News February 20th

Birthday:  February 20, Dustin Albright, Laura Morgan, February 21, Kirk Herdman, February 22, Doug Whitis, February 23, Lynne Hinman, Tonya Hinman, Sheryl McCaskey, Leslie Sager, Maria Albright; February 25, Betty Keener, Presley Wilson; February 26, Nicole Kirk.
Anniversary:  February 20, William and Theresa Greenway.
 
Carolyn was at the Great Bend Senior Center on Tuesday and the lady across the table and I visited.  I told her I was from McCracken and she asked if I knew Rev. Swindler.  I said yes.  She is Linda Swindler Seibert.  Her mother Margaret will be 87 on March 25.  She lives at the Kansas Masonic Home in Wichita.  At the Senior Center that day the first and second grade students from Eisenhower School came to entertain the patrons for Valentine’s Day.  They sang songs about the odd days of February and what was honored like Pizza Day.  They completed the presentation with a tribute to those in the audience who were Veterans.  One of the students was the grand-daughter of Linda Swindler Seibert.  Her name is Kimberlyn Herschell.  Rev. Swindler served churches in Kansas over 45 years and then filled in after that.  Her brother, Dale graduated in 1978 and Phil graduated in 1980 from McCracken High School.
 
The final Bleeding Kansas Program will be held on Sunday March 3 at Lecompton.  It is entitled “They Put Up More than Hay:  Joel and Emily Grover, their Barn, and the Underground Railroad” by Judy Sweets, historical researcher and genealogist and Kerry Altenbernd, historian and living historian.  Tim Rues has been in charge of this Series and we thank him for providing the information about all the events.
 
Did you know that Ernest Hemingway lived and worked in Kansas City?  He was a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star in  2917.  He returned to Kansas City after World War 1 where his first child was born  During this time he wrote the novel “Farewell to Arms”.   His house still stands in Mission Hills, Kansas, where he did his writing.

A hamburger feed will be held at the American Legion Sponsored by the Sons of the American Legion, Saturday Feb 23 beginning at 5:30, free will offering.

The local Hays establishment, Gella’s, was named the winner of the “Breweries, Distilleries, and Wineries” category for having more visitors than any other competitor in the state.

History Notes: May 1947

McCracken’s Town Team sponsored by the West-Burch American Legion Post will play the Pfeifer team in a game to be held at McCracken on Sunday. New suits and equipment has been purchased by the McCracken merchants. Sylvester is the manager; a total of 94 high school seniors of will graduate during the coming week; McCracken seniors are Marjorie Davis, Joann Juvenal, Donald Greenway, Dick Shiney and Warren Irvin; Rush county as a whole showed an increase of 2201 over last year and now has a population of 7,337; LaCrosse 1,616; McCracken 466; Otis 437; Bison 343; Liebenthal 175; Alexander 213; Timken 17; McCracken defeated the Hays Junior Larks, 4-3 in a nip and tuck baseball game at McCracken Sunday afternoon. The Junior Larks held the lead until the eighth inning when two singles and an error supplied the winning margin for McCracken. Marvin Werth was the winning pitcher and Ralph Lang hurled for the juniors. Julie Rohr caught for the juniors and Fred Foster for McCracken. Chet Irvin of McCracken got 2 for 3 hits and Fred Foster went 2 for 4; the grade school pupils and their teachers enjoyed a picnic dinner Tuesday on the golf course east of town.

There are 157 Rush County candidates for 8th grade graduation this year, 1947: Those from McCracken are: Jack Wilson, Marlene Pfannenstiel, Ray Ohlemeier, Richard Buxton, Benny Anderson, Alverna Unrein, Bobby Cheney, Floyd Thompson, Lynnette Pearson, Alberta Moses, Victor Higgins, Oscar Bob Fear, Betty Lou Wierman, John Rixon, Stanley Wahl, Dwain Juvenal, Ronald English; LaCrosse grade school; Johnny Walker, Leila Walz, Dona Myers, Verladyne Dykes, Vincent Ochs, Jack Holopirek, LeRoy Wilson, Calvin Wallace, Marion Churchill, Don Mike Whitley, Kenneth Weber, J.D. Wilson, Goldie Morrison, Sammie Nickel, Joyce Renberger, Hazel Ryan, Carl Brandt, Merrill Humburg, Bonnie Blair, Robert Huber, Joe Don Renner, Jeanette Mendenhall, Carol Davis, Robert Appel, Elmer Weber, Everett Weber, JoAnn Weigand; Rush Center grade school: Helen Oborny, Verlyn Renz, Betty Horacek, Kenneth Eilts, Eugene Hallett, Maxine Renz, William Martin, Sue Crawford, Elaine Dirks; Alexander Grade school; Norma Jean Auston, Donald Boese, Lenora Boese, Donna Brack, Edna Ebert, Dorothea Mills, Max Newcomer, Don Ream, John Spangler, Dale Schadel, Florence Schadel, Merle Scheuerman, Mary Scheuerman, Robert Tomlinson, Norma Wagner; Nekoma grade school: John Miller, Richard Heaton, James Seaman, Junior Steinmetz, Joyce Schrott, Andre Ratlief, Lillian Herrman; Otis grade school: Gary Lee Brack, James Duane, Patricia Haberman, Dorothy Harman, Leona Kaiser, Norma Jean Ochs, Virginia Satterfield, Paul Schettler, Virginia Schlegel, Bernice Stoss; Bison grade school; Roberta Beiber, Donald Hanhardt, Betty Myers, Oakie Robison, Jacky Smith, Leland Steitz, Maynard. (I apologize if there are any wrong spellings)


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Patricia Petz:

Have you ever started your week out with nothing on your calendar?  Well that's the way mine was, however by the end of the week, it was completely full.  All five days were filled with subbing at either the Elementary or the High School building.  

Tuesday was a very long day as I stayed for the basketball games after school.  LHS played Stockton, but unfortunately, they lost all of their games. Throughout the evening, the juniors sponsored a delicious soup supper. So, if you were hungry their were plenty of soups and a nice variety of cakes to choose from. 

Wednesday was spent at the High School and after school, I visited with my mom and then we went to the Janousek Funeral Home to pay our respect to Dennis Wilhelm. Later, I met up with a group of ladies to eat at Jct. 4.  After we ate, we met at the Parish Center to make rosaries.  It was a very enjoyable evening, however, I was super tired by the time I made it home.
  
I was ready to leave to sub in La Crosse on Thursday morning, when I received a knock on my door.  It was only 7:00 and I wondered who it could be.  Before opening my door I discovered that it was my son and that he was surprising me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Valentine's Day. What an awesome way to start my day!  That afternoon, LMS/LHS students hosted "Camp Friendship" with the Elementary students and they played several fun activities together.  Everyone seemed to have an enjoyable afternoon.  

It's always more fun when you know the people that are performing in a play, and to my delight, I found out that ten out of twelve high school students had been in my classroom in second grade. Friday evening, "The Not So Grand Hotel," prooved to be an enjoyable play performed by this talented group of students! 

Watching your young grandson play in a basketball tournament is sheer joy.  Drake Timson and the McPherson Bullpups gave it their all at the Salina FieldHouse on Saturday, however the odds of winning were not in their favor.  They had won their first game, but lost the next two against the two Hays teams.  To my surprise, Nathan Weigel was one of the referees at the game! 

That evening, we ate at Daimaru's. The kids enjoyed watching the chef as he prepared our delicious meal in front of us. Drake and Grant caught the flying shrimp and enjoyed the flames that came from the grill.  What a fun day!

Sunday was even more spectacular as we traveled to Hutchinson to watch the Musical "Annie" that was presented by the Family Community Theatre.  My nephew, Dustin Petz and his wife, Shelly, and daughter Shaylin were characters in this outstanding production.  Dustin played the part of a police officer as well as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Shelly was Mrs. Greer, and Shaylin was an orphan.  Angie's family, along with myself, met up with Dustin's mom, Sherry Petz, and my sister-in-law Maddy Petz for an evening that was remarkable!




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