It Happened Here – August 30, 2017

It Happened Here – August 30, 2017

Eighty Years Ago
(1937)

Reverend T. C. Kugler retired after 10 years as pastor of the Lenzburg Evangelical Church.

Swift and Company opened a new cream buying station on West Elm Street in Nashville.

Several appliances were taken in a burglary at the Skelgas store in Okawville.

Wheat was 95 cents a bushel, ear corn was $1.25 a bushel and eggs were 18 cents a dozen.

Two dozen bananas were 25 cents at the local Kroger store.

Deaths: Ruth C. Meyer, 47, formerly of Nashville; and Homer Edward Hughes, 27, of St. Louis, MO.

Seventy-Five Years Ago
(1942)

Nashville High School paid off the last of $41,000 in bonds from 1925 used to build the school building.

A total of $370 and 600 morphine tablets were stolen from Dr. K. W. Eirich’s office in Nashville.

The Washington County Board of Supervisors issued a $50 reward for the carcass of a strange beast which was believed to be roaming throughout the County.

The federal government issued a freeze on the selling of 1942 four-door Ford, Chevrolet and Plymouth automobiles.

With less than a week before the scheduled opening of schools in the County, there was a shortage of at least 20 teachers.

Deaths: Mrs. Fred Gerling, 95, of Hoyleton; August F. Meinert, 60, of New Minden; and Howard Keith, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Reves of Nashville.

Seventy Years Ago
(1947)

Seasonal farm work and the laying of a 20-inch pipeline through Washington County resulted in a shortage of labor.

Washington County was one of only eight counties in Illinois to be selected for Federal Crop Insurance on wheat.

Lacey Lewis bought the Home Cafe in Nashville from Al Waligorski.

The Elberta peach harvest began in the county, the latest ever recorded.

Marge Jones bought the Melody Shop from Candace Hart.

Deaths: Susan Niederhoefer, 91, of Beaucoup Township; Henry Horn of Belleville; Harold F. Seibert, 48, of Ashley; Fred Charles Schwarz, 78, formerly of Nashville; Henry Koelling, 59, of Central City; Daulton Rohde Sr., 67, of Oakdale; Etta McNail of Richview; and the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hollgarth of Nashville.

Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1952)

John Bronke Jr., 28, of Tamaroa lost his left arm in a traffic accident in Nashville.

Fire at the Darmstadt coal mine resulted in a $14,000 loss to the storage and loading bins.

Area dairymen were granted a milk price increase of $2.21 per cubic weight.

The Wallace Circus was scheduled for a one-day stop at Memorial Park in Nashville with the “world’s largest blood sweating” hippopotamus.

Deaths: Frederike Wessel Hake, 91, of Hoyleton; Alexander Francis Suchomski, 24, of Todd’s Mill; Dollie Haun, 79, of Richview; and J. August Frederking, 83, formerly of Nashville.

Sixty Years Ago
(1957)

Thieves stole the auto of Okawville Village Marshal Lee Hill from in front of the Village Hall.

Both Bolo and Okawville Township voters approved raising road and bridge tax rates at special elections.

Deaths: Adolph Brammeier, 70, of rural Okawville; Henry Struck, 85, of Nashville; Sigmund Kaminski, 52, of Ashley; Fred Fischer, 77, of Ashley; James Watts, 72, of Du Bois; Robert Osborn, 94, of Oakdale; and Alvin F. Fulkerson of Hampton, VA.

Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1962)

Farmers began bringing soybeans into the County elevators.

Deaths: Alvin Guenther of Marthasville, MO; Alvina Blumenhorst, 80, of Okawville; Clara Koch, 60, of Okawville; Linda Marie Degenhardt, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Degenhardt of Oakdale; Frank Pisarek, 66, formerly of Ashley; Fred Noel of Lake Worth, FL; and Esther Lyons, formerly of Nashville.

Fifty Years Ago
(1967)

A severe windstorm struck Beaucoup downing trees, power lines and telephone lines.

Cooked hams were 43 cents a pound and Hi-C fruit drinks were four, 46-ounce cans for $1.

Deaths: Louis Paszkiewicz Sr., 68, of rural Ashley; Lydia (Schmalrede) Bathon, 69, of rural Tamaroa; John Wayer, 74, of rural Richview; Reverend Herbert Hosto, 75, of rural Okawville; Frank Wendler, 92, of Hoyleton; Velma (Wood) Smolley, 53, of Ashley; and Albert Reinhardt, 78, a native of Okawville.

Forty-Five Years Ago
(1972)

Lightning killed a beef cow on the Norman Hackstadt farm seven miles west of Nashville. Eight sheep were also killed on the Vernon Nagel farm east of Nashville.

Over $600 in stereo equipment was taken from Nail’s Auto Repair shop in New Minden.

A fox, the second in as many weeks, was killed within the Nashville City limits.

Workmen were razing the old Haake Brothers Elevator in Huegely.

Deaths: Anna Szramkowski, 76, of Nashville; Emil C. Lehman, 67, a native of Stone Church; Harry J. Sprehe, 75, of Hoyleton; W. Owen McClay, 79, a native of Oakdale; Herbert H. Voges, 54, of Coulterville; Ida L. Jausel, 83, of Swanwick; and Henry B. Hempen, 85, of New Baden.

Forty Years Ago
(1977)

Dr. Ja Lee Shim began the practice of dentistry in Nashville.

“Rocky” was playing at the State Theatre in Nashville.

Deaths: Harold H. Hermeling, 71, of Nashville; Bertha Louise Nagel, 85, of Nashville; Walter F. Prusz, 76, of Nashville; and Leon M. Lee, 53, of rural Hoyleton.

Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1982)

The state eliminated sales tax on all farm machinery.

Farmers and Merchants Bank in Nashville offered customers a $1,000 loan at 11 percent interest.

Deaths: Lucella C. (Hake) Dueker, 82, of Nashville; Lorna A. Rueter, 57, a native of New Minden; Steve F. Podwojski, 81, of St. Louis, MO; Dr. Martin H. Scharlemann, 71, a native of Nashville; and Stuart Sterrett, 77, of Centralia.

Weddings: Falina Marie Holbrook of Nashville and Jay Anthony Taucher of Pinckneyville; Kathryn Lee Mayfield of Janesville, WI, and Jonathan Les Boehning of Hoyleton; Rhonda G. Small of Carbondale and Kevin D. Oakes; Jennifer Yehling of Okawville and Dale Ross of Addieville; Donna Mae Locke of Earlville and Steven Frank Trost of Cahokia; and Lori S. Conder of Hoyleton and Kevin Caldwell of Dix.

Thirty Years Ago
(1987)

The Ashley City Council authorized a franchise with Cable Equities of Colorado to provide cable television service to the City.

Deaths: John Steven Newbury, 30, of rural Scheller; Viola Sarah (Mattingly) Birschkus, 81, of rural Venedy; Lloyd M. Carden, 55, of rural Coulterville; Virgil Lunte, formerly of Okawville; William Herzog, 83, of New Athens; Ottilia T. (Eisenmann) Lanuff, 80, of Belleville; Dorothy T. (Zgonina) Dooley, 65, formerly of Radom; and Stanley Jankowski, 80, of Cleveland, OH.

Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1992)

Nashville City Council donated $1,000 to Washington County Senior Services, Inc. of Okawville to help alleviate a $17,000 deficit caused by federal and state budget cuts.
Residents of West Chester Street, complained to Nashville City Council about rust and sediment in their drinking water.

Steve Humphrey, owner of Humphrey Photography and Framing, Inc., was elected president of Associated Professional Photographers of Illinois.

Dr. Ralph Kelley was named Surgeon of the Year by the American Academy of Osteopathic Surgeons.

The nine-hole Okawville Golf Course opened with Jack Valian as chief investor and managing partner.

Deaths: Warren Houser, 80, of Ashley; Emma Rennegarbe, 89, of Okawville; Mary Black, 59, of Central City; Ruth Callanan, 75, of St. Louis, MO; Herbert Elkins, 79, of Jonesboro; Donna Schuette, 51, of Centralia; and Maybell Spink, 76, of St. Louis, MO.

Wedding: Brigitta Lynn Neff and Christopher Vanden Hoek.

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sinn (Kim Wallace) of Marissa, a son; Mr. and Mrs. Neil Norton (Kathy Williams) of Oakdale, a daughter; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Day (Nancy Gross) of Venedy, a son; and Mr. and Mrs. Tim Smith (Sandy Schaeffer), a son.

Twenty Years Ago
(1997)

Casey’s General Store announced plans to open in Nashville.

Charles and Pearl Auld were named parade marshals for Oakdale Homecoming.

Nashville’s water rates were raised from $8 to $10.50 for the first 1,500 gallons.

Washington County Water Co. received a loan to provide water service to the City of Ashley.

The county’s unemployment rate stood at 4.5 percent.

Net patient revenue at Washington County Hospital increased from $6.1 million to $7 million, according to the annual audit.

Real estate tax bills totaling $9.8 million were mailed by county Treasurer Bill Windler.

A walk-behind mower with mulching kit was $339 at The Edge.

Deaths: William Wilkey, 72, of Nashville; Bertha Nottmeyer, 88, of Hoffman; Lydia Hongsermeier, 56, of Centralia; Walter Ahlers, 90, of Pinckneyville; Anthony Mueller, 75, of Waterloo; Alene Parks, 72, of Pinckneyville; George Schickedanz, 84, of Marissa; Lloyd Beckham, 80, of Tamaroa; Selma Schauwecker, 86, of Highland; and Clarence Gauch, 65, of Okawville.

Weddings: Kristi Lamczyk and Shawn Brown; Christi Emrick and Brannon Etheridge; Charla Hausler and Russell Englebretsen; and Cheryl Steinkamp and Shawn Cook.
Births: Randy and Generose (Gill) Buchanan of Nashville, a daughter; Jeff and Jessica (Bordewisch) Sandheinrich of Tuscaloosa, AL, a daughter; Dale and Kim (Bartling) Newman of Nashville, a son; Rodney and Cristina (Buss) Stevens of Addieville, a daughter; and Brad and Ruth (Storment) Heidel of Ashley, a son.

Fifteen Years Ago
(2002)

Dr. Ralph Kelley’s 35-year career as a physician in Nashville came to an end when he closed his practice because he said he could no longer can afford the $150,000 annual premium for malpractice insurance.

A blue jay found in Washington County tested positive for West Nile virus.

Glen and Pat Brammeier were named Oakdale Homecoming parade marshals.

Laurie Albers was appointed to Okawville Village Board to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ken Zapp Jr.

An audit of Washington County Hospital’s finances showed a profit of over $1.1 million, due mostly to overdue payments of over $700,000 from Medicare and Medicaid.

A plaque was presented to the family of the late Elmer Diedrich for his 20 years of service to Washington County Hospital Board of Directors.

Seedless grapes and cantaloupes were 98 cents a pound.

Deaths: Fern Williamson, 95, of Nashville; Mildred Faus, 78, of Maeystown; Wesley “Buck” Jones, 87, of Nashville; Edward Fizer, 60, of Hoyleton; Beulah Hicks, 90, of Scheller; Rev. Dr. Ed Mahnke, 83, of Houston, TX; and Lola Siebert, 64, of Belleville.

Wedding: Tanya Waugh and Lee Stewart.

Birth: Jonathon Anson and Rebecka Wacker of Hoyleton, a son.

Ten Years Ago
(2007)

Nashville High School Board signed a five year contract with teachers for a salary increase of three percent for the first four years and 3.25 percent the fifth year.

William “Bill” Kroener was selected as the Oakdale Homecoming Parade marshal.

Ashley City Council hired Joe Kozuszek of Nashville as a full-time policeman and Martin Schindelar of Nashville and Nathan Frailey of Salem as part-time police officers.

“No Reservations” was the feature at the State Theater in Nashville.

Julie Bond-Ledford, agriculture education instructor at NCHS, was named the Section 22 and District V winner of the Illinois Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association Excellence in Teaching award.

Deaths: Erna Reves, 93, of Nashville; Joyce M. Zurliene, 49, of Albers; Irma Steinkamp, 93, of Okawville; Louis J. Sprehe, 72, of Centralia, formerly of Hoyleton; Earl E. Suedmeyer, 91, of Nashville; Ronald J. Skortz, 59, of Ashley; Clara M. Pelczynski, 95, of Pinckneyville, formerly of Du Bois; Richard Jerome “Dick” Bernardi, 54, of Toluca; and George E. Dillow, 76, of Herrin.

Births: Laura Hiller and James Prochaska of Nashville, a son; and Mark and Kourtney French of New Orleans, LA, a daughter.

Five Years Ago
(2012)

The Nashville Community Center named two new directors, Danny Dlubala and Jennifer Szopinski, who invited the public to the first annual alumni reunion to be held there.
Washington County Girl Scouts took to the pool at Nashville Memorial Park for a water day at the end of the summer.

State Senator David Luechtefeld (R– Okawville), and State Representative Mike Bost (R– Murphysboro) visited with seniors at the community center for the health fair held there.

Sharon and Bill Patton were named the parade marshals for the Oakdale Homecoming.

Carl and Grace Schuette of New Minden celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on September 1. Megan Neuhaus and Brendan Morris were united in marriage on Saturday, June 9, 2012.

Deaths: Leo Sensel, 96, of Nashville, August 21; Martin Krivi, 85, of Hoyleton, August 24; Viola C. Twenhafel, 83 of rural Carlyle, August 20; Frances M., nee Nowak, Mappes-Anderson, 68, of Belleville, August 26.