It Happened HereFebruary 24, 2016
It Happened Here
Eighty Years Ago
(1936)
A 10 percent dividend was authorized for the Irvington Farmers State Bank, bringing to 97 percent the amount of money paid to depositors since the bank closed and had been put into receivership in 1932.
Local commodity prices had wheat at 98 cents a bushel and ear corn at 55 cents a bushel.
Local grocery prices showed a 24-pound bag of hard wheat flour was 93 cents and 10 pounds of C&H sugar were 49 cents.
Deaths: Anna Boyle of Oakdale; Rose Lyons, 67, sister of Stanley Jakubowski; Henry Hohman, 87, of Hoyleton; and Charles Henley.
Seventy-Five Years Ago
(1941)
Final figures from the 1940 census showed Nashville Township led the county with 2,935 residents. Okawville was second with 1,623. Other townships with over 1,000 inhabitants were Ashley (1,208), Du Bois (1,061), Hoyleton (1,293), and Irvington (1,283). The county total was 15,801.
Statistics for 1940 showed 167 deaths and 187 births in Washington County.
H.L. Krughoff and George A. Barton filed as candidates for mayor in April Nashville elections.
Work was started on the post office building in Nashville.
Deaths: Margaret McClay, 63, of Oakdale; Lucinda Snyder, 79, of Oakdale; Lula Reed, 36, of Centralia; Charlotte Schmidt of Addieville; and Thekla Lewandowska of Radom.
Seventy Years Ago
(1946)
Fire destroyed an old hotel building owned by E.H. Muenter in Hoyleton and seriously injured Mrs. Edwin Steinkamp.
Carnell Cunningham purchased the electric business of Charles Swain.
Washington County soldiers discharged were: T/5 Orval Ragland; Sgt. Clarence Woker, Raymond Shreeman, USN; T/5 Raymond May; Herman Pries, USN; Sgt. James Jones; Harold Meyer, USN; Pvt. Howard Haun; Capt. Alexander Morgan; Sgt. Roscoe Jones; Cpl. William Heck; Staff Sgt. Edwin Klingenberg; First Lt. Harry Morgan; Sgt. Paul Reeder; Frank Bob Kula, USN; Henry Mayer, USN; Oliver Shubert, USN; Capt. James Neill; Marine Lt. William Spear; and Staff Sgt. Jack Lane.
Deaths: T. Otto McPherson, 59, of Mt. Vernon; and Mrs. Fred Klingenberg, 78, of Okawville.
Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1951)
Washington County Farm Bureau announced its membership had hit a record of 1,393.
Attorney Ralph Lesemann, formerly of Nashville, as appointed legal counsel to the University of Illinois.
A one-way ticket to Jacksonville, FL from Nashville on the Greyhound bus was $16.
Kay’s Cafe in Nashville was robbed of $75 in a burglary.
Deaths: Charles Tucker of Ashley; Adam Wisniewski of DuBois; Dr. L.J. Klostermann, 71, of Hoyleton; Alelia Idel, 82, of Oklahoma City; Henry Gibbs, 87, editor of the O’Fallon Progress and a native of Okawville; Horatio Scott, 56, of Nashville; and Ida Murphy, 73, of Nashville.
Sixty Years Ago
(1956)
Robert Small and his son, Dale, opened a barber shop in the Small home.
Retail sales of 233 stores in Washington County totaled $16,506 in 1954 according to the Bureau of the Census.
Nashville defeated Breese, 77-54, to win the Tri-County League basketball title with a perfect 9-0 record.
The local theater featured “Rebel Without a Cause” with James Dean and Natalie Wood.
Deaths: Edward Rixmann of Hoyleton; Herman Struever, 91, formerly of Nashville; William Creel, 80, of Ashley; Louise Haake, 71, of Hoyleton; Edward Gaebe, 73, formerly of Addieville; Frank Bock, 76, of Ashley; Louis Pruehsner; and Mae Flanagan, 80, of Ashley.
Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1961)
James Kroeger, a senior at Nashville High School, was awarded an engraved plaque as the top small grain producer in the district competition.
Tony Smalley of Ashley reported the first flock of wild geese heading north.
Albert “Bud” Hale, an employee of McDonnell Aircraft Corp., was chosen for a position in Pensacola, FL establishing radar equipment for the Mercury capsule.
Stephanie and Sharon Westerfeld, nieces of Rueben Westerfeld of Hoyleton and Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Niermann of Nashville, died in a plane crash in Brussels, Belgium.
Other deaths: Pelagia Pelka, 79, of Pinckneyville; Helena Kornegger, 88, of Ashley; Ralph Ervin, 61, of Pinckneyville; Mrs. Oscar Kessler, 49, of Irvington; Herman Krewinghaus, 92, of Venedy; and Eugene Bollmeyer, 71, of Biddleborn.
Fifty Years Ago
(1966)
The Nashville City Council adopted a pay scale which gave $1.60 an hour for beginners in the maintenance department.
Money could earn 4 ½ percent on a 12-month certificate of deposit at Oakdale State Bank.
Jerry Spencer, 16, of Nashville was injured when he was pinned in his car after is was struck by a semi-trailer truck west of Nashville.
Frances Nail was crowned FHA Sweetheart Queen at NCHS.
Deaths: Clemma Breeze, 70, of Richview; James Himes, 81, of Nashville; William Hawkins, 92, of Okawville; Oscar Miller, 64, a native of Venedy; and Mike Kratz, 81, of Coulterville.
Forty-Five Years Ago
(1971)
The Karl Gewe Hardware business was purchased by Donald and Connie Lou Williamson.
Linda Jankowski, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Jankowski of Belleville, won the Miss St. Louis Pageant.
The Washington County Hospital Fund Drive was given a boost of $3,500, the cost of the private room in the new hospital wing, by the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Nashville.
Washington County Hospital authorized the wearing of pant suits for female employees.
Sharon Czajkowski was named 1971 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow for Nashville.
Deaths: Raymond Smith, 54, of Nashville; Otto Masters, 72, of Nashville; Dora Livesay, 87, of Irvington; Estella Bening, 77, of Okawville; Katherine Borowiak, 65, of Woodlawn; Ella Louise Bierman, 76, of Centralia; and Leona Krolikowski, 50, of Sesser.
Forty Years Ago
(1976)
Olive Branch Lutheran Church held a dedication of the parish hall.
Jewel Richards of Nashville was recognized with a plaque from Phillips Petroleum Co. for his 45 years of service.
Due to vandalism, the Washington County Courthouse was locked on Saturdays, Sundays and all holidays.
Deaths: Henry Hoffman, 72, of New Minden; Rudolph Brink, 75, of New Minden; Elmer Fielder, 64, of Bridgeton, MO; Walter Meyer, 74, of Okawville; Ignatz Dlubala, 85, of Nashville; Rosa Moellman, 83, of Venedy; Charles Zelasko, 78, of Du Bois; Bernhard Mueller, 72, of Marissa; Leo Rybacki, 87, of Du Bois; Herman Ansorge, 83, of Huntsville, AL; Magdalena Malkowicz, 96, of St. Louis; and Katherine Boehne, 87, of Greenville.
Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1981)
Ernest Sherman found oil in a new pool in Bolo Township.
West Washington County School District adopted a pass/fail grading system for physical education classes.
Large eggs were 79 cents a dozen and naval oranges were 10 for $1.
Deaths: Alvin Windler, 73, of New Minden; Christine Borrenpohl, 5, of Venedy; Anna Tomaszewski, 91, of Radom; Howard Newman, 71, a native of Washington County; Edna Logan, 90, a native of Richview; George Schaeferle, 73, of Marissa; Gertrude Kabat, 79, of Scheller; Florence Allison, 85, of Centralia; and Leroy Quirin, 73, of Belleville.
Thirty Years Ago
(1986)
Susan Dinkelmann, RN, was named Director of Operating Room/Central Supply at Washington County Hospital.
Ashley fired its only full-time police officer citing a “lack of public confidence in his ability to perform his duties.”
Deaths: Stanley Nowicki Sr., 95, of Radom; Emma Hemminghaus, 79, of Hoffman; Dorothy Holle, 76, of Hecker; Albert Sprehe Jr., 56, of Palm Springs, FL; Loraine Lawhorn, 70, a native of Nashville; and Caroline Buehler, 100, a native of Hoyleton.
Wedding: Christina Whittington and Paul Kuberski Jr.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1991)
Ashley City Council over-rode a veto and let stand an approximately 50 per hour pay raise for City Water Superintendent John Schaefer.
The Property Committee of Nashville City Council was expected to recommend the closing of the City-owned land-fill.
Despite objections from neighbors, the Okawville Zoning Board of Appeals said Jeff and Leonard Obermeier may continue to raise livestock in the village limits.
The contract of John G. Cruser as principal of NCHS was extended for three years.
Fire departments received fund from the U.S. Forest Service, with Irvington receiving $7,500; Coulterville $9,548.50; and Pinckneyville $7,500.
Deaths: Albert “Bert” Meyer, 89, of Nashville; Gerhardt Sprehe, 101, of New Minden; Olga Finke, 97, formerly of Plum Hill; Henry Parks, 85, of Centralia; Lydia Strate, 89, of Okawville; Silverius Freimann, 79, of Swansea; Thomas Beggs, 35, of St. Louis; and Mary Foehr, 70, of Kirkwood.
Weddings: Cheri Johnson and Warren McLeod; and Marlene Lamke and Robert Kabat.
Births: Todd and Melody Wilson of Nashville, a son.
Twenty Years Ago
(1996)
Nashville News sports editor Ed Kemper received his first ever Merle O. Jones Memorial Award as the outstanding sports media person as chosen by the Southern Illinois Coaches Association.
Jarret Finke’s 19 points helped the Nashville police top the local firemen 67-60 in a DARE fundraiser. Harry Jankowski led the firemen with 18 points.
A Proctor Silex coffee maker was $12.99 at Lee’s Variety.
Deaths: William Ferguson, 56, of Radom; Mildred Wakefield, 88, of Okawville; Linda Rueter, 86, of Hoffman; Rev. Leonard Klitzing, 71, of Belleville; Earl Burnett, 79, of Patoka; and Everett Smith, 77, of Tamaroa.
Wedding: Michelle Krus and Mark Riechmann.
Births: Stephen and Janice Lange of Nashville, a son; Kevin and Marianne Kellerman of New Minden, a daughter.
Fifteen Years Ago
(2001)
The Hornettes were headed to the state tournament in Bloomington for the first time in 11 years after beating McLeansboro.
Rev. Kerry Bean, director of Du Bois Center, called himself a steward of God’s gift.
Nashville police were investigating several burglaries to garages and vehicles.
Nashville firemen quickly extinguished a fire at the Marjorie Borgmann home.
Long-time Nashville News sports writer and NCHS football and basketball announcer Eddie Kemper was honored at a Hornet game.
Deaths: Lorraine Gogolek, 77, of St. Louis; Elmer Going Jr., 73, of Venedy; Elfrieda Feig, 80, of Marissa; and Evalyn Moehlenkamp, 82, of Decatur.
Wedding: Kourtney Twenhafel and Mark French.
Births: Mr. and Mrs. Jarret Jasper of New Baden, a son; Mr. and Mrs. David Vieth of Nashville, a daughter; Eric and Angenette Segelhorst of Hoyleton, a son; Keith and Susanne Riechmann of Okawville, twin girls; Kurt and Michele Niermann of Geneva, a daughter; Michael and Susan Bergmann of Nashville, a son.
Ten Years Ago
(2006)
Four fire departments battled a blaze that swept through the headquarters of Guinzy Construction in Ashley.
Okawville Lady Rockets were headed to state after beating Olney in the super-sectional.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Sharp was ordained pastor of First Baptist Church in Nashville.
Deaths: Mary Kolweier, 86, of Okawville; Dr. Paul Poirot, 90, of Lewisburg, PA; Lester Wessel, 80, of Nashville; Genevieve Egan, 90, of New Minden; Irene Rabenort, 87, of Nashville; Donald Jacobson, 64, of Nashville; Josephine Andrews, 94, of Olathe, KS; Shirley Dunnigan, 53, of Addieville; Fred Whitaker, 77, of Ashley; and Margaret Dahncke, 92, of Oakdale.
Five Years Ago
(2011)
The Nashville city council approved getting a new employee healthcare plan which would save the city thousands over the course of a year.
Historian Barbara Kay gave a presentation as Mary todd Lincoln, wife of the 16th president, at the Nashville Public Library.
The NCHS Hornettes were headed to the Class 2A state tournament after defeating Teutopolis.
Ashlyn Ahlers was selected as a finalist for the Illinois Homecoming Queen pageant.
While Nashville and Okawville saw slight increases in their populations, overall, Washington County’s population dipped by three-percent between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.
Births: Elsie Ann Dietz was born to Greg and Renee Dietz of Peoria on Feb. 8, her grandparents were Cheryl and Jay Colbrook of Nashville. Jaxon Gary Suedmeyer was born to Mary Beth and Craig Suedmeyer of Hoyleton on January 2. Conner Jackson Timmermann was born to Scott and Amanda Timmermann of Nashville on February 1.
Weddings: Stephanie Pieszchalski and Jonathan Swoboda were wed on Oct. 9, 2010; Jeric Burns and Maria Meyer announced their engagement and plans to wed on May 20, 2011.
Deaths: Melvin Moehle, 88, of Washington, Feb. 18; Edward Kania, 85, of DuBois, Feb. 14; Scott Maynard, 28, of Waltonville, Feb. 13; Edgar Reinkensmeyer, 89, of Hoyleton, Feb. 16; Helen “Joy” Broadwater, 82, of Nashville, Feb. 19; Florence Stinebrook, 83, of Shiloh, Feb. 17.
