April 15, 1897 —
Earl Saunders has just received a new invoice of Nancy goats.
See the 12-inch bar of toilet soap for only 5 cents at Borchert’s.
On Friday night, darkness was so intense that a fellow could pick it up in big chunks.
The Short Line train has not been on time once in the evening for a week, all caused by the soft condition of the track.
100 Years Ago. . .
Rev. Braunersreuther surprised his family and many friends by arriving home Christmas day from Excelsior Springs, MO, where he had been for his health. He wrote about his trip and shared it in the Republican, in part: I cannot find words to praise these God-given waters adequately. And how about expenses, you will say, my friends?
You can get good, wholesome, clean meals at the boarding houses, hotels and restaurants for 35¢. My room at Ed McGaugh’s Hotel cost me $5 per week and it was the best in the house.
Mary Bowling, 15 years of age, had been missing from her home since Dec. 1, when she went to school and that was the last her parents had seen of her. She was seen at Norfolk Dec. 22. Anyone seeing her or knowing where she was, was to advise Mrs. W. J. Bowling. [I didn’t find anything telling where she was, but she apparently came back at some point, because she and her husband, Charles Runge, are buried at Pierce.] The Mohr land sold at referee sale was bid in by W. S. Butterfield for $101 per acre.
Miss Ethel Walker, one of Osmond’s school teachers, was married at Council Bluffs on Dec.
22. Miss Walker was one of the town’s most successful teachers and the Republican was pleased to congratulate and wished the newlyweds success and happiness.
The couple was going to make their home at North Platte. They were given a fine ride around the town of Page, where she grew up, on Christmas morning in a splendid old-fashioned vehicle which was handsomely decorated for the occasion and drawn by a mule.
75 Years Ago. . .
Another Osmond Displaced Persons family, the first to live and work in the city itself, arrived here. They were 40- year- old Edward Mascmarek, his wife and their 3½-year-old daughter. Mr. Mascmarek was employed at the Schmitz Hardware in work similar to that learned in his home country, Poland. Both the parents were natives of Warsaw. They left their home on Dec. 9 and arrived aboard the S. S. Haun at New York on Dec. 28. Mr. Mascmarek spoke only little English, his wife none. The family was staying, until permanent housing was found, at the P. J. Stanosheck home. The weather honeymoon was over! Residents of the community and much of the Midwest who basked in mild, sunshiny fall and early winter weather, poured on the coal or turned up the thermostats with the advent of the new year. And it got cold. Lowest official temperature here occurred early on Jan. 4 when it was 16 below zero. That was 7 degrees colder than the minus nine recorded the night before.
Playing at the Osmond Theatre on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, “Streets of Laredo,” starring William Holden; on Wednesday and Thursday, “Alias Nick Beal,” starring Ray Milland. Coming next: “I Was a Male War Bride.”
65 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond Trailer Court, completed and put into operation in 1957 by J. C. Stratton and C. J.
Theisen, would have at least nine trailer homes enjoying its modern facilities that winter. The court, located on a concrete slab, originally poured here more than a decade earlier to be an outdoor dance floor, was located on lots just west of Wally’s Shop, the former Huey Garage.
The first baby of 1960 to be born at St. Joseph Hospital here was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Gubbels, Jr. of Randolph who arrived at 4:15 p.m. Jan. 1. Their new daughter, named Barbara Ann, received a $25 savings bond, a gift of the Osmond Community Club.
The new year’s early days brought to the Great Plains one of the worst winter storms in history. Chief components were heavy snows and extreme cold. A third ingredient, perhaps of most influence in the loss of life and property, was mercifully almost lacking — strong winds. Not that winds were completely absent.
Gusts whipped fresh swirling clouds of flakes into drifts six to 10 feet high in the early stages of the storm.
After a predicted low of 12-15 degrees blow zero Monday night, a cold mass moved into northeast Nebraska to drive the thermometer to an astonishing 26 below zero.
An estimated 14 inches of snow fell at Osmond during the weekend precipitation period.
50 Years Ago. . .
Workmen began on a new steel building, 50x80 ft., at the Osmond Co-operative facility in the southeast part of Osmond. The new building, to be completed within days, would be utilized for the storage of bagged fertilizer and expanded feed sales of the firm. The co-op planned to sell Farmland Feeds which would be introduced as a new line with an open house by the farmer-owned group.
First-half action was completed in the Wednesday mixed bowling league and the Thursday men’s league.
Harold’s Bar team emerged the victor in the men’s competition and would bowl the winner of the second half in May. Winners in the mixed league were still not determined. Two teams, Berner-Reineke and Kudera-Reed, had identical win totals of 42 after the regular half of play ended. They now were to bowl a roll-off to determine the winner.
One of the youngest hunters to report success was Bill Vanderheiden.
Bill obtained his first deer permit at the age of 14 and on opening morning of the season, Bill took to hills northwest of Crawford with his father, Don Vanderheiden, superintendent of Osmond Community Schools. Within the first couple of hours of the season, Bill bagged a nice four point mule buck weighing 170 pounds field dressed and with antlers measuring 23½ inches across.
Another young hunter bagging his first deer was Mike Geneski. Mike, 17, hunting with his father, Marion, and John Reynolds of Arnold, shot a five point mule buck which weighed 200 pounds field dressed. Numerous other Osmond hunters reported their successes as well.
25 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond Tigers claimed championship honors in the newlyformed Stanton Invitational Holiday Tournament. The Tigers posted big numbers in wins over Norfolk’s Lutheran high school and the host’s Stanton Mustangs. Osmond defeated Lutheran High Northeast 75-51, and won over Stanton 77 to 43. Andrew Ortmeier was the high scorer in the game against LHNE with 16 points, followed by Matt Jochum with 15. In the game against Stanton, Andy Ketelsen was the high scorer with 29, followed by Josh Krienert with 15.
The Osmond girls’ basketball team won the championship trophy at the Stanton holiday tournament with a 42-37 victory over the host team and a 50-33 win over LHNE. Tracy Manzer had the high score in the LHNE game with 20, and Mary Aschoff led the team against Stanton with 14.
10 Years Ago. . .
An ordination and installation service was held at Immanuel Lutheran Church here when Vicar Glen Emery was ordained a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod pastor and installed as associate pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Both Pastor Emery and Pastor Gary Trowbridge would serve as pastors of Immanuel shepherding the flock.
