Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1952)
KEEP,. STATE HIST- SOCIETY XXX STATE CAPITOL ELDG. LINCOLN, . CASS COUNTY'S GREATEST NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED SEMI-WEEKLY, Monday - Thursday Largest Paid Circulation of All Cass County Newspapers VOLUME 71 SIXTEEN PAGES PLATTSMOUTH, CASS COUNTY, NEBRASKA THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1952 FIVE CENTS PER COPY NUMBER 39 tll dents To Take So G oveinroinriieinifc Success of Boys' and Girls' County government can be acknowledged only if boys and girls elected to offices in the program recognize the importance of county gov ernment, John E. Curtiss of Lincoln told Cass county school students at a luncheon here Wednesday noon. Principal speaker at the annual county government day observance, Curtiss explained that the medium by which Boys' and Girls' County Government, Boys' State nd Girls' State success is determined by the recognized responsibility which the average citizen will show in government. Parade Route Is Altered The route of the parade nrior to the Easter Egg hunt, Saturday, April 12, has been changed. The route will be as follows: The parade will form in front of Cass The ater, it will then move east on Main Street to Fifth Street, right at Fifth Street to the park area. The change was made as a safety measure. Walter Gleason will serve as parade marshal. Druggists Name Two Counlians To High Offices Joe Zastera, Louisville drug gist, was elected to the board of E.rectors from the second dis trict, and Fred Feldhousen, Plattsmouth druggist, was elect ed president of the 25-year club at the annual Nebraska Phar maceutical convention at Oma ha Monday and Tuesday of this week. Feldhousen, who has been a Nebraska druggist since 1919, has had .43 : year, in the .business, j uw ie upeiuiB ; individuals make their own de- arug store nere. i cisions. In making their deci- Zastera. a druggist at Louis- sions, Curtiss said he hopes ville for many years, will be on Beys- and Girls' county govern the board of directors of the sec- i ment has influenced the stu ond district represented by Cass, ! dents to decide to recognize Otoe. Sarpy, Douglas and Wash- j their obligations to the commu ington counties. j nity, state and nation. At the convention, three phar- J Curtiss was introduced by macists with more than 50 years j Richard Peck chairman of the service, were honored. Frank i Americanism committee of the Clme or Auburn, witn w years , in the same location, topped the ; nonorees. Also attending the convention from Plattsmouth were Mr. and Mrs. Vic Schreiner and Mr. and Mrs. John Schreiner. Murdock County 1 Delegates Told Delegates to Beys' and Girls' , County Government, held here We dnesday under the sponsor- , slro of the American Legion, included previously unreported ! Murdock. Here from Murdock were Wil- I liam Zoz. Jr., Marvin Oehlerking. j Donna Bucholz, Warren Wilken, i Carol Stock, Kenneth E. Gamlin, Ronnie Peters, Janet Kupke. Marilyn Miller, Elmer Miller. Doyel Streich and Duane Wil ken. 80-Acre Farm To Be Sold At Auction An 80-acre farm of the estate of Ferdinand Hesse will be sold at public auction at the Corn Growers State Bank at Murdock Friday, April 18. at two o'clock. The farm is located one and three-quarter miles west and one-half mile south of Murdock. It is practically all under culti- vation. Rex Young, Plattsmouth auc tioneer, will cry the sale. Edwin T. McHugh of the Corn Growers State Bank may also provide additional information. Operation Planned To Restore Sight To Simons' Eye Willard Simons, local young man. was taken to the Clarkson hospital in Omaha Tuesday where he will undergo an eye opetxon. He lost the sight of I his left eye and severe injury j to the right eye several months i ago from the effects of tear gas. i It is hoped that the delicate ; operation may restore partial j sight to the right eye but the result will not be known for sev- ! eral days. I SSgt. and Mrs. Don Seeba and son, Terry, of Topeka, Kan., were guests over the week end at the home of her mother, Mrs. John Alexen. A Classified Ad in The Jour nal costs as little as 35c. Advised interest The past department com mander warned against the ' where do we go from, here at titude" and challenged the Cass county delegates to determine where they are going and to work for that goal. Pointing out that the direction American youth takes is the direction that the nation will go, Curtiss ex plained that there are two choices, '"The American Way of Life and Fredom" or -'Tyranny and Oppression." Briefly describing the purpose of Boys' and Girls' county gov ernment, the National execu tive committeeman of the American Legion, said that the program is designed for instruc tion, not for "fun and recrea tion." The program intends to 'challenge your attention to the importance of your govern ment'" Curtiss told the 100 high school students. He pointed out that by under standing government, and by recognizing individual responsi bilities, citizens will get what they demand and deserve by recognizing their obligations. How that obligation is ignored was explained by Curtiss by ref erence to the primary just past. Curtiss explained that only half of the qualified voters had enough interest in government to go to the polls in Nebraska April 1. But, Curtiss warned the high L7e is based cm the ? idea that schoolers, the American Way of piattsmouth American Legion post, who was master of cere monies, other guests at the noon luncheon were, in addi tion to all county officers, Wal ter H. Smith, Ravmond J. Case, Dr. L. S. Pucelik, Dr. P. T. Heine man, James Begley and Hogan Trammell. The mncneon was prepared and served by ladies of the Presbyterian church, with ar rangements under the over-aU direction of Orville Nielsen. Other activities on the all iContinued on fage Four) At The Cast Coi'nty Court House First hearing was held in the Sadie Schomaker estate in coun ty court Tuesday. Walter R. Clegg was fined $15 on a charge of speeding in Cass county court Tuesday. Charges of no license plates and no oper ators license were dismissed. William Gerken was fined $20 and costs in county court on a charge of speeding Tuesday. The charge was filed by Patrolman J. E. Kruger. License for marriage was is sued in county court Monday to i Virgil Sherman Irons. 23, of Elm- ; wood, and Ruth Jean Elliott, 20, ! also of Elmwood. Roland Pruess Elected Commander Of V.F.W. Roland Pruess, veteran of World War II, was elected com mander of Lepert-Wolever Post, No. 2543 of the Veterans of For eign Wars at the group's annual election of officers Monday night. Pruess, employed in the serv ice and parts department of Cass County Motors, succeeds Dick March, navy veteran. March had stepped into the command er's shoes at midyear when Bob Willis, commander elect, left for the far north on a construction job. Other officers named at the Monday night session wrere Stewart Gochenour, senior vice commander; Harold Austin, jun ior vice commander; Bob Aspe don, chaplain; Laverne Hen nings, quartermaster; Dale Bow man, service officer; James Beg ley, judge advocate, and Bob Willis, three-year trustee. Bow Man-Wife Injured $$S$t j Mr. and Mrs. W7alter Rasmus ! sen suffered severe shock and were badly cut and bruised in a j head-on auto crash about 10 1 a. m. Wednesday morning when ! their . light Studebaker pick-up j truck was struck by another i motorist on the viaduct near ! Offutt Field. ! Witnesses to the accident re ; port the Rasmussen vehicle I traveling north toward Omaha i started to skid on the slippery pavement. A southbound truck at the top of the viaduct, seeing the skidding car, came to a halt. A car, following the truck, re ported driven by a couple from Bellevue. attempted to pass and struck the Plattsmouth car head-cn. Impact of the crash threw both cars into the guard rail and tied up traffic for nearly an hour. The Rasmussen pick up was nearly completely demol ished. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen were taken to Offutt Base hos pital for treatment and later brought to their home here by Caldwell ambulance. Mrs. Ras mussen received deep lacera tions over the forehead from broken glasses, a broken nose, and a badly bruised leg. Mr. Rasmussen was severely shaken up and bruised, while both suf fered severe shock. Mr. Rasmussen was only re cently released from the hos pital where he had undergone major surgery. .They were on their way to Omaha for a check up when the accident occurred. Miss Lehnhoff, 89, Plattsmouth Native, Dies Interment services were held Tuesday at Oak Hill cemetery for Miss Mathilde Lehnhoff. 83, who died at Omaha on Sunday. Old family friends were at the cemetery for the short service. Miss Lehnhoff was the daugh ter of the late Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Lehnhoff, pioneer residents of this city. Her father was engaged here in the mercantile business and also in operation i of a brick manufacturing plant. Miss Lehnhoff moved to Oma ha some 15 years ago and has since resided in that city. Survivors are a brother, F. W. Lehnhoff and a niece, Mrs. Ern est Nordine, Jr., both of Omaha. Filing Period Less Than Ten Days Distant Deadline for filing assessment schedules is drawing nearer and nearer. Cass County Assessor Willard McShane warned today. Schedules must be filed by April 19. one week from Saturday. With several hundred proper ty owners in Plattsmouth and Cass county still to file schedules that means that at least 100 will have to complete schedules each day. McShane is hoping to evade a heavy rush next week end, when close to 500 will prob ably try to file schedules at the last minutes. All residents of the county owning property, including au tomobiles, must file assessment returns. If out-county residents 1 failed to file schedules when j local assessors were providing i assistance, they must make their I filing at the office of the county assessor. j It is the obligation of the j property owner to file a sched t ule. McShane said. A Classified Ad in The jour- i nal casts as little as 35c. man and Hennlngs were re elected. Following the election, the new officers were installed by Dale Bowman, district com mander. The new V. F. W. commander served in the European theater of war during World War II and was with the paratroops. He had previously served on ap pointive offices in the V. F. W., including the all-important board of governors and the house committee. In addition to electing offi cers, the foreign war veterans also discussed plans for the past commanders banquet which will be held at the club April 22. Tentative plans were announced. The group also discussed the dis trict meeting which will be held here May 11. 5 v.- - - - r- - i. - - A X 4 f f :v:X ! srS ! J ! John Hiltner Contracts Are Aga in Considered By School Board One new teacher was hired, one resignation accepted and contracts of other teachers dis cussed at the April meeting of the Plattsmouth Board of Edu cation held Tuesday night. The resignation of John Hilt ner, industrial arts instructor, was accepted by the board, while it also approved hiring of a kindergarten teacher. General discussion of teaching contracts was also held. Board members learned that as of May 31. 1952. vocational agricultural classes will be dis continued. As explained to the board, a smaller supply of qual ified veterans makes continu ance of the program imprac tical. The Plattsmouth school board also learned that the high school program at Plattsmouth is basically sound but lacking in several departments. In a four page educational survey con ducted by the state department of education, board members were told that the high school program is fundamentally pro viding, proper educational fa cilities, but several suggestions for improvement were offered. Funeral Services Held For Schindler t Funeral services were held at ! attend two of them, have been Nebraska City Monday for Al- j set for day. sectional meetings bert A. Schindler, a retired ; vill consist 0f nursing, commer iarmer, who had lived his entire i ioi cnoo-ri-ncr tnoHio- life In Otoe county. He was found dead at his home Satur day. Mr. Schindler was 74 years old. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Ruth Troutman of Winside, and Mrs. Alberta Elliott of Weeping Water, and five grand children. Two sisters and three brothers also survive. Commandery To Attend Services Mt. Zion Commandery No. 6. Knights Templar will meet at the Masonic Hall at ten o'clock Easter Sunday morning in prep aration fcr attending services at St. Paul's Evangelical and Re formed church. Miss Gerhard, 82, Dies At Eagle Miss Jennie Gerhard, resident of the Eagle community for many years, died at her home in Eagle Sunday. She was 82 years old. Funeral services were held at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon at Immanuel Lutheran church at Eagle with Rev. A. G. Ahlman officiating. Marion Wulf was vocalist. Pallbearers w e r e j Claude, Harvey and Glendon 1 Gerhard, J. Eldee McKay, Orris ! Lanning and Chester Borne- i meier. ! Surviving are a brother, Ed- ward Gerhard of Eagle, and a i sister, Mrs. Otelia Moore of Lin- ! coin. I Earthquake Tremors Not Felt Here Earthquake tremors which shook seven midwestem sta tes Wednesday failed to get much of a response in Platts mouth. Few, if any, calls reached The Journal from from persons noticing the shake. In both Lincoln and Omaha numerous reports were re ceived of swaying buildings, rattling dishes and of many persons experiencing diizy sensations during the shock period. The reports of the tremor Wednesday morning recalled to many localites the earth quake here in 1877 that cracked walls in several downtown buildings and the old high school building near where Central ,now stands. hWel&ed Wednesday flight Musical selections were pre- sented by 24 individuals and j groups at tne annual pre-con-test music program of the Plattsmouth high school music department Wednesday night. The program was under the ; direction of Ward Pscherer, high ; school vocal and instrumental music instructor. : Selections included threei numbers by each the band and : chorus, several instrumental and vocal solos, and numbers for vo- j cal and instrumental small j groups. The same groups will present j music contest to be held at Au- , their numbers in the district I burn April 18 and 19. Although inclement weather j conditions cut down the size ' of the audience, the limited fa- j cilities of the high school audi- i torium were generally well filled i for the all-star musical pro- j gram. t Soloists included JoAnn Cecil, i piano; Ray Sprieck, medium i voice; Patricia Painter, medium j voice; Willard Christenson, bari- j tone; Carol Rakow, clarinet; j Shirley Story, medium voice; j Wendell Friest, trombone; Edith i Wetenkamp. low voice; Marion Hild, baritone; Janice Hutton, saxophone; Michael Shellen barger, French morn; Jerome Sheilenbarger. snare drum; Dick Glaze, bass horn; Betty Jane cek, French horn, and Terry Ernst, snare drum. Other selections were by the madrigal group, band, chorus, saxophone quartet; clarinet quartet, hern quartet and cor net trio. College, Career Day Is Slated At High School Fifth annual College and Ca reer Day will be held at Platts-.T-h high school April IS- G. F. L-5tuenauiirr," state director ol vocational education will be the main speaker at a general ses sion in the assembly from 1:00 to 2:00. Twelve sectional meetings. ! trades, vocational agriculture. ; retail-sales, business adminis ; tration, journalism, armed forces ; for boys, and armed forces for I girls. I A college and non -college pan- el discussion will follow the sec i tional meetings, j Five Plattsmouth girls will be ; represented at the nurses ses ; sicn. Betty Uhlik, Patricia Ko i cia, Wilma Keil. Mildred Mei ! singer and Mary Margaret Cole i will attend the meeting. I Representatives of the state employment office will also be on hand to explain to students ! the free services offered by the i employment office to those seek ' ing jobs. ' A special session is also on i tap for boys 17 years of age and older. Captain Davidson of the J Marine Corps will provide inf- formation on the pre-induction i reserve program. A noon luncheon will be serv j ed in the cafeteria for guest j speakers and the home econ omics department will serve cof- fee at four o'clock Seniors' from Union, Louisville, Avoca, Greenwood, Murdock and Nehawka will also attend the College and Career Day session. Parents are also invited. Rain And Snow Tumble Highest Temperatures j Precipitation said to be near I ly an inch was recorded here i Tuesday night and Wednesday. 1 The precipitation fell in the form of rain and snow. After a very warm Tuesday, which saw temperatures climb into the 80's, a sudden cold wave sent temperatures dipping with a nearly 20 degree drop recorded within two hours. A sudden rain storm, accompanied by light hail, lightning and thunder hit the area about 7 p. m. Tuesday. Rain throughout much of the night turned to snow early Wed nesday morning. Snow continued to fall through most of the day, ending about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. Cooler temperatures are predicted for the Easter week end. The Plattsmouth Business Women's Club met at the Solo mon Coffee Shop Tuesday eve ning for their regular meeting. There were 12 members present and one guest. Dee Mendenhall, Emil Weyrlch showed travelogue pictures for the group. P0 - e(SKLflDOTl Tata "Tf f J SJ) v Mrs. Piersol, 81, Eagle Resident 36 Years, Dies Mrs. Ella Jene Miller Piersol, native of Lee county. Illinois, died at her home in Eagle on March 29. 1952. She was 81 years old. Born May 16, 1870. in Illinois, she had been a resident of the Eagle community for many years. With her parents. Jacob and Lydia Miller, she came from Ill inois In a covered wagon. Her parents homesteaded near Gen eva. On March 2, 1892. she was married to Lewis W. Piersol. In 1916. they, with their family, moved to Eagle where they had resided since that time. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1942. Her hus band died March 27. 1950. One son, Roy, and an infant daugh ter also preceded her in death. Surviving are three sons. Harry of Walton. Harold and Donald, both of Lincoln; three daughters. Mrs. Edith Axe of Omaha. Mrs. Hazel Porter and1 Mrs. Eva Scattergood of Eagle; j to Dr. H. G. McClusky, former' 1943 flood, which did not harm 14 grandchildren and ' seven i pastor of "the Presbyterian the water plant. Engineer re great grandchildren. j church here, at the Tuesday ports say that the flood "will be Three sisters. Mrs. Dollie Mc- j noon session of Plattsmouth Ro- ! the worst in history. The water Keon and the Misses Bertha and tary Club I department plant, located in the Kate Miller of Omaha, also sur- j Rev Harold V Mitchell gav ' same area since 1870, has never vive. the short tribute in honor of j Den hit by waters. Mayor - Funeral services were held at ! the former Plattsmouth Rotar- Clement W7oster said. Bad road EsEle Methodist church Tues- ! ian. Rev. Mitchell described Dr. ! conditions leading to the plant day, April 1, with Rev. Fishel officiating. Max Buettgenbach, Mrs. John Fisher and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rudolph sang, accom panied by Mrs. Buettgenbach at the piano. Burial was in Eagle cemetery. First Precincts In Field Monday For Equalization Compilation of data on first 1 six Cass county precincts will go into the field for processing : within the next few days, ac- cording to E. T. Wilkinson and j Associates, of Lincoln, who are , in charge cf the equalization program for the area. Mr. Wilkinson, in the city on j Monday, took the cards for Tip- '.. ton, Greenwood. Salt Creek, i Stove Creek. Elmwood and South Bend precincts on the return : trip to Lincoln and indicated the I work of compiling actual values of real property would get un- : derway there soon. Compiling data ana process ing cards is expected to take the better part of the balance of , 1952. It is expected the program can be completed in order that ( all valuations m the county can be equalized in time for the 1953 tax schedules. Two Cars Heavily Damaged In Crash Two cars were extensively damaged and a third involved in ! a three-car collision six miles i west of Union on highway 34 Sheriff Tom Solomon report- ed that cars involved were driven by John E. Curtiss of Lincoln, who was en route to Plattsmouth to address Boys' and Girls' county government officials: Nolan Hottle, Elmwood farmer, and Robert Nickels, Murray farmer. Solomon said that Curtiss had stopped his car to clean the windshield and that Hottle had stopped just behind him, when the third vehicle, driven by Nickels, collided with the rear of Hottle's car. Damage to the vehicles was estimated at $600. Engineers Move To Richey Lumber Yard Army Engineers stationed at Plattsmouth moved their head quarters to the former Richey Lumber Yard grounds here on Tuesday after flooding Missouri river waters forced abandon ment of their office at the docks east of the city. They will use the qffice build ing for headquarters and the grounds for pooling vehicles for the duration of the flooding period. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Feldhousen attended the Nebraska Phar maceutical convention in Oma ha this week. - Precautionary measures for protecting Plattsmouth's water works from anticipated flood waters went into full swing today with several local organizations cooperating 1 in the movement. Mayor Clement Woster, who acknowledged that the water works may be in danger if the expected high waters materialize, said that precautionary measures were in augurated Tuesday night and wiU'continue until the : plant appears to be out of danger or until workers are : forced to stop. Warn Motorists Both Sheriff Solomon and V. S. Engineers have re quested the Journal to warn motorists to stay clear ef the river road east of the Bur lington underpass during this. emergency flood period. Traffic congestion is seri ously hindering work of both city and government in their attempts to bolster dikes and construct retainer walls. Tribute To Dr. McClusky Paid By Rotary Club A memnri.il tribute wn.s nnl.i i McClusky as the type of man would like to be." He cited him for his high ethical standards and for his relationship with all churches. Rotarians also were reminded that "what you don't know might hurt you." The reminder was nrovided bv Rev. M. L. Sha- fer of Mynard, who was princi- pal speaker on Rotanan W alter Gieason's program. Rev. Shafer referring his discussion to Holy Week, which is observed this week, cautioned Rotarians to learn as much as possible about a multitude of things, or "what they don't know might hurt them.' Lawrence CapLstran was a guest of Clement Woster at the Tuesday noon session. Capistran is Srom LaVerne, Minnesota. Dr. L. .S. Pucelik presided at the meeting. G. R. Binger Dies In Lincoln Hosoital G. R. Binger, -longtime Cass i countv resident and a busmess man in Weeping Water for the past 34 vcars. passed away at a i.inonin hnsrU:il about 3 n. m. Wednesday afternoon following a short niness. Funeral services will be held i at Weeping Water fro mthe Con- gregational church on Monday, ! April 14. 1952, with the Hobson I Funeral Home in charge. Burial will be in WTilber, Neb., his former home. UNDERGOES SURGERY Mrs. Harold Hickman of Lin coln, formerly of Plattsmouth, underwent "surgery at the St. ; i&eh hosPltal in maha on i APnl lz- . $85 Will Be Dispersed At Easter Egg Hunt The Easter Egg hunt, sponsor ed by the retail division of the Plattsmouth Chamber of Com merce, will be held Saturday morning regardless of the weather conditions, according to Mrs. Zulemma Dye, chairman of the hunt. Mrs. Dye said that the Cham ber office has received weather reports for Saturday, and that fair weather was promised for the event. Hail, rain, sleet, snow or earthquakes will not stop the egg hunt, however the weather could have an effect on the playing of the band. If the weatherman is mistaken, which is very seldom, then the hunt will start at 10:00 a. m. at the city park without the prelimi nanes m the downtown area of Plattsmouth. The Chamber of Commerce office has secured the services of the Easter Bunny at Offutt Air Base. Bunny will arrive In Plattsmouth at 10:00 a. in. on Saturday in time for the fes tivities prior to the hunt, and Cooperating with the city in : the venture are the Corps of ', Engineers at Plattsmouth under the direction of C. J. White; the i Plattsmouth street and public I works departments; Organized ; Reserve Corps commanded by i Cecil Karr; and the Civil De : fense administration. Mayor Waster disclosed that engineer estimates of an addi tional seven feet of water would send the Missouri River waters into the water departments well area. The area can hold about five feet of water, Woster said. Sand was hauled to the water plant Wednesday and several hundred bags were obtained in preparation for sandbaggirfg the area, according to the Mayor. Sand bagging got underway this morning. Although the anticipated crest is not expected here for another week, indications are that it will exceed the depth of the I ! may cause some inconvenience to workers, according to the Mayor. Meanwhile the Civil Defense administration, heased by Sher iff Tom Solomon, and the Plattsmouth Rescue squad are preparing for whatever may oc cur. A meeting of the rescue squad was held Wednesda' . mgnt. ; Although no families in the ; immediate Plattsmouth area are j threatened by the flood waters, j the squad will be on call at any j time until the danger passes, ! Sheriff Solomon advises that ans'ene in distress should con tact the squad through his of fice. Meanwhile the Corps of Engi? neers has started rescue opera tions. In addition to rescuing a woman and invalid child near Manawa. Ia., yesterday, the en gineers have prepared their barge for removing livestock from isolated islands along the Missouri. Some two to three hundred cattle are reported ma rooned on the islands. The en gineers have set up headquar- idlu- Damage Ls expected primarily on the Iowa side of the river i in this area, although Cass j county bottomlands will be un- der water. Peacetime value of strategic reconnaissance is being proved in the flood Missouri river val ley by photo recon planes of the Strategic Air Command. The method will replace the old method of interviewing farm ers after the flood passed. The photos will be used by the Corps of Engineers for study. The "next war" has, for many years, been the one which wouiti end the world. will be on hand to distribute sacks of candy eggs to each child attending the hunt at the park. Two lovely blond "Miss Springs" will accompany Bunny Rabbit through the business district and will assist Bunny at the park. Mrs. Dye. in giving her re port of her committee's work, added that 100 of the mer chants and business people con tacted in Plattsmouth on giving a "Silver Dollar Egg" had coop erated. Any child finding an egg with the name of a local store or business person on it, will then take that egg to the place of business named, and will receive one silver dollar. Business places participating in the hunt are Pat's Cafe, Wimpy's Inn, Chriswiser's, Feld housen Drug, George Conls. Rosey's Barber Shop, Lugsch Cleaners and Laundry, Platts mouth Cleaners and Laundry, iContlnued on Page.4)