July 29, 1897 —
About 40 invited guests assembled at the Scott home, southeast of the village, to witness the happy union of their daughter, Belle, to Mr. Ed Jefferson. The bride wore a costume of lavender cashmere trimmed in white silk with orange blossoms at throat and in her hair. Some of their presents included: cow, pig and chairs (from her parents); rocker, knives, forks and christy knife set; water bowl and pitcher; decorated glass set; dozen glasses and pitcher; napkins, table linen; towels; table damask; water set; table linen; berry set; $5 (from Grandpa Reigle); salt and pepper set 100 Years Ago. . .
It was a frightful day for the Jess Waddell family, when their little baby, Johnny, fell into a tank of water.
If one of the girls had not pulled him out, he would have drowned.
Ed Ellsberry and son Donald, while on the way to Randolph in their car, collided with a car from Wausa. The accident occurred at the corner three miles east of town, the Wausa car coming from the north and the two autos meeting right at the intersection of the road. Mr. Ellsberry had one arm cut to the bone, and would probably have bled to death had not A. J. Law been on the ground and given first aid assistance. Donald was rendered unconscious by a blow on the temple and did not come to for some time.
Mr. Ellsberry and son were taken to their home where Dr. Rodgers attended to their injuries, and they were on the road to recovery.
Osmond fell in line with other towns in the neighborhood when they completed laying out a new 6- hole course and immediately organized a golf club, electing Mike Allar as president and Wm. Shinkle, treasurer. Interest ran at high speed at once when Allar and Shinkle set the course record at 36, but were tied the following day by Richstatter and Pingle. Several days later, Allar had scored a 31, followed two days later by Richstatter who tied the score. The boys had leased the Theisen place south of town and anyone wishing to watch the boys “court the ball with brassee [sic] and butte are welcome.”
They were also glad to have anyone join who wished to. "It is a fine game, and the expense is small.”
During a slight thunder shower here, lightning struck Andreas Nissen’s house, the damage being confined to splintering the northwest corner. Mr. Nissen and wife heard the clap, which was very loud, as did also the neighbors, but they did not know the house had been struck until Waldo Rodgers came up to fix their phone, which had been put out of commission by the storm, and found it.
75 Years Ago. . .
Rudolph Schuttler, 47-year-old Osmond farm operator, was reported out of danger in St. Joseph Hospital here after losing his right arm in a harvesting accident. Mr. Schuttler and a son, Marlin, were just getting started with the afternoon’s harvesting operations when the binder sickle became clogged. The son stopped the tractor and disengaged the power takeoff. Working with the sickle, the tractor was accidentally set in motion, completely severing the right arm four inches above the elbow with the binder passing over the injured man.
Instantly realizing his plight and the possibility of quick death from loss of blood, Mr. Schuttler clutched the stub of his arm with his left hand and began a quarter mile trek to the farm home with necessitated crossing several fences, a flowing creek and the farm feed yard. A road grading mishap a short time before had put the family telephone out of order.
Mrs. Schuttler tightened a towel over the bleeding extremity, helped her injured husband to their automobile and drove him to the hospital.
Months of planning and labor and several thousand dollars went into improvement and wiring of the Adolph Nissen farm home southeast of Osmond. All this together with all home furnishings including a newly purchased large electric refrigerator was completely destroyed by flames that burned the home to the ground.
The Clifford Nissen family, who operated the farm, was not at home at the time of the destructive blaze.
The preceding two stories, along with that of the drowning of Margaret, 1½-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Vincent Schmit of Randolph (he being a graduate of Osmond High School) were all under the heading “Ironic Tragedy on Eve of Farm Safety Week.”
65 Years Ago. . .
A give-run first inning gave the Osmond Tigers hope as they met Laurel on the home diamond. Their hopes were short-lived when Laurel came back with a 10-run inning in their half of the seventh. This wild and woolly inning produced one of the oddest plays of the year when Osmond, with two out and the batter striking at a low pitch in the dirt for what should have been a third out, lost control. The plate umpire called the man out and the players began to move off the diamond. When Laurel players began to shout at the batter, he moved from his position near third base and raced toward first base and the Osmond players made a belated play to first base. Because the third strike had not been caught, the inning instead of being over, showed Laurel with the bases loaded and two out.
From here, Laurel proceeded to score four more times for a total of 10.
The Presbyterian Youth Fellowship and invited guests held a “Hobo Progressive Party.” The group ate their supper at various homes, served by mothers of the fellowship.
Entertainment was held at the Earl Tacey home. Margaret Beckwith received the door prize and as a highlight of the evening, Billy Tacey and Linda Hansen were crowned king and queen of the hoboes.
Osmond’s oldest resident (at the time), Lizzie Sageser, died at age 96. According to her obituary, She and her husband first lived in a 16- foot sod house when they moved to Nebraska, and all they had to eat that first hard winter was jack rabbits and sorghum.
“What’ll they be? The names, that is, for new business that is springing up in Osmond.” The biggest of the two major new enterprises was the “Town Bowl,” a bowling center representing an investment of more than $100,000, a six-lane bowling parlor. The “Redwood Broaster Inn” was an all new drive-in eating place on Highway 20. Owners and operators were members of the Glaze Reed family.
50 Years Ago. . .
Irrigation wells throw water on thirsty crops around the clock in Osmond’s favored land of irrigated acres. And so it was that Palmer Albers, farmer northwest of town, was checking his irrigation equipment in the dark hours of one day when a car pulled up, the driver getting out to announce, “I’m Sheriff Bailey (Pierce County), what’s going on here?” A stuttering and astonished Mr. Albers explained that he was checking his irrigation flow with a view to keeping water off a public road as prescribed by county rule. It seems a neighbor had viewed with suspicion the parked lights on a county road and called the law officer.
Osmond's first swim meet was held at the pool with Elgin. The meet included sprint races, distance races, diving and relay races. The Elgin team also conducted some demonstrations for the benefit of the first year Osmond swim team. Elgin won the meet with a score of 196 points. The Osmond team scored a respectable 147 in its first meet. The Osmond swimmers were assisted and coached by Randy Jochum who volunteered his services and also organized the first meet.
The girls’ softball team collected four straight wins to finish the season.
On July 22, all three teams had wins over Wausa. The Tiggers came out on top 15-5. The Cubs won 12-10 in a come-from-behind rally. The Tigerettes won 17-3 in one of their best-played games of the season.
A team 4-H demonstration by Dianne Olson and Jayne moes received a purple ribbon in competition at Pierce and earned the right to give the demonstration at the state fair. Topic for their demonstration was “Let’s Do the Laundry Grandma’s Way.”
25 Years Ago. . .
Osmond 4-H champions at the Pierce County Fair included: Brandi Stueckrath, Sewing for Fun; Ryan Moes, class champion woodworking; Alexis Rutherford, senior food champion, class champion long hair cats; Amanda Schumacher, junior dairy showmanship, yearling Holsteins; Melissa Gubbels, family and consumer science judging; Andrew Moes, class champion woodworking.
10 Years Ago. . .
Local 4-H champions at the Pierce County Fair included Cody Koehler, stocker feeder heifer; Dalton Kumm, halter horse; Madeline Huwaldt, market heifer, pen of 3 market beef, overall beef exhibitor, top rate-of-gain market heifer; Zachary Huwaldt, crossbred market steer; Jacob Wragge, junior sheep showman; Alex Alderson, senior poultry showman; Courtney Oltjenbruns, senior cake decorator; Zachary Alderson, junior poultry showman, dehydrated food.
Among the winners in the truck show at the Pierce County Fair, in a three-driver tie for second place Best of Show, was Taylor Buchholz of Osmond.
