April 7, 1898 —
Dell Beals is another new reader this week. Our list is gaining with each succeeding issue, and in a short time will reach the 1,000 mark.
The spring vacation was extended over this week on account of the diphtheria scare. There has been no new cases and it is now believed that there will be none.
To the public: Having just added to my line of hardware and furniture a stock of undertakers’ goods, am now prepared to furnish anything in the way of coffins and caskets on short notice. Mr. John Swan who has had a general experience in this class of work will have charge of this branch of the business, all orders entrusted to our care will receive prompt attention at all hours of the day. — A.
G. Weander 100 Years Ago. . .
One Saturday night, thieves visited the East Ranch of the Butterfield, and stole a wagon load of hogs. Their tracks could be seen plainly, where they had backed the wagon up to load the hogs, and a count revealed the fact that a good wagon load had been stolen. Hog stealing is a serious matter, and sooner or later the thieves will be caught.
Rodgers Drug Store advertised: “We have installed a new Butterkist popcorn machine. As an introduction we will give a 10¢ carton of this delicious popcorn with each $1 purchase Friday and Saturday of this week only.”
The Osmond Golf Club held their first meeting for this year in the council room. Dr. Becker was elected president and J. W. Shinkle secretary.
The membership fee was fixed at the same as last year, $5 per member for the season. Grounds were secured east of town on the Chas. Craven farm, and it was planned to have a real golf course in 1926.
Basement Barber Shop & Beauty Parlor advertised that they would give a $30 hand-painted toilet set to the most popular lady of Osmond and community. The ladies would be voted on by the public, regardless of age, married or single. With every 20¢ purchase, people would receive a card for voting, on which they were entitled to vote for their most poplar lady or for themselves. The contest opened April 1 and would close June 1. On April 29 and May 13, the Osmond Republican would publish the names and amount of votes each contestant had at that time.
“You had better Watch Your Wife at the Osmond auditorium Saturday night.” [Watch Your Wife was the name of the movie.]
75 Years Ago. . .
Water — millions of acre feet of it — that could do untold good if channeled over Nebraska’s sometimes too dry fields in the summer, rushed down this sector’s stream valleys wreaking destruction one weekend. On the basis of answers to a specific question, it appeared the flood ranked third in height and destruction in the past generation.
Topping them all, so far as could be determined, was the May 1944 flood which came as a result of five inches of rain and more in the lands drained by the Northfork River.
Walter Koehler, farmer living four miles south of Osmond, was among those whose farm buildings were threatened by high water. Koehler thought his neighbor to the south, Harlan Henzler, living only a quarter of a mile away, whose farmyard he couldn’t reach, was in even worse circumstances.
Five new arrow signs, done in scotch light, were delivered here and were ready for setting in selected spots indicating mileage from the specified points to Osmond. The signs were a project of the Osmond Community Club and cost $40 each exclusive of material to be used in setting.
The Osmond Republican was named Nebraska’s best weekly newspaper published in town with less than 1,000 population at Lincoln.
The paper was also selected as the third best in its class in the state in 1950.
Wayne, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lorenz of Osmond, was selected by Legion Post 326 to be the Boys State representative at Lincoln from this town.
An Osmond Republican want ad brought an inquiry from Yokohama, Japan. The response was from Sgt.
Robert D. Middleton who asked about purchase of a home advertised in the want ad section of this paper.
At the time he wrote to the advertiser, Sgt. Middleton stated “In the light of recent developments in the Far East, it might become necessary to return my family to the United States.” The home had been sold when the Japan inquiry arrived.
65 Years Ago. . .
A new fire truck, designed and equipped largely for the transportation and pumping of water, would be on hand at Osmond within 30 days, said Elmer Schneckloth, local fire chief.
Schneckloth and Messrs Carl Neitzke and F. J. Kratochvil of McLean and Osmond, respectively, drove the truck chassis to Luverne, MN, so that tanks and pumping equipment could be installed. The Ford chassis was ordered by the Osmond Rural Fire Protection District.
The Cub Scouts of Osmond were treated to a train ride from Osmond to Plainview on the C. B. & Q. railroad. After riding over in the coach, the trainmen showed the youngsters the controls in the engine.
Cubmaster Lawrence Graham and Committeeman C. J. Theisen rode to Plainview with the boys. Bob Engler, Mrs. Francis Liewer and Mrs. C. J.
Theisen met the boys and brought them back to Osmond. At the pack meeting that evening, both Den Mothers presented a skit featuring railroads as this was the theme for the month of March.
Artzark was ready to go to sea, according to Art Koehler, chief designer, builder and owner of a sturdy 18-foot hybrid craft that soon would be plying the inviting waters of Lewis & Clark Lake on the Missouri River. Artzark had been a-building in the owner’s repair shop here for several months. It was similar, yet different, from any of the 100 or so which were anchored largely below Gavins Point Dam. It was licensed by the Nebraska Game Commission with horn, lights and safety equipment in full compliance with boat laws.
50 Years Ago. . .
Twenty-one girls reported to Coach Alan Porter for the 1976 girls’ track team at Osmond High. Coach Porter was optimistic about that season with most of the previous year’s team returning and a very strong freshman class. Returning letter winners were Brenda Folkers, Diana Gloe, Rose Clayton, Anita Gloe, Rebecca Stengel, Cindy Brunckhorst and Joy Pfanstiel.
The “Nebraska Hero Award” was presented to Keith Harmon by Percy Stanosheck in behalf of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association. Harmon received the award along with Dick Hammer and Kenneth Dickinson of Pierce for their efforts in saving the life of Charles Pfanstiel, an employee of Wayne County Public Power District, who came in contact with a 7,200 volt power line and fell 25 feet to the ground. Co-worker Harmon had just taken a course in life saving and gave Pfanstiel heart massage and firemen Hammer and Dickinson administered artificial respiration.
More than 90 young men and women representing the Osmond High School athletic teams were present for a dinner given in their ho nor by the Osmond Community Club.
Brett Moritz was the featured afterdinner speaker and when introduced received a standing ovation by the OHS athletes. Brett was a 1973 OHS graduate and was in his third year at the West Point Military Academy where he was a starting offensive tackle on the grid squad. Jim Gray of Coleridge, the former high school coach of Brett, presented a plaque to the Osmond Community Schools for the initiation of the “Brett Moritz Award.” The plaque was to be awarded annually to the OHS outstanding lineman whose name would be engraved on one of the several name plates.
25 Years Ago. . .
Six Osmond players were chosen for Lewis and Clark All-Conference basketball honors. Andy Ketelsen and Andrew Ortmeier were named all-conference. Honorable mention selections were Chad Moes and Bryce Dennis. Amanda Mowinkel and Kim Grein were chosen as girls’honorable mention selections.
10 Years Ago. . .
At the District 2 American Legion convention, Osmond Post 326 received six awards: the Early Bird Post Awards for achieving more than 50% of its 2016 goal by Aug. 18 the previous year, the Pearl Harbor Award for outstanding membership achievement by reaching 75% of its 2016 post goal by Nov. 17, 2015, a Yellow Honor Ribbon for enrolling as many or more members for 2016 as it had for 2015, the Annual Children and Youth Citation for outstanding achievement in the programs of Children and Youth of 2014-15, the Special Children and Youth Citation Category II for dedicated service to the nation’s children and youth, and the Americanism Citation for outstanding service to the community for the year 2014-15.
