It Happened HereJuly 27, 2016
It Happened Here
Eighty Years Ago
(1936)
George Small Jr. was attending a linotype school in Chicago preparing to become an operator at “The News.”
Theodore Malinowski, secretary of the Washington County Soil and Conservation Committee, addressed the Nashville Rotary Club.
Dr. Paul Schroeder of Chicago, a psychiatrist, was in charge of the child guidance clinic at SIUC.
Deaths: Fred Koch of Okawville; Mrs. George McNew of Okawville; and Ernst Gerstkemper of Hoyleton.
Seventy-Five Years
(1941)
Nashville was being mentioned as the proposed eastern terminus for a gas pipeline from the east-Texas oil fields.
Willie Hoffman’s tavern was robbed of $150 worth of merchandise in a burglary.
Harry Kozuszek, eight, of near Nashville suffered a broken leg when he was kicked by a horse.
Theresa Nowicki of Du Bois, Marie Kamadulski of Richview and Veronica Otto of Beaucoup received appointments as attendants at the Manteno State Hospital.
Shanks Motor Sales in Nashville offered a 1938 Ford Tudor for $365.
Deaths: Samuel Kaser, 66, of Nashville; and Melvin Dahncke, 35, formerly of Elkton.
Seventy Years Ago
(1946)
P.E. Green was appointed attorney for the L&N Railroad in Nashville.
Walter Blumhorst of Venedy Station was injured when he was shot by an unknown assailant while picking berries.
Area soldiers discharged were: Seaman Robert Povolish of Beaucoup; Sgt. Wesley Oltman of Addieville; Tsgt. Steve Schaeffer of St. Louis; Seaman Henry Grote of Hoyleton; Fireman Joh Hettenhausen of Okawville; Seaman Gilbert Boester of Hoyleton; T/4 Alva Piercy of Ashley; and Aviation Machinist Mate Earl Klingenberg of Okawville.
Deaths: Fred Gaebe, 63, of Addieville; John Hagemeyer, 67, of Addieville; Mary Dintelman, 87, a native of North Prairie; Louis Ortlepp, 87, of Okawville; and Florence Sanders, 86, of Irvington.
Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1951)
“The Last Outpost,” starring Ronald Reagan and Rhonda Fleming, was featured at the State Theatre in Nashville.
Local grocery prices included 10 pounds of potatoes for 35 cents and two bars of soap for 39 cents.
Deaths: Fred Sprehe, 92, of New Minden; Frank Rogers, 79, of Nashville; and William Boyle of Oakdale.
Sixty Years Ago
(1956)
A delegation from Washington County met with Governor William Stratton to urge that state survey the site for a proposed lake south of Nashville.
The Nashville Milk Company purchased equipment and supplies from the Original Springs Dairy in Okawville.
Burglars entered five businesses in Hoyleton, including the Clover Leaf Elevator, Wiegmann Lumber, Michael’s Garage, Pries Equipment and Paul Fark’s farm machinery building.
A new 4-H pavilion was dedicated at the fairgrounds.
Norman Zacheis of Oakdale was hired as music instructor at Nashville High School.
A committee of Evangelical ministers recommended a new location for the Hoyleton Children’s Home.
Walter Beckmeyer was selling peaches for $3 a bushel.
Deaths: Theodore Rudolph Kraus, 66, a native of New Minden; Elizabeth Rolf, 61, of St. Louis; Donald Liszewski, eight-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Liszewski of Posen; William Restoff, 88, of Tamaroa; Mattie Nehrkorn, 82, a native of Washington County; Mary Coultas of Ashley; John Miles, 89, of Lively Grove; Fred Seering, 75, formerly of Fayetteville Township; and James Jones, 84, a native of Plum Hill.
Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1961)
Wheat was $2.02 a bushel, corn was $1.23 a bushel.
The Hall of Fame director for Major League Baseball in Cooperstown, NY, wrote “The News” in an effort to find biographical information on a David Brain who played major league baseball between 1901 and 1908. He had been born in Ashley.
Deaths: John Kwiatkowski, 55, of Nashville; Paul Clemmons, 63, of Addieville; Lizzie Wessel, 77, a native of Oakdale Township; Harold Grote, 58, of Hoyleton; William Koelling, 65, of Irvington Township; Thomas Maxwell of Nashville; and Mrs. Peter Witges, 72, of Scheller.
Fifty Years Ago
(1966)
Dry weather kept local fire departments busy fighting weed and brush fires. None of them were serious.
Fifty-one Southern Illinois counties, including Washington, were declared disaster areas due to drought.
Candidates for Miss Washington County were Nany Oexeman, Bernadine Ann Klaybor, Donna Kay Dick, Paulette Ladendecker, Maryann Doelling and Marilyn Schleifer.
Deaths: John Miller, 93, of Pilot Knob Township; Walter Waier, 78, of Ashley; Ida Beaumont, 67, a native of Hoyleton; Harold Wright, 73; Rev. Roy Chesney, 44; Hettie Greer, 89, of Du Bois; Mrs. Willard Thompson, 79, of Oakdale; John Borowiak of Woodlawn; Mrs. Otto master, 65; and Herman Dittmer, 80.
Forty-Five Years Ago
(1971)
Washington County was one of 59 Illinois counties quarantined for a cereal leaf beetle.
The State Theatre in Nashville featured “Pretty Girls All in a Row” with Rock Hudson and Angie Dickinson.
Deaths: Martha Jankowski, 67, of Nashville; Dr. Richard Matlavish, 51, of Du Quoin; and Alexander Belter, formerly of Du Bois.
Forty Years Ago
(1976)
William Powell became the executive director of the Hoyleton Children’s Home.
Gale Morgan of Okawville was crowned Miss Washington County 1976. First runner-up was Cheryl Matecki of Nashville, and Sara Hardesty of Nashville was second runner-up.
George Nadolski and daughter, Cheryl, of Ashley won the Agricultural Exposition’s championship trophy in the Milking Shorthorn cow class at the Du Quoin State Fair.
Deaths: Kenneth Fiessler, 43, of Spokane, WA; Raymond Hohman, 56, of Nashville; Fred Heintz, 85, of Marissa; Henry Stuehmeyer, 81, of Hoyleton; and Elsie Goodman, 89, of Ashley.
Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1981)
The home of David Heiman near Okawville was severely damaged as a series of powerful thunderstorms raked Washington County.
Cantaloupes were 67 cents each and white bread was 38 cents for a 16-ounce loaf.
Deaths: Rose Jarosewski, 61, of Nashville; Chris Frederking, 91, of Nashville; Clara Stroud, 78, a native of Plum Hill Township; Kenneth Gaebe, 64, of Okawville; Frank Knox, 66, of Richview; Edna Pruett, 89, of Dunedin, FL; Edgar Hagnauer, 70, of Highland; Raymond Wilke, 61, a native of Okawville; Bobby Joe Melton, 21, of Chester; Irene Schneider, 69, of St. Louis; and August Hohlt, 91, of Addieville.
Weddings: Debra Kroener and Michael Spenner; Robbie Macomb and Mark Thompson; Deborah Kurtz and Robert Kramm; and Diane Unverfehrt and Bradley Smithy.
Thirty Years Ago
(1986)
For the first time in two years the temperatures in Nashville reached 100 degrees F.
Representatives of the Hoyleton and Nashville District 49 discussed consolidating the two districts.
Washington County farmers shipped an estimated 10 carloads of hay to famers in Georgia, hit hard by drought.
William Frank announced his retirement as president of the First National Bank of Okawville.
Pork spare ribs were $1.39 a pound and a half-gallon of ice cream was 99 cents.
Deaths: James Henderson, 80, of Nashville; Ralph Brunkhorst, 60, of Murphysboro; Dorothea Reinkensmeyer, 93, of Hoyleton; George Frederking, 81, of Mascoutah; Arthur Grote, 76, of Centralia; Genevieve Boner, 65, of Marion; Robert Litton, 64, of Edgemont; and Cora Wilke, 88, of Lebanon.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1991)
West Washington District No. 10 school board learned of a $25,000 bequest from Celeste “Sally” Steinhauer to establish a college tuition memorial fund.
Nashville City Council voted to terminate the use of the city’s landfill by commercial haulers as part of a planned process to close the landfill.
Hardee’s had 16 pieces of fried chicken and 8 buttermilk biscuits for $10.99.
Three teenagers were caught vandalizing six tombstones at the Vernon Cemetery in Nashville. They were ordered to complete community service work and restitution.
Deaths: Cpl. Samuel Schnitker, 21, formerly of Hoyleton; William Dunai, 86, of Clearwater, FL; Carl Kerry, 81, of Du Bois; Marcellus “Bud” Rolfingsmeier, 74, of Breese; George “Tom” Garland, 55, of Centralia; Erica Van Hoorebeke, 18, of Tamaroa; Erwin Kehrer, 71, of New Memphis; and Warren “Bud” Cohlmeyer, 72, of Richview.
Weddings: Janice Weeke and Gerhard Diekemper; Carol Rueter and Robert Weist; Patricia Boester and Kenneth Zapp Jr.; Karen Fark and Bradley Meyer; and Dorothy Novotney and Barry Feltcher.
Births: Lyle and Sharon Auld of Centralia, a son; Wade and Sarah Brammeier of Chrisman, a daughter; Tom and Stephanie Fehrner of Belleville, a daughter.
Twenty Years Ago
(1996)
The boom of a crane being used on the construction of the Growmark feed mill collapsed on top of the building after someone cut a cable on the crane. A $5,000 reward was offered for information on the incident.
Cathy Lehde was on a mission trip to Russia with the Logos Youth Team.
Citizens of New Minden learned more about the village’s $1.7 million sewer project.
A Radom woman was charged after brandishing a loaded shotgun at people attending a meeting at the village hall.
Lightning and high winds knocked out electricity, damaged computers and knocked down trees around the county.
Meanwhile, “Twister” was the feature at the State Theatre.
Deaths: Oliver Keller, 75, of Nashville; Elizabeth Jones, 74, of Nashville; Edwin Frederking, 78, of Addieville; Stanley Pawlowski, 85, of St. Louis; Elmer Bleish, 92, of Elkville; Joseph Kemnetz, 62, of Evans, GA; Vivian Korele, 67, of Marissa; Taylor Elliott, infant daughter of Michael and Danielle Elliott of St. Louis; Olga Freimuth, 91, of Centralia; Oliver L. Clark, 68, of Cahokia; Darin Harriman, 31, of St. Libory; Agnes Bruns, 81, of Pinckneyville; and Raymond Buretta, 45, of Enfield.
Weddings: Kristine Horstmeyer and Karl Huckshold; Pattie Sue Windler, and Gregg Hendricks; Sheila Range and Douglas Lueking; and Leslie Freeman and Matthew Knox.
Births: Brian and Susan Wisneski of Venedy, a daughter; Brett and Janelle Roethemeyer of Kirkwood, a daughter; Gary and Kristy Winka, a daughter; and David and Mary Kozuszek of Ashley, a son.
Fifteen Years Ago
(2001)
Seven babies were delivered at Washington County Hospital in one month as the hospital’s profit climbed to $52,834.
a $500,000 sediment control project at Washington County State Lake was on a hold due to severe budget restrictions.
Nashville Public Library Board members told the city council they were rapidly out-growing the 3,800-square-foot facility built less than 10 years before.
High winds felled a tree in downtown Nashville, knocking out power to portions of the city for several hours.
Pastor J.K. Trainklein was called to serve Olive Branch Lutheran Church.
Local grocery prices showed three 12-packs of soda for $8 and hardshell cantalope were 24 cents a pound.
Deaths: Celley Schultz, 97, of Nashville; Gary Fortmeyer, 57, of Boise, ID; Thomas Bauza, 42, of St. Louis, MO; Elmo Klingenberg, 84, of Fort Worth TX; Mary Curry, 67, of Coulterville; Anna Patrick, 67, of Centralia; Raymond Rodenberg, 56, of Fayetteville; Clarence Lehr, 82, of Anna.
Wedding: Susan Leutner and James Sylvester.
Birth: Tonya and Paul Grabowski of Du Bois, a daughter.
Ten Years Ago
(2006)
Charlotte Schleifer turned 108 years old with a party at Washington County Hospital’s Long Term Care wing.
Every street in Ashley was blocked by downed power lines or trees as a severe thunderstorm ripped through the eastern portion of the county.
Cell phones were banned from classrooms at Okawville District 10.
Nashville City Council gave its blessing to a $250,000 expansion of the library.
Births: Eric Frost and Drew Storck of Nashville, a son; Kelly and Valerie Bauza of New Baden, a daughter.
Deaths: Kenneth Giles, 80, of St. Charles, MO; Milton Graham, 91, of Du Quoin; Melba Schnitker, 86, of Hoyleton; Ordell Hohlt, 86, of Nashville; Clarence “Pat” Guild, 83, of Tamms; Anna Kallas, 88, of Centralia; and Charles Best, 86, of Chester.
Wedding: Michelle Russell and Michael Wazlawek.
Five Years Ago
(2011)
Accused murderer Clay Maxwell filed a motion to have his trial moved out of Washington County.
As temperatures soared, kids hit the pool to cool off while Ameren recorded electrical demand of 9,502 megawatts on July 19 an 9,605 megawatts on July 21. The previous record, set in 2007, was 9,386 megawatts.
The city of Nashville approved paying $1,000 towards the cost of repairing the town’s emergency siren, with the rest of the $2,136 expected coast to be paid by Washington County ESDA.
Trailers owned by NOTS displayed messages letting those on the road know of the benefit that family farms had for America.
Linda and Churck Behrle celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on August 6.
Deaths: Anthony “Tony” Paszkiewicz, 90, of rural Coulterville, July 7; Linda Collmeyer, 62, of Waterloo, July 20.
