RCNews May 29
Grandmother Deb, Carly Derr, Sierra and Rose Jones, attended, Audry Dome's 8th. Grade Promotion in Ness City, Monday the 19th.
 
Congratulations to Tony Harp who retired after teaching at the LaCrosse High School for 12 years.
 
The students and staff from Holy Cross Catholic School in Hutchinson learned a basic square dance routine during the Celebrate History Day on Friday at the Reno County Museum.  Grade school students pictured in the Hutchinson news were Konner Brenning and Jenna Higgins.  Pat Brenning, mother of Konner was also in the ‘Circle’.  
 
Congratulations to the kindergarten graduates:  Katelyn Engel, daughter of Don & Lynnette Doornbos and Bruce & Marilyn Engel, Hays, Kate Rues, daughter of Tony & Tomi Rues, Brad Pfannenstiel, son of Shelly Derr, Ransom and Glenn Pfannenstiel.
 
The children who enjoyed making bird feeders and flower pots at the McCracken Library on Saturday were Katelyn Engel, Taylor Doornbos and Daci Stover, guests were Kelly Harp and John Doornbos.
 
George and Marilyn Sommers, Silver Lake, spent Memorial weekend with her parents, Francis and Roberta Wierman.
 
Sonny and Betty Dykes, Kinsley, spent Memorial weekend at their home on West Beech.
 
Michael, Jen and Dylan Harp, Brian Harp, Bill and Kelly Harp were here visiting relatives over Memorial weekend.
 
For the 11th year, the Kansas City Christian runners from Prairie Village, Kansas consisting of 30 girls, 10 adults and 1 VFW veteran stopped at the McCracken City Park around noon on Saturday.  They started at the Colorado border and stayed the first night in Tribune.  They arrived in Ransom on Friday during the tornado warnings and power outages.  The adults complimented the citizens for their generosity; food, a generator for power and the use of their gym to spend the night.  These kids are running across Kansas raising money for hospitalized veterans.
 
Martin and Mary Ann Higgins, Lenexa, spent Memorial weekend at their newly painted home in the 400 block of West Beech.
 
Arlyn and Jan North, Frank and Elaine Littler, Joyce and Larry Eisenhour, Dwight and Sherri Eisenhour enjoyed supper at the McCracken Café Friday evening.  They have been working on ideas for a directory at the City Cemetery
 
Coty Hinman, daughter of Wade and Tonya Hinman, will be a house guest of her grandparents, Wendell and Gladys Hinman while working in Hays at KDOT.
 
John Zeller, Kevin Anderson and Richard Hodges were working on the roof of the utility building at the City Cemetery Saturday.  Mitchell Jacobs and Terri Lassiter were hard at work putting finishing touches on the cemetery grounds.  They have done a marvelous job!!!
Roy and Phyllis Conrad too have always done an outstanding job of keeping the Catholic Cemetery looking grand.  They should all be commended.
 
We give a big thank you to Father Kraus for coming from Ransom to say mass at St. Mary’s Saturday evening. Deanna Bergquist was lector, Katie Showalter organist, her sister Emma Showalter and Josh Moran were servers and Wilfrid Higgins & Bet McCormick were ushers.
 
We thank Father Rene Labrador for saying the rosary Memorial Day at St. Mary’s Cemetery in McCracken.
 
Congratulations to Randy Taylor of being chosen as Police Chief for the City of Ellis.  Welcome “home” Randy.
 
Congratulations to Vivian Washaliski Simmons on her 80th birthday on May 28.  She would enjoy your cards.  Her address is 1209 A. West 24th, Hutchinson, KS 67502-3319
 
Library Hours are Monday, 2-5; Tuesday 2-5; Wednesday 9-12 and 7-9; Thursday, closed; Friday 2-5; Saturday 10-12.  Please notice that on Wednesday the library is open in the morning and the evening.
 
Congratulations to Whitley Taylor on her four medals at the State Track Meet.  She placed second in the discus (124-7); 100 meters (12.61) and 200 meters (26.06) and third in the high jump (5-2).
 
Katie Showalter, daughter of Adam and Janice Showalter was pictured in the May 22, 2008, issue of the Ness County NEWS.  She played the organ at St. Mary’s on Saturday and was in a recital on Sunday in Ness City.
 
Dorothy Walker is a new great-grandparent  to Gavin Mitchell Gilkison born May 2, 2008.  Grandparents are John and Sherry Walker and parents are Todd and Amy Gilkison of Great Bend.
 
Shannon Keith had a little accident on her new bike.  She is sporting a purple cast.  Summer activities have been curtailed for five weeks.
 
It is good to see our young people wanting to ranch.  A feature article about former rodeo princess Danielle Dinges appeared in the Hays Daily News on Sunday, May 25.  When she appeared at the McCracken Rodeo, she wrote a glowing article about our rodeo.  We wish her well with her cattle herd.
 
 
 
 
McCracken History Notes
May 1908
 
S. W. Howard has entered the real estate business here and has an office with G. L. Nickel.  He has purchased the Hoy Anderson residence and is now a resident of McCracken.
 
May 1938
Honor students in the McCracken rural schools:  Loa Ruth Anderson, Norval Brown, Jesse Lee Barnes, Margaret Temple, Chester Rogers, Gene Hall, Paul Baus, Lawrence Oelkers, James Schutte, Leo and Rudolph Linenberger, Geneva Schwab, Freddie Cole.
 
May 1948
Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Jennings celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary Sunday at their home.  Mr. and Mrs. Jennings were married May 25, 1898, at the old St. James Hotel in LaCrosse in a double wedding.  The other couple was a sister of Mr. Jennings, Miss Faye Jennings and Ed Edwards.
 
McCracken voted a total budget of $41,000 for 1949 as compared with $37,500 this year.  Salaries will amount to $26,000.
 
May 1958
Grade School graduates are Norman Anderson, Wendell Conrad, Kenneth Grumbein, Carol Ann Davis, Dwight Eisenhour, Judy Gaschler, Glenda Herdman, Marilyn Higgins, Vicky Irvin, Roy Jones, David Norlin, Arlyn North, Claudine Rein, Sheryl Rein, Norma Jean Schuckman, Pauletta Schuckman, Tena Vogle, D. Dennis Walker and Judy Kay Haughland.
 
May 1968
At the LaCrosse grade track meet Mark Derr was the only triple winner coming in first in the triple jump, high jump and broad jump.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Roy Schuckman accompanied the seniors on their sneak to Denver and Colorado Springs.
 
May 1978
Treva Wilson is a member of the Tracy Genet Dance Studio who performed in the production “Good Ship Lollipop” May 26 at LaCrosse High School Auditorium.
 
Grace Owen, 79, died May 22 in Great Bend.  She and her husband were owners and operators of the McCracken Hotel for 27 years.
 
May 1988
Word has been received of the death of Amelia Sommers Akers of Boulder, Colorado.  She was the widow of William Akers.
 
John Brown, 87, died May 17, 1988.  He was born June 14, 1900 in Jetmore, Kansas, to William Henry and Effie Lee Cole Brown.  He married Anna B. Metzler, August 13, 1928.  Burial was in the Fristoe Cemetery, Fristoe, Missouri.
 
May 1998
Wednesday Ellen Kershner and boys and Shirley Higgins had lunch at the donut shop in LaCrosse and held a “mini” alumni meeting.
 
A Sunday late afternoon storm struck the area with a fury.  It was apparent that no one from Brownell to Liebenthal would be harvesting what looked to be the best wheat crop in many years.