By Elaine Rassel
Looking back in my files, I found some interesting articles about people and places that I was familiar with but had lost track of as the years passed. I remembered these:
December 21, 1961—“Graduates to Get Permanent Record”. Graduates from the Marcus Community Schools will receive a billfold size copy of their high school record.
This billfold size record is set in plastic similar to an honorable discharge issued by the armed services. Thus a student has a copy of his own high school records. This transcript can be carried in a billfold like a driver’s license. School officials hope the plastic transcript will encourage students to do better school work. Students will know that a prospective employer could ask to see their grades as well as their high school diploma.
There is a disadvantage of the plastic transcript: parents will no longer be able to just tell their children how well they did in school. Instead, the child may ask to see his parents’ record of grades!
December 21, 1961—“Mrs. Peterson Moving into New Home Soon”. Mrs. Gertrude Peterson will soon move into her new home, the first one in the Klingborg addition to Marcus. (This is the short street—South Oak Street.)
Carl Klingborg, promoter of the addition, reports that the sewer, gas and water service have been installed in the area, the streets and lots plotted, and he is ready for business.
December 28, 1961—“Jim Harmon Dies Suddenly December 21”. Jim Harmon, Sr., 68 years old, a resident of the Marcus and Remsen communities for 45 years, died suddenly early Tuesday morning at his home southwest of Marcus. His death was due to heart failure. Although not in the best of health for the past several months, Jim had remained active and his death was completely unexpected.
James Albert Harmon was born February 19, 1893, in Saulsburg, Penn., a son of John and Frances Bigelow Harmon. He came to this area in 1916, working on various farms until starting to farm for himself south of Remsen. Twenty-two years ago, the Harmon’s moved to the farm where he lived at the time of his death.
On January 8, 1924, he took as his bride, Margaret Case of Remsen. To this union were born three daughters and two sons, all of whom survive. They are Mrs. M.D. (Frances) Hayden of Cherokee, Mrs. Edward (Eunice) Delaney and Mrs. Jake (Bernice Dixson (twins), and both of Marcus; James Harmon, Jr., of Remsen and Michael T. Harmon, presently serving in Cuba with the U.S. Navy.
Besides his widow and children, he is survived by four sisters; Mrs. Dora Gilliland or Quincy, Penn., Mrs. Mary Rudy and Mrs. Clara Renaud, both of Huntingdon, Penn., and Mrs. Maude Groves of Conemaugh, Penn., and three brothers: L.B. Harmon of Petersburg, Penn., O.J. Harmon of Millerstown, Penn., and Mark Harmon of Huntingdon. He also had 16 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. A brother, Fred and a sister, Ella, preceded him in death.
Mr. Harmon was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Order of Eastern Star at Pierson; of the Consistory and Abu-Bekr Shrine at Sioux City, and the Methodist Church and American Legion at Pierson.
December 28, 1961—“Dr. Cauley, Anthon Physician, Dies”. Dr. Francis P. Cauley, 77, died at Anthon last Friday, where he had been practicing for half a century. He was a native of Marcus and a graduate of the Marcus High School.
Dr. Cauley’s early life here is a story in itself. He was one of 14 children of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Cauley, both of whom died when he was a small child.
The family was taken into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Delaney, who had eight children of their own. Mrs. Cauley was a sister of Mr. Delaney.
The Delaney’s raised the entire group, four of whom became doctors. The situation was complicated by the fact that there were four pairs of youngsters with the same first names! (Where there is a will, there is a way—as these Cauley children were taken in as a whole family.)
Dr. Cauley is the last survivor of the 14 Cauley children.
December28, 1961—“New Stained Glass Windows at Peace”. During this past week, Peace Lutheran Church of Marcus installed stained glass windows in the church sanctuary.
August 16, 1962—“Lucky Lad”. Little Kim Carlson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Carlson, who was run over by a tractor last week, apparently is no worse for the experience. Another checkup Monday revealed no particular damage and Kim is indeed a lucky young man.
March 1, 1962—“To Fergus Falls”. Sue Nitzschke, a student nurse at the Lutheran Hospital in Sioux City, spent the weekend with her father, Al Nitzschke. Sue has been taking special training in Milwaukee, and from here she went to Fergus Falls, Minn., for further training.
August 2, 1962—“Susan Nitzschke Gets Degree in Nursing”. Susan Nitzschke, daughter of Al Nitzschke of Marcus, was one of twelve members of the graduating class of the Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing who received their diplomas at commencement exercises last Sunday evening.
Susan was graduated from the Marcus Public School in 1959. She will remain with the hospital as a surgical nurse.
At the nursing school, Susan served on the student council for three years, was the freshman treasurer and junior vice president. She also was in chorus and was a cheerleader for the three year term.
August 14, 1962—“Lawrence Rupp Hurt by Falling Timber”. Lawrence Rupp, who farms southeast of Marcus on Highways 5 and 3, is still somewhat battered about the head as the result of being in the path of a falling two-by-six while helping with a construction job on his farm.
Lawrence was sitting on the floor of a crib being built when the plank fell. A large gash across his brow required nine stitches.
The accident occurred Wednesday and Lawrence was in Sioux Valley Hospital at Cherokee until Saturday.
June 14, 1962—“Mrs. Delbert Drefke is Accident Victim”. Mrs. Delbert Drefke is in Sioux Valley Hospital in Cherokee recuperating from a one-car accident which occurred late Friday afternoon when she was on her way to her home southwest of Marcus. Mrs. Drefke is a bookkeeper at the Community Co-Operative Oil Company.
Mrs. Drefke was driving on a country road when she hit a washout and her car was thrown into the ditch. She received a large gash above her eye, severe bruises and possibly fractured ribs. It is hoped that she can be home this weekend.
Mrs. Drefke was unable to attend the wedding of her daughter, Patricia, to Elmer Bergemann, which was Sunday afternoon.
May 10, 1962—“Nearly Meets Untimely Death”. A tiny calf barely escaped with its life last Friday when its mother met its rendezvous with destiny at the Marcus Locker plant. As Gaylord Smith was dismantling the unfortunate young heifer’s carcass, he discovered that she had been keeping a secret and had been about to become a mother.
The calf showed signs of awareness and Gaylord called Dr. M.R. Nelson, who gave it an assortment of shoots and prescribed a formula. Dr. Nelson, incidentally, is a veterinarian.
For a couple of days, the young fellow was on the critical list, but as of Wednesday, was showing great improvement and every hope is held for its survival.
If Moses, as the calf has been named, does survive, a question of custody is involved. The mother and its remains are the property of Merle Sand, but the courts could rule that “finders are keeper”.
April 12, 1962—“Town Buys New Dump Ground Site”. The Marcus town council has purchased a four-acre tract of land a mile west of the blacktop, along the Illinois Central line, and will use it as a city dump.
The land was bought from Leonard Bindner for $4,000.
He original Marcus dump grounds was originally located south of town and for many years seemed far enough from the urban area to be no nuisance. However, the town has grown in that direction, with new high and grade schools in that neighborhood and with the proposed new Grace Methodist Church to be in that vicinity.
The RAT problem has become almost insoluble and much damage has been done to neighboring property. The council has been working on the problem for sometime and feel that Leonard’s offer is very reasonable, since no one is anxious to have such an installation on their land.
Fortunately the new site is on a little used dirt road well away from any farm buildings and will not be an eyesore to passing traffic.
While the dirt road might be considered a drawback, the city rather feels that if it is too wet to drive over such a road, it is too wet to be plowed around the dump grounds.
The old dump grounds will be filled in and leveled with any accumulation which cannot be otherwise cleared away hauled to the new location, although most of it is not worth moving.
March 8, 1962—“Heart Attack Fatal to Lloyd Warburton, 42”. Lloyd C. Warburton, 42, of Grand Meadow Township, died unexpectedly Thursday morning, March 1. Although the comparatively young farmer had a heart ailment, he had appeared to be in normal health until his sudden death at his home.
Mr. Warburton was born December 18, 1919, in Plymouth County and spent his entire life in this area.
Survivors include the widow, the former Bernice Simons, daughter of Melvin Simons of Marcus; a son, Larry and a daughter, Linda; his mother Mrs. Arthur Warburton of Washta, a brother, Marvin of Cherokee, and two sisters, Mrs. Paul Wych and Mrs. John Perret, Jr., both of Quimby.
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon in the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Marvin Miller officiating. Burial was in the Grand Meadow cemetery in charge of the Nelson Funeral Home.
March 8, 1962—“Heart Attack Fatal to Lloyd Warburton, 42”. Lloyd C. Warburton, 42, of Grand Meadow Township, died unexpectedly Thursday morning, March 1. Although the comparatively young farmer had a heart ailment, he had appeared to be in normal health until his sudden death at his home.
Mr. Warburton was born December 18, 1919, in Plymouth County and spent his entire life in this area.
Survivors include the widow, the former Bernice Simons, daughter of Melvin Simons of Marcus; a son, Larry and a daughter, Linda; his mother Mrs. Arthur Warburton of Washta, a brother, Marvin of Cherokee, and two sisters, Mrs. Paul Wych and Mrs. John Perret, Jr., both of Quimby.
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon in the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Marvin Miller officiating. Burial was in the Grand Meadow cemetery in charge of the Nelson Funeral Home.
October 13, 1960—“In Passing”. Little Johnny was sad and dejected when he returned home after his first day at school. “I ain’t going tomorrow,” he told his mother. “Why not?” she asked. “Well, he replied, “its no use. I can’t read, I can’t write, and they won’t let us talk.”