100 Years Ago. . .
In the High School Notes: When the seniors received word that their rings had arrived, they hurried down to the depot to make an inspection of the long-looked-for rings. In their excitement and enthusiasm, they overstayed their time, so when they returned, they were assigned to a 40-minute session after school. In the meantime, a book agent, who had books for normal trainers, arrived and the seniors were turned over to the tender mercies of the agent for the 40 minutes. It proved to be a bad day for the agent, for the students were more interested in rings than books, and all persuasion from the salesman availed him nothing, for the seniors had excuses for all his reasons.
Mrs. Emma Purdie published the following: Notice to one party — Some feeble-minded party is finding fault with me for having received substantial help from our local Red Cross, and wondering what I am doing with my money. After this, I will keep a book account so I can keep that party posted, as to what I am doing with my money so they don’t have to worry over my troubles.
Harry Thomsen and Sons were again filling the Osmond ice houses: viz.: E. B. Rodgers, J. Maly, Hans Thomsen and R. L. Senift. The ice was of fine quality as usual.
Leslie Ward, owner, was selling the following furniture, with Col. Welch the auctioneer: sideboard, 3 rocking chairs, set dining chairs, two iron beds complete with springs and mattresses, one dining room table, one electric washing machine and wringer, one Universal range, one library table, two dressers, one sanitary couch, one kitchen table, one flower pedestal, one oil heater, one violin, one dress form and other articles.
75 Years Ago. . .
With the whole community looking forward to the arrival of the first local baby of 1949, St. Joseph Hospital had none to report as the newspaper went to press almost six full days after the beginning of the new year. Up until the current absence of births, the hospital had been running very near a baby a day average. The headline read: Storks don't fly in storms; no babies yet at hospital! The following week, the newspaper reported that, with 1949 12 days old, there were still no new babies reported.
Miss Charmaine Reed, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. V. Glaze Reed of Osmond, was to tour with the well-known Morningside College a capella choir to travel throughout northwest Iowa Jan. 16 to Feb. 2, 1949.
Osmond’s Volunteer F i r e Department elected Walter Warneke its chief to begin his fourth term at the postponed annual meeting. Other officers elected were: President, Meade Larson; vice president, Hugh Maxey; assistant chief, Henry Schuettler; secretary, Norman Windeshausen; treasurer, Vernon Kreycik; fire police, G. W.
Woolley, Donald Hetrick, Delmer Neubauer, Roland Jewell and Frank Goeres; trustees, Douglas Apple, John P. Theisen and P. J. Stanosheck. Applications of three candidates for membership were voted on favorably. They were Max Hansen, Kenneth Schultze and Jack Theisen.
The new Immanuel Lutheran school building was nearing completion. Although planned to be completed by the previous October, many things had halted the progress of the structure — weather, windows arriving late, labor and other things.
65 Years Ago. . .
Osmond’s economy, which is based largely on farm income, did all right in 1958, according to a comparison of financial statements of the Osmond State Bank. Total deposits at the close of business on Dec. 31, 1958, were at an alltime high, $1,286,392.25. That was perhaps the sharpest yearly increase in the bank’s history. Deposits one year before were $1,058,156.18. The year before that ( Dec. 31, 1956), the comparable figure was $1,031,944.43.
A telephone call from Mrs. Lillian Schmit, who was called to Denver at the time of the critical injury of her grandson, 5-year-old Steven Borin, indicated that the youth survived the critical post-accident period and how had a good chance of recovery. Steven was the only son of Mary Borin of Denver, an Osmond High graduate [who later came back with her son to Osmond]. He was struck by a car as he dashed into a street near his home in Denver. His father had died several years before.
Osmond and this area had a little bit of quite a few things in the past week’s weather. Among other things, it was: cold, comparatively warm, it was quiet, it blew, skies were clear and they were cloudy, it rained and snowed. Several inches of snow on Saturday brought the first moisture of the new year. By noon Sunday most of the snow had thawed and a gentle rain began to fall about 3 in the afternoon. By nightfall the moisture again changed to snow flurries. That generally was followed with a cloudy and cold pattern. The thermometer hovered around the zero mark at 3 p.m. and 3 inches of snow was on the ground.
It was “Baby Days” once again at St. Joseph Hospital here. A glance at the hospital notes indicated that several babies were born here from Jan. 14 to the 19th. Three of the new arrivals came on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The more-than-a-baby-a-day rate was about double the average birth rate at the Osmond hospital. Three of the babies were from Wausa, three from Randolph, and one from Osmond: Marvin Gerard Stech, born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Stech.
The Osmond High School 1959 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow was Barbara Broekemeier. She received the highest score in a 50-minute written examination on homemaking knowledge and attitudes taken by graduating senior girls. She received a homemaking pin which represented the slogan, “Home is Where the Heart Is.”
50 Years Ago. . .
Osmond coach Steve Jessen was pictured in the Osmond Republican with a 75-lb. paddle fish he snagged below Gavins Point Dam. He was assisted with the big fish by Coach Al Porter, who caught the 25-lb. paddle fish held by Ken Tegeler of Battle Creek. Jessen's fish was entered in a fish contest at a South Dakota bait shop where prizes were given for the biggest paddle fish of the week and also for the season. Coach Jessen said that he was told the largest fish entered thus far at the bait shop was a 51-pounder.
Osmond’s low for the new year and for the winter season 1973-74 was a minus 29 degrees on Thursday night, Jan. 8, recorded by Gene Klamert at West Lumber Co., the local weather recorder. And there had been a snow cover added to the four or five inches already on the ground. Happily, the brunt of new storms which had moved through on two different days had missed the Osmond territory. Here we recorded an estimated two inches of fluffy new snow with each of the storms.
Doug Stratton won the double elimination handball tourney for the ninth grade by defeating Ray Boice 15-5. In earlier play, Doug defeated Ray Boice 15-10, Ricky Koehler 150, Jim Krienert 15-3 and Ray Boice 15-5. Randy Boice defeated Alan Maxey for the 10th grade handball championship.
The fertilizer plant located on the Burlington Northern right-of-way and formerly operated by Jim Gibbs was purchased by the newly-formed Osmond co-operative, according to Everett Gansebom, secretarytreasurer of the co-op. The deal was closed with the Agrico Company and some contract details remained to be acted upon. The secretary-treasurer said that no occupancy date had been established, nor had a date been set to begin operation.
25 Years Ago. . .
Jan. 7 was Mike Morfeld’s birthday, his 49th to be exact, and probably the luckiest of his life. The month before, he had registered in a drawing to win an attempt to open the door of a 1999 Ford pickup. He was one of 57 to draw numbers for the order to choose a key from a fish bowl. His number was 12 and his key opened the door.
Jeff Wallick officially began duties as Osmond Police Chief when he was sworn in on Monday, Jan. 18. He came to Osmond from Wausa where he had served as chief since 1992. Wallick succeeded Loren Trautman who was elected Cedar County Sheriff in the November general election.
10 Years Ago. . .
Osmond Fire Department and ambulance answered a fire call to the Larry Carlson acreage four miles west of Osmond shortly after noon on Jan. 14. Dense smoke enshrouded the area, obscuring both men and equipment fighting the blaze. Buffeted by a strong northerly wind, the fire burned in the north ditch and then jumped Highway 20 into the south ditch and continued burning there.
Two Osmond organizations were presented checks by Farmers Pride to further their projects. The HOME Team received $1,400 to be applied toward the new Welcome to Osmond sign for which the organization was raising funds. Another check in the amount of $1,400 was presented to Osmond Fire Department.
