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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1960)
XXX Ten Pag«» Tire WEATHER ***** hi la pm * Thurs Dec 31 ^ 1 Fn , Jan 1 29 27 .27 Sat. jan 2 li 9 os In This Issue Sun . Jan 3 10 1 Mon . Jan 4 23-8 Tue» , Jan. i 19 -20 SZJXJ ... * £ fIlrm "The Voice of the Beef Empire" of snow. Friday Jan 1, 4 inches; Volume 79-Number 37 O'Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, January 7, 1960 Seven Cent* Morris Pongratz, Nancy Wray Are Regents Winners Nancy Wray. O'Neill high sch<x>l senior, and Morris Pongratz. St Mary's Academy senior, have been named the O'Neill winners of the Regents Scholarships to the Uni versity of Nebraska. The students will receive their i tuition for the full four years at the University. Miss Wray is the daughter of Mr and Mrs. Ix»wis Wray and Pongratz the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Pongratz. O'Neill high sctxxi! also has four students who were chosen as al ternates: Richard Ernst, Paula NANCY WRAY Reed, Connie Johnson and Janet Krugman. Alternates from St. Mary 's are Marlene Peter and Bill Shoemaker. Miss Wray has been active in band, girl's glee club, mixed chorus anil i>ep club, in addition to many 4-H activities. Pongratz is a football letterman, co-editor of the annual, a member of the i honor society and Sodality, and i MORRIS PONGRATZ has participated in class plays, the Sodality play, and done 4-H and FFA work. The scholarships are awarded , to Nebraska high school seniors , who rank in the upper one fourth of their class and who have good character and academic promise. The scholarships are also award ed on the basis of high scores in competitive examinations. When scholarship winners do not accept the award, U'e highest ranking alternates are chosen. Frontier's Coloring Contest Winners Announced Today Some 56 area children entered the 1959 Christmas greeting ad col oring contset sponsored by The Frontier and the quality of their I work made choosing the winners a difficult task. Judging is completed, however, and the winners in each division are determined Marlene Ann Poessnecker, 6, has teen selected the winner in divi sion I for her work in coloring the Lohaus Motor ad which appeared in The Frontier of December 24. ! She will receive $5. Bryan Osborn, 7, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dick Osborn of Atkinson, col ored the Moore-Noble I Jim tier Co. ad and will receive $3 as the sec ond place winner in division I. Division II, for children in the third and fourth grades, was won by Michael Lynn Doolittle. Michael is in the 3rd grade at Stuart and is 9 years-old. He will also receive S5. Michael colored the Wm. Krot ter Co, ad. Second place prize of $3 was won by Rose Mary Ostiome, 9, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Os txirno, Atkinson Rose Mary and her brothers and sisters were the only contestants who painted any i of the ads. She painted the Mea dow-Gold Products ad. Winners will recive their prizes sometime next week. Corn Program Farmer Meeting Two meetings have been sched uled with the 25 farmers who are cooperating on the Extension Re gional Corn Program in this area to complete cost records collected I this year on com production. The first meeting will be Janu ary 14 at 10 a m. at the courthouse annex in O’Neill and the second meeting January 15 at 10 a.m. in Atkinson at the Galyen Steak house. The program is for the purpose of comparing costs of producing corn under irrigation and dryland production and to study production costs under different management conditions. Patrol Records Given for 1959 The year 1959 closed with eight traffic deaths recorded in Holt county according to the Safety Patrol activity report for the O’ Neill, Ainsworth, Valentine area. Traffic deaths in surrounding counties included Rock, 1. Boyd, it. Brown, 1, Cherry 5 and Keya Paha, 1. A total of 128 traffic ae jeidents were recorded in this area. The patrol also reported they collected $11,267.50 in traffic fines in the area in 1959. The six area patrolmen traveled a total of 325.965 miles during the year. Mr. & Mrs. Frank Pierce Slide Over Embankment Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pierce of Amelia know what "flying’’ in an automobile feels like. As they were returning from Omaha Tuesday their car went out of control on icy roads near Dodge and slid off the road. The car went over a 25-foot embank ment and lit in the ditch. No one in the car was hurt and the automobile did not even re ceive a scratch. The Pierces said they were shaken up quite a bit but the only damage was to their nerves. Pre-trial Hearing Set for Today In Boyd Court The pre-trial hearing for Nyal French, who has been held in jail for six months in connection with the killing of his half-brother. Frank Vanderlinde. will be held i this morning at the Boyd county | courthouse in Butte. .Judge Lyle Jackson, Neligh will hear the information at the equity court session Attorney John R Gallagher, O’Neill, is defense counsel for French. Boyd County Attorney William Wills will present the state's case. Speculation runs high that the first degree murder charge against French will be lowered to assault and battery' charges or that the case will be dropped altogether. French’s mother, Sadie Dicker son, was cleared of all charges in Vanderlinde’s death. Franch was the state's key witness against his mother at the trial. Andy Closson, Ewing Pioneer, Dies Monday Andrew Rupert Closson, 87, Ewing, died Monday at St. An thony's hospital here in O’Neill. Funeral services for Mr. Closson will be held this afternoon at 2 from the Ewing Methodist church, pastor Elliot officiating. Mr. Closson was born the son ! of Andrew VV. and Phoebe Kidder Closson at Chippawra Falls, Wise., December 31, 1872. He moved to Ewing with his family as a small boy and has lived there most of his life. He was married to Viola M. Foster at the home of John Clos son who lived near Ewing in 1895 l Four children, three sons and one ; daughter, were bom to this union Mrs Closson passed away in 1909 at Naper. September 25, 1947, Andrew Closson married Emma Stanton of Ewing. Survivors include his widow, Emma; two sons, Paul and Anson, and his daughter, Mrs. Audry Bow den. One son, Earl, preceeded him in death Also surviving are ten grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren and a great number of other relatives and friends. Pallbearers for Mr. Closson are Ralph Clyde, Clifford Ilahlbeck, Kermit Jeffreys, Charles Good, Ernest Norwood and Willis Rocky. Council Meets; Grants Permit The O’Neill city council met in regular session at the city hall Tuesday night with all the coun ci I men except George Janousek present. The council approved payment of some $15,000 to pay off the bal ance of the new well. They also paid another part of the storm sewer money. A building permit was granted Paul Shelhamer at the meeting, j Marcellus Schaaf reported that i the new ditcher purchased by the j city about a year ago did a total; of $4450 work for the city during1 the summer months. This did not | include the work done by the ma-| chine during the recent snow' storms. The equipment originallyj cost some $8,000. BABY DAUGHTER BAPTIZED The baby daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Sehi was baptized Sun day at the Catholic church in Ne lig'h. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Funk were the sponsors. Members of the O’Neill Lions club anil the legion elob are shown with the new child's size wheel chair recently purchased by the lions club for emergency use. Pictured are, from left. Howard Manson. lions President Ken Current, Legion club manager Bill Jansen, legion Commander Jim Farley and Harry Peterson. Manson and Peterson are past Lions club presidents. Jim Dusatko, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Dusatko. was walking along the street anil "volunteered" to pose In the new chair.—The Frontier photo and engraving Kevin Roy Klabenes is shown Monday afte rnoon as he becomes more acquainted with his mother. You’d think the first baby of I960 would show a little more concern, but Kevin just snug gled up and went back to sleep.—The Frontier photo and engraving Glen Sprague Dies Quietly At Home Here on Wednesday Funeral services for Glen Wil liam Sprague, 50, who died quietly at his home in O'Neill Wednesday, will la? held from the Presbyterian church here Saturday aftemixin at 2. He had been ill nearly 2 years. Rev. John Hart will officiate and burial will be in Prospect Hill cem etery. Mr. Sprague was born at Star on April 5, 1909. and spent all but 10 years of his life here in Holt county. He lived near Omaha for those 10 years. He was united in marriage to Grace Allen at Butte on December 26, 1933 and to this union two sons were born. Ramon lives at Wood lake and Russell is at home. The body will lie in state at Biglin's Chapel in O'Neill on Fri Glen William Sprague day from 3 until 9 p.m. and at the church from 11 a.m. until the fun eral hour on Saturday. Pallbearers for the funeral are Matthew McCabe, Charles Cole, Jim Gallagher, John Alder, Leo Harte and Michael Gallagher. Me morials are requested by the fam ily Survivors include his widow and both sons; four sisters—Mrs. Rulh Pederson of Ashland, Ore., Mrs. V'erna Gattenby of Kansas City, Mo., Mrs. Althea Taylor of Pull man, Wash., and Mrs. Sylvia Rose ler of Salem, Ore.; three brothers —Raymond of Kansas City, Mo., Kenneth of Kilgore and Otto of O'Neill. Donald Sprague is also a survivor. His parents, one brother, Win field, who was killed in action in World War II, and three sisters. Mrs. Bessie Gatenby, Mrs. Hazel Noble and Myra Sprague, procee ded him in death. Mr. Sprague also leaves a great number of other relatives and friends. YOUTH ATTEND BANQUET Six O’Neill youths attended a New Year’s Eve banquet for the CA’s of the Assembly of God Church North Section in Spring view. Those attending were Gloria Krogh, Marian and Delores Ros encrans, Ruth Young, Connie Brockman and Bill Fricke. INF ANT DAUGHTER F)1F > Funeral services were held Tues day for the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Duane Finch, Osmond. Rev. Jehrike officiated. The burial was at the Osmond cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Finch of Page are the paternal grandparents. Oran Long of Omaha and Curtis Collins spent the New Year's week end with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Long. Also spending last week with her grandparents, Mr. i and Mrs. Long was Coleen Collins. Along Mainstreet . . . Mr. and Mrs. A. 1’. Jaazkowbvk, who own Scovie's Western Auto, plan to l>e in Kansas City, Mo. this weekend to attend the Spring merchandise show. While there they also plan to visit with their daughter, Nyla, who attends col lege in Kansas. Winnie Barger, owner of the Apparel Shop, was in Omaha over the weekend to attend the style markets. Bob Roberts, manager of the Lee Store, is in Grand Island to attend a buyers convention. Be fore Roberts left he presented a check from the Lee store for $250 to St. Mary’s Academy for the fuel fund. Extension Fun Night Set for Saturday Here The Annual Holt County Exten I sion meeting and the annual 4-H ; family fun night will be held Sat ! urday at 7:3U p.m. in a combined meeting, at the O'Neill high school ] gymnasium. The program will include mus ical entertainment, 4-H awards, a movie and the Extension meet , ing. Two board members will be elected for two year terms at the extension business meeting. Mrs. Ora Yarges and Mrs. Floyd Butter field are the members up for re election. Refreshments will also be serv ed. Local Lions Club Buys Equipment For Emergencies Two hospital type beds and a childs size wheel chair were pur chased last week by the O’Neill Lions club to be used for emer gencies in the area. The equipment was given to the O’Neill Legion club for care and distribution and brings the total amount of equipment now in the care of the Legion Club to seven wheel chairs and five hospital beds. Various organizations have do nated the equipment—the last be ing the O’Neill Junior Chamber of Commerce. Other donations in cluded crutches, walkers, leg braces and arm braces, and an oxygen tent which is now in use. The I-egion Club began the pro gram a number of years ago and it was supported by the Chamber of Commerce, the Legion Auxiliary, and now the Lions Club. Legion spokesmen stated that anyone may use any of the equip ment available by contacting the Post Commander. Jim Earley, or j by checking at the Legion club. Peters Celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Frank Peter wall celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary on January 11 at their farm home south of O’Neill. The couple will receive neighbors and friends from 2 until 1 p.m. on that day and they request no gifts. — O'Neill Post Office Shows 1959 Increase Postmaster Ira Moss reported this week that the O’Neill post office did a “land office” business for the calendar year 1959. Computation of receipts shows a total of $57,(XX). highest in the history of the O'Neill office. The figure was an increase of approx imately $3000 over the year 1958. Christmas mailing in the month of December showed a slight in I crease over the previous year. Mrs. Mary Bazelman spent New ' Year’s at the J. Davis’. 25 Charges Filed Against Bartlett Bank Officials Deputy Wheeler county Attorney Harold Connors filed a total of 25 charges against three men Tuesday at Bartlett in connection with the closing of the Bartlett State Bank last May. The charges were filed against Clifford C. Bishop, a former di rector, Walter Plugge. and his son, Walter C. Plugge. Federal charges have also been filed against sev eral persons in connection with the closing of the bank. Bishop was charged with two counts of embezzlement, two counts of false entry and four counts of unauthorized loans. Whiter Plugge was charged with two counts of conspiracy to com mit a felony and seven counts of unauthorized loans. Walter C. Plugge was charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and four counts of false statements of financial con dition. The bank was taken over and liquidated by the state banking department after a routine check by state examiners revealed more than $170,000 missing. Clearwater Resident; Floyd Prater, Succumbs Funeral services for Floyd Pra ter, 65, a lifelong resident of the Clearwater community were con ducted on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Clearwater Christian church with Rev. Charles Soderstien of ficiating. Burial was at Clearwater. Floyd Prater was horn October 8, 1894, the son of Charles W. and Frances Prater on the old homestead seven miles north of Clearwater. He had never married. He resided for a time at an Elgin rest home where he died on Sun day. January 3. Survivors include a brother, Fred, of Clearwater; sisters Mrs. Jessie Hill and Mrs. Effie Hen derson, both of Portland, Ore.; and a number of nieces and neph ews. Pallbearers chosen were Dwight Hoffman. George and Reid Mum mert, Elmer Moulding, Clarence j Moore and Leslie Damme. Collins Waives Hearing; Bound To District Court Edward Lee Collins, 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Collins, At kinson, was bound over to district court Monday after he waived a i preliminary hearing in a charge of motor vehicle homicide before Holt County Judge Louis Reimers. Collins had ple^ not guilty to the charge which was filed in con- i nection with a one-car accident 16 miles north of Stuart December 23 that took the life of Marion Mlinar, 18, Atkinson. Collins was alleged to have been driving the car at the time of the accident. The car went into a ditch and overturned. Attorney J. D. Cronin will re present Collins. Judge Reimers released Collins to the custody of his parents. A trial date has not yet been set in District court. Carrier Position Vacant In Inman Post Office The Civil Service Commission has announced an opening for a Rural Carrier at the Inman post office. Applications for the posi tion will be accepted until Janu ary 26. In addition to a written test, ap plicants must have resided in the area for one year and he at least 18. Additional information is avail able at the Inman post office. Ap plication forms should be filed with the U. S. Civil Service Com mission, Washington 25, D. C. Kevin Klobenes Is First Of '60; Born In O'Neill Oldest Page Resident, Miss Merryman, Dies Funeral services for Miss Grace Flnora Merryman, 90 and the old est resident of Page, were held Monday at her home with the Rev. Mina Smith officiating. Miss Merryman had suffered a stroke on Deeeml*er 20 and her health became worse until her death on New Year's day. The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Ira Merryman, she was bom at Brunswick, Me., in 1869. Ten years later her family moved to Scranton, la., where they farmed. When she returned to Maine for a visit in 1909 she found herself comparing the Maine way of liv ing with her own midwestem life. In an interview with The Frontier editor in June of this year, Miss Merryman stated that she earned lquite a reputation for "lieing as fast as a horse could trot” for her comparisons between the size of Iowa and Maine farms and the Iowa methods of farming. Following the death of her pnr entts and sister. Annie, Miss Mer ryman accompanied her brother, Frank, to Page where they lived on a farm. They retired to Page in 1925. Miss Merryman was active in church work ns long ms ljt,M' health permitted. Her brother died 1n 194ti and since then Miss MdFryman had been seriously ill several times She suffered a leg fracture 2 years ago and was hospitalized through October of that year. Donna Smith sang “Shall We Gather at the River," “Rock of Ages”, and "God Fie With You Till We Meet Again”, at the fun MISS (ilUCK MERRYMAN oral Pallbearers were Harry and Lyman Park, William Neubauer, Calvin Harvey, E. II. Farnsworth and Hugh Holliday. Survivors include a sister, Mrs. Bertha Harsh, Lis Angeles; one niece, Mrs. Virginia Conehlsen. Like Success, N. Y., and two neph ews, C. M. Harsh of San Diego and J. R. Harsh of I^os Angeles. Also surviving are 8 grand nieces and 2 grand nephews. Burial was in the Page cemetery. Salvation Army Fund Drive Now In Progress The Salvation Army fund drive in Holt county has set a goal of $1300. The O'Neill goal is $600, an nounced Ted McElhaney, local service unit chairman. The campaign is now in progress with firms and citizens being con tacted by field representative V. S. Bently, Omaha, and volunteer solicitors. The money is deposit ed with Archie Bright, local serv ice unit treasurer, who is also ac cepting contributions by mail. Other committeemen are George Hammond and Bill Petsche. Funds go to the Salvation Army Hospital in Omaha, veterans in need of assistance, local families, needy school children and others. Minor Accident Occurs On New Year's Day Police Chief Chris McGinn re ported that only one minor acci dent occurred due to the slippery ice and snow during the week. The accident happened on New Year’s day at the intersection of Everett and Madison streets and involved William Conard and Mrs. Fred Appleby. Little damage was done to either car. Sale Dates Claimed SATURDAY, JANUARY 9th — Hereford sale of 35 coming 2-year old bulls. Sale to be held at the Atkinson Sale barn beginning at 1 p.m. Charles Corkle, auctioneer, Vernon Hixson, Neligh, sale man ager. Kevin Hoy Klabene.v son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Klabenes, is a boy of distinction. He's the first baby bom in Holt county for RlfiO. Kevin was bom at 8:58 p.m. on New Year's day. ktwtii can claim the honor of lmlng the flrwt baby in Holt la only 77 minutes. Jeffrey (hrtcr (toLschall, Min of Mr. anil Mrs. Ernest J. tiotsi hull of \tkinson was iMtrn at tlie Atkinson hospi tal ami win, at first rc|s>rUst to lu< tlie first baby of ItMiO in Holt county. The husky 8 pound, 8I4 ounce addition to the Klabenes family who ranch near Chambers, has also fallen heir of a great number of gifts donated by O'Neill mer chants. The new baby will lie no stranger to Mrs. Klabenes. He is the sixth child and the fifth lx>y in a row. Ray Klabenes said that if he hadn't had a girl the first time lie's afraid that he would Lie out of luck. Sandra, the oldest, is seven. She is followed by Stanley, four. Ken neth, three, Greg, two, Hilly, one, and now Kevin. The Klabenes' ranch is located 5 miles north and 1 fa west of Chambers. Both Kevin and Mrs. Klalienes are doing fine and Mrs. .Klabenes went home Monday af ternoon. Firms participating in Hie baby derby were M and M Cafe and Bakery, Gambles, McCar\ dies, McIntosh Jewelry, Coyne Hard ware, Western Auto, Dovoy Hex all Drug, McDonald's, Hen Frank lin, Gillespie’s, Safeway, Johnson I irug. The New Outlaw, Meyer's Mid west Furniture, Merri Dr. Pcpi»er Bottling Co., Shelhumer Jack and Jill, A and M Shoe Store, O'Neill Photo Company, Dankerts, Hard ing Creamery, and The Frontier. Chamber Names Irrigation Committeemen O’Neill’s Chamber of Commerce met in regular session Monday night at a local cafe and heard re ports from various committees. A film "That Others Might See” was shown to members to open the meeting. The movie depleted the* processes Involved with trans planting eyes from eye donors to persons suffering from eye con ditions. The Lions clubs of Nebraska are the organizers and backers in the eye donor program. Dale Wilson, chairman of the membership drive for the Cham ber of Commerce, reported that there are 135 members to the or ganization for 19<k) representing a 33 percent increase over last year. Although Jim Rooney, chairman of the irrigation committee could not attend the meeting, it was pointed out that representatives of the Portland Cement Company and a retired Burlington railroad man met with Rooney and sched uled a meeting with the newly formed irrigation committee on January 18. Stutz then named the new irri gation committee members. They are Jim Rooney, Lyle Dierks, John Watson, William Griffin. Ri mer Juracek, Neil Dawes, llarry Ressel, Gil Poese, Dale Wilson, William McIntosh, Don Meyers, Arlen Miles, Jim Champion, Hen Grady and L. D. Putnam. These men will meet at an early date and elect a chairman for the committee. Purpose of the committee is to steer action on ihe proposed Atkinson-O’Neill irriga tion project which might make il possible to irrigate 71,000 acres of land north of Atkinson and O’Neill. O'Neill public school superin tendent Milton Baack then asked the chamber to underwrite the cost of the second place trophy to he given in the Holt county bas ketball tournament scheduled for O’Neill on January 18 to 22. The chamber approved this request. Baack then asked the chamber to pay for the district music contest programs. Baack stated that more than 3,0(X) school children are brought to O’Neill in the spring due to this contest and that the contest had not been paying for it self until last year when the chamber also paid for the pro grams. Baack said that there was a good chance of O’Neill losing the contest until it showed last year’s profit. The chamber agreed to pay for the programs. Dale Wilson then expressed the thought that O'Neill should have road signs announcing to the traveling public that they are near ing or entering O'Neill. The plan was well received by all mem bers present and the project was turned over to Harry Peterson, chairman of the advertising com mittee. Milton Baack was again given the floor and at this time he re quested that the O’Neill chamber promote and back the O’Neill fn vitational Track meet scheduled for May 4. The chamber passed the resolution and members will now act as timers and officials at the meet to he held noth in the afternoon and evening. The eve ning finals is a new experiment in track meets for the area. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Cavanaugh and son, Danny of Dubuque, la., returned home after spending a week with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Cavanaugh and Gene.
