It Happened HereAugust 10, 2016

It Happened Here

Eighty Years Ago

(1936)

The Zion Evangelical Church of Hoyleton celebrated its 75th anniversary.

As many as 100 cars parked along the road in the old town section of Richview in hopes of catching a glimpse of the figure that inhabited a haunted house there. A Nashville businessman said that an old man, who formerly lived in the house, returned at times illuminated by strange blue and red lights. Other observers said the light was given off by the electric high line which passed by the place.

Work began on the construction of the Okawville Village waterworks system.

G.H. Rixmann of Hoyleton purchased the Nashville property of the Pevely Milk Co.

T.L. Brandt opened a new Western Auto Store in Nashville.

George Hasemeier, 64, was found shot with a .22 calibre rifle.

Other deaths: Fred Sanders of Venedy; Mary Heitkamp, 63, of Beaucoup; William Neuhaus, formerly of Nashville; Pauline Nickel, 47; Joseph Pokorney, 67, of Nashville; and Helen Garnholz Peithman, 80, of Sedalia, MO.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

(1941)

Billy Day, 16, of Nashville was injured when he was thrown from a lime truck on the Orlando Gerding farm.

Candidates for the Nashville Lions Club Homecoming Queen were Jocille Ackerman of Du Bois; Mary Lou Warren of Irvington; Grace Haun of Ashley; Hazel Doelling of Stone Church; and Fay Bridges of Okawville.

Candidates for Nashville City Queen were Ruth Speck and Dorothy Maxwell.

Freddie Smith took over management of the Nashville Phillips 66 service station.

George Cope, 75, of Irvington Township was killed by a bull in a pasture.

Other deaths: Louis Brandhorst; John Franck, 31, formerly of Nashville; Roxana Brutcher; Isaac Davis, 78, of Du Bois; William Perkins, 68, of Nashville; William Brueggemann, 74, of Venedy; Elizabeth McConaghie, 30, of Oakdale; and Charles Stricker, 58, formerly of Nashville.

Seventy Years Ago

(1946)

A garage and is contents were destroyed by fire at the Fred Prasuhn Jr. home.

A committee from the Nashville Lions Club appeared before the City Council to seek support for a municipal swimming pool.

Watermelons were selling for 3 cents a pound and 10 pounds of potatoes were 35 cents.

Area soldiers discharged included: Machinist Mate Charles Wisely of Oakdale; Seaman Tadeausz Wisniewski of Ashley; Marine Cpl. Cecil Erbar of Nashville; Sgt. Walter Gilter of Nashville; Machinist Mate Walter Frederking of Okawville; Seaman Lawrence Weihe of Okawville; Aviation Machinist Mate Wayne Sachtleben of New Minden; Hospital Apprentice Eugene Hildebrand of Nashville; Seaman Clifford McConnell of Oakdale; and Seaman Earl Martens of Venedy.

Emmett Larkin, 49, was killed when the L&N locomotive he was engineering crashed into the back of a switching train near Nashville.

Other deaths: Caroline Mairose, 87, of Plum Hill; and Edward Miller, former Congressman from East St. Louis.

Sixty-Five Years Ago

(1951)

Weinlein Hardware advertised a 48-inch, twin-bowl kitchen sink complex for $129.95.

Local grocery prices included hamburger for 62 cents a pound and five pounds of sugar for 50 cents.

Deaths: James Carson, 54, a native of Nashville; Mrs. W.F. Hagebusch, 80, of Okawville; Emma Bierman, 73, of Nashville; and Laura Kube of St. Louis.

Sixty Years Ago

(1956)

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Sachtleben of Plum Hill was struck by lightning.

The meeting of the Square Deal Milk Products was cancelled for Nashville when the city was unable to meet commitments for accommodations.

Elmer Hasheider was appointed Okawville Township Clerk to complete the unexpired term of the late Elbert Zetzsche.

Mrs. Joe Berry was running a new general store owned by Glenn Brammeier in the former Cities Service Station.

Contestants for the title of Miss Washington County were Shirley Brinkman, Martha Haier, Hazel Haun, Dorothy Krueger, LaVerne Lance, Mary Meyer, LaVerne Kitowski, Martha Vaughn, Patricia Borowiak, Mary Louise Meyer, Betty Ostendorf, Emma Lou Setzekorn, Darlene Shook, June Torricelli and Marjorie Tubbs. Martha Vaughn took first place.

Deaths: Alvina Schneider, 51, of Woodlawn; Hettie Anderson, 80, of Woodlawn; Victoria Podwojski, 79, of Bolo Township; Louis Haege, 93, of Nashville; Leda Klauke; Walter Buchmueller, 64, a native of Okawville; Father F.M. Halbig, 49, former pastor at St. Ann Catholic Church in Nashville; Emma Nadler, 80, of Okawville; Mary Alice Coultas, 89, of Ashley; Bertha Zotz, 51, of Mascoutah; and Emil Radake, 23, of Tamaroa.

Fifty-Five Years Ago

(1961)

Donald Prasuhn of Nashville bought a truck route formerly operate by Wilbert Finke of Addieville.

Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Smith of Mulberry Grove assumed charge of the Coffee Shop on the west end of Nashville.

Fire destroyed the barn at the Harold Brammeier farm east of Oakdale.

Deaths: James Markham, 50, formerly of Nashville; Ella Edwards, 64, of Festus, MO; Edna Burgess, 91, a native of Nashville; and John Kamadulski, 4, of Granite City.

Fifty Years Ago

(1966)

An air strip was built near the Washington County Lake.

The overnight low temperatures in Nashville dropped to 58 degrees.

Edwin Muenter was elected president and chairman of Hoyleton State and Savings Bank.

Willard Meyer was appointed director of the Washington County Civil Defense program.

Deaths: Lillie Witte of New Minden; Kasmir Piasecki, 82, of Posen; Ebert Dickerson, 87, of Nashville; Bertha Wildermuth, 74, of Nashville; Fred Arning, 78, of Pleasent Grove; Frances Dalman, 74, of Du Bois; Daniel Aldag, 86, of Hoyleton; Mrs. Fred Backs of Venice; Elizabeth Schlegel, 93, of Belleville; and Zella Cook, 73, formerly of Beaucoup.

Forty-Five Years Ago

(1971)

Raymond Hollgarth, 29, a native of Nashville, walked away from the Menard Honor Farm. He was serving a sentence for burglary from Macon County.

Washington County couples could expect to spend an average of $46 a day while on vacation trips this summer according to the American Automobile Association, the highest ever. Included in he total was $16 per day for food, $17 for overnight accommodations and $9 a day for gas and oil.

Donald Hake, 40, of Hoyleton was killed when he was pinned beneath a tractor during a plowing demonstration near Huegely.

Other deaths: Clara Dude, 64, a native of North Prairie; Peter Bartnicki, 70, of Nashville; Alvina Nehrt, 83, a native of Covington; Walter Setmeyer, 59, of Tamaroa; John Waligorski, 53, of Du Bois; and Anna Smith, 88, of Ashley.

Forty Years Ago

(1976)

Ralph Korte Construction Company, Inc. in Highland, purchased the East Gate Apartments in Nashville.

David Smith joined Butler Manufacturing Co. as international market development manager for the company's agricultural equipment group.

Friendship Manor Nursing Home completed installation of an air conditioning unit.

A funnel cloud was the cause of much damage in and around Nashville.

Gary Uhlir of Nashville decided to list his diner, Gary's Place, for sale due to the demand for his stained glass windows.

Deaths: Estella Carson, 83, of Oakdale; George Hanenberger, 72, of Hoyleton; Albert Lange Jr., 50, formerly of Ashley; Albert Perkey, 55, of Du Quoin; Caroline Bathon, 73, of Pinckneyville; Dr. Orval Bennett, 88, of St. Louis; Wilber Freier, 55, of Marissa; Joseph Buchele of Nashville; and Mrs. Louis Woosley, 72, of Pinckneyville.

Thirty-Five Years Ago

(1981)

Oil drilling in Convington Township was continuing.

July rainfall totaled 5.62 inches.

Elmer Schrage was a Democratic candidate for Superintendent of the Educational Services Region for Clinton and Washington Counties.

Harvey Bunker Jr., opened a State Farm Insurance Agency in Nashville.

A 16-ounce loaf of white bread was 38 cents and 20-pound watermelons were $1.98 each.

Deaths: Edward Rather, 81, of Nashville; Samuel Welles, 64, of Mt. Vernon; Mary Sinn, 85, of Marissa; Emilie Oeltjen, 97, of Venedy; Sophia Robinson, 82, of Ashley; and Milo Klosterhoff, 73, a native of Addieville.

Wedding: Gloria Konkel and Ronald Kellerman.

Thirty Years Ago

(1986)

Deaths: Odelia Rockamann, 81, of Okawville; Alvin Ostendorf, 70, formerly of Nashville; Mayme Poese, 88, of St. Louis; Mathilda DeBernardi, 75, a native of Hoyleton; Vernon Davis, 72, of Oakdale; Edward Wisniewski, 80, of Arlington Heights; Rev. William Sabbert, 96, formerly of Hoyleton; and Emma Roethemeyer, 90, formerly of Irvington.

Weddings: Amy Reid and John Kasten; Connie Cramer and Michael Kramper; Lori Kryger and Mark Kabat; Margaret Kabat and Greg Barton; and Pamela James and Wayne Junge.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

(1991)

Nashville City Council authorized the library board to seek bids on a remodeling of the former VFW building on East Elm Street for a new city library. Construction was estimated to cost $175,7000 and the furnishings an estimated $47,7000. The site itself was purchased for $62,500.

The state said that the value the county set on local property was too low and imposed a “multiplier” that would raise assessed valuations by 6.15 percent.

A “School Days Sale” at Lee's included 24 count Crayolas for 96 cents and 4 oz. Bottle of Elmer's School Glue for 49 cents.

Deaths: Minnie Pierjok, 67, of Richview; former Mayor Joe C. Haier, 92, of Okawville; Adolph Schuetz, 76, of Venedy; Harry Rixmann, 88, of Hoyleton; Lawrence Jasper, 65, of Stone Church; Beulah Dycus, 91, of Mt. Vernon; Roy Carle, 67, of Coulterville; Clara Gajewski, 79, of Scheller; Paul Loquasto, 58, of Ontario, NY, formerly of Okawville and Addieville.

Weddings: Karen Surmeier and Andrew Kirchner; Jeanette Rennegarbe and Brice Davis.

Births: John and Jane Kania of Ashely, a daughter; Kelvin and Teresa Boester of Hoyleton, a daughter.

Twenty Years Ago

(1996)

Tab Stiegman won a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am, donated by Holzhauer Auto and Truck Sales, with a hole-in-one during a JC golf scramble at the Nashville course.

Dawn Lietz began offering speech therapy services at Washington County Hospital.

Loraine Schneider of Venedy won a $1,000 shopping spree from Kay Jewelers.

Magna Bank offered 6.10 percent interest on a 21-month CD.

Deaths: Francisa Contreras, 78, of Nashville; Pearl Seibert, 85, of Nashville; T. Patricia Buss, 57, of St. Libory; George Peper, 80, of Centralia; Margaret Little, 89, of Coulterville; Helen Finke, 71, of Charleston, MS; Evelyn Queen, 78, of Tamaroa; Dolores Hake, 65, of North Canton, OH; Elmer Schneck, 72, of Pocahontas; Clarence Miller, 71, of Belleville; and Lucinda Bense, 75, of Millstadt.

Births: Douglas and Diane Zacheis of Oakdale, a daughter; Jerald and Dana Wyciskala of Tamaroa, a son; Rev. Alan and Rhonda Kiefer of Nashville, a son; Scott and Donna Horst of Hoyleton, a son; Michael and Valerie Lamczyk of Ashley, a daughter.

Fifteen Years Ago

(2001)

Congressman John Shimkus told Washington County Farm Bureau members passage of an energy bill promoting biodiesel and ethanol was a victory for farmers.

Illinois EPA specialists said Aquila Energy's proposed power plant would not affect air quality.

Washington County Hospital received a $2.1 million loan from the Department of Agriculture to replace the heating and air conditioning system.

Frances Karg, formerly of Lively Grove Township, celebrated her 100th birthday.

Ashley Public Library moved into a new building.

Back to school specials at Lee's Variety included a 64-pack of crayons for $2.69 and notebooks for 99 cents.

Deaths: Theodore Boreup, 89, of Nashville; Goldie Ladendecker, 77, of Nashville; LeRoy Niermann, 73, of Hoyleton; Adolph Rockamann, 76, of Okawville; Nicole Konkel, infant daughter of Terry and Linda Konkel of Ashley.

Weddings: Stephanie Bunker and Layne Michael.

Births: Michael and Jody Liszewski of Nashville, a son; Russ and Gina Goodiel of Hoyleton, a daughter; Greg and Melissa Hopfinger of Nashville, a daughter; Kevin and Julia Witges of Scheller, a daughter; and Robert and Kristi Smith of Richview, a son.

Ten Years Ago

(2006)

The Frank Schlosser Harness Shop in Okawville was among landmarks pictured in the 2007 Historic Illinois calendars.

Chad Rhine joined Camagna Funeral Home as a licensed funeral director and embalmer.

Helen Dude, long-time NCHS teacher and coach, donated a sign honoring the school's first Hornette softball team from 1976-1977.

An eight-pack of Crayolas was $1.67 and 70-sheet theme books were 12 cents at Lee's Variety.

Births: Jack Brooks III and Tina Buretta of Nashville, twin sons; Mr. and Mrs. Brian Myers of High Springs, FL, a son; Jeff and Wendy Bergmann of Oakdale, a son.

Deaths: Mary Konkel, 82, of Du Bois; Thomas Gillison, 82, of Nashville; Richard Miller, 64, of Addieville; Arnold Eigenrauch, 69, of Okawville; Russell Davis, 77, of Dix.

Wedding: Melissa Aaron and David Droege.

Five Years Ago

(2011)

Accused murderer Clay Maxwell’s son, Bryan Maxwell, 19, was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping his father cover up the murder of Lauren Castellari.

Tenn ambassador Hannah Gutjahr, 15, took a trip to Europe.

The Illinois Secretary of State’s Inspector General Jim Burns visited the Nashville Driver’s Services facility to highlight the Safe ID Task Force.

The Nashville City Council voted to provide funds to Washington County Senior services.

Area gas prices, Aug. 8, 2011: Nashville, $3.74/gal; Okawville, $3.75; Ashley, $3.76; Pinckneyville, $3.88.

Births: Adilin Mae Horstmann was born on July 30 to Jackie Kurwicki and Jake Horstmann of Carterville. Rigden Nathan Senior was born on June 27 to Keith and Casey Senior of Nashville.

Sarah Rennegarbe and Edward Zaring were engaged; Julie Lange and Josh Steinkamp were wed; Roger and Carolyn Hayes celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Deaths: Donaldt Rueter, 89, of Hoffman, August 2; Agnes Kostecki, 76, of St. Louis, August 3; Jo Ann Decker, 72, of Nashville;Martin Suchomski, 48, of Highland, August 1.