It Happened Here – December 27, 2017

Eighty Years Ago
(1937)

Judge W.P. Green announced he would be a candidate for an eighth term as Washington County Judge on the Republican ticket.

Dresses were 59 cents and 98 cents and boxed ties were 25 cents and 50 cents at Backs’ Department Store in Nashville.

Deaths: Mrs. William A. Schreiner, 66, of St. Louis; and Mary Lewis, 66, formerly of Du Bois.

Seventy-Five Years Ago
(1942)

A total of 50 youths 18 years old had registered for the draft in Washington County.

The public was asked to voluntarily limit meat consumption to help the war effort.

County tax rolls showed 88 school districts in Washington County.

Yearly farm machinery quotas for Washington County were announced. They included 15 combines, six feet and less; two horse drawn planters; 11 moldboard plows; 13 cultivators; five horse drawn and four tractor mowers; one corn picker; and two corn shellers.

Deaths: Edward C. Brandhorst, 64, formerly of Nashville; Mrs. Ranson Aloush, formerly of Nashville; and August Schultz Sr., 91, of Nashville.

Seventy Years Ago
(1947)

The Washington County Board instructed the State’s Attorney and Highway Superintendent Harold Absher to prepare the necessary resolutions for a County-wide road and bridge bond issue in the amount of $350,000.

A bottle of Lucky Club cola was 5 cents.

A total of 14,600 bushels of soybeans were grown in Washington County in 1946.

A can of plum pudding for the holidays was 69 cents at Ahlf’s General Merchandise in Nashville.

Every employee of Daniel’s Food Store received a $100 Christmas bonus.

Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1952)

Burglars stole a considerable amount of whiskey, cigarettes and $4 cash from the Skipper Inn in New Minden.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Gilter opened a donut shop on West St. Louis Street in Nashville next to Ahlf’s.

Fire destroyed a large portion of the Harry Smith residence on West Main Street in Nashville. Failure of some of the Nashville fire department equipment hampered their efforts.

Deaths: Benton O. Jones, 75, formerly of Nashville; Emma Kreitemeyer, 67, a native of Hoyleton; Carrie M. Hagebusch, 79, of Okawville; and Grace Elizabeth Cantrell, 62, of Richview.

Sixty Years Ago
(1957)

Net income for the 4,550 families in Washington County was estimated at $18,668 after taxes. That was up from $16,217 the previous year. The national average was $3,518 per family.

Plans were announced for a Washington County dairy queen contest in July.

A twin bag of Lay’s potato chips was 59 cents at the local Daniel’s Food Store.

Deaths: Roscoe Jones, 47, of Nashville; Henry Mueller, 81, formerly of Nashville; Charles Brink, 80, of Irvington; Irwin Fred Mueller, 54, a native of Okawville; Captain William H. Truesdell, a native of Ashley; and William Maxwell, 83, of Chicago.

Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1962)

Elmer Diedrich was named to the Washington County Hospital Board of Directors.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Heseman won first place in the Hoyleton Lions Club Christmas lighting contest.

Robbers stole $40 change and 10 cartons of cigarettes from Meier’s Market in Nashville.

Featured at the State Theatre in Nashville were “The Interns” and “Lolita.”

Donald L. Waters, 45, of Ashley was killed in a fight at his Gulf Service Station in Ashley. A voluntary manslaughter charge was filed against an 18-year-old from rural Ashley.

Other deaths: Henry Collmeyer of New Minden; Louisa Caroline Lunte, 98, of rural Addieville; Joseph Liszewski, 57, a native of Washington County; Roscoe Herman Qualls, 74, of Ashley; Louis W. Zacheis, 82, of Nashville; Reverend Mayo Bowles, 67, of Du Quoin; Mrs. Fred Sharkowski, 77; Enoch George Riddle, 77, of Mt. Vernon; Verena Biedenbach, a native of Okawville; Mary Kasting of St. Louis, Missouri; and Lydia Hoffman, 81, of Hoyleton.

Fifty Years Ago
(1967)

A flash flood raised Town Creek over its banks in Nashville to a new record, four inches higher than the flood of 1946, and stopped traffic on Route 460 on the east edge of town for half a day. A total of 6.28 inches of rain fell in a 36-hour period causing the deluge. North of Hoyleton, 1,330 feet of track was washed out on the M&I railroad.
Larry Weihe, 18, of Frogtown lost the first finger on his left hand in a shotgun accident.

Members of the Nashville High School industrial arts class built a Santa Claus house for the Nashville Businessmen’s Association.

Six 12-ounce bottles of Pepsi were 49 cents plus bottle deposit.

Deaths: Theodore J. Kitowski Sr. of Nashville; Michael Krawiecki, 76, of Nashville; Leona M. (Lueking) Lange, 58, of Hoffman; John Trost, 76, of Plum Hill Township; Joseph Elmer Morgan, 83, of Du Bois; Fred W. Kruse, 85, of Okawville; Rudolph Walta, 83, of Elkton; William Halstenberg, 71, of Hoyleton; Alfretta (Wetzel) Coultas, 68, a native of Beaucoup; Charles Mohr, 73, of Elkton; and Hugh Young of Centralia.

Forty-Five Years Ago
(1972)

A petition for establishing a unit school district in the west end of Washington County was approved by the state.

Trucks formed lines two blocks long at local elevators during a delayed soybean harvest.

Walter Chwarcinski of Ashley lost four fingers on his right hand in a corn picker accident.

At least half a dozen mailboxes were vandalized in Venedy.

Deaths: Paul A. Bridges, 73, of Okawville; Michael H. Triefenbach, 82, of Marissa; Frank Shelton, 85, of Nashville; August J. Ziegler, 92, a native of Hoyleton; Mary K. Prange, 53, of Evansville, Indiana; Theodore L. Weeke, 85, of rural Addieville; Dr. George D. Mohr, 57, of Pinckneyville; and Thaddeus Leo Kabat, 66, of Scheller.

Forty Years Ago
(1977)

A proposed 58 cents per $100 tax increase in the Nashville Grade School District was defeated by a margin of two to one.

Twenty-seven of the 93 pupils at Addieville Grade School were not in attendance due to colds and flu.

At least $17,000 worth of furs, jewelry and other items were stolen from the home of Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Baldridge in Ashley.

Candidates filing for the County offices in the spring primary election were: Democrat Peter Liszewski for Sheriff; Republican Virgil May for County Clerk; Republican Dale Beimfohr for County Clerk; Republican Irene Going for Treasurer; Republican Leroy Middendorf for Treasurer; Republican Robert Beek for Treasurer; Republican Wesley Jones for Sheriff; and Republican Harry Jankowski Jr. for Sheriff.

Deaths: William H. Roethe-meyer, 72, of Okawville; Frederick H. C. Blumhorst, 83, of Plum Hill; Leona Rockamann, 58, of rural Venedy; Emma W. McKinley, 75, a native of Covington; Helen Cralley, 78, of Okawville; Nettie Dummerman Renken, 93, a native of Washington County; Paul P. Roslauski, formerly of Oakdale; Irvin Laurent, 68, of Richview; and Marjorie Kimmel, 57, a native of Nashville.

Weddings: Donna Boehne of Hoyleton and Matthew Bathon of Nashville; Debra Heggemeier of Nashville and Roy T. Kiefer of Antioch; and Jean Aussieker and Tim Ondo, both of Carbondale.

Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1982)

Berdel A. Hasemeyer retired from the Illinois State Police after 26 years of service.

The Nashville News increased its subscription prices to $10 per year in the County and $12 per year out of the County.

Ruth Yates was named pastor of the new Church of the Nazarene in Nashville.

Deaths: Floyd H. “Flossie” Williamson, 67, of Nashville; Lucille (Dobrak) Leffner of Des Plaines; Harry C. Koelling, 77, a native of Hoyleton; and Henry F. Mueller, 82, of Marissa.

Weddings: Diane Renae McTall of Irvington and David William Boswell of Centralia; and Brenda Schaeffer Weihe of Centralia and Robert G. Spencer of Nashville.

Thirty Years Ago
(1987)

Raymond Kostecki of rural Du Bois was named a Trustee in Bolo Township to fill the unexpired term of Joseph Kostecki.

Tom and Ruth Kasten of Centralia purchased the Okawville Dairy Queen.

Wilbert H. Sachtleben retired as president of the Hoyleton State and Savings Bank after 39 years with the firm.

Brad Small was elected a director of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Nashville.

Aaron Haege, 30, of rural Nashville was seriously injured when he was shot in the face while quail hunting in rural Oakdale.

Deaths: Reverend Father Timothy J. Foley, 61, of Albers; Michelle (Wrombel) Shoemake of St. Louis, Missouri; Murrel G. Williamson, 57, of Pinckneyville; Lucille Baldridge, 87, of Ashley; Sister Emerentia Theresa Paszkiewicz of Ferguson, Missouri; Anna T. (Bobeff) Szramkowski, 68, of Bridgeton, Missouri; Edward Napier, 66, of Centralia; Jackie D. Cross, 38, of New Minden; Maude (Ferguson) Oliver, 90, of Nashville; Emma (Barkau) Hoelscher, 97, a native of Stone Church; and Julia E. (Stelzreide) Westman, 88, a native of Hoyleton.

Weddings: Lori Marie Grote of rural Hoyleton and Randy Noel Brammeier of Nashville.

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Rennegarbe (Richelle Stiegman) a daughter; Mr. and Mrs. Gary Small (Treva Schroeder) of Hoyleton, a son; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wondolewski (Debbie Kania) of Fairview Heights, a son; and Mr. and Mrs. John Kania (Jane Frese)of Ashley, a daughter.

Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1992)

Talks were underway between Washington County Hospital and St. Mary’s Health Center about an agreement to manage the local hospital.

West Washington County Dist. 10 School Board voted to place another $625,00 bond issue before the voters in April. The measure was defeated in the November election.

Nashville City Council voted to sell the former public library building to Stiegman Brothers Construction Co.

The city received a record $490,842.44 in sales tax revenue in 1992.

Judge and Mrs. Lloyd Karmeier won the Jaycees’ Christmas lighting contest for the second year in a row.

The Fish and Wildlife Service was no longer pursuing a wildlife refuge along the Okaw River Basin.

Deaths: Jess Small, 78, of Memphis, Tennessee; Alvin Schuette, 86, of New Minden; Raymond Nobe, 77, of Okawville; Brian Cramer, 33, of Louisville, Illinois; Roy Cook, 57, of Centralia; Irene Snodgrass, 59; Minnie Bierman, 92, of Tamaroa; Ruth Greenfield, 83, of Owensville, Indiana.

Weddings: Jennifer Jayne Beguelin of Irvington and David Clee Pennings of St. Louis, Missouri; Tina Sherman of Pinckneyville and Shane Gill of Oakdale.

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Larry Unverfehrt (Kathy Schtleben) of Centralia, a daughter; Mr. and Mrs. Scott Horst (Donna Walker) of Oakdale, a son; Mr. and Mrs. William Stern (Patricia Kabat) of Ashley, a daughter; Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ralston (Virginia Wagner) of Maumelle, Arkansas, a son; Mr. and Mrs. Brent Babb of Millstadt, a son.

Twenty Years Ago
(1997)

County Democrats nominated Belleville attorney Brian Trentman to replace Dennis Hatch as state’s attorney.

Zoning board approval was given for a new Post Office in Radon.

Deputy John Foster filed for the Democratic nomination for sheriff, intending to challenge Republican incumbent Sheriff Jerry Borrenpohl.

Lloyd Karmeier’s Christmas decorations won first place in the Jaycees’ contest.

Brian Puetz, Farm Bureau manager in Washington and Perry counties, was named a certified manager by Illinois Farm Bureau.

Deaths: Joan Dudek, 52, of Tamaroa; Erna Holtgrewe, 87, of Okawville; Edwin Going, 93, of Mascoutah; Richard Burcham, 85, of Jasonville, Indiana; Luther Armstrong, 93, of Du Quoin; Leon Throuvenin, 75, of Sandoval.

Weddings: Angela Maue and Douglas Sabo; and Michele Phelps and Eric Heseman.

Birth: John and Lisa (Groennert) Sappington of Trenton, a son.

Fifteen Years Ago
(2002)

Lake Contracting of Addieville was the successful bidder to demolish the old Nashville City Hall at $16,842.

Bertram Clock Repair was to dismantle, store and reinstall the city’s antique clock for $1,500.

Dr. Alfonzo Urdaneta and his wife moved near Nashville and his duties increased at Washington County Hospital.

Sarah K. Wiesner was set for a tour of Italy with other students and professors from MacMurray College.

Deaths: Theresa Bower, 88, of Richview; Bertha Schwankhaus, 85, of Okawville; Nina Bourland, 90, of Carlyle; Gloria Ostrodka, 77, of Sandoval; Bill Beckmeyer, 78, of Hoyleton; Rosemary Price, 83, of Fairview Heights; Alexander Smukala, 76, of St. Louis; Leonard “Buzz” Bixby, 58, of Baldwin; Gertrude Lindoerfer, 85, of Rock Island; Ileeta Philip, 86, of Waltonville.

Ten Years Ago
(2007)

Children had a merry breakfast with Santa Claus at St. Ann’s Church on the morning of December 15, 2007.

The City of Nashville gave Hawk Development the green light to move ahead with an eligibility study for the creation of a tax increment financing district.

Brad Weathers, principal of Nashville Community High School, announced his intention to retire at the end of the following school year.

Anniversaries and Events: Gary and Pat Shaw of Okawville celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on January 6. Hilda Schwengels celebrated her 100th birthday on January 6. Ruth Meyer celebrated her 80th birthday. Soldier SSG J.R. Spangenberg, deployed on his third tour in Iraq sought letters and news from home.

Deaths: Billy Gay, 63, of Richview, died on December 16. Marjorie Going, 56, formerly of Venedy, died on December 15. David A. Walker, 67, of Waltonville died on December 22. Finas L. “Butch” Stiegman, 69, of Murphysboro, died on December 18. Sharon Mazander, 63, of Coulterville, passed away on December 23. William F. “Bill” Harre, 64, of Nashville died on December 20. Richard Stanowski, 73, of St. Peters, Mo. died on December 14.

Five Years Ago
(2012)

The NCHS Board talked about new banners which had been purchased by the Sports Boosters – the board then decided to auction off the old banners to Hornets sports fans and alums.

The Nashville Lions Club awarded five house for having “the best lights in town.”

Jeff Haarmann of Affordable Gas and Electric spoke to the Nashville city Council about Utilities Aggregation.

Richview Township honored retiring Board of Trustees member Bessie Copple.

Death: Wilma Hughes Ochs, 95, of Okawville, December 18; Eva J. Casey, 86, of Mt. Vernon, formerly of Woodlawn, December 18; Karla J. Bathon, 48, born in St. Louis, December 18.