125 Years Ago – 1896
A large and enthusiastic crowd gathered in Marcus to celebrate the 4th of July.The races were lively and the fire works, the best in years. The Meriden band headed the parade followed by boys and girls on decorated bicycles.
Marcus defeated Calumet in a vaseball game 14-1.

115 Years Ago – 1906
John P. Miller, 75, died July 4th in a Sioux City hospital. He came to America from Sweden in the 1860s. He and his wife came to Marcus in 1886 and he carried mail between Marcus and Fielding and, also,was a night watchman. Survivors include his wife and a son. Services were held in the Methodist Church with burial in the Marcus Cemetery.
Henry Treinen and friends were enjoying a ball game last Sunday. He and Ed Keller collided when they both went after a fly ball. Ed is quite a big fellow and Henry had torn ligaments and a broken shoulder blade.

105 Years Ago – 1916
A barn on the Louis Gund farm southwest of Marcus, tenanted by the Joe Alesch family, burned to the ground Sunday afternoon. It was started by children playing with matches in the hay loft.
Minnie and Cora Gund, Hattie Ulstad, Amy Johnson, Winnie Toomey and W. E. Willey, Jr. were on the morning Illinois Central Flyer that ran off the tracks. at high speed west of Marcus. Speed was judged to be 45 to 50 mph. The engine and 7 cars derailed but no injuries.
Peters Bros. sold a Buicks to Charles Miller and Ford touring cars to Robert Morris, Albert Krekow and Leach Bros.

95 Years Ago – 1926
Duaine Mossman and Maude Shriner were married May 15 at Mt. Pleasant. He is a member of the orchestra there and she is a nurse. They will continue to live and work there.
Mrs. Alice Thompson hosted a family gathering in her home honoring F,S. Barnes of Sioux City, E.F. Barnes and Vern Barnes, both of Marcus, on their birthdays.
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Collins and family are spending a few days in their cottage, Marromma,at the Iowa Lakes.

90 Years Ago – 1931
The new Standard Oil Station on North Main Street was opened with George Kirchner in charge. the building formerly housed the Marcus Lumber Company. It has been set back the entire length of the lot to give room for cars to enter.
Elmer J, Knebel of Marcus and Marie Krogman of Remsen were married Tuesday, July 7 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Remsen. they will be at home in Marcus where Elmer is in the banking business. He is a graduate of Marcus Holy Name with the Class of 1926.
The Sweet Shows are coming to Marcus July 17, 18 and 29.They will present “Married and How”, “The Spite Bride” and What a Woman Can Do”/
Virginia Ann Gravenish was born June 29 to Mr. and Mrs. Matt Gravenish of Sheridan Twp.
85 Years Ago -1936
A Colt and Industrial Exposition will be held in Marcus late August or early September.
Rev. C.W. Samuelson of Akron has accepted a call to be pastor of Carmel Lutheran Church in Marcus. He has conducted services here for the past two years and he and the family will move here in August.
The fire touched off by a lit sparkler tossed by a child caused a half million dollar fire in Remsen, July 4. Fire Departments from Marcus, Remsen, Kingsley, Orange City, LeMars and Alton, kept the fire from spreading south. A dozen or more businesses, 24 dwellings, 3 grain elevators and 2 lumber yards, etc. were lost.

80 Years Ago – 1941
Mrs. Perry King of Cherokee and son, Charles, home from Camp Claiborne, LA, were callers in the Merle Weicht home Monday afternoon.
Janice K. Petersen, Patrick Reynolds, Alice Becker and Donna Campbell, are babies from Marcus entered in the Cherokee Courier contest.
Mr. amd Mrs. Dale Franck will move to Long Beach, CA where he will be associated with the Safeway Stores, a new chain concern.

75 Years Ago -1946
The old bell tower has been removed from the south part of the Marcus Public School. A new electric bell will replace the old one.
Herbert Stowater, BKR, received his honorable discharge from the service after 25 months of duty.
Ruth Ann Ohlendorf began work Monday morning as an operator for the West Iowa Telephone Co in Marcus.

70 Years Ago – 1951
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Barnes of Granville are the parents of a daughter born Tuesday, July 10 and named Jane Lee.
The George D. Sweet players will present “Nice Girls Don”t” Friday night and “Caught Under Her Bed” on Saturday night in Marcus.
A coyote was shot on the Claud Bortscheller farm northwest of Marcus. Some neighbors joined Claud and they got him and received a $10 bounty for the hide.

65 Years Ago -1956
Cornel Wilde and Jane Russel star in “Hot Blood” shwing in the Marland this weekend.
Mrs. Ruth Hogue of Des Moines spent the weekend in Marcus visiting with her daughter, Sue and Craig Dorr, and son, Leland and Jean Hogue.
Mrs. Steve Van Sickle and Dorothy of Cleghorn visited with Ab and Donna Smith and Leonard and Audrey Smith in Marcus the 4th of July.
Mary Weber, formerly of Marcus, and Joseph Augustine were married Thursday, July 5 in Marcus Holy Name Church. They will make their home in Los Angeles, CA.

60 Years Ago – 1961
Matt and Joe Marquis departed for Illinois to visit their Aunts, Mrs. Harold Barrett and husband at St. Charles and Mrs. Irene Park, Oak Park.
Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Miller and sons of Cleghorn and Mrs. Annie Edgar of Marcus were Sunday dinner guests in the Mr. and Mrs. Ben Radcliffe home at Spirit Lake.
Mayor J. C. Means has issued orders to bicycle riders that they will be arrested if they do not obey the same traffic rules that motorists do. Most of the offenders have been children and he wants them to stay safe.

55 Years Ago – 1966
A skateboard derby was held in Marcus Saturday, July 9th. Ages 5- 10 and 11 and up vied for prizes. It was a joint project of the Rotary Club and the Marcus Jaycees.
Sharon Sue Cobble of Attica, IN and Wm. H. Ducommun of Cleghorn were married Sunday, June 12 in Attica. They will make their home in West Lafayette, IN. She is a teacher and he is doing graduate studies at Purdue, University.
The Cherokee County Cancer Crusade in Marcus raised $4662.91, exceeding their goal of $4,420.

50 Years Ago – 1971
A 1917 Case steam engine and John Deere threshing machine won first place in the Antique Machinery parade at the Centennial Parade in Marcus. It was sponsored by the Farmer’s Co-OP Elevator of Marcus.
Mr. and Mrs. Loren B.Willey of Long Beach, CA were guests of Mrs. Clarence Benedict during the Centennial.
Roger Rae returned to his home in Pelham, NY while Mrs. Rae and children remained to viist with her mother, Mrs. L.L. Norris.

45 Years Ago – 1976
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brooks of Marcus are the parents of a 7 lb. 4 1/2 oz. daughter, named Jennifer Rose, born June 30. She has a sister and 2 brothers at home.
Sister Beverly Lunders, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lunders, departed for Tram. KY to do volunteer work in the Appalachia area. Sister will be teaching in Detroit this fall.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Briggs flew home from San Francisco, CA after spending 12 days with their daughter and family, Rev. and Mrs. Darryl Delhousaye, John and Kent.

40 Years Ago – 1981
Renea Sue Butcher of Holstein and Stephen Paul Ogren of Marcus were married June 20th in Holstein. After a wedding trip, they are at home on a farm in rural Marcus.
Genevieve Rigby of Denver, CO, Marguerite Petry of LeMars and Ruth Bass of Marcus attended a Kracke-Williams family reunion at Primghar Saturday.
Laurie Petersen of Hopkins, MN spent the weekend at a Presbyterian camp retreat at Lake Okoboji and was a Sunday overnight guest in the parental, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Petersen home at Cleghorn.

35 Years Ago – 1986
Gina Busch abd Lisa Spieler, both of Marcus and Elaine Rupp and Patrick Unkrur, both of Cleghorn, were named to the Dean’s list for the third term at Briar Cliff College, Sioux City.
Justin Pitts returned home from St. Luke’s Hospital in Sioux City where he has been a patient after being run over by a piece of farm machinery on his parent’s farm. He is recovering satisfactorily.
Susanna Albrecht returned to her Hamburg, Germany home and Kristen Rye departed for Trondheim, Norway. Both were exchange students at Meriden-Cleghorn High School.

30 Years Ago – 1991
A high wind storm hit Marcus Sunday morning that damaged many trees and flattened some corn. Winds at Spencer hit 85 mph.
Former Marcusite, Ann Schwarz Spooner and husband Norman Spooner of Spencer are the parents of a 9 lb. 10 1/2 oz. son, born Sunday, June 30. He is named Aaron Joseph and has 2 sisters at home.

20 Years Ago – 2001
The MMC Educational and Scholarship Foundation, and the Farmers State Bank are hosting a hole-in-one at the #9 hole at the local links July 28th. A lucky golfer could take home $10,000 for scoring an ace on the 155 yard hole.
Celeste Ogren of Marcus was named Queen of the Cherokee County Fair, replacing her cousin, Liz Ogren, who was the 2000 Fair Queen.
Lisa Puhrmann, 7 year old daughter of Steve and Debbie Puhemann, had her 10 inch plus ponytail cut off and it will be sent to “ Locks of Love”. It will be used to make wigs for children who have lost their hair due to cancer. Ann Schmillen, owner- operator of The Cutting Company, did the cutting.

15 Years Ago – 2006