It Happened HereAugust 31, 2016
It Happened Here
Eighty Years Ago
(1936)
Approximately 500 gallons of water was being sold daily by the City of Nashville in an effort to help alleviate an acute water shortage in the area. Many wells and cisterns had run dry. Extreme heat had also ruined many crops.
Work on the Nashville WPA sewer project remained at a standstill due to a strike by workers. The workers wanted union recognition.
Delores Lietz of Venedy was crowned Washington County Peach Queen.
Local grocery store prices included cider vinegar for 19 cents a gallon and mustard for 10 cents a quart.
Deaths: Ella Seyler, 81, of Nashville; Samuel Seyler of Nashville; Emma Weihe, 64, of New Minden; and Katherine Thomas, 61, of Irvington.
Seventy-Five Years Ago
(1941)
Nashville High School administrators said advanced enrollment for the coming school year would be over 275 students, the largest number ever.
Fred Haier’s bowling alley and tavern in Okawville was robbed of $30.
The Missouri Pacific railroad was polling area businessmen in an attempt to discontinue its passenger train from Salem to Chester.
Deaths: Henry Borchelt, 66, of Nashville; and Jane Osborne.
Seventy Years Ago
(1946)
Lower electric rates were announced for Illinois Power Co. users around the county.
A fourth polio case was reported in Nashville. The victim was Roger Clark, 21-month old son of Mrs. Rose Clark.
Area soldiers discharged included: Ship-fitter Albert Malick of Ashley; Staff Sgt. Ralph Martens of Venedy; Seaman Oliver Hale of Nashville; Seam Robert Klamm of Nashville; Seaman William Bennett of Ashley; Ensign Lawrence Russel of Okawville; Pvt. Orvel Hesskamp of Nashville; T/5 Herbert Lehr of New Athens; Cpl. Stanley Nowicki of Radom; First Sgt. Harry Himbury of Nashville; First Lt. Horace Johnson; Sgt. Orville Poirot of Nashville; and Pvt. Raymond Schmersahl of Oakdale.
Deaths: Frances Dlubala, 79, of Nashville; Rev. Henry Miller, 85, of Nashville; Conrad Segelhorst, 70, of Okawville; Dr. J.D. Thurmon of St. Louis; Theodore Meyer, 81, of Nashville; William Nobe, 77, of Nashville; Mrs. Salem Goodner, 84, formerly of New Minden; Charles Eckhardt, 83, of Venedy; and Edward Kasten, 65, of New Minden.
Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1951)
Johnnie Hines of Nashville won the 100 yard dash at the state sports festival in Champaign-Urbana with a time of 11.1 seconds.
Lester Campbell, an employee of Cunningham Electric, was unhurt when he overturned his car on Highway 460 a half mile west of Beaucoup.
Deaths: John Downes, 73, of Irvington; William Alhf, 65, of Nashville; James Cross, 49, a native of Nashville; Pvt. Lloyd Campbell, 19, of Irvington; Frank Jurkowski, 65, of Du Bois; Martha Grabowski, 40, of Du Bois; Helen Burg, 69, of St. Louis; H.F. Berger, 52, formerly of Nashville; and Bob Gill, 39.
Sixty Years Ago
(1956)
The soybean harvest had begun in Washington County with a price of $2.24 being paid per bushel.
Contents of the cornerstone of the old grade school included a piece of the old bell from the previous building that had burned.
Burglars caused minor damage when they broke in the Etheridge Cleaners and Jack and Jill Shop in Ashley.
Mary Taylor of Topeka, KS, a native of Oakdale, celebrated her 100th birthday.
Local grocery prices included ham at 39 cents a pound and Star Kist tuna for 29 cents a can.
Deaths: Supreme Court Justice Joseph Maxwell, 51, of Nashville; Harry Bronstein, 57, proprietor of the Buckeye Hotel; Glenn Lively of Nashville; Richard Jacobs, 70, of Okawville; and Theodore Winte, 50, of Addieville.
Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1961)
Ruth Ann Schultz was crowned Miss Washington County at the Jaycees’ Water Carnival.
Hildebrand Furniture advertised furniture to fill a house for $399.95.
Candy bars were six for 25 cents and potato chips were 59 cents for a 16-ounce package.
Deaths: Walter Heggemeier, 75, of rural Nashville.
Fifty Years Ago
(1966)
Two young Ashley men were arrested for a series of thefts from coin-operated businesses in Washington, Perry and Marion Counties.
Deaths: Arthur Lammers, 68, of Okawville; Mae Schleuter, 72, of Nashville; Lydia Knolhoff, 67, a native of Hoyleton; Clarence McCormick, 55, a native of Posey; Dawn Peters, two-month-old daughter of Donna Peters Branum of Nashville; Billy Rhine, 24, of Nashville; William Backs, 80, of Nashville; and Mina Junghans, 85, of Okawville.
Forty-Five Years Ago
(1971)
Jerry Owens purchased the Gaffner Jewelry Store in Nashville.
William Groennert of Addieville retired from Tri-County Electric Cooperative Board. He had served since 1938.
Lightning caused a fire that destroyed a barn on the Henry Droste farm southwest of Nashville. Lightning also struck the Grzegorek building in Nashville causing minor damage to the chimney.
Deaths: Irene Keil, 63, of Du Bois; Fr. Ferdinand Weyrich, 83; Edwin Schrieber, 70, a native of Frogtown; Margaret Erb, 76, a native of Washington County; Frank Sohn, 72; Leo Wepiewski, 85, of Tamaroa; Albert Taft, 89, of Oakdale; Gustav Buchholz, 75, of Centralia; Walter Szabelski, 87, of Du Bois; and Marvin Jasper, 40, of Johannisburg.
Forty Years Ago
(1976)
Albert Prudom, DVM became associated with Dr. Bill Garlich at the North Mill Veterinary Clinic.
Sister Martin (Irene) Ksycki OLVM, formerly of Du Bois, celebrated her silver jubilee in the Motherhouse of Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters in Huntington, IN.
Du Bois received a $162,000 Farmers Home Administration loan and $162,00 grant to construct a water system for 130 users.
A salary settlement was reached between Nashville Community High School District and the teachers. The starting salary for beginning teachers with a BS degree was $9,475 and at the end of 10 years, $12,175. The starting salary for an MS degree was $10,355 and $16,115 at the end of 18 years.
Deaths: John Gaebe, 77, of Addieville; Rev. Reinhard Krause, 71, of Dover, OH; Master Sgt. (retired) Douglas Gessner, 42, of Woodlawn; Katheryn DeMoss, 68, of Villa Park; Clara Beckman, 80, of Campbell Hill; Arnet Tyler, 31, of Bismarck; Mrs. Earl Haun, 62, of Cahokia; Mary Smith, 76, formerly of Ashley; Effie Hayes of Nashville; and Jeffrey Spotanski, 19, of Du Bois.
Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1981)
Les and Judy Kesel of Nashville purchased the Sunoco Service Station in Nashville.
Nashville Grade School’s enrollment was 441 with 537 enrolled at the high school.
Rev. Ed Weltge of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Nashville was honored on the 35th anniversary of his ordination.
Local grocery prices had fresh blueberries for 88 cents a pint and sliced quarter pork loin at $1.28 a pound.
Rosemary Picard, 50, of Okawville, was killed in a traffic accident on the Hoyleton-Hoffman Road.
Other deaths: Arthur Dinkelman, 60, of Nashville; Louis Brune, 75, of Nashville; August Kisala, 86, of Du Bois; Dorothy Isringhaus, 49, of Okawville; Alvear Kottmeyer, 69, a native of Hoyleton Township; Sgt. Johnny Rojek, 24, formerly of Tamaroa; Maurice Ward, 89, of Tamaroa; and Cecil Trieglaff, 77, of Richview.
Weddings: Frances Povolish and Terry Henry; Loretta Golembieski and David Prorok; Lisa Flick and David Warren; Tracy Habbe and Michael Scott Miner; and Pamela Essary and Rodney Neuhaus.
Thirty Years Ago
(1986)
Representatives of the West Washington County Board of Education and Okawville Education Association entered federal mediation talks concerning a contract.
A 15-ounce box of Cheerios was $1.89 and a case of Miller Lite beer was $9.98.
Deaths: Delbert Heinlein, 71, of Rockford, MD; Orlean Bassen, formerly of Hoyleton; Charles “Jude” Youngman, 67, of Collinsville; Robert Russell, 64, of Belleville; and Zeb Rice, 78, of Springfield.
Weddings: Shirley Steinkamp and Dennis Haake; Jeannette Kuberski and Richard Bochantin; and Janet Schubert and Kevin Unverfehrt.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1991)
Agnes Boehning, MSN, of Hoyleton, was the administrator/nurse of the newly formed Washington County Public Health Department.
A break-in at Don’s Distributing in Hoyleton resulted in a loss of $850 in property and cash while $120.25 in coins was taken from machines during a burglary at RJ’s Tavern in Nashville. An attempted burglary of the AgriPride FS warehouse in Hoyleton caused $250 in damage to 2 sliding windows.
Deaths: R. Arnold Garren, 76, of Ashley; Frances Doyle, 64, of Fairview Heights; Leona Beckemeyer, 77, of Beckemeyer; Esther Becker, 84, of League City, TX; Ethel Blythe, 84, of Griffith, IN; Albert Schierbecker, 86, of Hoffman; Frank Ziegler, 84, of Belleville; Laura Winkelmann, 67, of Okawville; and Arthur Kappelmann, 80, of Du Bois.
Wedding: Kristy Karmeier and Robert Giffey.
Twenty Years Ago
(1996)
A storm knocked down several trees in Nashville.
Washington County Hospital Board voted to lower its tax levy by 10 percent.
Amanda Jo Stern won first place in the three-year-old girls category at the Du Quoin State Fair Baby Picture Contest. Lane Liggett of Du Bois tied for third in two-year-old boys, and Leigh Yaeger of Tamaroa tied for third in girls six to 12 months.
Turkey breast were 97 cents a pound and a 12-pack of Pepsi was $2.99.
Deaths: Mary Ann Rybacki, 69, of Nashville; Lorine Tuttle, 85, of Centralia; Willis Aubel, 75, of Addieville; Gustav Kasten, 92, of Hoyleton; Kenneth Humphrey Sr., 72, of Germantown; Viola Houser, 87, of Belleville; Susan Rooneo, 47, of Pinckneyville; Frances Maher, 68, of Glastonbury, CT; Christopher Scholebo, infant son of David and Margaret Scholebo of Pinckneyville; Patricia Mergen, 63, of Waterloo; Esther Gabel, 84, of Swansea.
Weddings: Sheila Kowalski and Joel Harris; Rebecca Windler and Ryan Brinkmann; Kari Crnkovich and Kevin Crask.
Births: Mike and Melissa Riechmann of Addieville, a son; Brent and Celeste Rueter of Springfield, a son; Terry and Diane Weber of Okawville, a son; Joseph and Erica Blumenstock of Nashville, twin sons; Kyle and Melissa Haslett of Nashville, a daughter;and Dean and Janet Wisely of Oakdale, a son.
Fifteen Years Ago
(2001)
Carl and Shirley Hagene were named parade marshals of the Oakdale Homecoming.
Jack Bergen assumed the role of superintendent at Irvington Grade School.
Washington County Hospital’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning renovation project received a $2.1 million loan from USDA Rural Development.
Virgil Spenner purchased a 1948 firetruck that once belonged to the Hoyleton Fire Protection District, and he and Craig Spenner, assistant fire chief, renovated it for use in local parades.
A coroner’s jury ruled that a Tamaroa man committed suicide by driving his car onto the railroad tracks and then waiting for a train to hit it.
Soybeans were selling for $4.71 a bushel, and corn was $1.95 a bushel.
Deaths: Alberta Haas, 79, of Okawville; Louie Kehoe II, 59, of Sparta; Thalia May, 92, of Nashville; Cleo Foutch, 87, of Woodlawn; Homer Smith Jr., 77, of Ashley; Olga Dryden, 92, of St. Louis; Edward WollWill, 80, of Highland; and Tristen Roper, infant son of Richard and Trisha Roper.
Wedding: Megan White and Bryan Vogt.
Births: Mark and Ruth McDaniel of Pinckneyville, a daughter; Steve and Charity Glass of Richview, a daughter; Jeff and Lisa DeBruine of Bloomington, a daughter.
Ten Years Ago
(2006)
Harry Berger, a corrections officer at Washington County Jail, decided to run as an independent for sheriff after incumbent John Foster bowed out for a bid for a third term.
An anonymous donation of $60,000 allowed Washington County Hospital to purchase a machine to diagnose osteoporosis.
Quilters Eileen Taft, Joyce Wilson, Ann Kuhnert, Mildred Kroener, Evelyn Kohring, Marlene Brammeier, Frances Patton, Eileen Auld, Betty Brammeier and Millie Wisely were named Oakdale parade marshals.
Bud Light was $13.99 a case at All Mart Wine & Spirits.
Births: Chris and Sara Wilguess of Springboro, OH, a daughter; Karl Kiecker and Crystal Lloyd of Oakdale, a son.
Deaths: Alma Becker, 88, of Nashville; Lorna Miessner, 86, of New Minden; Elizabeth Sikorski, 85, of Radom; Iris Denison, 79, of Stone Church; Mary Ellen Stevens, 85, of Mt. Vernon; Helen Schutzenhofer, 83, of Nashville; Troy Williams, 29, of Centralia; Bernice Kellerman, 70, of Pinckneyville; William Hardester Sr., 59, of Wood River; Paul Reidelberger, 65, of Marietta, GA; John Rueter, 78, of Springfield; Rose Hagopian, 98, of Granite City; Marcus Voelker, 83, of Maryville.
Wedding: Sara Huels and Brian Gerstner.
Five Years Ago
(2011)
Enrollment at Nashville Grade School was down nearly 5-percent from the previous year.
Getting electronic records set up and ready for use by patients and caregivers would be the key to receiving a sizable reimbursement, the Washington County Hospital Board was told.
Area musical group The Beacoup Bottom Band received news that they would be performing for the southern Illinois State Fair at the DuQuoin fairgrounds.
A fundraiser was held for the Congenital Heart Walk (and T–SJ teacher and CHD survivor Debra Lange) by T–SJ students and teachers, including Shaun Renth, who received pies in the face to raise funds.
Members of the Okawville School Board approved the purchase of $290,000 in new furniture for the school that was being completed.
Engagement, weddings and anniversary: Samantha Meinert and Shea Redenius announced plans to wed in December; Rebecca Kinsey and Joel Brinkmann were wed on July 2; Krissy Hackstadt and Jonathan Schneider were wed on August 20; Marvin and Mildred (Brink) Miessner of New Minden celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Deaths: Karen Meyer, 51, of Centralia, August 23; Norma Bell, 76, of Peoria, August 19; Clayton Ibendahl, 82, of Nashville, August 25; Nancy Kasten, 75, of Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Centralia, August 27; Pauline Deering, 77, of Ashley, August 25.
