Because I have to have articles in earlier than usual, some of the events at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week will not be included in this paper. I will put in some articles of interest from a few years back.
Just what is the definition of a mother? The following article will tell us something about her! April 13, 1950—”’The Indispensable”. In their natural habitat, mothers are very remarkable creatures. They can scold their offspring with articulate tones, but let an outsider make a disparaging comment—Never! They enforce rules of order and insistently dwell on the virtue of self-dependency, but nine out of ten things they put away for safe keeping are lost, at least until they turn the house upside down.
They urge early hours on the basis that they “can’t sleep a wink till everybody is home,” and that after a full day’s work, rest is essential; but if somebody’s sick, they round out a 24-hour s schedule without a word, even pooh-poohing the very idea that they might be tired.
They pinch pennies and hide them in a sugar bowl until finally they add up to the price of a hat, something happens: the insurance comes due, Junior absolutely has to have new shoes, Susie gets a bid to a dance and finds she hasn’t a thing to wear, or else the time comes for them to serve on the church circle. Then, sure as shooting, Pop says (in the same tone used for remonstrating a child who gets ice cream on her good coat), “your old hat looks kind of tacky, Mother; now if only you could manage a little better, you’d—well, have more for yourself!
June 1, 1932—”County Couple Held for Murder”. Vera Leckband, 22, Cherokee, alleged to be the mother of a murdered infant, whose body was found under a garage in Harris, Iowa, Tuesday, and Harry Immnes were arrested Wednesday by Sheriff Tilton and Sheriff Ramsey of Osceola County. Miss Leckband is reported to have confessed that the child was born to her on the night of December 15 in Harris and it was murdered by strangulation three days later. A necktie had been placed around the child’s neck and then the body was buried under a foot of earth. The confession states that the mother strangled the child and Immnes buried it.
The young man and woman must face a hearing in Osceola today. Both are employed a a farm southeast of Cherokee.
March 24, 1932—“March King Passes”. John Philip Sousa, world famous band leader and composer of popular march tunes, died suddenly at the age of 77.
September 22, 1949_“Elbow Operation”. Leon Bentz, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bentz, underwent an operation Wednesday at St. Joseph’s hospital in Sioux City. Leon chipped a piece of bone from his left elbow while pitching ball Monday and the operation wa necessary to replace the chip in its proper position.
March 2, 1950—“Little Girl Injures Arm in Washing Machine Wringer”. Little Mary Lou Rawson, small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rawson, of Tilden Township, had the misfortune of running both arms into a washing machine wringer.
Her entire right arm went through the wringer up to her shoulder where the turning rollers burned her arm. The left arm went only to the elbow.
She has been receiving treatment for the injuries in a Sioux City hospital where her right arm was put in a plaster Paris splint.
March 2, 1950—“Airplane Cracks Up on Marcus Football Field”. As sometimes happens to the best of newspapers, the News missed an important story last week.
An airplane crashed on the local football field Monday, and was nearly demolished, although the pilot, Wendell Grauer, escaped without injury. Mr. Grauer had just purchased the plane, and was making his second flight, and while the crash was unfortunate, it was to be expected, as the pilot was flying without any instruction or previous experience.
Otto Carlson reached the scene of the crash immediately and offered sympathy and first aid, but Wendell had escaped without a scratch.
He explained that the elevator control has stuck, driving the plane straight up and then straight down in a power dive, which was interrupted by the ground. The plane was a piper cub, assembled by the pilot and driven by a one-third horse power diesel motor.
Wendell has stocked quite a number of miniature planes and racing cars at his radio service, and reports the hobby is growing here and that he has sold quite a number.
The planes come in kits to be fashioned by the owner, and an assortment of motors about the size of a teacup are available. The little hornets will turn up to more than 15,000 revolutions per minute and some of them deliver three-fourths horse power.
The racing cars, about six inches long, will travel at the almost unbelievable speed of 70 miles per hour, and are powered by similar motors.
March 9, 1950—“Lone Eagle Oil Burns to Ground During Blizzard”. Fire completely destroyed the Lone Eagle filling station a mile south of Marcus at about four-thirty Tuesday afternoon, in the midst of the raging blizzard.
The Marcus fire department was called and in spite of visibility of near zero, managed to reach the station. However, the fire had gained such a start, combined with weather conditions, that little could be done to thwart it.
The station is located on the farm which John Bindner bought from H. E. Means some time back and has been unoccupied for several weeks.
The Lone Eagle was built some 25 years ago and has been a landmark in the community. The station’s pumps and tanks were owned by the Marcus Oil & Supply Company and were covered by insurance.
May 25, 1950—“Sand’s Seed Service Feeding 1,400 Sheep”. The Sand’s Seed Service of Marcus has imported nearly 1,400 sheep, 1398 to be exact, from the neighborhood of Fort Worth, Texas, and the newcomers are on the feed lot east of the company’s warehouse.
The sheep are yearlings averaging about 75 pounds and the Sands’ intend to feed them about 60 days. They represent an investment of $26,999 and required 11 railroad cars for the shipment.
October 26, 1950—“Cleghorn School Drops Football for Season”. Superintendent Don Wetter of the Marcus Public Schools received work Tuesday morning that Cleghorn has definitely dropped football for the year. The decision was reached at a meeting of the neighboring board of education Monday evening.
Cleghorn started the season with a small squad, although the boys were of good size, and fairly promising. However, a series of crippling injuries determined their line-up until they ended up Friday’s game with Petersen with only seven able bodied boys available.
March 16, 1961—“Ernest P. Hessenius Dies in California”. Ernest P. Hessenius, 79, of Los Angeles, Calif. died Saturday, March 11 after a short illness. He was a former resident of Cleghorn, but for the past 50 years had lived in Los Angeles.
He was born in Grundy County, Iowa, June 21, 1881. He is survived by two daughters: Mrs. Arthur Mugge of Spencer and Mrs. Lester O. Mugge of Cleghorn, nine grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held in the Nelson Funeral Home in Marcus Friday afternoon at two o’clock. Friends may call at the funeral home after three o’clock Thursday afternoon. Burial will be in the Marcus and Amherst Cemetery.
Ernest P. Hessenius was found guilty of manslaughter of his wife, Bertha (Vine) Hessenius on January 31, 1911. He claimed she fell over the railing on the second story (outside) balcony and died as the result of the fall. He was accused of strangling her to her death and not the fall (if it every happened). After her burial at Marcus-Amherst cemetery, he was arrested by the Cherokee County Sheriff at the cemetery. If he had lived in California for 50 years, did he ever serve “time” for his crime?
Remember in your thoughts and prayers those who have lost loved ones to death, have had to change their life because of this, have health problems with some being terminal, are trying to make ends meet even though they have a job, encourage those who are not working to get to work, and help those who are distanced from family and friends to build a bridge instead of a wall. Count your blessings.
I will close with this quote from George Halas (1895-1983) American coach: “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”