July 1, 1897 —
Wm. Gaunzabaum [sic] from south of the village is a new reader this week. He has just purchased a nice new carriage.
H. H. Hanson north of town tried to smoke chicken lice out of his hen house on Saturday. He succeeded, and will now build a new one.
Last evening being the 16th birthday of Miss Clara Sewall, about 35 of her friends assembled at her home. The evening was spent in playing games until 10 o’clock when the choicest of refreshments were served. Everybody had a good time.
100 Years Ago. . .
The following story was printed in the May 21, 1925, issue of the Osmond Republican:
Osmond’s only surviving vet of Civil War 80 years old, but rugged J. R. Thomas Enlisted When 19 — 52 Years in Nebraska By L. R. Keckler The only veteran of the civil war living in the town of Osmond, J. R. Thomas was born in Indiana in 1845, and will be 80 years old this fall. He moved to Iowa when 14 years old and was married in January 1860.
He is the father of five children, all of whom are living. The veteran came to Madison, Neb., 52 years ago and engaged in the mercantile business there for 28 years. About 23 years ago, he came to Osmond, where he engaged in the mill business until the mill was destroyed by fire. Mr.
Thomas joined the army when a boy of 19 in 1864 at Anamosa, Iowa, and was assigned in hospital duty at Cairo, Ill. He joined the G. A. R. in Madison where there were more than 25 members and now there are but two left. Mr. Thomas is fairly rugged and is noted for being one of the very best gardeners in this community despite his age. — From the Sioux City Journal of May 16.
Commencement exercises for the senior class of the OHS were held in the Osmond city hall. While Miss Emma Cizek played the processional, the Class of 1925, led by Supt. Severin and Dr. Hayes, the speaker of the evening, marched to their places on the stage, which was beautifully decorated with green foliage and colored lights, and also the class colors, purple and old gold, while across the front of the stage was suspended the class motto, “Be of Service Until the End.” Verna Weingartner won the honor of taking first place in scholarship during the four years high school course. This gave her a scholarship in a number of Nebraska colleges. Kenneth Carver ranked second, Milton Cizek, third, and Frank Landreth, fourth.
75 Years Ago. . .
Memorial Day services were conducted at the Osmond city hall May 30, at 10 a.m. There were no public services at the city’s cemeteries following uptown services as had been the custom in some former years. Standing salute to the departed, Taps, and a short outside service took place after the auditorium program. Warren Cook, operator of a Norfolk sporting goods store, delivered the memorial address.
A new Foster hardware store, Reikofski Hardware, opened for business on June 5, according to the announcement of the owners, Emil and Richard Reikofski, longtime Foster lumber merchants. The hardware had the agency for Norge, Perfection, and Delco home appliances and equipment as well as other standard brands.
Lloyd’s Studio of Des Moines took its first series of Osmond family pictures on June 1, 1950, in the basement apartment at the Osmond Republican building. Family names were drawn by lot so that a representative group would result. All pictures together with a family history sketch would appear, one each week, in the Osmond Republican.
One Osmond business firm, located on Highway 20, was becoming tired of telling inquiring tourists that Osmond had no public tables on which to spread a picnic lunch. The Osmond Oil Co. was building one table. Other interested residents or business firms were urged to do the same. Material cost was about $15. Work could be done by anyone handy with carpenter tools according to Don Hetrick, who was building the Osmond Oil table, which was going to be placed in the city park.
65 Years Ago. . .
The Osmond Youth Canteen, under the supervision of Henry Van Kirk, Osmond High School instructor, opened Friday, June 3, 1960, with hours from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Membership cards were sold at the door, the price being $1 for a month, which included eight evenings. The open evenings were Tuesdays and Fridays at the Legion hall.
Osmond’s net loss in population in the period 1950-1960 was 26 persons, according to a report to the Osmond Republican by the office of Ruby Z. Dunn of Fremont. The 1960 unofficial count was 706, while in 1950 the census bureau said the town had 732.
The Presbyterian Youth Fellowship on May 24 placed flowers on the Lorenz family plot at the city cemetery. Mrs. Lizzie Lorenz accompanied the group. Carol Rohrberg said the prayer. Again on May 31, the good deed group placed flowers on the Wm. Moore and Ella Martin family plots. Mrs. Martin accompanied them. Mary Adkins said the prayer.
The all-important corn crop was for all practical purposes “in” in the Osmond area. Favorable planting weather during several days saw the virtual windup of the planting season. Some farmers worked Sunday and the Memorial holiday which followed to get seed in the ground. Planting had been delayed through the normal season by rain.
50 Years Ago. . .
Severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warning were again in order for Osmond. Late one afternoon, the siren again sounded to tell residents to seek cover as the possibility of a tornado existed. Fortunately, a tornado did not strike, but the area was hit by an extremely strong wind, accompanied by driving rain. The wind did considerable damage, blowing out windows, blowing down trees and scattering debris throughout the city. In the country, there were several reports of building roofs blown off and small buildings blown around.
On June 1, 1975, Victor Chindvall celebrated his 100th birthday, making him Osmond's first centenarian. More than 150 friends and relatives attended an open house at the city auditorium to congratulate and honor Mr. Chindvall on this special occasion. In addition to the personal greetings, Mr. Chindvall received congratulatory notes from President Gerald R. Ford, Senator Roman L. Hruska, Senator Carl T. Curtis, Congressman Charles Thone, Governor J. J. Exon and many friends and relatives. Included with Governor Exon’s congratulatory card was a scroll commissioning Mr. Chindvall an Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.
25 Years Ago. . .
Osmond senior high jumper Mary Aschoff was going to make her third trip to the state track meet after a second-place finish at the district track meet. The boys' first qualifier
was Gabe Gansebom in the long jump, finishing second to qualify for state. Freshman triple jumper Ryan Peschel also placed second to qualify for a trip to the state track meet. At the state meet, Gansebom earned a silver medal in the long jump.
10 Years Ago. . .
Five of the “Surviving Six” Osmond World War II veterans attended the 2015 Memorial Day program. They included Delmer Neubauer, Vernon gansebom, Marlin Gansebom, Lorraine Nissen and Marvin Krohn. Absent was Dr. H. N. Windeshausen, who had visited here only a short time before. After their introductions, the five received a standing ovation from the Memorial Day crowd.
