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North-Central Nebraska’s BIGGEST Newspaper
Volume 77.—Number 3. O’Neill, Nebraska, Thursday, May 16, 1937. Seven Cents
Holt -'ipervisor Batenhorst (seated) and State Accountant
Cecil Wav discuss township orders and checks during Monday's
special meeting of the Holt board.—The Frontier Photo.
State Auditor Raps
*Improper ’ Procedure
Lionel Siefken, 40,
Is Heart Victim
Beverage Man Dies
Unexpectedly
Lionel L. Siefken, 40, manager
of the Robertson Beverage com
pany at O'Neill, died suddenly
about 6:30 p.m., Sunday, May
12, while working at the Rob
ertson warehouse on South
Fourth street.
The late Mr Siefken, a vet
eran of the marine corps during
World War II, had suffered a
heart ailment for more than a
year.
Funeral services were con
ducted at 1 p.m., Wednesday,
May 15, at First Presbyterian
church in O’Neill with Rev. J.
Olen Kennell officiating. Burial
was in Prospect cemetery at
Norfolk at 3:30 p.m.
Pallbearers were Roy Robert
Siefken . . . marine veteran.
son of Norfolk. Clint Riege, Neil
Ryan, Wilber Kimes, Jack Lan
man and Don Miller.
The late Mr. Siefkin was born
December 1. 1916. at Pilger, a
son of the late William R. and
Gladys Tift Siefken.
On February 10, 1947, at Co
lumbus, he was married to Marie
Christiansen. They became the
parents of one son, Jerry.
Survivors include: Widow—
Marie; son—Jerry; brothers—
Wallace of Norfolk and Clair of
Denton, Md.; sisters—Ms. Mel
vin Follette of Norfolk, Mrs.
Ray Willers of Stanton and
Mrs. James Mello of Uakersfield,
Calif.
‘Beck’ Wallen Loses
Right Leg in Surgery
El wood ("Beck”) Wallen, 76,
retired O’Neill businessman who '
has been residing at Genoa in a
rest home, submitted to the am
putation of his right leg Frdiay
in an Omaha hospital. He suffered
from hardening of the arteries
and gangerene had set in, neces
sitating the surgery.
His son. Jack, of O’Neill and
daughter, Mrs. Noel Keith of
Amarillo, Tex., were near him,
also his daughter-in-law, Mrs.
Jack Wallen.
A series of rural and town
school groups in the area have
visited points of interest in
O'Neill, including The Fron
tier and "Voice of The Fron
tier” studios, during the past
week. Space limitations in
this issue prevent publication.
State Auditor Ray C. Johnson
Monday morning advised the Holt
county board of supervisors, call
ed into special session, that a
series of township orders and
checks in the Sixth supervisory
district are under investigation.
Monday’s 10 o’clock meeting
was called by County Clerk Ken
neth Waring at the order of
County Attorney William W.
Griffin.
A. M. Batenhorst of Stuart,
democratic supervisor for the past
eight years, was critized by
Johnson and two members of the
state auditor’s staff for "improp
er” procedure in handling of
township accounting.
The checks, now in the hands
of County Attorney Griffin and
under investigation, aggregate
more than $3,100. The order
checks involved were issued to
Mr. Batenhorst and date back to
1949, according to Johnson.
At the conclusion of the meet
ing at which all members of the
board were present and newsmen
were invited. State Auditor John
son told The Frontier:
"I have just reported to the
L-ounty board findings of our in
vestigation of five townships in
this county relative to payments
made to one of the county sup
ervisors.
“I presented the claims to
gether with the checks, showing
payment, and have turned them
over to the county attorney for
his further investigation.
“We presented the facts, as we
found them, relative to the finan
ces of these five townships, and
we have two or more to check.
The Claims ana cnecus in
question go back to 1949 and total
$3,100 plus.”
Mr. Batenhorst, after the meet- i
ing, offered this comment to The I
Frontier:
•‘Well, I think his whole thing j
can be ironed out. It’s all through
exchange of work on mail routes
and culverts. Some townships
have machinery and road equip
ment; others don’t”.
Mr. Batenhorst has been on the
Holt board eight years.
Said the county attorney:
"The matter has been referred
to me by the county board and
it is in the investigation stage. We
intend to make a complete and
detailed investigation and run
down all of these various items
and see if there is a proper ex
planation for them. Until we
have completed that further in
vestigation. I am not prepared to
say what the investigation will
show up”.
Most of the supervisors had no
advance information that the
state auditor would be on hand to
make a presentation. However,
Keith Larson of Johnson’s office
has been working at the court
house and in the field for more
than a month.
Assisting Johnson in the pre
sentation was Cecil Way of Lin
coln, state accountant.
GAMES RAINED-OUT
Rain and wet fields forced
posrtponement of Sunday’s open
ing games in the North-Central
baseball league. Meanwhile, these
games are scheduled tonight
(Thursday): Chambers at O’Neill,
Bassett at, Atkinson, Stuart at
Ainsworth.
RABID SKUNK
LYNCH—In district 35, west of
Lynch, farmers have been watch
ful for signs of rabid animals.
Joe Slechta, jr., killed a rabid
skunk in his yard and was in
structed to destroy his cats and a
good cattle dog.
These T ownship Orders, Checks Probed
A series of township orders and checks, made out to A. M.
Batenhorst, are under investigation by the state auditor and the
Holt county attorney. The order-checks listed bear the same
dates. Several of the checks bear Mr. Batenhorst's first endorse
ment; others carry second endorsements. The order-checks be
ing investigated:
Township Date Amount
STUART, repair .. July 5, 1949 $558.00
FRANCIS, fixing road Nov. 23. 1951 834.00
STUART, grading Jan. 2, 1950 488.00
STUART, labor ... _ June 4. 1951 259.00
STUART, road work _ Sept. 29, 1951 520.00
STUART, culverts June 14, 1953 134.00
STUART.‘culverts ... ... Oct. 5, 1953 118 32
STUART, snowplow and drag _ Aug. 2, 1954 260.00
STUART, culverts Jan. 17, 1955 16.20*
* Check on this order is still outstanding.
* t • # • * •
• * •
• •
McConnell, 47, Dies
as Tractor Upsets
St. Mary’s
to Graduate
44 Seniors
A w a r ds Announced;
Eighth Graders to
Be Graduated Today
St. Mary’s academy seniors will
graduate at 10 a. m., Friday, May
17, at rites in St. Patrick's Catho
j lie church. Rev. Alfred Hoesing
' of St. John’s church, Deloit will
i give the address.
Members of the class:
Patricia Alles, Cecelia Babl,
Connie Bazelman, Bonnie Buri
val, Cera Corkle, Catherine Cud
dy, Ellen Donohoe, Frances
Ernst, Mary Graham, Jean Hick
ey, Eleanor Hoehne, Mary Hoff
man, Helen Hynes, Rita Jilg.
Lorraine Kellar, Betty Krobot,
Peggy Lee, Charlene Mahony,
Carolyn Muff, Sharon Murray,
Patsy Pollock, Marie Ritz, Mary
Ryan, Carlene Schoenle, Donna
Lou Turner, Dorothy Vitt, Eunice
Van Horn, Judy Wanser.
Richard Allen Arnold Babl,
James Becker, James Burival,
Leo Havelka, James Froelich.
James Hickey, Richard Jonas,
Jerry McGinn, John O’Keif, Gene
O’Neill, Dan Putnam, Tom
Schnieder, George Shoemaker,
Gordon Slaight, Mike Murphy.
In addition to awards announ
ced last issue, Miss Connie Jo
Bazelman has accepted a scholar
ship to Marycrest college, Dave
port, la.; Miss Bonnie Burival,
scholarships to Creighton univer
sity, Omaha, and St. Mary’s col
lege, Xavier, Kans.; Miss Marie
Ritz, Norfolk Junior college
scholarship, and Miss Carlene
Schoenle, Webster college.
The folowing students will be
graduated from the eighth grade
at St. Mary’s academy today
(Thursday).
Teresa Bosn, Gale Boyle, James
Corkle, Kathleen Donohoe, Mar
garet Donohoe, Tim Gilligan,
Leonard Havranek, Catherine
Hawley, Joseph Howard, Bill
Hynes, Jerry Jergensmeier, Fran
ces Kelly, Randy Lyons, Robert
Muiphy, Douglas Spittler, Maria
Elena Stevens, Sue Tomlinson,
Elizabeth Turner.
Sue Tomlinson and Douglas
Spittler rank first and second in
their class.
Ex-Orchard Woman
Spends 9 Years as
Commie for FBI
ORCHARD—A former Orchard
woman. Mrs. Oscar Hanson,
whose maiden name was Evelyn
Strope, testified a fortnight ago
in federal court in Oakland,
Calif., that for nine years she was
a member of the communist par
ty working under cover for the
federal bureau of investigation.
Her father, the late Frank
Strope, formerly was a postmast
er here. She attended school in
Orchard and was graduated from
high school in 1926.
Mrs. Hanson made her dis
closures before a federal judge in
hearings of the subversive ac
tivities control board of Californ
ia. She named several persons
who she said worked as commu
nists with her.
During the hearing she was
asked why she joined the party.
She replied: “To furnish informa
tion to the FBI.”
She belonged to an Oakland
cell and revealed to the court
names of communists not regis
I
McConnell . . . fatal accident
for rancher.—O'Neill Photo Co.
Pauline Nickolite
Suffers Long Illness
EWING—Mrs. Pauline Niuk
olite, 77. who died Thursday,
May 2 was buried Monday, May
May 6, in St. St. Peter’s ceme
tery northeast of here following
9 am., funeral services in St.
Peters Catholic church.
Rev. Peter F. Burke, church
pastor, officiated. Pallbearers
were John Bauer, Donald Van
dersnick, Edward Kaczor, Jo
seph Kaczor, Julian Sojka and
Lewis Vandersnick.
The late Pauline Vandersnick,
only child of John and Mary
Vandersnick, was born at Co
lumbus August 19, 1879. She
moved with her parents to Ewing
when she was a small child and
she spent 75 years on the same
farm.
She was married to John
Nickolite in about 1900. They
became the parents of five chil
dren.
The late Mrs. Nickolite suf
fered a stroke May 13, 1940 and
she was in poor health until her
death.
Survivors include: Sons—Wil
liam of Plainview, Steve of Dear
born, Mich., Ignatius and Pete
both of Ewing; daughter—Mrs.
Genevieve Muehlmeier of Al
bion.
‘When I Grow Up’
Production Ready
The O’Neill kindergarten class
will present “When I Grow Up”,
a song play in one act, at the
public school auditorium at 8
p.m.. Tuesday. May 21. It was
written by Elinor Smith Gerber
of Lexington, formerly of O’Neill.
Mrs. Harry Petersen is the di
rector.
There will be a matinee dress
rehearsal Monday at 1:30 p.m.,
which will be a finished produc
tion. Children unable to sit
quietly through the evening per
formance may be brought Mon
day afternoon. The grade school
children will be present Monday
afternoon with their teachers.
During Tuesday evening’s per
formance, the north and south
doors leading to the rest rooms
will be closed. They will be
opened at intermission only.
WINS PRIZE
PAGE—Mrs. Elsie Cork was
the winner of the prize offered
to the lady selling the most pop
pies on poppy day. She had 83
poppy sales to her credit. A to
tal of $46.55 was realized from
sales.
EMMET—Mr. and Mrs. G. Ow
en (“Bud”) Cole went to Omaha
Friday where Bud entered the
hospital for a back injury.
Wheel Breaks Causing
Machine to Go Out
of Control on Hiway
Howard J. McConnell, 47, O’
N'eill rancher living 13 miles
south of here, was fatally injured
| about 1:15 p. m., Wednesday
when his suothbound tractor up
set, crushing turn.
Holt Sheriff Leo Tomjack, who
i investigated, said he believed Mc
Connell died instantly.
McConnell’s death was the first
highway fatality in Holt county
in 1957.
The large tractor McConnell
was driving was pulling an un
derslung.
One of the front dual wheels
snapped off while the rig was
moving down the highway. Tom
jack theorized the break caused
the tractor to spin, veering off
onto the soft shoulder of the
road. The tractor traveled about
40 feet, Tomjack said, from the
point where the wheel snapped.
Tomjack believes the tractor
went out of control completely,
finally upsetting backwards and
pinning the driver under the right
wheel (upright it would be the
left rear wheel).
Passersby summoned an am
bulance, doctor and Sheriff Tom
jack
The machine had to be propped
] in order to extricate the body.
Assisting were Bernard Gribble,
Omar McClenahan, Henry Durre,
Frank Fiala, and several olhers.
The accident occurred about
13tfe miles south of O’Neill on U.
S. highway 281 or about a mile
south of the McConnell place.
McConnell had been working
with Eldon Butterfield of O’Neill.
The late Mr. McConnell was
born in Holt county, a son of Mr.
and Mrs. Alex McConnell of At
kinson. He was a twin.
His wife is the former Audrey
Gilster.
The McConnells lived for a
number of years south of Emmet
where they were in partnership
with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Puck
ett. For the past several years
they have lived 13 miles south of
O’Neill on a ranch where Mr. Mc
Connell raised livestock.
Survivors include: Widow —
Audrey; sons—Jay of Sudbury,
Man., Can.; Larry, who is now in
Japan with the navy; Pat, 12, at
home; daughter—Miss Kathleen,
at home, rural school teacher;
one grandchild; parents— Mr. and
Mrs. Alex McConnell of Atkin
son; sisters—Mrs. Walter (Le
nora) Puckett of Atkinson, Mrs.
Fred (Maxine) Saunto of O’Neill,
and Mrs. Harry (Harriette) Little
of Omaha (twin sister); brother—
Eli of Atkinson.
Biglin’s will be in charge of
funeral arrangements.
William Hock Will
Head Page School
PAGE—William Hock has been
elected superintendent of schools
at Page for the coming year. He
has been principal of the Regan
schools the past four years.
Stanley Gross, retiring super
intendent, will go to Omaha Cen
tral where he will teach biology.
Leigh Cull and Mrs. Anna Cart
ter, English, will return to Page.
The grade teachers, Mrs. Helen
Braddock, primary, Mrs. Hazel j
Park, intermediate teacher and |
Mrs Faye Taylor, 6, 7, and 8
grade teacher, will remain.
Edd Stewart will remain as
custodian and Mrs. Harrison
Hallman will continue as cook in
charge of the lunch program.
Leonard Sawyer of Royal, band
director, will be at the town hall
Friday evening, May 17. Any stud
ent interested in taking band who
has not already contacted Mr.
Sawyer will please see him then.
Miss Alice L. French, Holt county superintendent (in black, seated at cen ter) poses with the 1957 rural school eighth grade graduates during promotion
exercises held here Monday.—O’Neill Photo Co.
• '• . • ' •••• . ■ •••••: •
Howard McConnell, driver of this tractor, was fatally injured Wednesday afternoon when
one of the front dual wheels (black arrowed) sn upped off and caused the tractor to go out of
control, upsetting on the driver and crushing him to death. Body was extricated from under
partially seen rear wheel (white arrow). Camera faces north on U. S. highway 281 at point 13Vi
miles south of here.—The Frontier Photo.
Mr. and Mrs. Strong . . . nine children, 29 grandchildren, 12
great-grandchildren.—The Frontier Photo.
Bill' Strong, Wife
Honored at Reception
O’Neill Couple Wed
Half-Century
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur (“Bill”)
Strong, residents of Holt county
since 1920, on Sunday, May 12,
observed their golden wedding an
niversary.
They were honored at a family
dinner at the home of their
daughter, Mrs. Walter (Lettie)
Calkins Tucker. A reception was
held in the afternoon for friends
and relatives.
Mr. Strong is in fragile health;
Mrs. Strong enjoys good health.
Mr. Strong was born at Garden
Grove, la., and came to Madison
county with his parents when he
was 18-months-old. He was 11
years-old at the time of the Jan
uary 12, 1888 blizzard in which
both of his feet were frozen.
Her maiden name was Martha
Slothe. She was born at West
Point. Her parents later moved
to Creighton, in Knox county, and
:hen to Pierce county.
(Continued on page 6.)
ARC Drive Being
Kept Open During
Month of May
General Alfred Gruenther an
announced that the Red Cross
fund drive will be kept open
during the month of May, and
asks that all who have not made
donations to please do so.
The floods In Texas and the
the tornadoes in Nebraska alone
have accounted for much high
er expenses that will have to
be raised.
J. B. Grady, Holt county chair
man, reports that the drive has
raised $1,817.01 todate with sev
eral towns missing.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry McGraw
have taken over the drive in
Inman where the original chair
man, Ray Siders, died several
weeks ago.
Incomplete reports todate show
the following.
O’Neill $705.86
Atkinson .. $519.45
I’age $ 76.60
Emmet $198.50
Chambers $278.60
Stuart $ 38.00
Mrs. John Wells expects to
leave Friday for Topeka, Kans.,
where she will visit with friends.
81 Rural Eighth
Graders Promoted
Small Class Hears
Doctor Hoiberg
Eighty-one rural eighth grad
ers from Holt schools were pro
moted Monday in exerrises at
the O’Neill public school audi
torium.
“Learning to Live" was the
title of the graduation address
presented by Dr. Otto G. Hoi
berg of the University of Ne
braska.
Program included:
Piano processional, “War of
the Priest’s March”, by Roy
Bridge and John Kurtz of the
O’Neill public school; invocation,
by Rev. Egon Kirschman; sing
ing of the national anthem by
the audience; flag salute, led by
Prof. Merton V. Welch of Nor
folk; piano solo, “Water Spri
tes at Play”, by Marilyn Ziska of
district 169
Song, “On Our Graduation
Day”, by pupils of district 107—
Delbert Fleck, I^arry Swanson.
Thomas Taggcrt, Roger Walter
and Ronald Young; piano solo,
“The Music Box”, by Maxine
Pacha of district 77; vocal duet,
“Beautiful Ohio", by Joyce Mik
kelson and Douglas Jarman of
district 178.
Accordian sollo, “Hie Merry
Widow Waltz”, by Terry Galla
gher of district 157; piano solo,
“The Guitar” by Mary Lou Hood
of district 169; piano solo. “Saints
Go Marching In”, by Beverly
Meyer of district 180.
The seventh and eighth grade
chorus, directed by Professor
Welch with Mrs. Howard Man
son as piano accompanist, sang
“Marines Hymn”, “Old Folks at
Home” and "Home on the Range.’*
Miss Lucille Mitchell, presi
dent of the Holt Rural Teachers’
association, presented arithmetic
awards, and Miss Alice French,
county superintendent, present
ed diplomas. Benediction was
offered by Reverend Kirschman.
(Superior students are listed
alphabetically; also others are
listed alphabetically):
Superiors: Roseanne Blake,
Ben Bollwitt, Bonnie Crumly,
Gary Devall, Edward Ethington,
Gary Fick, John Gilg, Gayleen
Kaasa, Marion Rosenkrans, Larry
Swanson, James Tenborg, Rita
Vequist, Beverly Whitcomb, Mar
ilyn Ziska.
uthers: Paul Adams, Dale
Bogue, Rita Braun, Shirley
Braun, Phillip Breiner, Norma
Brewster, Ken Butterfield, Hal
lie Carsten, Janette Clemens,
Robert Clifford, Rodney Dobias,
James Dusatko, Vietta Edwards,
Darold Ermer, Ruth Evans, Del
bert Fleek, June Focken, Robert
Fuelberth.
Roma Fundus, Terry Gallagh
er, Jerry Gokie, Donald Grieg,
Nicky Hammerlun, Pat Harkins,
Gene Harvey, Mary Lou Head,
Georgia Herold, Robert Howard,
Sharon Howard, Arthur Hrbek,
Ralph Kaup, Robert Knutson,
Robert Jansen, Douglas Jarman.
Joyce Krogh, Roger Lange, Jer
ilyn Leubcke, Agnes Mahony.
Beverly Meyer, Joyce Mikkelsen,
Dick Mlnarik, Margaret Mullen
Orville Osborne, Maxine Pacha,
Lavern Phipps, DeLynn Picker
ing, Veldeen Pinkerman, Shar
on Prewitt.
Gaylor Rossrnan, Terry Rueg
ge, Maureen Schaaf, Navonne
Schmidt, Owen Schmidt, Bruce
Schollmeyer, Thomas Taggart,
Judy Tinsley, Edgar Tunender,
Gordon Vanek, Michael Wabs,
Roger Walter, Karon Weller,
Norman Wettlaufer, Leo Wither
wax, Leon Wragge, Ronald
Young, Patricia Zakrzewski, Dave
Ziems.
Miss French said the class
was one of the smallest in re
cent years. Ten of the 14 su
periors attained a “median of
11.3 grade leveL