‘Years Ago’ is a compilation of newsy tidbits as published in the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout on this week ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or sixty years ago.
TEN YEARS AGO
AUGUST 6, 2009 – The Bell Center Backers Sixth Annual Friendship Festival is being planned for September. Kicking off the festival is the Grand Day Parade and the festivities begin as the parade ends in the village park. Free concerts are planned for all afternoon. The village will have a food stand, raffle and silent auction. Admission is free. A special invitation is extended to those with a ‘Bell Center History’ to come share your memories. These personal stories are being collected by the Bell Center Backers for the village museum.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
AUGUST 5, 1999 – Ruth Ann Messling, a secretary at the Seneca Elementary School, joined more than 9,000 other voting delegates in Orlando Florida over the Fourth of July weekend at the National Education Association’s 137thannual meeting. The delegates came together to chart the course for NEA’s new leadership role in improving teaching and learning in the nation’s public schools. Elected by local members nationwide, they brought ideas from the organization’s 2.4 million members to the floor of the Orange County Convention Center… A prime piece of real estate in the center of white tail deer habitat, with a private lake, is going to help the children of Children’s Ranch near Prairie du Chien. Children’s Ranch President Jim White stated that they are raffling this prime property off and earmarking the funds to expand the children’s program and also build an outdoor pavilion.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
JULY 27, 1989 – Patricia ‘Patty’ Pfitsch of Gays Mills recently attended the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at the Chautauqua Institution Cultural Center in western New York State for one week of intensive instruction. She joined 84 other writers for children and a faculty of 37 writers, editors and publishers. Patty has always had jobs associated with books and writing. She has been a librarian, taught composition at a community college, and is now a free-lance writer. She has sold both fiction and nonfiction to magazines such as ‘Highlights for Children,’ ‘Wee Wisdom’ and ‘Scope’, and writes weekly columns for the Crawford County Independent… More than 500 people attended the Sannes Skogdalen annual family picnic on Sunday with many coming from out-of-state for the popular gathering. Local youngsters entertained with their dance interpretations, and picnickers took part in the gunnysack race, water balloon toss, and pie walk. Ruth Olson baked the pies for the pie walk and Pastor Blain from Our Saviors Church was a volunteer for the dunking tank. Music was provided by Norris Albrechtson, Readstown, and Jim Fortney, Viroqua.
FORTY YEARS AGO
AUGUST 9, 1979 – Ten Crawford County girls recently participated in the six-hour American Red Cross Babysitting Course sponsored by the Crawford County Extension office. All ten participants passed the exam and are now certified mother’s aides through the American Red Cross. Those participating in the course were: Renee Salzider, Lori Achenbach, Pam Achenbach, Laura Henkes, Shelly Biggin, Ann Biggin, Theresa Steger, Cathy Check, Ginger Fisher and Kathy Fisher.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
AUGUST 7, 1969 – The Village Cafe, which has been owned and operated for the past five months by Hank and Tress Schoville, has been purchased by the Buck Lathrops. The Lathrop family intend to retain the same personnel as cooks, and hours will remain the same except that the Cafe will be open all evening on Saturdays.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
AUGUST 6, 1959 – The Knapp Floor Company, 138 South Marquette Road, Prairie du Chien, announced this week a closeout sale prior to that firm’s removal to a new location adjacent to the Piggly Wiggly supermarket… Mrs. Peter Humlie and Mrs. Magda Olson attended a church school conference in Madison from Wednesday until Saturday. Sponsored by the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin committee on parish education of the American Lutheran church, the training session was held on the university campus.
