1954: Erickson re-opens Main Street tavern
June 15, 1939
WAUSA — Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Thoms and daughter, Mary Helen, and Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose, of Madison, returned Tuesday evening from a trip to Texas, Louisiana and also crossing the border for a look at Old Mexico. They went south to Brownsville, Texas, where they crossed into Mexico and spent a short time sightseeing. On their trip home they followed the bay coast visiting Galveston, and on into Louisiana. They stopped at Ridder where they made a call on the Baird family, who were faring well and sent their best regards to their friends at Wausa. While passing through Texas a short stop was made at Beeville, locating the Rev. Fangmeyer home and making a call on Mrs. Fangmeyer, daughter of ye editor. On their continued journey back to Nebraska, they drove through the Ozark mountains, through Kansas City and crossing back into Nebraska at Nebraska City and on home to Wausa, covering a mileage of between three and four thousands miles.
June 17, 1954
WAUSA — Final arrangements having been made, Marvin Erickson re-opened the tavern formerly operated by the late Carl Hult, and is now doing business at the same location on Main Street. Due to remodeling done by the late owner, no changes were necessary in the interior of the building. The business will be conducted much as in the past. Erickson is a native son of the Wausa community, having been born and raised near here and attending rural schools nearby. He has spent most of his life working on farms in this vicinity except for a three-year stint with the army in World War II. Marvin was with the 1st Division in the Mediterranean Theatre where he saw combat action in the invasion of Sicily. He was later assign to Military Police units in this area. Upon his discharge, Erickson returned to Wausa and continued working on farms nearby. His new place of business will be known as Marv’s Tavern and he has designated Saturday, June 19th, as his official opening day at which time he extends an invitation to his friends and all former patrons to come in and get better acquainted.
June 11, 1964
WAUSA — Rain missed this area again the past week when forecasts promised heavy showers. They missed northeast Nebraska but gave Omaha, Lincoln and Nebraska City good soakers. The wind has been blowing furiously this week. Monday a gusty wind from the south blew all day breaking twigs and larger tree branches and on Tuesday the wind blew from the northwest filling the air with dust. Farmers, who had cut their alfalfa, had difficulty raking and stacking and in many cases had to abandon operations and wait for calmer weather.
June 15, 1989
WAUSA — Flags for the main street of Wausa were given in memory of Clarence H. and Lulu Olson, purchased from memorial gifts given in their name. The eight flags flew on the Main Street for the first time on Flag Day, June 14. The flagpoles and pole mountings were made by Larry Carlson of L. R. Carlson Mfg. The flags will be given to the city to display during special days.
June 16, 1994
WAUSA — Among the rural businesses profiled in Sustainable Agriculture Enterprises is Wausa Lockers and its owner, Mike Neeman. Writer Nancy Thompson tells how Mike and Chung Neeman financed the purchase from his brother-in-law, Darrel Sinkler, in 1990, the locker’s mix of products and services and his hopes and concerns for the future. “Wausa Lockers slaughters custom and inspected been and hogs and makes it’s own sausages and cured meats,” according to the report. “Eighty percent of the business is custom butchering for farmers and it also has over 200 storage lockers for frozen foods... Making special sausages for the Swedish and German communities of northeastern Nebraska is one of the key services offered by the locker.” To expand his business marker, Neeman told the writer he would like to build a second smokehouse, noting an increased demand for smoked meats. Impact to big farms: The locker owner sees the change to fewer and bigger farms as a threat to small town locker plants. In the past, he said, a locker plant might butcher all or most of a herd, while today herds of two or three thousand are shipped to large packers to process.
But the Lockers owner is grateful for the local sup- port he receives. “When he gets busy,” Thompson reported, “a couple of farmers have sent their hired men in to help out, because they feel the locker is important to the community. The locker helps the community draw other business to town.” “We’ve had quite a few of the other businesses comment that they see quite a lot of out-of-town customers and it’s usually on our butcher days,” Neeman says. Sometimes he’ll give a certificate for gas at the local station to show “how we appreciate you driving this far to let us have your business.” Mike hopes his business can continue and thinks their reputation for good sausage and other products has helped them survive so far,” says the report. “But he knows the structure of agriculture has a lot to do with his success.”
June 16, 2004
WAUSA — The Wausa School Board has filled one vacant teaching position, but is still searching to fill another. Nathan Hanson was offered a contract to teach Spanish during a special School Board meeting May 26. Hanson will be employed here on a thirty percent part-time basis. He was also hired by the Bloomfield School District to teach Spanish there on a seventy percent part-time basis.
