110 Years Ago – 1916
Smoke was discovered issuing from the east side of the roof of the Lizzie O’Connel millinery shop shortly after nine o’clock last Sunday morning. The fire company was soon on the scene and extinguished the flames.
The year 1915 eclipsed all previous records in the number of substantial improvement in Marcus during any one year in its history. The total value of the improvements is estimated at over $175,000.

100 Years Ago – 1926
The K.D. Bancroft Meat Market caught fire about five Friday morning and for a time its destruction seemed sure. However Fire Chief Seegar and his crew succeeded in putting out the flames, thus saving nearly all the property.
Elmer Holzpfel of LeMars has been secured by the board of education to fill the position of coach and manual training instructor.
A wonderful time is reported by those who attended the Easter Monday dance at Ekblad’s theater. One hundred twenty tickets were sold and everybody apparently enjoyed themselves to the fullest extent.

95 Years Ago -1931
A wedding of much interest to friends in Marcus and Remsen occurred Tuesday, April 14, at St. Mary’s Catholic church in Remsen when Caroline Reker became the bride of Elmer Douvia.
Marcus people had the pleasure of hearing Mildred Mossman sing two groups of songs over radio station KSCJ at Sioux City Thursday evening during the Morningside College hour.
The Standard Oil station has secured a ten year lease for the lot and office owned by the Marcus Lumber Company at the corner of Main and Railroad street.
The birth of a son to Mr. & Mrs. Tom Carney was recorded this week. He has been named Earl Francis.

90 Years Ago -1936
Funeral services were conducted at the Methodist Church Tuesday afternoon for P.C. Derthick, who passed away Sunday morning after a lingering illness.
A quiet wedding was solemnized by Rev. A.J. Hansen in the parsonage of the Danish Lutheran church in Marcus, Friday, April 10. When Lila McIntire daughter of Mr. & Mrs. C.D. McIntire became the bride of Carl Miller son of Mr. & Mrs. Peter Miller Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. John Selting moved on the John Sand farm north of town. Mr. & Mrs. Chels Metcalf moved into the house vacated by the Seltings.

85 Years Ago -1941
The marriage of Betty Colwell, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Colwell of Cherokee, and Harold Johnson, son of Mr. & Mrs. Magnus Johnson of Marcus took place April 6 at Trinity Lutheran church.
Lois Jean Peters and Lawrence Brady entered the Ford Good Drivers League and plan to complete in the nationwide test for girls and boys between the ages 14 – 18 years.
Mr. & Mrs. Gus Alesch, returned home from Des Moines Friday evening where they attended the session at the state house.

80 Years Ago – 1946
Friday evening, April 5 Gwendolyn Griffeth became the bride of John Bierman. The Rev. H Farris of Kingsley Methodist church officiated at the double ring ceremony in the home of the bride’s parents.
Mr. & Mrs. Jay Peters moved to Meriden last week where they have purchased a farm.
Warren Mayer, son of Mr. & Mrs. Ervin Mayer will leave Sunday afternoon for induction into the army at Fort Snelling Minnesota.
Annan Pedersen, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Carl Pedersen graduated from the school for dieticians at Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver.
Bob Pitts arrived home Thursday evening with his honorable discharge from the army received at Fort Devens, Mass.

75 Years Ago -1951
Shirley Briggs, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Francis Briggs, and Harriet Berger, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Will Berger, were among the 28 Freshman students to receive their nursing caps form the Methodist hospital school of nursing.
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Brady are the parents of a daughter Rita Mary, born April 7 at Sacred Heart hospital in LeMars.
Mr. & Mrs. George Beaton visited with their son Charles, who is a polio patient in the Sheltering Arms hospital in Minneapolis.
Betty Holmes, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Dick Holmes, has accepted a position at the Farmers State Bank and will begin her duties Monday.
Schools from Marcus, Quimby, Larrabee, Aurelia, Cleghorn, and Meriden participated in the first annual Cherokee county high school musical festival held Tuesday, evening at Cleghorn.

70 Years Ago -1956
Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Douvia will observe their silver wedding anniversary with an open house Sunday, April 15, at their home.
Mrs. Susan Hoxsie, 94, underwent major surgery Wednesday morning at Sacred Heart Hospital in LeMars and is making a remarkable recovery.
About 150 friends and relatives were present Sunday, April 8 in Holy Name Hall to honor Mr. & Mrs. Andy Meehan of Storm Lake on their silver wedding anniversary.
Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Barnes returned home Friday, afternoon from a two-month trip to Arizona and California.

65 Years Ago -1961
The drive to sell additional stock in Greater Marcus, Inc which operates the Marland theatre has resulted in sales to date of $4,000, which is $2,000 short of the goal set.
John MaComb, 87, died at Sacred Heart hospital Saturday, April 1 following several months hospitalization.
Mr. & Mrs. Clinton Johnson, Mr. & Mrs. Ab Anderson and Danze and Mr. & Mrs. Emil Anderson were host at a surprise dinner at Stub’s Ranch Kitchen in Spencer Friday evening March 31, honoring Mr. & Mrs. Avery Ames on their twenty fifth wedding anniversary
A surprise charivari was held Thursday, March 30 at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Woltman near Fielding.

60 Years Ago -1966
Frank Burch of Marcus states that he is one of the fast disappearing breed of honnyockers. For those whose memory is growing dim, honnyocker was the term applied to people who traveled through the west in covered wagons in search of homesteads.
Mrs. Carl Killus, 82 passed wary suddenly Friday, April 8 at the home her son, Cecil in Belmond, Iowa.
The Marcus Fire department was called to the Bill Pedersen farm Friday afternoon by a fire in a pile of flax bales. No great damage was done but the fire could have easily spread without the aid of the firemen.
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Dorr were Sunday evening guests in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Dorr at Primghar.
Mr. & Mrs. Dean Leesley and family of Perry, spent the weekend in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Ole Wallin.
55 Years Ago – 1971
On March 10 Gross & McCoy, Inc., took two car loads of local farms on a tour of the Oliver Tractor Plant at Charles City, Iowa
Mrs. James Madison Powell, 87, of Sioux City, mother of Mrs. Albert Seel, passed away Thursday, April 8 at Maplewood Nursing Home after a brief illness. She was a former Marcus resident.
Mr. & Mrs. Bus Jenness and Brian visited in the Elmer Kroeger home near Remsen Sunday evening.
A daughter was born to Mr. & Mrs. Harold Johnson Tuesday, at Sioux Valley hospital in Cherokee. She has been named Amy Lynn.
Mrs. Corwin Spencer, former Marcus resident, passed away in Palm Spring CA, April 2 after a long illness.
50 Years Ago -1976
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Wilkens and daughter, Judy, and Mr. & Mrs. Marlin Garvin returned Thursday evening from a bicentennial tour to Washington DC
Lovell Laws of Minneapolis, passed away April 5 in Minneapolis. He was formerly of Marcus where he spent most of his life.
Kay Brady, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Brady, rural Marcus was crowned queen of the Cherokee County Pork Producers on Monday evening April 15.
Mr. & Mrs. Willie Goth and family were Sunday morning coffee guests in the Bette Horstman home.

45 Years Ago – 1981
Firty four person donated blood at the Marcus Municipal Building. The Siouxland Blood Bank, member of the American Association of Blood Banks, gratefully acknowledges the support of the community.
Avery Ames, 69, of Marcus died Tuesday, March 24 at Floyd Valley Hospital in LeMars after a lengthy illness. He was a retired farmer and had lived in the Marcus area all his life.
Lee Alesch is a patient at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Sioux City.
Ronnie Seggerman of Morningside spent Tuesday to Saturday spring break with his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Bob Seggerman.
Mr. & Mrs. Art Nielsen returned last Wednesday after spending six weeks in Florida with their daughter and husband, Jim and Joan Coleman of Indianapolis.