April 15, 1897 —
Commissioner Wood informs us that he will soon have the county pile driver and begin replacing bridges destroyed by the recent high water.
At the present time Mr. Rohrkey is using it in his district.
A Republican reporter had the pleasure of attending an open session of the Woodman lodge one evening last week, and was highly entertained by the speeches, songs, etc. The order here has a large membership, and just as soon as hirsute growth is sufficiently developed on our upper lip, we shall endeavor to sit astride the M. W. A. goat, male or female, and ride it to a finish.
100 Years Ago. . .
Andy Gregersen bought out the Cordts and Lierman filling station, and took immediate possession. The many friends of Andy here wished him success, as had been the lot of the former proprietor, Mr. Cordts.
While the nations of the world, still trying to recover from the terrible effects of the last war, were seeking some way to perpetual peace, chemists and inventors were striving to discover new weapons of destruction. Mr. H. Grindell Matthews, an English inventor, had a device that would explode gunpowder and stall a gasoline motor.
It would also kill a rat simply by turning on a switch and directing a so-called “death ray” on the rodent.
Mr. Matthews made a film of his invention, called “The Death Ray,” and it was to be shown at the Osmond auditorium. “It is a highly interesting film and shows clearly that the war of the future will be too terrible for words to describe it.”
Fire chief A. W. Marek and Edward German and Nick Goeres, who were delegates to the state firemen's convention at Hastings, all had a big time. It was a fine week with plenty of sunshine, and also something better than Moonshine, and the whole city turned out to show the delegates a good time.
The D. of H. held their birthday party for January at the home of Sister Ethel Moore. Instead of the usual afternoon party, they decided to have a bobsled party and take their dinner.
But owing to the warm weather, they had to go in cars. At a late hour, they returned to their homes, but after some discussion, decided that part of them would come home in a wagon.
The reporter said she believed they enjoyed their ride more than the ones who came in cars.
75 Years Ago. . .
On Saturday evening after the final game at the O'Neill tournament, Walter Koehler treated the basketball boys to steak suppers at the Tom-Tom Cafe in O'Neill.
Bob Schomer, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Nick Schomer, the only Osmond entry in the Golden Gloves boxing tournament at Norfolk, was the victim of a technical knock-out after a minute and 40 seconds of the third round. Successful in the welterweight fight was Edward Dufek of Sparta.
Dufek weighed in at 145, Schomer at 141.
Richard Schmitz, youngest son of Mrs. Lillian Schmitz and the late B. L. Schmitz, left for Conception Abbey at Conception, MO, where he began the studies and training of a Benedictine Brother. Education to the Brotherhood could take as many as 8 or 10 years, depending upon the profession or work chosen by candidates. Richard, who was 19 years old, was to make his choice at a later date.
Abnormally high temperatures — in the 50s — recorded here and at other points in the state over the weekend gave way to ice, snow and rapidly dropping temperature on Tuesday. It got down to 12 degrees below zero at Osmond that night.
High for the next day was in the below zero readings. The myth that it can't snow when it's cold was dispelled as the area saw the ground covered with some three inches of snow by noon.
65 Years Ago. . .
Numbed by cold and with death by freezing only hours away if not found, a 74-year-old Osmond woman, Mrs. Ida Meyer, widow of the late George Meyer, was discovered by neighbors in the yard of her home with a broken hip. Incoherent and suffering from shock and exposure, she was unable to estimate the time she had been helpless after her fall. It appeared that her tragic fall had occurred about two hours before she was found.
Five days later, unfortunately, Mrs.
Meyer passed away. Hers was the second death resulting from the storm on Jan. 14. The first was Dorrance Gibson, who was crushed to death on a bulldozer when attempting to free a snowbound train near McLean.
While traveling on a side road a quarter mile north of Highway 20 and about 1½ miles east of Osmond, a Consumers Public Power District service truck and a car collided head-on at the height of the recent blizzard. The car belonged to Tony Moes, farmer living northeast of town. Following closely, another car belonging to Vernon Enevoldsen, Osmond school district president, plowed into the Moes car. The five children in the two cars — Donald and Florence Moes, Mike and Gary Enevoldsen and Judy Hamer, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs.
Robert Hamer —had been called home from Osmond schools by their parents. All of the children suffered superficial bruises, and some cuts.
After hospitalization, Florence went into shock.
A polio benefit basketball game played at the auditorium netted $59 for the fun. The affair was an exciting game between the East and west business people with the score 28 to 27 in favor of the West. The contest in the hula hooper competition was won by the Super Duper Hoopsters, a group of youngsters. Another team, the Beatniks, was made up of high school students who also performed nicely. Another specialty was the “Charlie Weaver” act by Dennis Fleming 50 Years Ago. . .
Despite cold weather and many persons having suffered from the flu in earlier weeks, the turnout at the Red Cross bloodmobile in Osmond was very good. Some 144 persons volunteered to donate blood, with 137 being accepted, surpassing the 91 unit quota by 46 units.
Blake Moritz was nominated as one of 10 alternates for attendance at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point by Rep. Charles Thone. Blake's brother, Brett, was currently attending the academy and was in the starting line-up of the football team the past season. Blake was also nominated by Thone to the Merchant Marine Academy.
More than 60 persons turned out for a joint meeting of Osmond's community groups. Those present represented the Development Corporation, the Jaycees, the County Plan- ning Commission and the Woman's Club. The meeting, hosted by the Community Club, was held in hopes to stir interest by all groups in promoting Osmond, attract new businesses, preserve the present business establishments, provide better recreation for the young persons and many other topics of community interest.
25 Years Ago. . .
At the January meeting of American Legion Post 326, Commander Wes Kumm presented Duke Durante a plaque posthumously honoring Duke's wife, Gen, for the 20 jackets given to the Post in her name as an Unselfish Dedicated Member of Os mond Post 326.
A scholarship in memory of Dr.
Henry J. Billerbeck of Randolph was made available to students in the Randolph and Osmond communities who planned to major in a health care field.
10 Years Ago. . .
At the January Red Cross bloodmobile, the visit was dedicated to the memory of Joan Gansebom. Throughout the years, Joan worked for many mobiles, whether it was in the kitchen or as an escort, besides giving blood. Her husband, Delmer, and three children — Tim Gansebom, Lisa Kralicek and Lori Neuhalfen — attended the 2015 mobile. As Lori was donating blood, a card was presented to the family. It was signed by everyone at the bloodmobile who had known and worked with Joan.
