June 17, 1897 —
The coming of the chief engineer of the Y & N has been devoutly looked for by our people for some time and on Saturday last when a covered wagon was seen camped on the Y & N grade on east 4th street, it was supposed that it was he. The matter was soon noised about town and a great many of our people turned out to welcome the party. On visiting the outfit, finding it not the party expected, some returned in disgust while others felt apparently as well satisfied as though a whole caravan of men and teams were here and active operations on the road had began.
100 Years Ago. . .
Frank Broekemeier noticed smoke issuing from the machine shed on his farm. The fire alarm was immediately phoned to Osmond and the fire boys were on their way with the chemical truck, Jack Waddle driving. The machine shed was joined to the barn, and it and the barn as well as the cattle shed and a corn crib were completely destroyed by the fire. Frank and his hired man, Otto Gloe, got all the horses out of the barn, but the hay and about 200 bushels of grain were burned, as well as one set of harness and 5 collars. In fighting the fire, Otto received a badly burned hand and head.
Wm. Broekemeier and son, Frank, showed their generosity by giving the fire boys $25 for their assistance in fighting the fire at their farm.
They offered the fire boys $50, but the firemen would take but $25 and the Osmond firemen certainly appreciated this remembrance from Mr. Broekemeier and son.
The town election was a quiet affair in 1925, little interest being taken and many not voting. For town board, Chas Rohrberg, 139 votes, and Wm. F. Schroeder, 126. For school board, Chas Rohrberg, 142 votes, Geo. Hering, 102, were elected. M. J. Kuhl received 98 votes.
One Sunday afternoon, Silvia Davis, Meta and Hilda Broekemeier, Bernice Dwiganee, Dorinda and Clarence Riessen, Goldie and Glaze Reed went on a hike and took their supper. All had an enjoyable time.
At the Osmond auditorium on Wednesday night, April 22, there was a big double program: Donelson- Manrose musical revue: five artists and entertainers of the highest class presented a musical novelty, “A Trip to Jazzland;” instrumental and vocal selections, orchestral selections, harmony, jazz, comedy; songs illustrated on the screen in a different way. Also, Yakima Canutt, world champion rodeo king in “Scar Hanan," the riding, fighting sheik of the plains in his brand new whizzbang of joy: action-speed-loveadventure. Also, special orchestra music.
75 Years Ago. . .
The Eight dinners were given on Sunday, April 2, at eight different homes honoring 10 students who on that day were confirmed in the Lutheran church here. The students were Orville Broekemeier, Joan Brummond, Althea Schuttler, Maynard and Raymond Dirks, Carleen Fuelberth, Leroy Gerdes, Byron Gutz, Joan Nierman and Kenneth Warneke.
In the “Tales From Up On The Hill,” which was the Osmond High School Notes column, members of the senior class were highlighted each week. In this one, senior Gerald Moore was featured. His nickname was Pudge, a name he contracted in the grades. He attended all 12 years of school at Osmond Public School. He was 5 ft., 11 in., had brown hair, blue eyes and weighed 143 lbs. Some of his favorites were: Food, Wheaties; pastime, playing the cornet; comedian, Bob Hope; actor, Boris Karloff; actress, June Allison; sport, baseball; song, “Rag Mop;” pet peeve, nine o’clock bell. Pudge was planning on trucking.
April 6 was the birthday for three girls and one boy, all born at St. Joseph Hospital at Osmond. They were: a daughter each to the Clarence Jensens of Osmond, the Arnold Kumms of Wausa and the Thomas Clabaughs of Bloomfield, and a son to the Carl Cokes of Bloomfield. Two other births, one on April 10 and one on April 12, brought the total to six for the week. The last two were a daughter to the Arnold Koertjes of Bloomfield and a son to the Philip Beckwiths of Osmond.
65 Years Ago. . .
While using a power saw in the basement of his home, Elmer Schuettler injured his left hand on the blade of the saw. His little finger was amputated at St. Joseph Hospital here where he was confined that night and the next day until 5 p.m.
Clerk of the Village Board Elmer Schneckloth released the official vote count for candidates for school and city after an official canvass following the election. The count given here included absent and disabled voter ballots. Village board: Dr. C. E. Rodgers, 140; Walter Warneke, 121; Elmer Schneckloth, 117; Wallace Kahler, 110; Gerald Moore, 72; Earl Thomsen, 71. The top three, all incumbents, were elected for two-year terms. School board: Willis Nissen, 248; M. V. Enevoldsen, 211; Dr. E. D. Boice, 211; Walter Koehler, 199; John Schnoor, 193; Orville Bahr, 190; James Stratton, 165; Philip Beckwith, 152; Andrew Weeder, 107; L. F. Petersen, 100; Raymond Krohn, 86; Joseph Schmit, 51. Nissen, Koehler, Schnoor, Bahr, Enevoldsen and Boice were elected.
Osmond’s high school entries in the district music contest at Wayne were a credit to their community and school, said Donald Weinand, music instructor. Receiving excellent ratings were Kathleen Neitzke singing “Florian’s Song;” Judy Mueller, piano Sonatina; Roger Schneckloth, singing “Friend o’ Mine,” and the mixed chorus with “Paper Reeds By the Brooks,” “Send Forth Thy Light” and “Awake, Awake!” Receiving a superior was Bill Korth singing “Thank God For a Garden. Receiving ratings of good were Peggy Borgman, singing “At Dawning;” Jeffrey Cizek, saxophone solo; June Stamper,piano solo; Angelyn Buchholz and Mary Ann Bumann, a piano duo.
Publisher members of the Nebraska Press Association met in Omaha on April 21 and 22, 1960, to discuss business affairs and receive annual awards on the basis of selection of impartial judges. Among papers in the northeast Nebraska area receiving recognition was the Osmond Republican, Gene Liewer editor and publisher, the Ak-Sar-Ben Award of Merit.
50 Years Ago. . .
Six members of the second grade class of St. Mary’s Catholic School received their first Communion. Members of the class were Julie Kratochvil, Galen Moes, Michael Wingert, Joe Blecha, Bryan Schmit and Darrell Kahler. Their teacher was Sister Agatha Marie.
Blake Moritz, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Glenn Moritz, was nominated for appointment to the West Point Military Academy by Senator Carl Curtis and Congressman Charles Thone and was accepted by the Academy. If he was to accept the appointment, he would enter the academy to begin orientation and initiation into the “Long Gray Line,” commonly referred to as “Beast Barracks.” Should Blake accept the appointment, he would join his brother, Brett, who would be entering his third year at the academy.
A determination on two of the three petitioned street improvement districts in Osmond was made. District 1975-6, Hill Street from Fifth to Fourth and Fourth Street from Hill 1½ blocks west; recommendation was to continue hearing until May 6 to allow time to clarify question on ownership. District 1975-5, Fifth Street from State Street ½ block east, sufficient names to create district. District 1975-4, Sixth Street between Logan and Hill, perhaps most controversial of all three, petition was determined by legal counsel to contain more than the 60% necessary to form district.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Gutz enjoyed a 22-day tour of Australia and the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand, and gave a report on the trip in the Osmond Republican. They were part of a cattlemen’s group sponsored by Rural Tours International.
25 Years Ago. . .
Twelve teams of Osmond High School alumni participated in the eighth annual alumni basketball tournament. Nine were in the age 34-and-younger group while three squads competed in the 35-andolder division. First-place team in the younger group was the team of Tim Schultze, Craig Johnson, Vince Jorn, James Steckelberg, Jason Mackling, Pat Gansebom and Jason von Rent- zell. Taking first in the older group was the team of Greg Schultze, Kent Schuettler, Meril Friedrich, Scott Sohl, Bert Wattier, George Loofe, Jeff Windeshausen, Pat Hoffman, Don Swanson and Brad Schultze.
10 Years Ago. . .
At the April meeting of American Legion Post 326, Commander Jerry Dennis recognized nine Legionnaires for continuous service to the post: Delmer Neubauer, 70 years, and Dale Blunck, Arnold Gutz, Gerald Kumm, Milford Kumm, Marvin Koehler, Norman Lorenz, Glenn Sazama and Lloyd Timmerman, 60 years.
