RICH HILL tosses in two points for the Eagles during the final
game of the NCNC tournament at Ainsworth. Harold Ermer stands
by in case the shot Is no good. Also shown are Valentine players Ron
Vanncman (15) John Mullin (23) and Dick Smith (21).
Eagles Squeak by Valentine 67-66
To Repeat NCNC Tourney Champs
For the second year in succes
sion, the O’Neill high Eagles won
two thrilling battles to repeat as
NCNC Champs in the annua]
tournament held at Ainsworth.
The once “High Flying” Eagles
won first place honors in much
the same style of last year’s
tourney games.
Coach Chuck Smith’s Eagles
advanced to the finals with a
79-77 squeaker over the Ains
worth Bulldogs Thursday night.
High scoring honors for the win
ners were shared by senior
Jerry Dexter and sophomore
Rich Hill, who racked up 22
]N>ints each. John Kurtz fol
lowed with 21.
O’Neill held a 43-37 lead going
into the second half, but victory
hopes dropped when co-captains
Ronnie Schmeichel and John
Kurtz fouled out. Schmeichel left
the game early in the third quar
ter and Kurtz followed with six
minutes remaining in the game.
But this was only the setting for
a remarkable show of cool floor
play and steady nerves by the
Eagle’s reserve squal in particu
lar a 5' 10” senior by the name of
Jim McClellan. It was McClel
lan’s three free throws that tied
the trebling Eagles with, and then
pushed them ahead of the Bull
dogs in the final 45 seconds of
play. Junior Stan Schmeichel al
so played the part of a veteran
as he scored 9 points, all in the
second half.
George Jacobs led Ainsworth
with 23 points, followed by Gene
Hamilton and P. G. Morgan with
20 and 16 points respectively.
The under dog ONeill lads then
won championship honors when
taey defeated the Valentine Bad
gers Friday night 67-66. John
Kurtz was high scorer for the
Eagles with 22 points even though
he fouled out late in the third
quarter.
O Neill jumped to a 21-9 first
quarter lead and held the ad
vantage at halftime 35-25 as Kurtz
collected 15 of his points in the
first two quarters.
The last eight minutes of bas
ketball proved to be the type of
play that the fans came out to
see, as the lead exchanged hands
three times and the score was
deadlocked at numerous times.
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1957 PLYMOUTH
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O’Neill -
Once again it was the free throw
shooting of Jim McClellan which
pulled the Eagles through in the
dying minutes as it was his four
charity tosses that provided the
thin margin of victory. Clutch
free throws by Ron Schmeichel
and Rich Hill throughout the fi
nal quarter also contributed to
the winning cause.
Leading the way for the Bad
gers were junior center Dennis
Nelson with 19 points and senior
Dick Smith with 14.
O’Neill took advantage of ex
cessive fouling on the part of the
Valentine squad by sinking 29 free
throws. Jerry Dexter left the
game with five fouls in the fourth
quarter while cashing in 12 points
for the Eagles. Three Valentine
starters left the game early be
cause of fouls. The Badgers con
nected on 12 of 15 free throw at
tempts.
St. Joe - Wood Lake
St. Joe’s of Atkinson fell before
a strong Woodlake team 56-49 in
a game played Friday at Atkin
son. L. Judge was top scorer for
the St. Joe crew with 18 points
followed by Mark McKay with 16.
Pat O’Keif of Woodlake dump
ed in 24 points to lead the win
ners.
St. Joe now has a 1-9 season re
cord.
St. Joe 52 - Butte 49
Atkinson St. Joe pulled out of
their losing streak Tuesday night
as they downed Butte 52^9.
Judge was the top scorer for St.
Joe with 24 points.
R. Anderson led Butte with 13
points.
Ewing - Clearwater
Clearwater fell prey to a spun
ky Ewing quintet 64-32 in a game
Tuesday evening on the Ewing
court.
Ron Brion was high point man
with 18 points, followed by Larry
Noffke. Patras was high for the
Clearwater team with 15 points.
Ewing “B” squad also collect
ed a win by downing Clearwater’s
“B” team 35-32 in an overtime.
Sam Verhune hit a basket and a
free throw in the overtime while
collecting a total of 19 points in
the game. Kallhoff led Clearwa
ter with 13 points.
Kurtz, Dexter Named
To NCNC Tourney Team
Two O’Neill High Eagles, sen
iors John Kurtz and Jerry Dex
ter, were elected to the All-NCNC
Rangeland Tournament Team
along with seniors Jim Murphy
of Valentine and PG Morgan of
Ainsworth, and junior Valentine
ace Dennis Nelson.
Page 83 - Elgin 60
The Page Eagles sailed to an
83-60 win over Elgin Friday night
in a game played at Elgin. Rod
Kennedy scored 28 points for the
victors, followed by Cronk with
22.
Fauble and Busteed were the
top scorers for Elgin with 24 and
17 points respectively.
RESERVES
The Page reserves handed the
Elgin second team a 38-31 loss
Friday evening. And to complete
the evening for Page, the Page
volleyball girls won their game
41-38.
Page 68 - Lynch 45
The Page Eagles handed Lynch
a 68-45 defeat last Tuesday night.
The Eagles jumped to a 14-6 lead
in the first quarter and never
relinquished the lead.
Rod Kennedy was high point
man for Page with 19 points fol
lowed by Fred Cronk with 15
and Gene Harvey with 13.
Darnell and Schollmeyer led
the Lynch crew with 13 points
each.
The Page reserves also won
their tilt, 39-26.
St. Ludger's Nip
Cardinals 49-37
The St. Mary’s Cardinals drop
ped a second game to the St.
Ludger’s 49-37 Friday night. As
in previous losses it was a third
quarter defeat for the Cards as
they managed only 4 points com
pared to 17 for the Comets.
Spitzenberger and Mudloff
were high point men for the O’
Neill crew with 11 and 10 points
respectively.
Jerry Closter was the top scor
er for St. Ludgers with 26, follow
ed by Meyer with 10.
RESERVES
The junior Comets matched the
varsity as they rolled over the
St. Mary’s second team 62-46.
Steve Higgins managed 12 points
for the Cards, followed by Jerry
Oetter with 11.
Maly of Creighton garnered 22
points to lead the junior St. Lud
gers crew, followed by Gregory
and Wenge with 11 and 10 points
respectively.
Eagle Reserves
Place Third in
Junior Tourney
The O’Neill Junior Eagles,
coached by Don Kokrda, won
third place honors in the NCNC
freshmen-sophomore tournament
Thursday evening with a 48-44
overtime victory over the Ains
worth Reserves.
Sophomores Gary Plessell and
Terry Kurtz shared scoring hon
ors for the winners with 18 points
each.
The two teams were deadlock
ed 44-44 when the ibuzzer ended
the regulation four quarters of
play. In the following overtime,
game captain Terry Kurtz hit
four free throws to provide the
Reserves with the points needed
for the victory, and third place
honors.
In the local reserves first tour
nament outing they were defeat
ed by the Bassett reserves 32-29.
Witnessing an extremely cold
night from the floor, the Junior
Eagles fell behind in the second
half of the game played Tues
day evening. The score at half
time was 15-15.
Valentine’s Junior Badgers won
first place honors in the Reserve
Tournament with a Friday night
victory over the Bassett reserves.
Verdigre - Butte
VERDIGRE — The Verdigre
Hawks, Knox county champions,
played the Butte team on the
Verdigre court Friday evening,
defeating the visitors 80-56.
High men for the Hawks were
L. Timmerman with 16 points and
John Mastalir with 12 points. Al
len Boelter and Mel Sukup each
scored 10 points. High point man
for Butte were Russ Anderson
with 18 and Randy Anderson, 16
points.
In the Niobrara Valley confer
ence tourney played at Naper
Monday the Verdigre Hawks
were paired with Butte. Other
first round plays included Nio
brara and Atkinson St. Joseph’s;
Lynch vs. Center and Naper vs.
Spencer.
St. Mary's Whips
The St. Mary’s Cards pulled
back onto the win trail Tuesday
night as they clipped the Sacred
Heart Knights 54-49.
St. Mary’s held a one point
lead over the Norfolk lads at the
end of the third quarter but a
rally late in the game and char
ity tosses turned the tide in their
favor.
-I
ANNUAL
BULL SALE
WED.. FEB. IS
40 Registered Hereford Bulls
20 Registered Hereford Heifers
25 Choice Horned Hereford Bulls
15 Choice Polled Hereford Bulls
20 Choice Hereford Heifers
Sale Starts at 1 p.m.
For further information, write or phone
ERICSON LIVESTOCK MARKET
ERICSOX, NEBRASKA
L. J. Walters, Auct. O. J. Walthers, Mgr.
4
Rites Held for
Leroy J. Wells
Here Monday
Funeral services were held
Monday at 2:30 p.m. in O’Neill
for Leroy J. Wells, 73, who died
February 2 at the Veterans hos
pital in Lincoln following a three
months illness.
The Rev. I. Christoffersen con
ducted the rites in the Assembly
of God church. Burial was at
Sterling, Colo., Thursday (today).
Leroy Judd Wells was bom
March 17, 1887 to Guy L. and
Julia Conant Wells at Stuart.
He farmed at O’Neill and
Padroni, Colo., until he retired
at which time he located at Sterl
ing, Colo. He visited frequently
during the past year with his
nephew, Fred Wells and family at
O’Neill, and with his brother,
Walter Wells at Bristow. He was
never married.
Survivors are two brothers,
Walter, and Howard who resides
at Aurora, Colo.
Pallbearers were Fritz Brock
Man, Herman Meyers jr., Merlyn
Anderson, Allen Walters, Carl
Krogh and Loren Libby.
Rites Held at
Creighton for
Mrs. D. Johnson
CREIGHTON — Funeral ser
vices were conducted January 31
for Mrs. David C. Johnson, 59,
who died at her home in Creigh
ton January 28.
The Rev. David Gustafson of
ficiated at the rites in the Hengs
tler chapel at Creighton. Burial
was in Greenwood cemetery.
Thelma Mae Johnson was bom
January 3, 1902 at Pischeville.
She lived on a farm with her par
ents 12 miles west of Verdigre
and attended grade school there.
She was graduated from Verdigre
high school with the class of 1920.
On February 23, 1921 she was
united in marriage to David C.
Johnson at O’Neill. Four children
were born to this couple. The
Johnsons lived on a farm west of
Verdigre until 1950 when they re
tired and moved to Creighton.
Here Mrs. Johnson was active in
extension work, serving'as secre
tary of the Knox County Exten
sion club. She was an active
member of the Congregational
Baptist church and served as
president of the Women’s fellow
ship for two years.
Survivors include her husband;
one daughter, Mrs. Archie Krey
cik of Niobrara; three sons,
Lysle of O’Neill, Marvin and
Howard of Verdigre; eight grand
children and one sister, Mrs. Clif
ford Hale of Wayne.
Pallbearers were Marvin Krey
cik, Gerald Hale, Walter John
son, Clayton Johnson, Robert
Sholes and John Babl.
Chambers Store Burns;
CHAMBERS — Members of the
Chambers Fire department re
sponded to a call late Friday eve
ning when fire broke out in the
W. D. Reninger Appliance store. ■
Family Fun Night Held Saturday;
Awards presented to 4-H Members
About 460 members, families
and friends attended the annual
4-H “Fun Night” in O’Neill Sat
urday.
The skits preceding the an
nouncement of awards were pre
sented by the following 4-H cfubs:
Happy Hollow of Ewing, Mrs.
Lionel Gunter, leader; Green
Meadows of Stuart, Lawrence
Skrdia, leader; Eagle Hustlers
of Page, Ivan Heiss, leader;
Grassland Boys and Girls of
Stuart, Mrs. Lawrence Kaup,
leader; Phoenix Livewires of O’
Neill, Lawrence Johnson, leader;
Prairie Maids of Chambers, Mrs.
Wayne Smith, leader and Jolly
Ramblers of Atkinson, Mrs. Byrl
Beck, leader.
Awards were presented as fol
lows:
Achievement: Faye Scheer,
Happy Hollow; Kathy Farrier,
O’Neill Happy Helpers; Jerilyn
and Mary Lou Luebcke, Eagle
Hustlers.
Agricultural: Loren Blake,
Prairie Wranglers.
Beautification of home grounds:
Margie and Jack Gilg, Clover,
and Terry Brown, Eagle Creek.
Beef: Kathy Fick, Victory
Boys and Girls; Becky Beelaert
and Tom Melcher,. Eagle Hust
lers.
Clothing: Rita Vequist, Eagle
Creek; Kathy Fick, Victory Boys
and Girls; Diana George and
Pamela Hammerlun, Up and At
It.
Dairy: Ruth Ann Hansen, Vic
tory Boys and Girls; Sharon Mott,
Happy Hollow; Seal Luebcke,
Eagle Hustlers, and Ronnie
Jonas, Jolly Ramblers.
Dress revue: Marietta Perry.
O’Neill Happy Helpers; Kathryn
Thiele, Pleasant Brook; Faye
Scheer, Happy Hollow, and Karen
Farrier, Prairie Maids.
Electric: Ronnie Jonas, Jolly
Ramblers.
Food preparation: Kathleen
Funk, Pleasant Brook; Diana
George, Up and At It; Kathy
Fick, Victory Boys and Girls, and
Rita Vequist, Eagle Creek.
Garden: Jerry Taylor, Happy
Hollow, and Ronnie Jonas, Jolly
Ramblers.
Home economics: Roseanne
Blake, Prairie Wranglers; Susan
Taylor, Happy Hollow; Connie
Moeller and Patty Bonenberger,
Clover.
Home improvement: Susan
Taylor, Happy Hollow.
Leadership: Rita Vequist,
Eagle Creek.
Club week trip: Keith Krug
man, Grattan Hustlers.
Club congress trip: Gary and
Kathy Fick, Victory Boys and
Girls.
Assisting with the presentation
of awards were the following 4-H
leaders, Walter Fick of Inman,
Frank Shefl, O’Neill; Mrs. A. T.
Crumly, Page, and Mrs. Harold
Van Vleck, Clearwater.
Harold Melcher of Page, Presi
dent of the Hereford association
presented trophies to the 4-H
members who had champion
Herefords at the county fair.
Bonnie Welke, Ewing, had the
champion breeding heifer and has
won the trophy for two years in
a row. Tom Melcher received the
trophy for the champion cow and
calf, Jim Melcher for his champ
ion baby beef.
Gilbert Poese and William Mc
Intosh presented treats to the 4-H
audience on behalf of the O’Neill
Chamber of Commerce.
Those who helped with the ar
rangements for the evening in
cluded: Mrs. Fred Roberts, who
led the group in singing: Mrs.
Frank Svoboda and Mrs. John J.
Dvorak, all of Atkinson, Mrs.
Lloyd Gleed, Chambers, Mrs.
Kaup and Mrs. Robert R. Green- j
field of Stuart.
Amelia News
By Miss Florence Lindsey
Mrs. Clifford Clemens was able
to return to her home Wednesday
after her recent illness. She was
a patient in the Atkinson hospital
for some time, and then stayed
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Porter, a week before re
turning to her home. Mrs. Judy
Mitchell is staying at the Clem
ens home to help care for her.
Dunk Peterson and Pete Frahm
installed a hot water heater at
the Clifford Clemens home Fri
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Prewitt
were hosts at a card party Fri
day evening. Those present were
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Doolittle,
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Everett,
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Berry, Mr.
and Mrs. Ray Lewis and Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley Thompson.
Mrs. Vernon Berry visited Mrs.
Edith Andersen Wednesday eve
ning while Vernon attended the
adult farm group meeting at the
school house.
Darla Waldo accompanied a
group of 4-H members to fun
night in O’Neill Saturday.
Wednesday dinner guests at the
Dean Prewitt’s were Mrs. Pre
witt’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Glen Butterfield and Mr. and
Mrs. Arthur Andrus.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Prewitt en
tertained at a card party Friday
evening. Guests were Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley Thompson, Mr. and
Mrs. Marvin Doolittle, Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Everett, Mr. and
Mrs. Ray Lewis and Mr. and
Mrs. Vernon Berry. Prizes were
won by Mr. Ray Lewis Mrs. Ver
non Berry, Vernon Berry and
Mrs. Ray Lewis. Lunch was serv
cu uy uie nuMtraa.
Mrs. S. C. Barnett, Mrs. Em
ma Lindsey and Mrs. Vern Sag
eser visited at Mrs. Edith Ander
sens Monday afternoon and help
ed her with quilting.
Blake Ott, Ralph Rees, Edgar
Peterson and Dunk Peterson were
fishing at Browns Lake Tuesday.
Mrs. Helen Pokomy spent Tues
day afternoon visiting Mrs. Edith
Andersen.
The WSCS met with Mrs.
George Fullerton Wednesday
evening. There were 11 mem
bers and one visitor present.
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Widman
and Marcia went to Lincoln Tues
day where they attended the
NSIA meeting. They then drove
to Sioux City, la. taking Marcia
back to school there.
Don Adams returned to Omaha
Saturday where he will begin
teaching school again Monday.
He has been convalescing at
home from illness since early in
the fall.
Mr. and Mrs. George Fullerton
were in Sioux City Tuesday where
they had cattle on the market.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Gilman and
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Doolittle ac
companied the Fullertons to
Sioux City.
Mr. and Mrs. George Thomson
and Mr. and Mrs. Merlin Gross
nicklaus and family of Chambers
were Sunday dinner and after
noon guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lew
Backhaus.
Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Barnett vis
INCOME TAX
SERVICE
#
For assistance in making out your 1960
Income Tax Return, see—
FLORENCE PONTON
Golden Hotel Corner
Phone 106 — O'Neill
Please Make Appointments
THE INMAN JUNIOR HIGH basketball team copped first, place in the Sandhill Gateway con
ference tourney played at Clearwater last Thursday as they defeated Chambers 56-51. Other rcsulte
of the tourney are: Chambers 61 — Clearwater 40; Elgin 38 — Inman 66; Elgin 38 — Page 26; Inman 40
— Orchard 25 and Chambers 65 — Brunswick 11.
ited at Glenn Whites Sunday af
ternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Earnie Johnston
were dinner guests Sunday at
Clyde Widmans. In the after
noon they attended a Steward
ship meeting at the Methodist
church in O’Neill.
Joan Fullerton of Lincoln spent
the weekend with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Fullerton
and sister Beth.
Bob Bailey was a supper guest
with Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Barnett
Friday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Waldo
spent Sunday evening at Frank
Pierces.
Mr. and Mrs. Blake Ott went
to Atkinson Sunday evening and
had supper with Mrs. Gloria
Landrum and Sally.
Mrs. Edith Andersen and Mrs.
Emma Lindsey visited Mrs. Tre
sa Wagner Sunday afternoon at
the Earnie Johnston home.
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Doolittle
and Mr. and Mrs. Lee Gilman
spent Sunday evening with Dunk
Petersons.
T. J. O' Connell
Rites Held Feb. 8
At Atkinson
Timothy J. O’Connell, 82, son od
an early immigrant family died
at his ranch home 6 miles south
east of Atkinson on January 30.
Funeral services were held
Wednesday, February 8. The re
quiem high mass was sung by
Rev. Richard Parr at St. Jo
seph’s Catholic church in Atkin
son.
Mr. O’Connell was born in Dun
manway, Ireland, April 29, 1879.
He was the son of John and El
len O’Connell die came to Amer
ica with his parents at the age
of 10. The family homesteaded
southeast of Atkinson where he
has since resided.
On June 28, 1907 he married
Alice Weller at St. Joseph’s Cath
olic church. They became the
parents of three children. His
wife preceded him in death 12
years ago.
Mr. O’Connell was a prominent
cattle man until his retirement
four years ago.
Survivors are: Son—Wallace of
O’Neill; daughters—Mrs. Melvin
(Clara) Pettinger of Boise, Ida.
and Mrs. Harold (Helen) Dono
hoe of Sterling, Colo, and two
grandchildren.
C of C Planning
Recognition Day
Here in April
Brochures, armory site, Re
cognition day and local points of
historical interest occupied dis
cussions Monday night at the
monthly meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce at the L and R
cafe.
Chamber Secretary Howard
Man son said O’Neill’s bro
chures were running low and
more would be needed soon,
and asked the advertising com
mittee to revamp and bring up
to date the information for a
new brochure.
The meeting was conducted by
John Watson who stood in for ail
ing President Harry Petersen
who is recovering from lung
surgery in Omaha.
Joe McCarville told the group
that requirements for federal aid
to armories had recently been re
duced and that if an armory can
be built on a site of approximate
ly five acres or more the govern
ment will share in the cost.
State National Guard officials
have asked that O'Neill secure a
larger tract of land for the
armory so the state could qualify
for federal aid. The present site,
purchased about five years ago,
is not large enough to meet the
requirements.
A tract large enough to meet
requirements has been offered
for sale in Gilg and Ressells
addition for $7,800. A resolution
asking the city to purchase the
site was approved by the mem
bership.
McCarville told the group that
having the larger site would
make a difference in whether O’
Neill got a metal building or a
masonry building for an armory.
Manson was instructed to write
a letter to the city council in
forming them of the action. At
the council meeting Tuesday
action was deferred pending
further information.
In other action the Chamber
announced that Recognition day
in April would bring a crowd of
out-of-town women to O’Neill and
the committee in charge is asking
local merchants to give small
gifts to be presented to the wo
men at registration.., <
The state game commission has
written asking the Chamber to
submit information concerning
local points of tourist or historical
interest.
The Chamber also endorsed
the resolution, adopted by the
Valentine Chamber of Commerce
protesting any east-west redis
tricting in the state and instruct
ed Manson to write Sen. Frank
Nelson a letter carrying the in
formation. L. B. 195 would divide
the districts in an east-west dir
ection. nc
O’Neill Band Boosters—(Com
bined O’Neill Public School and
St. Mary’s bands)—are sponsor
ing a food sale at She!banners
Saturday, February 11th, from
10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 42c
You're Riding High
Dollar Days
IN O'NEILL
Friday Saturday
Feb. 17*18
Watch for Big Bargains Next Week
Sponsored by O'Neill Chamber of Commerce