A. Nei
Dawes and Harry E. Ressel. Mr
Ressel presented plaques to the
purple ribbon winners of the
county this past year: Robert
Becky and Brenda Beelaert o:
Page, Glenn Miller and Sharor
Miner, both of O’Neill
Mr. Miner was awarded a tro
phy as the outstanding membei
of the year. He is secretary-treas
urer of the Holt association anc
vice-president of the state asso
ciation.
James Rooney was master-of
ceremonies for the evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Bartos anc
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Revell were
the banquet committee.
Blaine Garwood of Amelia, Mr
Siders and Mr. Miner were the
I sale committee.
“We wish to take this mean:
of saying a great big thanks tc
all who helped in any way tc
make our banquet and sale sucl
a success,” said Mr. Miner.
Mrs. Krotter
Dies At 82
in Hospital
Widow o f Pioneer
Merchant Suffers
Broken Hip in Fall
STUART — Funeral services
were conducted at 2 p.m., Mon
day, February 6, for Mrs. Wil
liam Krotter, 82, who died at St.
Anthony’s hospital in O’Neill Sat
urday, February 4, following a
week’s illness. She had suffered
a broken hip in a fall Sunday,
January 29.
Funeral services were conduct
ed by Rev. Ernest Gaither of
Fullerton, a former pastor of the
Stuart Federated church, and by
Rev D. D. Su, pastor of the Stu
art Community church.
Music was furnished by a
quartet composed of Mrs. H. L.
Cowles, Mrs. Robert Brayton, Ora
Yarges and Norris Coats, accom
panied by Mrs. Mark Nelson.
Pallbearers were T. E. McGuire,
Harrison Hovey and Cletus Durr,
all of Stuart; Herbert H. Kaiser
of O’Neill; Mandus Olin of Spen
ser and John Schonebaum of Na
per, all associated with the Wil
liam Krotter company.
Arrangements were directed by
Coats funeral service. Burial was
in the Stuart cemetery.
Mabel A. Krotter was bom near
Ocheyedan, la., on September 30,
1873, the daughter of Robert S.
and Mary Hall. She moved with
her parents to Long Pine at the
age of 10.
Following graduation from high
school, she attended Nebraska
Wesleyan university and Oberlin
college in Ohio.
On June 8, 1898, she was
married to William Krotter.
They moved to Stuart where
she lived until the time of her
death.
Mrs. Krotter was active in
church, civic and music affairs.
A lifelong member of the
church, she served as organist
from the age of 12 until she re
tired, completing 60 years of
tervice.
She was a charter member of
Lily chapter of the Order of the
Eastern Star. She served in the
grand chapter of Nebraska as
grand organist, grand lecturer and
district supervisor.
Mrs. Krotter was a member of
the Stuart board of education,
was active in the Women’s Im
provement club and other civic
affairs. She was known as an
ardent lover of music, an art in
which she served as teacher, pi
anist and accompanist.
Her husband established the
Krotter company in 1889. The
firm operates retail businesses
in Stuart, Spencer, O’Neill and
Naper. For many years he was
president. During 30 years of
that period the late Mrs. Krot
ter served as secretary-treasur
er.
Her husband, who died in 1941,
and one daughter, Helen, preced
, ed her in death.
Survivors include: Sons—Don
ald of Stuart, John of Spencer;
’ daughter—Mrs. T. H. (Katherine)
i Schiefen of Lincoln; grandchil
dren—Robert Krotter of O’Neill
and Mrs. C. T. McVay of Frank
• lin; three great - grandchildren;
. brother—Henry Hall of LaMesa,
i Calif.
Scout Honor Court
Tonight at Stuart
| STUART—The sandhills dis
trict of the Covered Wagon Coun
cil, Boy Scouts of America, will
■ hold a district court of honor
‘ tonight (Thursday) at 8 o’clock
in the Stuart auditorium.
; Highlights will be talks given
i bv District Judge D. R. Mounts of
> O’Neill, Dr. J. M. Pucelik of
i speacer and District Judge Lyle
Jackson of Neligh.
Mrs. Mabel Krotter . . . leader in church, social and business
fields for many years.
Irish Singers Please
with Precision, Artistry
By a Staff Writer
It was a big day for the Irish
as well as over 1,100 music lovers
in the O’Neill region when Kitty
O’Callaghan and her ensemble of
Irish Festival Singers presented
the second in the 1955-’56 series
of Community Concerts here.
In brief, the concert was char
acterized by sweet and lilting
music in the folk songs, up-and
at-’em precision in the martial
airs, gayness and lament in the
love songs, and a pronounced
Teutonic flavor in the selections
done in Gaelic (native Irish lan
guage).
It can be said Kitty knew ex
actly what she was looking for in
blend, harmony and balance. And
O’Neill concert-goers are first to
testify she achieved it.
O’Neill is the smallest Ameri
can city in which the Singers
have appeared. This is their sec
ond sell-out season. Last year’s
initial tour was limited to a doz
en stops.
The hairdos and green gowns
were Dublin editions and did not
reflect the provincialism of some
of the artists. One of the six gals
was married. One (Maureen Con
over) attended prep school in St.
Louis, Mo., and said she “idolized”
Atkinson’s Ed Scott when he was
a basketball great at St. Louis U.
Another (Kitty Corcoran) had
met Miss Hope Condon, formerly
of O’Neill, in a New York City
apartment-hotel, so she was not
totally unfamiliar with O’Neill
when •she arrived.
Pardon the chat. This is a mu
sic review.
The Singers were “as advertis
ed.” They were to portray in
song the essence of the mystic
and lovely Irish countryside. They
did.
The varied program included
solos, duos, trios, quartets, sextet
and full choir. Several arrange
ments were by the talented di
rector - accompanist, Kitty O’
Callaghan.
Program opened by the mixed
choir singing the patriotic “My
Land” and a delicate air, “The
Lark in the Clear Air.”
James Cuthbert’s interpreta
tion of “The Stutterin’ Lovers”
delighted the audience with his
colossal bass and warm person
ality.
The mixed choir revealed su
perior and perfected blend of
voices in the plaintive love bal
lad, “Norah O’Neale.”
Sylvia O’Brien, who opened
the second grouping with “The
Dandelion Song,” displayed a
genuine and controlled contralto
voice. Messrs. Patrick Ring, Ar
thur Agnew, Jack O’Connor and
Cuthbert blended their voices ef
fectively in “The Shepherdess”
and in the popular “Cockles and
Mussels.”
Miss Sighle Larchet, a modest
and quiet lady from Dublin, prov
ed to be a skillful harpist and a
fine artist. She played “Tradi
tional Irish Airs.”
The second group was complet
ed by the group rendition of one
of the earliest Irish folk tunes
and a favorite in America since
colonial days, “Believe Me If AM
Those Endearing Young Charms.”
Every occupation of the Irish
people from milking cows to
spinning is represented in Irish
folk music. But the most popular
subjects of their music are love
(naturally) and sorrow. The
strange mingling of joy and sor
row was heard in the tonality of
the music. The plaintive melodies
reflected the prolonged oppres
sion of the people and the martial
airs were strictly up-and-at-’em.
Patrick Ring, tenor, began the
third grouping with “Down by
the Sally Gardens.” His voice
was exceptionally pleasant, ex
pressive and full of personality.
First introduction to Miss Geor
gina Carroll’s pure and excel
lentlv controlled soprano voice
ca«-4pr *ith the quaint “I Heard
a Piper Piping.”
Austin Gaffney, in a mellow
baritone, pleased the audience
with his vivid interpretation of
“The Tinker’s Daughter.” The
mixed choir closed the first half
with the humorous “Kitty, My
Love, Will You Marry Me?”
The second half opened with a
group of folk songs in Irish. The
choir did the delightfully funny
“An Coisire.” A well-balanced
male quartet (Brown, Agnew, O’
Connor and Cuthbert) sang “Do
Bhios-sa La Bport Lairge.” Ring,
in his brilliant tenor sang “An
Cuilfhionn,” accompanied by the
piano (O’Callaghan) and harp
(Larchet). Completing the group
ing was the mixed chorus with
“Puritan Beil.”
Miss Carroll, in superb voice,
teamed with the choir to do the
dramatic “The Lover’s Curse,”
and the sextet of Irish lassies in
terpreted “The Leprechaun” —
one of the concert highlights.
Mr. Gaffney substituted by re
quest “The Garden.” Sylvia O’
Brien, Claire • Kelleher and Kitty
Corcoran, lovelies and lassies,
sang “The Lovely Lassies.” The
choir finished the grouping with
“Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye.”
Miss Larchet opened the final
group artistically with “Geann
Laghach An Ceoid.”
Miss Carrol, with a choral
background, sang a traditional
favorite, “The Last Rose of Sum
mer,” from Flotow’s opera “Mar
tha.” O’Callaghans unusual and
appealing arrangement and ac
(Continued on page 6)
L. L Keeler, 75,
Burial al Butte
Retired Farmer 111
Seven Years
BUTTE—Funeral services for
Luzerne Leslie Keeler, 75, of An
oka were conducted Monday af
ternoon! February 6, at the Com
munity church at Butte. Rev.
Lance Anderson of the Butte Full
Gospel church officiated. Music
wa: by the Full Gospel quartet
with Mrs. Burl Jons as accom
panist. Burial was in the Butte
cemetery.
Pallbearers were Donald Line
back of O’Neill, Ervin Armfield,
Henry Lampman, Delbert Scott,
William Baumiester, Roy Stock
well. Honorary pallbearers were
his five sons and one grandson,
Larry Keeler.
The late Mr. Keeler had lived
in the Anoka community most of
his life. He had been ill for seven
years and in recent years he suf
fered a stroke. He had been bed
fast prior to his death which oc
curred Friday, February 3, at his
home in Anoka.
Survivors include: Widow —
Mabel; sons—Friend of River
dale, N.D., Dale of Rhame, N.D.,
Merle of Oakdale, Donald of Do
ver Del. Carl of Anoka; daughters
—Mrs. Earl (Verle) Orr of Lin
coln, Mrs. Otto (Velda) Schaffer
of Rapid City, S.D., Mrs. Marcel- i
lus (Leona) Howard of Omaha, j
Mrs Donald (June) Lineback of j
O’Neill.
He was preceded in death by
one daughter and one brother.
Edward Joslin, 82,
Expires in Hotel
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 10 a.m.. Wednesday, Feb
ruary 8, for Edward Joslin, 82,
former Stuart resident. He died
about 12:30 p.m., Monday, Feb
ruary 6, at the Moore hotel in O’
Neill, where he had been resid
ing.
Rev. J. Olen Kennell, pastor of
First Presbyterian church, offic
iated in the rites held at Biglin’s
funeral chapel. Burial was in
prospect hill cemetery.
late Mr. Joslin was born
April 2, 1873, at Spencer, Ind. He
was married in December, 1926,
+o Edna Mae Head, at Topeka,
Kans.
Mr. Joslin has been a Holt resi
dent since 1898. He was a watch
repairman and gunsmith by oc
cupation, and lived many years at
Stuart.
Survivors include: Brother—
Hebert Joslin of Oakdale; sister—
Gertrude Stege.
2 O’Neill Youths
Back from Service
Army Sgt. James Morrison,
who spent much of his military
career with a tank battalion near
the 38th parallel in Korea, and
Pfc. Edward Cuddy, both of O’
Neill, have been separated from
service. Each had spent two years
in service as volunteers through
the selective service office.
Cuddy served at Ft. Riley,
Kans., but spent most of his two
years at Ft. Lewis, Wash.
Morrison arrived home last
week and Cuddy reached O’Neill
on Sunday.
Business Session—
The Catholic Daughters of Am
erica held a business meeting on
Tuesday night at the K of C hall.
Mrs. Bernard Janzing was chair
man. Miss Mary Crowley won
high, Mrs. Mary Dusatko won the
door prize. Mrs. Nora Mullen won
! low. Lunch was served by the
I committee.
j I
Decker .* . school dedication
speaker.—The Frontier Photo.
Otto Butler Dies
While Doing Chores
Funeral Rites Held At
Creighton
VENUS—Otto C. Butler, 64, of
Niobrara, formerly of Venus,
died Wednesday, February 1,
while doing the evening chores at
his feed lot at the east end if
to"-n.
Mr. Butler was born at Emer
son on May 3, 1891. He was the
la t member of his immediate
family. He was preceeded in
death by his parents, three sisters
and three brothers.
In 1904 the family moved to
Knox county near Venus, where
he and his brother, George and
Robert and the latter’s family
farmed and did blacksmith work.
In 1949 he and George moved
to . i .r farm east of Niobrara.
n°xt year the broth
ers sold their farm at Venus and
R Dert ana his faminy moved to
Niobrara. George died in 195C
and Robert in 1951.
Funeral services were held al
10 a.m., Saturday at the Grace
Bible church at Creighton. Mr
Butler was a member of tha
church, ^urial was at Emerson ir
the family plot.
iu.r. ouder never married.
Survivors include: sister-in-lav
- p,-q Butler, four nephew:
and seven nieces.
New Boundaries
for Fire Districts
Holt county supervisors in ses
sion Tuesday, February 1, revis
ed boundaries for proposed rura
protection districts in the O’
Neill and Page communities.
Legal notices outlining the
boundaries for these districts and
also proposed Chambers and Ew
ing districts appear on pages f
■nd 10 of this week’s issue of The
Frontier.
C of C to Participate
in Paying Sign Costs
Twenty members of the Cham
ber of Commerce in regulai
monthly session Monday evening
voted to add $50 to a sign fund
which had been raised by the
Junior Chamber of Commerce
The signs completed several
weeks ago are to be erected a1
three entrances to the city.
The C of C also voted to add
$15 to a fund for erecting an O’
Neill sign in South Dakota.
G. E. Miles, presided. Mayoi
Alva Marcellus diesussed possi
! bilities of municipal airport im
provement, establishment of s
; weather station here and pros
pects for a national guard arm
, ory.
Food Store Expanded, Remodeled
This is an interior view of the expanded, re
modeled and redecorated Fourth Street Market,
- owned and operated by George Janousek The
firm soon will be in its fifth year. Mr. Janousek
is the son of Mrs. Lod Janousek and the late ~
Janousek. The meat department has been en
larged and new, streamlined fixtures have been
installed to provide greater merchandise capacity.
*
War Babies
Will Create
Big Problem
State Education Chief
Says High Schools
Soon to Overflow
State Education Commissioner
F. B. Decker congratulated O’- o
Neillites Friday for their “beau
tiful new building” which houses
O’Neill public school elementary
grades. He was principal speaker
in dedication ceremonies held in
the public school auditorium and
attended by the student body and
the public. *
“I am very happy for the peo
ple of O’Neill,” he declared. “I’ve
seen some things in this interest
ing building which I’ve never
seen before and I like them very
much.”
As the state’s first education
commissioner (an appointive
post formerly the elective job of
state superintendent of public
: instruction), Mr. Decker is in
! terested in and closely follows
all types of school construction
in the state.
“We never try to tell any school
district what to build. We tell
boards of education where the
new schools are, we urge prospec
tive builders to investigate very
closely the various types, and we
offer assistance iq a variety of
ways.
“To be sure, the O’Neill school
will be visited frequently—as it
already has.”
In a “Voice of The Frontier”
(WJAG, 780 kc.) interview, Mr.
Decker touched on Nebraska
school problems.
“They’re the same as in other
states. We have a terrific short
age of teachers in the city and
town grade schools and high 0
schools and have plenty of rural
teachers.
“Looking into the future, I
anticipate many problems when
1 the crop of war babies, now in
the fifth and sixth grades, get
into high school.
; “In Nebraska we have no school
problems that cannot be solved
by Nebraskans if they’ll adopt a
reasonable redistricting program
At present we simply have too „
many schools.”
Mr. Decker commented briefly
[ • on the two-grade Amelia high
j school problem in southwest Holt
I county. Decker’s department is
insisting the school be closed down
because the enrollment is below
the prescribed number for an
approved school and Amelia is
relatively near four-grade high
schools at Chambers (10 miles
east on an “improved road”) and..
Atkinson.
I Prospects of losing the high
school have stirred Amelia resi
dents, who appeared last fall in
a hearing at Lincoln to protest
and last week made further pro
tests at the statehouse.
The Amelia people feel that
if they want to pay for and
maintain a two - grade high
school regardless of the number
of pupils it is their business. »
Decker said:
“Our office is charged with
the responsibility of accrediting
and approving high schools in the
state. We are charged with visit
ing these schools, encouraging
improvement of the good ones 'and
trying to make the poor ones bet
ter. But there is a point beyon.l
which we cannot go.
“We don’t believe you can hav!»
a high school with only four or
five students and offer the kind
of courses that merit accredita
tion.” .
Hardings Feted in
Surprise Farewell
Mr. and Mrs. Axel Borg enter
tained at surprise farewell party
Saturday night, February 4, in
honor of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon
Harding who are moving to Cal
ifornia.
Cards were played. High score
for men was won by Dewayne
Anson, low by Elmer Devall. High
■ for ladies was won by Norma
I Hanson, low by Helen Nelson.
Lunch was served and a going
away gift of luggage was present
ed to the Hardings from their
friends and neighbors.
.The Hardings are holding a
farm sale on Friday, February 10.
Backhaus, Fetrow
Sweetheart Royalty
The Future Farmers of Ameri
ca and Future Homemakers of
America, O’Neill chapters, staged
their annual valentine sweetheart
dance Tuesday evening in the O’
Neill public school recreation
room.
Kenneth Backhaus was chosen
king; Miss Mary Fetrow, queen.
Attendants were the Misses Shar
on Miner and Brenda Cole, Ben
nett Devall and Robert Young.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Van Ev
ery visited last Thursday after
noon at the William Andersen
home.
