July 22, 1897 —
My photography tent will be in Osmond a week or 10 days, beginning about July 22nd. I have made satisfactory pictures for 10 years, and can warrant fine pictures at hard times prices. Come and examine my work and satisfy yourself. I will use you right. D. Austin, Photographer.
Jess Johnson has been making some needed improvements on the Kissinger block, preparatory to its occupancy by the new milliners. Jess is an artist with the hammer and saw.
100 Years Ago. . .
The Farmers State Bank installed a set of Venetian blinds which answered the double purpose of curtain and awning and was very neat in appearance. They also equipped the building with two outside lights, which added greatly to the street illumination along that street.
Mrs. Frank Goff nearly lost her life in Crystal Lake at Sioux City. A number of them including her husband were riding on a raft when it capsized, throwing them into the water. All were rescued but Mrs. Goff who was in the water at the bottom of the lake for some time [another news item said 5 minutes], and was now in a Sioux City hospital, where her condition was critical.
Our ball team played Foster here one Sunday. It was a close game, 11 innings being played, and Osmond finally winning by the score of 11 to 10. Foster’s battery was Harry Cox, pitcher, and John Bowing, catcher. For Osmond the pitchers were Adolph Weeder, Nick Windeshausen and John Thomsen. Catcher, “Scoop” Tierney.
Joseph Bicklemeier Jr. received a bad wrench in the left arm while playing. The little fellow was getting along all right, although it was necessary for him to carry the arm in a sling for a few days.
The Pierce Boy Scouts in charge of Frank Pilger and Rev. Rowden gave an exhibition and program in the Osmond city hall. Owing to the fact that few knew about it, the crowd was small. The boys gave a very interesting exhibition in what a scout had to learn, such as knot tying, first aid, flag code work, etc. Mr. Pilger and Rev. Rowden explained in a most interesting manner the work of the scouts, and “will be glad to organize a troop in Osmond.
Maudie Schmidt, a 7-year-old girl from Sholes, was instantly killed when the car in which she was riding collided with another machine on a hill about two miles west of McLean. The little girl was riding with her parents, who were returning to their home from McLean, where the family had been visiting friends. Seemingly drivers of neither machine saw the other approaching. Mr. Schmidt sustained a fractured shoulder blade and painful bruises. Mrs. Schmidt was injured slightly about the head and neck. The other machine was driven away by the driver.
75 Years Ago. . .
Barbara Riedel of Osmond, Pierce County 4-H girl, swept the Brown Swiss Canton Show held at Wayne. Barbara showed her yearling heifer, Princess Ellen, to the blue ribbon award group of the 4-H show and went on to win a blue ribbon in the open class.
A routine report mailed out by Miss Verna Mae Folkers, treasurer of the Osmond Baseball Club, disclosed that gate receipts at Tiger games so far in 1950 had been $1,322.75. Cash on hand with some bills to be paid was in the neighborhood of $500.
Miss Irene Dostal of Dodge, housekeeper for Lloyd Pochop, sustained back injuries the seriousness of which had not yet been determined, when she fell at the Pochop farm while picking cherries.
A young visitor at the August Wessel home, 2-year-old Bobby Englebart of Pender, was treated at St. Joseph Hospital at Osmond for severe face lacerations extending through the nose sustained in an unknown manner while at play. The lad was known to be playing with a dog but the injuries were thought not to be bites of the animal. Another injury, less serious, was to the roof of the mouth. The boy was permitted to return home after surgical treatment.
The Osmond Hotel, near the junction of main street and highway 20, was being dressed up with new siding, new front, canopy, doors and windows and a limited amount of interior changing. The double-deck front porch was being replaced with a 5x25 canopy with upper deck. A new sidewalk in front of the building would complete the face-lifting project.
65 Years Ago. . .
“Whee, I can go to a country school in town,” cheered one little city tyke as he observed the array of white frame school buildings just east of the Osmond brick two-story school house. And the little guy was right as far as the physical structures were concerned. Four rural schools were moved to town from nearby former districts. Another was slated to join the four in the city. They were selected from a group of 15 by the school board as being the most practical for use and moving. Ten similar buildings would be sold at auction. The school buildings moved to town were 29E, 29W, 63, 19W and 70. Space heat would be provided by oil burners. All toilet facilities would be concentrated in the former Osmond city district building. Each frame structure would have approved temporary drinking water facilities.
One of Osmond’s new stores would be named “Gordon’s Variety, Gifts, Clothing.” A new overhead sign was installed at the store by Gordon Rapp, Pierce clothier, who was opening the Osmond store.
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Kieckhafer and Billy Broekemeier of Osmond were in the Lutheran Hospital at Sioux City undergoing treatment for bone fractures and severe bruises sustained in a car-truck crash on July 5. The accident occurred near Harlan, IA. The Broekemeier car crashed into a gasoline transport which miraculously did not catch fire after the impact.
While about her work one Thursday, Miss Emma Cizek fell and broke her arm. It was a severe fracture and she was placed at first in the local hospital, then transferred to the Methodist Hospital at Sioux City.
50 Years Ago. . .
Marvin Neubauer, 1975 Cornhusker Boys Stater, reported to the American Legion members on his attendance at Boys State. Later during the July meeting, officers for 1975-76 were installed: Frank Peschel, commander; Duane Weber, vice commander; Gerald Kumm, post adjutant; Phil Beckwith, finance officer; Jim Strat - ton, service officer; Irvin Schneckloth, child welfare chairman; Rev. Joe Baer, post chaplain; Terry Moore, athletic chairman; Jerome Veik, Americanism chairman; Mike Steffen, Vietnam era membership chairman, and Orville Bahr, sergeant at arms.
Wausa hosted Osmond in a tripleheader girls’ softball game with the Osmond teams all adding a victory to their season records. The first game ended 14-3 with Terri Hoeppner and Yvonne Edwards again doing the pitching duties. The second game was an Osmond win at 19-4. RaeAnn Reed did a fine job in her first time on the mound for Osmond. The final game was a hair-raiser as Osmond squeaked by with an 18-17 win. Anita Gloe did the honors on the mound.
The Osmond girls’ softball team proved that kids don’t get everything for nothing these days! The girls — by their own idea - decided to fix up the fall park a little and set to work planning a bake sale to earn the needed funds. After a successful sale, lumber, shingles and paint were purchased. The next step — reconstructing the home-team dugout - was finished by coaches Max and Vickie Connealy and then the paint brushes were turned over to the girls.
25 Years Ago. . .
The girls’ 18-and-under softball team qualified for the state tournament by going two-and-two in districts for third place. They defeated Neligh 16-4 and Emerson 13-8 before falling to Ponca 4-9 and Madison 2-7.
Eight teams took to the sand in a coed volleyball tournament held in conjunction with the McLean centennial. In the final three-outof-five match, the Doc Otis team from Osmond won in three sets over Budweiser of Pierce. Members of the champion team were Amy Wattier, Brenda Wattier, John Aschoff, Randy Gardner, Jenny Aschoff and Jenny Gansebom.
A young Osmond businessman, Brian “B. J.” Fritz, died in a crash of his small plane in the Loup River when the plane clipped a shield wire over a NPPD power line spanning the river, then crashed into a sandbar and burned..
10 Years Ago. . .
Lon Knievel, who had served as interim CEO at Osmond General Hospital for several months, began duties as full-time CEO. This followed the retirement of Celine Mlady who had been CEO since 1996.
With the five schools that had been involved in a two-year feasibility and merger study now down to four as Plainview had bowed out, a decision needed to be made on how to proceed. At the July school board meeting, Board President Michelle Reikofski said a recent committee meeting was not very fruitful because the Wausa school board was not forthcoming with results of its community survey.
