At the hospital, Irene ami Tony Mmlloff . . . their loss is only
partially covered by insurance,—The Frontier Photo.
Man, Two Sons
Killed in Crash
Widow I s F o r m e r
O’Neillite
The husband of a former O’
Neillite and two of the couple’s
three sons were killed Saturday
morning, August 23, near Peshas
tin, Wash., in a mountain road ac
cident.
Dead are M. L. Moody, 35, and
his sons, Quentin Duane, 10, and
Ronald Dean, 8 Injured and hos
pitalized with bruises and shock
was five-year-old Donald Maurice.
Mr. Moody was the husband of
the former Madeline Cavanugh,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice
Cavanugh, sr., of Kalis City, for
merly of O’Neill.
Relatives here Wednesday had
not yet heard the details of the
triple tragedy
Mr. Moody had begun harvest
ing his crop of pears last week.
He had readied his season’s
first load of pears for the ware
house and was setting out accom
panied by his three sons, who fre
qently made the trip with him.
The terrain is mountainous and
the roads have numerous curves.
Moody was driving a tractor
which was pulling a pear-laden i
trailer. A large truck bore down |
and a crash ensued.
Th« nf thp trnpt tnld !
authorities his brakes failed on
the incline The truck crashed in
to the tractor outfit.
Little Donald Maurice never lost
consciousness.
Survivors include Mrs. Moody
and Donald Maurice. Mr. Moody is
also survived by his parents, sev
eral brothers and sisters, most of
whom live in California.
Mrs M<xxly is a sister of Mrs.
Henry Kufahl of O'Neill; Mrs.
Richard (Dicki Perry of Fre
mont, formerly of O’Neill; Mrs.
Gary Leach of Atkinson; Duane,
who is in Japan; Quentin and Mar
vin. both of Falls City.
The parents of the widow, also
Quentin and Marvin, left early
Sunday from Fremont by train to
attend funeral services which were
to have been held Wednesday
morning.
The Moodys were married in
Arizona. He had operated an apple
orchard in recent years and re
cently switched to pears.
Hruska Will Speak
Here September 5
U.S. Sen. Roman Hruska will be
principal speaker at a $5 per
plate dinner to be held Friday,
September 5, at the Town House
under the auspices of the Holt
county central committee. An
nouncement was made Wednesday
by Mrs. Guy Cble of O’Neill, Holt
GOP chairman.
Gov. Victor Anderson and Con
gressman A. L. Miller, both seek
ing reelection, also are being in
vited. It is possible that U.S. Sen.
Carl Curtis will also be present.
Mrs. Cole is in charge of reser
vations
Enrolls at St. Thomas —
Charles (“Chuck”) Froelich,
youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. W.
J. Froelich, will leave Tuesday,
September 2, for St. Thomas
Military academy at St. Paul,
Minn. Chuck will be a junior.
John Xaehtman. James Van Every, Henry Storjohaiin, Walter O’Malley ... a day of reminisc
ing.—Tiie Frontier 1‘hoto.
Whole Family in On
Transatlantic Call
An Africa-bound missionary
from O’Neill, who has spent the
past 15 months in Brussels, Bel
gium, preparatory to going to
a Belgian Congo mission out
post, Sunday afternoon chat
ted by transatlantic telephone
with her parents, grandparents,
brother, sister and brother-in
law.
The hookup was arranged by
Mrs. J. C. Parker, who is the
grandmother of Miss Lorraine
Ernst, the missionary.
Miss Ernst was to leave Brus
sels by air Tuesday for Rethy,
Belgian Congo.
Participating in the unique call
were Miss Ernst's grandfather,
Mr. Parker, who was a patient
at the time at St. Anthony’s hos
pital; her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Homer Ernst; her brother, Rich
ard; her sister, Muriel, and Mur
iel’s husband, Clarence Tieszen
of Elkhorn.
The Tieszens were spending
the weekend here. The Nebraska
parties were at the Northwestern
Bell telephone office here with
the exception of Mr. Parker, who
spoke from the hospital. Each
party had use of a telephone and
and each heard all of the con
versations.
Mrs. Parker said the qual
ity of the conversation was
’’much like a local call.” The
call was in progress within a
few minutes after being placed
at 4 p.m. O'Neill time. 11 p.m.,
HritgghlK ti mo
(iilllgun t<> School —
Mr, and Mrs. Ben Gilligan took
their son, Tim, to Kemper Mili
tary school at Booneville, Mo.
This will be Tim’s first year at
Kemper. His father also attend
ed Kemper and was graduated
there. The Gilligans left here
Saturday and returned Tuesday.
John T. McAllister
Expires in Hospital
ATKINSON John Thoms Mc
Allister, 62, who since childhood
had never enjoyed robust health,
died Saturday morning, August
23, in Atkinson Memorial has
pital.
He was born at O’Neill April
14. 1896, the son of Robert J. and
Margaret Ernst McAllister. He
was reared in Holt county and
spent most of his life in the At
kinson community. He never mar
ried.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at 10 am.. Tuesday, August
26, at St. Joseph's Catholic
church. Rev. Robert Morrocco of
ficiated. Burial was in Woodlawn
cemetery near the grave of his
mother.
Pallbearers were C. J. Brooke,
John Warner, Weaver Bausch,
Frank Wetter, Claude Johnson
and Harry Heeb.
Survivors include; Brothers —
William of Atkinson and James of
Tucson, Ariz.: sisters Mrs. Paul
(Gladys) Adams of Phoenix,
Ariz.; Mrs. Ester Mellor of At
kinson; Mrs. Orville (Cedar)
Thorson of O’Neill; Mrs. Lyle
(Merle) Freed of Phoenix; Mrs.
Albert (Leona) James of Burwell;
Mrs. Avery (Maxinei Corpestein
of Phoenix, and Mrs. Donna Nu
gent of Tucson.
TWELVE
PAGES
■ VOICE OF THE FRONTIER” *
MON'. < WED. SAT. , -t-, . ,
9:30 to 9:55 A. M *n ‘ ^18 ISSUe
North-Central Nebraska’s BIGGEST Newspaper
Volume 78.—Number 18. O Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, August 28, 1958. Seven Cents.
House Disintegrates
in Mystery Blast
Mrs. Van Humphrey,
Long III, Succumbs
Funeral to Be Held
Friday at 2
ATKINSON Mrs. Van Humph
I rey, 7fi, who had been ill more
than five years, died at 3:45 p
m. Wednesday, August 27, at her
home here. She had been hospit
alized on several occasions during
| recent years.
Funeral services will be con
! ducted at 2 pm.. Friday, August
29, at First Methodist church
j here with Rev. Charles Gates,
| church pastor officiating. Burial
j will be in Woodlawn cemetery
under direction of the Seger fun
I oral home.
Bessie Klotzbach, daughter of
Emory and Sarah Klotzbach, was
born August 12, 1882, in Iowa.
She was reared in Iowa and Mis
souri and as a young woman mov
j ed to Holt county.
She met Mr. Humphrey at At
kinson and they wore married
January 3, 1906, in Sioux City.
The couple began housekeeping
on a farm nine miles northeast
of Atkinson, where they lived four
years.
Mr. Humphrey became a rural
mail carrier in 1910 and the fam
ily moved into town. Mr. Hum
phrey retired in 1941.
The late Mrs. Humphrey was
a member of the Methodist church
and Royal Neighbors of America
lodge.
Survivors include: Widower —
Van; sons—Lewis of Atkinson,
Clayton of Dallas, Tex., and
Thaine of Rawlins, Wyo.; daugh
ters Mrs. Ralton (Floy) Jarvis
of Boulder, Colo., and Mrs. Clyde
I A nnnta 1 Dnforonrv f rVtprvIninnn
j 111.; 17 grandchildren; 21 great
grandchildren; sister—Mrs. Jen
| nie Landon of Torronce, Calif.
Ray Aldridge, 74,
Dies in Vancouver
—t
ATKINSON — Ray Aldridge
| 74, who was born and reared in
I the Celia community north of
here, died Friday, August 22, in
a Vancouver, Wash., hospital. Hr
had been ill about a week. Death
was attributed to a series of heart
attacks.
The late Mr. Aldridge, son of
Seth and Victoria Aldridge, was
born February 6, 1884 at Celia.
He was reared by his parents or
a place located a short distance
east from what is now known as
the Connie Frickel farm home.
In 1909 he married Isabelle Me
Kathnie in O’Neill. They made
their home at what is now the Con
| nie Frickel home.
The couple became the parents
of six children. All were near him
at the time of his death except
j one daughter, Mrs. Lloyd Evans of
! Atkinson.
Mr. Aldridge left the Celia
neighborhood about 16 years ago.
| After selling the home place to
Frickel, he moved to Washington
j state where Mr. Aldridge worked
in paper mills for a time. He also
lived in California for a time and
then returned to Vancouver.
Survivors include: Daughters- -
Mrs. Lloyd (Edrie) Evans of At
kinson and Mrs. Jack < Margaret t
Bartlett of Boulder, Colo.; sons—
Donald of Twain, Calif.; Allen of j
Watertown, S.D.; Ted and Ben
both of Vancouver; 15 grandchild
ren; one great-grandchild; sis
ter—Mrs. May Keeler of Rapid
City, S.D.
Mrs Keeler was also near Mr.
Aldridge at the time of his death.
Funeral services were to have
been conducted Monday, August
25, at Vancouver. Burial was at
Vancouver.
Tony Mudloff Escapes
in Early Morning
Blitz That Baffles
PAGE — The 15-thousand-dollar
question prevailing here is what
caused the 2:30 a.m. Friday, Aug
gust 22, explosion that blitzed the
Tony Mudloff farm home, locat
ed a half-mile north of Page and
three miles east. Fire ensued and
reduced the once-com fort able
farm dwelling and all the con
tents to ashes and debris.
Mr, Mudloff, 45, was the only
member of the family on the
place at the time. Mrs. Mudloff
and daughter. Brenda, had gone
to Omaha the day lief ore to get
another daughter, Leona, who
was to return home for a vaca
tion from college.
Mr. Mudloff was dazed by the
blast and was kept at St. An
thony’s hosptal until Sunday. He
suffered one broken rib, facial
scratches and bruses, an arm hurt
and he wears a big knob on the
back of his head.
Page Fire Chief I. O. Wood,
who was dumbfounded by the
mysterious blast and devastating
fire, immediately summoned the
state fire marshal, who had in
vestigators on the scene several
hours after the incident and again
on Tuesday.
Mudloff Thursday evening had
Carnations Pinned
on 01 d Settlers
S a u n d ers Reminisces
at Picnic
Romaine Saunders, 87. author
of The Frontier's editorial page
feature entitled Prairieland Talk.
Monday reminisced and told an
ecdotps ot pioneer life at the an
nual Holt county old settler's Hc
nic held at the Elmer Devall
grove.
(Text of the talk appears on
page 4.)
George Mellor was master-of
ceremonies and introduced Mar
garetha Kaczor, who presented a
reading, "The Road to Long Ago".
Mrs. Paul Nelson and Mrs. Axel
Borg were heard in a vocal duet,
"Silver Threads Among the Gold".
Carnations were pinned on old
settlers including State Sen. Frank
Nelson, Henry Storjohann, John
W. Nachtman, Jake Long, Steve
Hicks, L. G. Gillespie, Levi Hull,
Will Devall, James Van Every,
Mrs. Irwin Simonson, Mrs. Delia
Harrison, all of Holt county, and
Mr. Saunders and Mrs. Dude Har
rison, both of Lincoln.
Members of the Holt County
Ranchers and Rancherettes 4-H
club presented a skit. Taking part
were Linda Woidneck, Ricky De
vall, Norma Jean Walters, Diane
Devall, Larry Nelson, Georgia
Mellor, Wayne Rouse, Sharon An
son, Cathie Devall and Sue Nel
son.
Nachtman, Van Every, Stor
johann and Walter O'Malley laud
ed Mr. Saunder’s talk. Jake D>ng,
who is 91, was “admitted"'
(born) the same year Nebraska
was admitted into the Union. He
was born in Mills county, Iowa,
had came to Holt at the age of 16;
living here continousuly execept
for 10 years.
Frank Fundus, who was bom on
the old Joe Axtell place six miles
northeast of Dustin, told "Voice
of The Frontier” listeners about
the dissolution of the Dustin Hall
association. Fundus has been
treasurer since 1939. The hall
years ago was transformed into a
combination store and postoffice.
The pos toff ice was discontinued
about a year ago. Henry Stah
lecker of Naper has purchased the
landdmark ad the accocsiation s
assets will be liquidated next tt.pi u
1, he said.
Two long distance vistors at the
picnic were Mrs. Mary McManus
Strickland of San Francisco,
Calif , and Mrs. Elsie McManus
Van Sickle of Alsask. Sack., Can.
Spencer Midgets defeated O -
Neill. 7-6. Mick Miller, who suf
fered a broken jaw recently, re
turned to the O’Neill lineup. Mar
cellus and Tom Wiseman pitched
j for the losers.
32 SEEK JOB
Thirty-two persons have ap
plied for the position of custodian
at the Holt county courthouse an
nex. The post has been vacant
since the death of John J. Un
derwood. The Holt county super
visors in session Friday may
name a successor.
Back from Scotland —
Mrs. Jim Maly and two children
have returned from Scotland
w'here they had spent the summer
with Mrs. Maly’s relatives. Mrs.
Maly is a native of Scotland and
met her husband there when he
was in service.
PICNIC HEED
EMMET — The annual Holt
county Knights of Columbus pic
nic was held Sunday afternoon at
the Pat Corrigan grove south of
Emmet.
finished work in the hayfield
ahout 7:30, did chores, and about
9 o'clock loaded a few sheep into
a pickup truck preparatory to
taking them to the Sioux City
market in the early hours Friday
morning.
Mudloff told "Voice of The
Frontier” (WJAG, 780 kc) list
eners Saturday morning that he
parked the pickup in the front
yard and went into the house to
rest in a chair. As nearly as he
can remember, Mudloff report
ed, he never went outside after
that, but he did not rule out the
possibility he might have been
outside and the explosion took
place as he reentered.
"Next thing I remember I was
trying to push away timber and
debris. I tried several times to
free myself from timber and fin
ally succeeded.
"I went toward Page in the
pickup and stopped at Donald
Snyder's place. Snyder went with
me to town and the fire depart
ment was out and ready to go.”
(Mrs. Jerry Asher, who lives
nearby, heard the blast. Her hus
band called the fire department
and was first to reach the scene).
Mudloff was dazed and inco
herent from shock. Later he went
to the home of his brother, Dan,
and washed up before awakening
uaii » lamilj. I >an IOOK lony to
the O’Neill hospital.
Tony’s glasses were found 40
feet from where the east door of
the dwelling had been before the
sudden disintegration.
The house measured 30 x 36
feet and was single-story with
part basement. There were no
gas appliances in the dwelling and
the only gas of any nature in the
house would have been in the
tiny container on the electric re
frigerator.
The state fjre marshal’s office
ruled out sewer gas as a possible
cause when a gas detection de
vice failed to show any sign in
the pipes. X-ray pictures were
taken of debris particles and the
roped-off restricted area was
combed for hours by the experts
who were trying to find a lead as
to the cause of the mystery blast.
About six years ago an oil dril
ling rig was erected on the Dick
Asher place about a half-mile
north. The try for oil was abor
tive because of granite. There is
a remote possibility a gas pocket
could have developed. The house
had been virtually sealed with
Mrs. Mudloff and the girls gone.
Tony’s flip of an electric light
(Continued on page 6.)
Celebration at Stuart—
Retired Couple Wed 50 Years
STUART The golden wedding
day for Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Kruger hegan with a solemn
high mass at 10 a.m., in St.
Boniface Catholic church here
and was climaxed by a public
reception between 2 and 5 o’
clock held in the Municipal au
ditorium.
At the noon interval a family
dinner was held, attended by
40 relatives.
Rev. Henry Schorn of Omaha,
Mr. Kruger’s nephew, officiated
at the mass. Two of the Krug
ers’ daughters are nuns, mem
bers of the Order of St. Fran
cis, and both were present for
the celebration.
Mr. Kruger was born April
1, 1884, at Scribner of German
parentage. At the age of 21 he
came to Holt county. He lived
alone on a farm southeast of
Stuart for three years before
his marriage to Miss Lona Kunz.
The nuptials took place Sep
tember 22, 1908, in the church
that preceded the present edi
face in St. Boniface parish. The
bride was the daughter of Max
and Emma Kunz. She was born
March 23, 1885, at Stuart.
Attendants at the wedding
were John Schom of Atkinson
and Miss Katherine Kunz of
Stuart, both of whom were pres
ent for the 50th anniversary af
fair. John is Mr. Kruger’s half
brother; Katherine is Mrs. Kru
ger’s sister.
Following their marriage the
couple lived south of Stuart
three years. Then they purchas
ed a place southwest of Stuart
where they lived until 1919. At
that time they moved into Stu- j
art and Mr. Kruger began a
29-year career with the Nebras- |
ka state highway department.
In November, 1955, he retired {
from the highway maintenance ,
patrol work.
The Krugers became the par
ents of six children: Jerome of
Gordon; Sr. M. Maxine of Fre
mont, a teacher in a Catholic
school there. Sr. M. Leocretia
of Milwaukee, Wise.; a nurse;
Henry F. of Atkinson; Mrs.
Bernadette Baggett of Omaha,
and Arby of Stuart. There are
three grandchildren and two
gret-grandchi Idren.
Mr. Kruger has one living
brother, August of Scribner, and
one living half-brother, John
Schorn of Atkinson. Mrs. Krug
er has three living sisters: Miss
Margaret Kunz and Miss Kath
erine Kunz, both of Stuart,
and Sr. M. Ventura of Cedar
Lake, Ind.. a teacher.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kruger en
joy good health although they
readily admitted all the excite
ment of their golden wedding
day “tired us out’’. He is 74;
his wife is 73.
Mrs. Kruger appeared in an
ice blue suit and wore a gold
orchid corsage. She has silver
grey hair.
Mr. Kruger says he's a dem
ocrat but says he has cause to
question “if there’s any differ
ence any more in the major po
litical parties”,
fxw.**-.- si—
The Henry Krugers . . . their golden wedding celebration began with a solemn higli mass.—The
Frontier Photo.
OSBiiV&ZiI HA ^ ""M A " *<*
A baffling early morning blast followed by a devastating fire reduced the Mudloff farm home
to debris and ashes. This is a closeup view over what was formerly a partial basement ef the six
room single story dwelling. (Another photo on page 2).—The Frontier Photo.
.95-In, Rainfall
Received Here
Moisture Welcomed
in Area
O'Neill early Monday received
.95 of an inch welcomed rain.
Beneficial showers were also re
ported at Page, 1 inch; Orchard.
1.20; Plainview, 75; Osmond, 42.
Burwell, Atkinson. Lynch and
Creighton all reported rain in
varying amounts up to an inch.
Mrs. Lee Brady of Dorsey said
that locality received only .20 of
an inch. Maurice Graham reported
1.60 inches and Leonard Shoemak
er said a substantial shower was
received at his farm north o'
town.
hi lo pr.
August 21 87 50
j August 22 69 53 .03
■ August 23 S3 5fi
August 24 77 45
August 25 79 49 .95
August 26 82 45
August 27 94 58
Total .98
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Jeffrey and
family visited with friends in Tek
emah Saturday and on Sunday at
tended the Ringling Bros, circus in
Omaha
Mrs. Brown . . . her father
(lied July 8.
Bird Liberated by
Blast Goes Visiting
PAGE The parakeet cage
and its occupant were blown
from the Tony Mudoff dwelling
in Friday's extraordinary and
inexplicable explosion.
The cage cleared most of the
debris, the door dangled open
and Mr. Parakett was gone.
Saturday the parakeet turned
up at the nearby Harry Tegeler
farm and appeared to be no
worse for the sudden liberation.
Rites Held for
Former Resident
Mrs. Leo Brown, 45,
Long 111
Funeral services for Mrs. Lm
Brown, 45, the former Dorothy
Thesesa Fernholz, were conducted
at 10 a.m., Wednesday, August 2?.
at St. Patrick's Catholic church
here.
Mrs. Brown died Sunday eve
ning, August 24. in Our Lady o!
Lourdes hospital at Norfolk follow
ing a long illness. She had bee*
hospitalized several months and
no hope was held for her recavety
because of a blood ailment
Rev. Robert Dully officiated di
the requiem high mass. Burial
was in Calvary cemetery. Pall
bearers were Joe Soukup, John
Peters, Grover Shaw, Donald
Clyde, Hugh Carr and Oscar
Hanson. Rosary was recited Tuem
day evening at Higlin’s funeral
chapel.
The late Mrs. Brown was tior*
January 18, 1913, in the Bow Val
ley community north of Hurting
ton in Cedar county. Her pa rente
were the late Joseph and Bemad
ine Theresa Hesse. She -spent ha
early childhood at llartington and
at the age of nine moved with her
parents to Holt county, living fur
I a time near Emmet.
After marriage the Browns liv
! ed at Chambers until three year*
ago when they moved onto a fan*
three miles east of Carrol) i*>
Wayne county. They had bee*
mcii iicu lit di iy a ijuai ici uj «
century.
Mrs. Brown was preceded is
death by her parents. Her father
died July 8 of this year
Survivors include: Widower
Leo of Carroll; sons—Donald erf
O’Neill and Robert of Wayne;
daughters — Mrs. Lois Brugger of
Norfolk and Miss Leona of Car
roll; brothers— Albert Femhotr
and George Femholz, lioth of
Portland, Ore.; Raymond Femholz
and William Femholz, both at
Winner, S.D.; Norbert Femholz ct
San Jose, Calif., and John Fej»
holz; sister-Mrs. Elsie Marcello*
of Pico, Calif.
Clyde E. Kiltz, Wife
Plan Open-House
CHAMBERS — Mr. and Mrs.
Clyde E. Kiltz will celebrate the*
50th wedding anniversary Sunday,
August 31, at their home \'k mile*
northeast of Chambers. They will
hold open-house from 2:30 until
5 p.m. Friends and relatives xic
invited to be present.
Mr. and Mrs. Kiltz were raame#
August 31, 1908 at Elgin, ID, the
former home of Mrs. Kiltz.
They are the parents of two chil
dden—Dr. Richard C. Kiltz at
Everett, Wash., and Miss PhylM*
J. Kiltz of Janesville, Wise., whe
has just returned from Italy where
she had spent the summer in study
cii iiuj ALaucmy ui nunitr unucr a
Fullbright grant.
The Kiltzes have two grand
daughters — Misses Karmen tad
Katherine Ann Kiltz of Everett.
Doctor Kiltz and family and Mi*
Phyllis will be here for the week,
also Mrs. R. F. Leitner of Elgin.
111., a sister of Mrs. Kiltz.
Mr. and Mrs. Kiltz request m
gifts be brought.
Peter Koenig, Wife
in Golden Wedding
BUTTE Mr. and Mrs. Peter
| Koenig of Butte Sunday, August
124, celebrated their golden wed
j ding anniversary with relatives
! and friends at the American Leg.
ion hall.
All of the sons and daughter!
and their families were presertt
They are Mrs Mlinar of Stuart;
Clarence Koenig of Wisner, Mrs
Florence Richter of Roscoe, m,
Edwin Koenig of Fairfax, S.D,'
Mrs. Agnes Grow of Darby, Pa
Mrs Lucille Kirwan of Longview,
Wash., and Mrs. I.enore Kirwan <#
Gresham, Ore.
i. j | j
