From the Osmond Republican Files
June 17, 1897 —
The public schools of Osmond closed on last Friday with an entertainment in the Presbyterian church. The afternoon was given up mostly to the primary and intermediate rooms, with some recitations by pupils of the high school. . . . The singing of the primary grade was good, especially the doll drill of the little girls. . . . most looked for part was the maiden efforts of the graduating class, the orations. This class is composed of Chester Leedom, Ruby Kissinger, Viola Williams, Pearl Record, Gertrude Stewart, Clara Smith and Charley Stewart.
100 Years Ago. . .
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.
E. J. Huey received a bad cut on the left wrist while cranking an Oakland (car). The accident happened about 10 p.m., the crank slipping and Mr. Huey striking the left wrist on the headlight of the car. A deep gash was cut, one of the ligaments being severed and Ed would be laid up for some time, “with nothing to do but sell Fords.”
A man, who appeared to be insane, was taken to Pierce by Marshal Gore, Otis Gore, Jack Waddle, Will Koppelman and A. J. Law. He was given a hearing there before the insanity board and then taken on to the asylum at Norfolk. He had arrived in Osmond a couple days before and was as sane as anybody. Then then went out to the Will Hays home, he and Mrs. Will Hays, although not acquainted, having worked at the same department store in New York, and this stranger was told by the head of the department store that if he ever came through this part of the country to hunt up his former employee, Mrs. Will Hays. This the stranger did, being on his way back from California. He was all right all the next day at the Hays home, but the next morning appeared to have something wrong with him, and so Mr. Hays brought him to town, and he was taken on to Pierce. He had considerable money on him and a passport to Hamburg, Germany, where he was going to work for a brother-in-law. He had been a soldier in the German army and had been in this country two and one-half years.
75 Years Ago. . .
One person was killed, a score more sent to doctors and hospitals for treatment and perhaps another 20 superficially burned in a tractor fuel tank explosion at the McLean farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Will Timmerman. Dead was G. W. (Bill) Woolley, longtime resident of Osmond, city marshall for 18 years and president of the Osmond Fire Department. Mr. Woolley died approximately 26 hours after the explosion at St. Joseph Hospital here. He suffered a fractured back and undetermined internal injuries.
Conrad (Junior) Schmer, a junior in Osmond High School, was selected as Osmond’s Boys’ State representative. The selection was made by American Legion Post 326, sponsor of the educational affair.
Eighty-five students of Osmond High School participated in the District III Music Contest held at Wayne. Fifteen vocal soloists, two instrumental soloists and six ensembles performed, netting nine excellent ratings, one good plus, 10 good, one average plus, three average.
Norman Windeshausen, 28-yearold Osmond post office employee, and serving as acting postmaster since the 1st of July, 1949, received official notification of his appointment as postmaster. Windeshausen had worked in the post office for the past seven years. He succeeded M. T. Liewer, who was retired because of age.
An existing committee was delegated at a meeting of the Osmond Community Club to contact an architect with a view to securing plans and estimated cost figures for Osmond city hall rebuilding or improvement. Study of the proposal for improvement would go on from there with the possibility of circulation of a petition calling for a special election to decide the issue.
65 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond Community Club at a recent meeting authorized the expenditure of $500 in a continuing effort to induce someone to build and operate a motel at Osmond. The $500 would be used to purchase a portion of a desirable plot of ground near the Osmond municipal swimming pool from Dr. E. D. Boice for the motel site. If a prospective motel operator preferred a different location, the civic club would work out an arrangement for a similar purchase of land elsewhere.
A fire that started from a weed burning operation consumed a brooder house on the Lon Tyler farm four miles east of Osmond. Members of the Osmond Fire Department responded to a silent alarm, given too late to save the empty brooder house. The Tyler farm was operated by Ed Ronspies. The farm buildings were not occupied.
Thomsen’s grade school basketball team, sponsored by Thomsen’s Corner and Thomsen’s Sand & Gravel, won in the finals of the kids tourney at the auditorium here to nudge the Theisen proteges by two points for the tournament championship. The score was 14-12. Gudenkauf for the winners had 6 points. Koehler had the same for the losers.
After the business meeting of the Osmond Woman’s Club, Mrs. A. E. Maillliard introduced the speaker of the evening, Dr. Peebles of Randolph. He spoke at length on hypnosis, not the kind of hypnosis where subjects are made to do weird things (he said he hoped to see that class of hypnosis put out of business), but hypnosis used for dentistry, obstetrics and surgery to some extent. He was using hypnosis successfully in his profession.
50 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond girls’ track team opened its 1975 track season in a meet with Plainview and Neligh at Plainview. Osmond placed second in the meet with 59 points. Taking first place for Osmond were Rose Clayton, 100 yard dash, 220 yard dash, 80 yard hurdles; Rose Clayton, Anita Gloe, Joy Pfanstiel and Rebecca Stengel, 440 yard relay.
Fair weather and good food brought out what was considered a record number for the annual Community Club pancake and sausage feed.Along list of prize winners was published, some of which included: Bud Petersen, 5 silver dollars from Osmond State Bank; Jim Schumacher, tree saw from West Lumber; Marty Kumm, year’s supply of shaving cream from Merlyn’s Barber Shop; Doug Schmit, canned ham from Chick’s Grocery; Mary Jane Weber, box of candy from Osmond Drug.
A hunter safety course was completed successfully by 12 boys here. They attended five sessions of approximately two hours each including final examinations and live firing. The course was a project of the Osmond Jaycees. The boys were Kip Schuettler, Scott Beacom, Roger Timmerman, Joe Hoffman, Dan Schouten, Dan Blunck, David Kruse, Mark Kumm, Douglas Koehler, Bill Vanderheiden, Ray Boice and Jim Baer.
A session of the regular meeting of the board of education brought forth an agreement between teacher negotiations representatives and the board. Base salary settled upon was $7,500 for beginning teachers. Each year of experience and each nine hours of college credits would be compensated for with 5% and 4% increases, respectively.
25 Years Ago. . .
Six participants in the annual Osmond Community Club Easter egg hunt were rewarded well for their efforts. In each of six age groups, one hunter found a golden egg or coin which carried with it a $5 bill as the prize. Winners were Cole Kralicek, age two; Blake Brummels, age four; Eric Sjuts, kindergarten; Emily Aschoff, first grade; Gabe Gubbels, fourth grade; Tiffany Koehler, fifth grade.
The community was blessed with .86 of an inch of rainfall during the weekend, all of which was quickly absorbed by the dry soil. But it wasn’t a traditional warm spring rain. Early Saturday morning and again that evening, surfaces became slick with the freezing rain as temperatures hovered in the low 30s to mid 20s and strong winds made for wind chills in the teens. Electricity was off for about a half hour early Sunday afternoon.
10 Years Ago. . .
Osmond TeamMates ventured to see the Nebraska Cornhuskers’annual spring game. The group of mentors, mentees and board members traveled in a couple of fans for the day’s events. Activities kicked off with lunch sponsored by Runza, and while in line, students had the opportunity to take pictures with the cheerleaders and mascots. When lunch was finished, mentees joined the cheerleaders on the field and performed "The Cupid Shuffle" in front of the entire stadium! At halftime, the group went onto Memorial Field and took a drug-free pledge in front of the sea of red.
