‘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
DECEMBER 23, 2010 – Lori Fox Gillespie’s seventh grade language arts classes celebrated their reading of Charles Dickens’ The Christmas Carolin quite a unique and festive way this year at the Roth House in Soldiers Grove. Decked out in Victorian garb and taking on the identities of characters from the book, the students reenacted the point at which Scrooge rediscovers what Christmas is really all about… This past fall the ag structures class at Seneca High School was busy constructing a pole building, which will be used for school and sports equipment. The class purchased their supplies from Johnson’s One Stop. Members of the ag structures class included Jordan Boone, Michael Stuckey, Derek Wall, Wyatt Morovits, Crystal Wright, Eric Trautsch, Vinny Payne, Ryan Hartley, Travis Fisher, Levi Rooney, Troy Trautsch and Dale McCullick. The class is taught by Rick Sime.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 28, 2000 – Two roofs collapsed recently due to heavy snowfall on farms located in the Shanghai Ridge area west of Rising Sun. One was the roof on John Pomerening’s arm and the other occurred on a cattle shed on the Rick Larsen farm. Emergency authorities issued a joint press release cautioning area property owners as to the hazard caused by roofs not capable of bearing the extra weight caused by the recent heavy snowfall. The community was also advised to make sure venting pipes for furnace works are open, as well, to avoid carbon monoxide backing up into buildings.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 27, 1990 – The wreckage of a North Dakota-bound, single engine airplane and its two man crew were found on a heavily wooded hillside along Badger Hill Road in Marietta Township Sunday. Found near the wreckage were the bodies of Thomas Tunby, 29, Wahpeton, North Dakota and Carl Johnson, 23, Sabin, Minnesota. According to the sheriff’s department the men left Fargo, ND by Greyhound bus on December 17 to purchase the aircraft in Rockford, IL. The weather was reported to be foggy with low visibility… Linda George and Barb Knadle are busy helping with some of the 809 pies prepared in three afternoons for the fifth and sixth grade People Pleaser Pie Project. Profits in the learning venture will be used for school projects.
FORTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 25, 1980 – Cecil and Richard Turk are pleased with their new solar building in Soldiers Grove. Their annual fuel bill for October, 1979 through March 1980 amounted to $1,600 in the old Main street building of less than 5,00 square feet. So far this year (through mid-December) they have spent nothing at all to heat their 7,040 square foot building in the Solar Town Center… Special gifts from individuals have been given to Sugar Creek Bible Camp, which will provide a new swimming pool and some open air cabins. The pool is given in memory of Arnold Weeks of Prairie du Chien. Arnie was an active Sugar Creek camper for many years.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 23, 1970 – Mrs. Herman Sime, Sr., 72, and granddaughter, Mrs. Frederick Brockway, Jr. have knit 33 vests between the two of them as Christmas gifts. Mrs. Frederick Brockway (nee Bonnie Sime) claims to have inherited the zest for knitting from Grandma Sime. The immediate Sime family now numbers 81, including husbands and wives, and they all get together every year for a Christmas dinner.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 22, 1960 – Gays Mills Village workmen commenced flooding the ice skating rink across from the elementary school. Always a popular winter-time spot, the rink attracts great numbers of skaters during the Yuletide season. Alvin Lee told the Independent Monday that, barring a sudden upsurge of the temperature, he expected to have the rink ready by the time Gays Mills schools close for the annual Christmas vacation.
