October 1, 1896 —
The best judgment of the people is that McKinley will be elected president and as a consequence wheat will in all probability reach the 50 cent mark before Saturday. It is now selling in Osmond for 48 ½ cents.
The little child of Mr. Troutman that was snake bitten last week, died and was buried on Friday. The family have the sympathy of [all] in their loss.
October 15, 1896 –
This community is now being canvassed by peddlers for the sale of steel ranges, and we advise our readers to be a little cautious as to signing contracts and notes for the future delivery of goods, as these individuals are not always out for their health.
100 Years Ago. . .
Col. Welch was the champion peony raiser of Osmond, having one of those in his flower garden that measured seven inches across.
A bad accident occurred at the Hans Hansen home, when their hired man, Duncan, was knocked off a hay stack and received a fractured collar bone, and had two ribs broken. He was attended by Dr. Place. A couple weeks later, it was reported that the 73-year-old man, who was recovering satisfactorily, had suffered a relapse and died.
Will Macey was building a halfmile race track on his farm west of town.
The Osmond MWA initiated 41 members into the Osmond camp and two into the Bloomfield. This brought the MWA membership of Osmond up to 195. M. W. E. Kelso of Central City, state inspector of the MWA, was also here and inspected the Forester team and the MWA degree team, pronouncing both 100% efficient.
Carl Boye, one of Osmond’s champions with the “rod,” showed some fine photos of their Fourth of July fishing party at Lake Andes.
They certainly got a fine catch as well as some good pictures. Those in the party were Carl Boye, Leo Hoyt, Paul Thomsen and Will Minert.
75 Years Ago. . .
One or more fights threatened or developed in the last of the ninth inning and after the game as Osmond players and fans rallied to the support of Don Clayton, Osmond shortstop. Behind-the-plate umpire Pate of Randolph allegedly brushed or pulled the hat off batter Clayton after he said the batter used non-Sunday school terms in describing the ump’s strike and ball judgement. Base umpire Schenk was said to have warded off a couple of blows as he sought to disperse a post-game gang-up on Pate.
Tension was rife at the Osmond-Creighton baseball game, so intense that a Creighton ball fan planted a haymaker on the chin of Melvin Synovec of Pierce in the ninth inning (just before the main fighting event) sending him to the hospital here for observation and treatment. It was feared the Pierce man sustained a broken jaw. Subsequent x-rays showed no fractures. The county attorney's office told this newspaper that no criminal charges had been made by the injured man.
65 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond Tigers toppled the Bloomfield Red Sox from first place in the Elkhorn Valley League at a 75¢ admission well-attended game at the Bloomfield fairgrounds. Final score was 4-3 as extra innings threatened when the game went into the closing stanza with a three-all count.
Testifying to the livability of mid-July weather in this favored corner of Nebraska was a lowly bag of ice cubes. Deposited early in the morning quite unceremoniously in a concrete gutter next to the sidewalk on Osmond’s main business street, the cubes lasted well into the afternoon.
Farm neighbors showed their usual spirit of cooperation when a group gathered to put up 20 acres of hay on the Vernon Enevoldsen home northeast of Osmond. Mr. Enevoldsen, newly- appointed president of school district 42R, entered a Sioux City hospital for tests and observation because of a back ailment. In a letter to the paper, he named the following: Bob Hamer, Earl Wecker, Adam Wietfeld, Henry Wietfeld, Leonard Gerdes, LeRoy Gerdes, Tony Moes, Harold Gerdes, Robert Reed and Gene Rohloff.
A Yankton water ballet team under the direction of Jack Krall and Mrs. Dee Pillar gave performances at the Osmond municipal swimming pool during a two-day dedication celebration at the pool, which opened in 1958. The amateur water ballet company featured rhythmic swimming routines, clown diving and other numbers. Strong Amusement Company provided midway attractions.
50 Years Ago. . .
A number of OHS boys received awards at basketball clinics they attended on various college campuses. Doug Stratton received three trophies in the intermediate league of the basketball school at Hastings College. The trophies were for most valuable players, rebound champion and best shooting average. He also was awarded certificates as free throw champ, jump shot champ and a member of the all-star team. Kent Edwards won the top free throw award in the 13-14-year-old division at Wayne State College. The top hustle award at WSC went to Kevin Koehler.
Robin Reed, a name familiar throughout his high school sports career which had ended only a few weeks earlier, was named “outstanding player” of the Tri-County Junior North-South All-Star Legion game at Pierce. Because Osmond did not have an American Legion-sponsored team, young Reed played with nearby Plainview in the pitching department. Reed turned in six strikeouts, then was tabbed for an unearned run in the third frame. His dad, Vernon (Chick) Reed, operator of Chick’s Grocery here, was outstanding in the same department here in the 1940s when the late Cap Theisen’s Osmond town teams were usually the envy of the area.
The Don Schneiders family of Dell Rapids, S.D., visited in Osmond with their prize-winning colt and his dam. The leopard Appaloosa was second high point 1974 stallion in Center of the Nation Horse Club, a regional club covering South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska. The cold was sired by a local stallion, Bar Command, owned by Alaska Reed.
25 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond 8-and-under girls’ softball team defeated Plainview 2016. The 10-and-under team defeated Coleridge 13-5 but fell to Plainview 5-9. The 12-and-under girls defeated Coleridge 15-1 and Plainview 21-4. In the 14-and-under games, Osmond won over Coleridge 11-10 but fell to Randolph 10-12. The 16-and-under team won against Coleridge 10-6 and Randolph 8-7, and the 18-and-under girls lost to Ponca 5-6 but defeated Randolph 12-4.
Father James Buckley was officially appointed as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church here, although he was already a familiar figure in Osmond.
He had been named temporary pastor and administrator of St. Mary’s in January of 1999 following the death of Father Kenneth Potts in late December.
10 Years Ago. . .
Members of American Legion Post 326 held installation of officers, conducted by Ron Aschoff on behalf of Department of Nebraska Commander Dan Detlinger. Installed were: commander, Jerry Dennis; vice com- mander, Gene Hixson; finance officer, Wayne Blunck; chaplain, Wes Kumm; sergeant-at-arms, Mike Stanosheck; service officer, Marv Koehler; execu tive committee, Dave Kruse, Mike Stanosheck and Dan Gansebom.
Legion Auxiliary appointments included: Cindy Kumm, girls State chairperson; Diane Borst, Education and Scholarship; Leoma Fuelberth and Mrs. Kumm, membership cochairpersons.
