It Happened Here – January 10, 2018

Eighty Years Ago
(1938)

Two youthful prisoners escaped from the Washington County Jail in Nashville. One subject was picked up near Coulterville the following day. The second was still at large.
O. K. Allen was named president of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Other officers were Ralph Maxwell, vice president; Howard Hohman, treasurer; and Ed Schmitt, secretary.
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Foster of Covington on January 1, the first baby of the new year in Washington County.
Deaths: Mrs. Phillip Engel of Nashville; Henrietta Struckmeyer, formerly of Hoyleton; Ella Polinski, 29, a native of Nashville; Mary Finke, 61, of rural Nashville; John George Hermann, 73, of Nashville; and Lee Jackson, 26, of Irvington, killed when his truck was hit by a train south of Centralia.

Seventy-Five Years Ago
(1943)

An 11-ounce package of Post Toasties was 10 cents and a seven ounce package of Grape Nuts Flakes was 9 cents at Ahlf’s in Nashville.
Deaths: Louise Koelling, 70, of New Minden; Carl Kowalewski, 83, of Bolo Township; A. L. McKinley, 66, a native of Washington County; Charles Ford, 71, of Centralia; Vernon Klamm, 24, of Nashville; and Jay Lynn, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lilienkamp of Nashville.

Seventy Years Ago
(1948)

Eight school districts in the Okawville area met in Nashville to discuss consolidation.
Bernard James, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Schubert of Du Bois, was the first Washington County baby of the new year, being born about two hours after midnight on January 1.
Deaths: Dr. G. A. Green, 70, of Nashville; Charles P. Schafer of St. Louis, Missouri; Eileen Pearl Allen, 67, formerly of Washington County; Donald Lynn Brammeier, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Don C. Brammeier of Oakdale; Raymond Lorberg, 43, formerly of Nashville; Mary Hanenberger, 83, of Hoyleton; Lottie Gass, 73, of Washington County; and the stillborn child of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Schultz of Beaucoup Township.

Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1953)

Two 15-year-old brothers from Centralia were arrested for the New Year’s Eve burglary of the Irvington Elevator where they stole a truck.
The Colonial Inn in Nashville was robbed of $305 and three bottles of whiskey in a burglary.
Mr. and Mrs. Russel Usry purchased the Pine Bowl Lounge in Nashville from Walter Kastrup.
Deaths: Julian Charles Brandhorst, 59, a native of Nashville; Grace Buhrman, 65, formerly of Nashville; Robert Calvin Bradley, 85, formerly of Ashley; Martin K. Banaszek, 78, of Nashville; Larry Gene Kwiatkowski, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kwiatkowski of Radom; Patrick Forys, six-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Forys of Todd’s Mill; Cecilia Novick, formerly of Washington County; William A. L. Reinhardt, 77, of Covington; Emilie Schweiring, 78, of Stone Church; and William Rubin of St. Louis, Missouri.

Sixty Years Ago
(1958)

The Daniel Food Store in Nashville was converted into an IGA store.
The Memorial Park Board flooded the outfield of the softball diamond in Nashville by closing the drain tiles to provide an ice skating surface.
A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Liszewski of Nashville in the Pinckneyville Community Hospital and was the first Washington County baby of the new year.
Deaths: Lulu Kaser, 82, of rural Nashville; Toefila Glazik, 86, of Du Bois; Claude Wheeles, 70, formerly of Ashley; Lela E. Wightman, 66, formerly of Nashville; Byron W. Truesdell, formerly of Ashley; Emma Lucretia Anderson, 85, of Sausalito, California; Francis Schrader, 52, of Okawville; Cecil McCoy of Richview; Ed H. Seibert, 91, a native of Ashley; and Lena Moehlman, a native of New Minden.

Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1963)

Father Emil Maziarz and Clement Haas were found unconscious in their beds at the rectory of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Posen, suffering from propane gas inhalation. Both were treated at the Nashville hospital.
Dorothy Kraus was killed in a four-car accident on Route 177 near Covington.
Other deaths: Katerin Josephine Buhrman, 89, of Nashville; Roman John Borowiak, 62, of Ashley; Sophie Dintelmann, 73, formerly of Washington County; George L. Deedle, 75, of Belleville; William Aldag, 81, of Hoffman; Christian Wellpott, of Hoyleton; and Mary Wilson, 88, of Sparta.

Fifty Years Ago
(1968)

Twenty-seven cars of an L&N freight train derailed just west of Nashville.
A car stolen from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Diedrich in Nashville was found burned beyond use near Texas City.
Figures from the County Clerk’s office showed there were 163 deaths, 95 births and 117 marriages in Washington County in 1967.
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Reuter won first place in the annual Nashville Christmas lighting contest.
Deaths: Anna (Allen) Haun, 88, of Nashville; Winnie (McCullough) Langel, 81, of Irvington; Emma L. (Nehrkorn) Seibert, 80, of Du Bois; William H. Jording, 82, a native of Hoyleton; Hattie (Castic) Langa, 74, of Ashley; Theresa (Pierjok) Berger, 56, a native of Radom; Thomas W. Czerniejewski, 70, of Ashley; Mollie N. (Tate) Cooper, 75, of Ashley; Lydia L. (Frickenschmidt) Wiese, 65, a native of Okawville; Ed Perdue, 56, formerly of Nashville; and Mary Sophia (Buescher) Feldt, 79, a native of Washington County.

Forty-Five Years Ago
(1973)

Paul Lilienkamp retired as Nashville Township Assessor after 31 years at the age of 82.
The Washington County Board of School Trustees approved the annexation of the Richview Grade School District to Ashley Grade School District.
Fire destroyed the frame residence of Walter Pietzmeier in Okawville.
Fire heavily damaged a hog farrowing house on the Wilbert Borrenpohl farm near Okawville.
Leo Gogolek purchased Ted’s News Stand in Nashville from his brother, Ralph.
The new Oakdale Baptist Church opened.
Deaths: Elroy F. Guetersloh, 36, of Nashville; Alma Chesnek, 75, of rural Lively Grove; Gary Scott, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary J. Lawrence of Vienna; Reverend Earl Redmond, formerly of Okawville; Louise Clara Osiek, 83, of Nashville; Marguerite Kruckemeyer of St. Louis, Missouri; Pauline Lockwood, 72, formerly of Hoyleton; Stephen E. Hulliung, 22, of Mascoutah; and Edward A. Doba of St. Louis.

Forty Years Ago
(1978)

Patty Elliott of Nashville and Donna Riechmann of Okawville were named Good Citizens by the local chapter of the DAR.
Tricia Jean Middendorf, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Middendorf of rural Venedy, was the first baby born in Washington County in the new year.
Fire destroyed the rural Oakdale home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Buss.
Jerald J. Lange of rural Woodlawn escaped injury when his pickup truck was struck by a train near Woodlawn.
Deaths: Kate Struck, 101, formerly of Nashville; Katherine Marie Winte, 87, of Nashville; Robert A. Hoy, 83, of Nashville; Ida M. Backs, 80, a native of Okawville; Nettie M. Schnake, 79, of rural Hoyleton; Theodore Hedemann, 82, of Venedy; John W. Zgonina, formerly of Radom; Darrel R. Kraus, 30, formerly of New Minden; Clara Anna Marie Twenhafel, 81, a native of Venedy; Cunegunda Lamke, 75, of rural Scheller; and Otto Aue Jr., 61, of Carbondale.
Weddings: Mary Knapp and Roger Rybacki both of Tamaroa; and Jacqueline Vasquez of Lenzburg and Gary C. Weihe of Okawville.

Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1983)

Wanda Goodner was elected president of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.
There were 127 births, 113 marriages and 127 deaths in Washington County in 1982 according to records from the Washington County Clerk’s office.
Deaths: Mary J. (Kuberski) Karolewski, 78, of Du Bois; Alma M. (Stone) Hongsermeier, 80, formerly of Richview; Marvin E. Murphy, 78, of Colchester; Walter F. Moeller, 82, of Nashville; Debra Marie Luchinski, 15, of Franklin Park; Mary Elizabeth McKelvey, 87, a native of Nashville; Clara (Doerfling) Sachmann, 88, formerly of Ashley; Louisa (Lunneman) Loos, 82, of Pinckneyville; Adolph Weihe, 90, formerly of New Minden; Margaret (Hart) Murphy, 100, of Nashville; Alice (Roethemeyer) Hagebusch, 64, a native of Plum Hill; William Corder, 76, of Centralia; and Elva M. (Armstrong) Knappenberger, 86, a native of Washington County.
Weddings: Karen Joan Smugala of Cahokia and Charles Keith Wolters of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Jo Ann Virginia Borowiak of Ashley and Albert Clinton Mifflin of Woodlawn; Darlene Klie of Hoyleton and Joseph Witthaus of Irvington; and Shelly Lynn Thompson of Pinckneyville and Jeffrey Keith Payne of Ina.

Thirty Years Ago
(1988)

Franklin County authorities were searching Rend Lake for the body of Roger Crites of Nashville who was believed to have drowned in a boating accident on January 4.
Fire, believed to have started in a wood-burning furnace, destroyed the home of Gary Guest in rural Nashville.
Fire, believed to be arson, destroyed the Judy Courter residemce at Second and Croan Streets in Irvington.
Amber Nicol Isringhaus, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Isringhaus of Okawville, became the first baby born in Washington County in the new year.
Edward Jankowski of rural Okawville retired as a state of Illinois highway engineer after 33 years of service.
Deaths: Julius John Buretta, 81, of Radom; Henry A. Ragsdale, 67, of Cahokia; Oscar Glenn Smithling, 82, of Coulterville; Alma D. (Woods) Ratcliffe, 61, of Nashville; Kenneth June Jackson, 60, of DuQuoin; Hattie Malawy, 74, of rural Du Bois; Anthony J. Grayek, 76, of St. Charles, Missouri; William Hamill, 86, of rural Marissa; and Viola (Schneider) Barta, 80, formerly of Covington.
Weddings: Christina Lynn Stovall of Belleville and William C. DeMoss of Nashville; and Sandra Jean Paszkiewicz of Belleville and John Michael Roam of Foristell, Missouri.
Births: Mr. and Mrs. John Oexeman (Janice Bauza) of St. Louis, Missouri, a son; Mr. and Mrs. David Bronke (Bernadette Niedbalski) of Du Bois, a son.

Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1993)

Jonathan Roy Nadolski, son of Edward and Barbara Nadolski of Ashley, was Washington County’s New Year’s baby, born January 3.
Nashville Community High School was second and Okawville was fourth at the Mater Dei Tournament. The Lady Rockets tood second at the Mascoutah Invitational.
Deaths: Marie Polczynski, 62, of Nashville’ Berth Neckmeyer, 102, of Wright City, Missouri; Theodore Storck, 80, of Addieville; Grace Howard, 93, of Nashville; Mary Mavers, 91, of Du Bois; Helen Pettus, 66, of Evansville, Indiana; Verda Terry, 91, of Tamaroa; Jack White, 74, of Centralia; Nora Kutzbach, 66, of Los Angeles, California.
Wedding: Paula Ann Hausler, of New Minden and Scott Bradley Price of St. Charles.
Births: Mr. and Mrs. William Oelze (Lisa Coe) of Nashville, a daughter; Mr. and Mrs. Pat Heseman (Susan Walker) of Hoyleton, a son.

Twenty Years Ago
(1998)

Melissa Turner and Scotty Fuqua were the parents of Keaton Ray Fuqua, the first baby born in Washington County in 1998.
Fred Endres, former state’s attorney, was sworn in as public defender.
Farmers and Merchants National Bank made donations of $2,000 to Washington County Youth Choir and $1,000 to the new gym at Trinity Lutheran School.
Nashville Fire Dept. was summoned to 27 fires and 48 auto accidents in 1997.
Todd Paskiewicz returned from a semester studying in Great Britain.
The Hornets won their second consecutive Mater Dei Holiday Tournament.
Deaths: Doyet Thompson, 67, of Nashville; Frances Schrage, 97, of St. Rose; Clara Klasing, 91, of Okawville; Arthur Reitemeyer, 82, of Hoyleton; Sylvia Counts, 57, of Bowling Green, Missouri; Gene Tate, 73, of Centralia; Morgan Kristen, four-month-old daughter of Sean Greenwood and Angela Harlan; Clara Meyer, 90, of Du Bois; Rev. Michael Podrasky, 80, of Eldorado; Rev. Jerome Feldmann, 73, of Beckemeyer.
Weddings: Wayne Kryzanoski and Linda Schultz; Karen Jung and Steve Schuetz; Amber Dueker and Jeffrey Hoepker.
Births: Allen and Elizabeth “Bobbi” (Szopinski) Kwiatkowski of Radom, a son; Glen and Cheryl (Waller) Sachtleben of Hoyleton, a daughter; Mitchell and Debbie Graves of Nashville, a son; Gordon and Donna Green of Monroe Center, a daughter; Jim and Jill (Harriss) Alfeldt of New Athens, a son.

Fifteen Years Ago
(2003)

Mason John Meyer, son of Steve and Stephanie Meyer of Okawville, was the first baby born at the Washington County Hospital in 2003.
Kurt Elsesser, who had served on Nashville City Council since 1992, said he would not run for re-election since he was moving outside the city limits.
The 2002 precipitation total of 31 inches was eight inches below normal.
Nashville Volunteer Fire Dept. answered 73 accident/rescue calls in 2002, over twice the 2001 total.
Adam Ogrzewalla became the 84th recipient of the Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scout Troop 127.
Okawville Rockets, under coach Jon Kraus, nipped the host Knights for the Mater Dei Holiday Tournament.
A New Year’s Day fire destroyed the home of Norman and Jewel Martens in rural Okawville.
Deaths: Minnette Fortmeyer, 82, of Irvington; Lorraine Meyer, 79, of Okawville; James House, 75, of Nashville; Florence Hoffman, 92, of New Minden; Robert Newborn, 77, Du Quoin; Archie Queen, 88; Regina Zgonina, 82, of St. Louis; Mary Webb, 83, of Belleville; Clarence Ernst, 86, of Belleville; Carol Renth, 54, of Nashville; Juanita Thomas, 76; Clara Oelze, 97, of Nashville; Adeline McKay, 66, of St. Louis; George Pitts, 78, of Du Bois; Yvonna Harris, 55, of Okawville; Frank Kostecki, 73, of St. Louis; John Sobeck, 85, of Christopher; Michael Scwab, 46, of Millstadt.
Births: Todd and Trina (Mueller) Fuhrhop of Coulterville, a son; Jason Goforth and Tifanie Wilkey of Nashville, a son; Casey and Michelle Trent of St. Libory, a daughter; Mark and Alexia Kramm of Westland, Michigan, a son.

Ten Years Ago
(2008)

Marie Bennet spoke to the Nashville City Council about an ongoing vandalism problem at her residence.
Christopher Sharp, 18, accused of making a threat that closed NCHS, was released from jail.
Tammy Amizich was named Washington County Hospital’s new Chief Nursing Executive.
In sports, the Nashville Hornets Basketball squad won two home games, defeating Sparta and Okawville.
Lucas Walter Dunn was born to Clinton and Jennifer Dunn of Nashville on December 31.
Deaths: Florence Kabat, 82, of Scheller, died January 7. Carolyn Scott, 65, of Nashville, formerly of DuQuoin, died January 3. Marie Meyer, 79, of rural Venedy, died December 11. Irene Riechmann, 100, of Centralia, died January 5. Jeremy Wintjen, 32, of Granite City, formerly of rural Hamburg, died December 28. Claude Metcalf, 80, of Odin, died January 3. Milton Holle, 81, of Buckeye, Ariz., formerly of Centralia, died on January 4.

Five Years Ago
(2013)

The Washington County Ambulance Department received a $20,900 grant from FEMA.
NCHS students made paper snowflakes for students heading back to school in Newtown, Conn., after a school massacre.
Washington County Hospital announced that it was operating in the black by almost $250,000 for the year so far.
The Morski family built a working igloo in their front yard on Walnut Street in Nashville.
Birth: Kallie Roehtemeyer was born on December 9 to Doug and Melanie Roehemeyer of Hoyleton.
Jennifer Unverfehrt and Nathan Beckmann announced their engagement.
Deaths: Robert G. Davis, 65, of Coulterville, December 30; Christian Henry Adubato, three month old infant son of Dr. Frank and Michelle Tepe Adubato, December 22; Elmer A. Wittemeyer, 88, of Centralia, December 30; Vernon C. Aussieker, 93, of Irvington, January 3; Vincent P. Rybicki, Jr., 70, of Ashley, January 7.