It Happened Here – March 21, 2018

Eighty Years Ago
(1938)

A tornado injured two people, destroyed one farm home and caused damage between Stone Church and St. Libory.
Fire caused minor damage to the Vanity Beauty Salon in Nashville.
There was an outbreak of hydrophobia (rabies) in the county.
Strawberries were 11 cents per pint.
Veronica Waldman’s bill at Marshall Browning Hospital for ten days while having a baby was $35.
Deaths: Margaret Ann Brammeier, 33, of Oakdale; Diedrich F. Stubbe, of St. Louis; Sara Wheeles, 87, of Ashley.

Seventy-Five Years Ago
(1943)

The Trust Building and Loan Association of Nashville celebrated 50 years in business.
There was an outbreak of hog cholera in the county.
Rationing of meats, cheeses, shortenings, salad oil, butter, margarine, and canned fish beganat the end of the month.
Deaths: August Charles Ellermeyer, 58, of DuBois; Mary Martha Whitesell, 57, of Richview.

Seventy Years Ago
(1948)

The Washington County Fair Association purchased 20 acres of property south of Nashville, known as the Amos Tharp Farm, as a permanent site for the event.
The low bidder for a new Nashville sewer system was Ashmore Construction Company.
A proposition to issue $350,000 in bonds to be used for road maintenance for the next ten years was approved.
Lyle Stokes was seated as Supervisor of Richview Township, replacing Erwin Sanders.
Bacon was 45 cents a pound.
Deaths: Dr. Harry A. Walker, 75, of Ashley; William Schlake, 72, of Nashville.
Wedding: Betty Spears of Centralia and Melvin Schnake of Hoyleton.

Sixty-Five Years Ago
(1953)

A tornado left two families homeless and injured one person near Beaucoup.
The County Fair Association completed the transfer of 15 acres to NCHS for a new school building.
Miracle Whip salad dressing was 49 cents per quart.
Deaths: John Thies, of Nashville; Charles Nesbit, of Nashville; Clara Vachter, 73, of Belleville; Hilda Anderson, 101, of Nashville; Nancy E. Knaus, 88, of Bluford.
Weddings: Mary Belle Kaler of Hickory and Fred Palmer Beckman of Nashville; Doris Luebke of Nashville and William Pannel of St. Louis; Betty Wolfe of Roxana and Gene Buhrman of Nashville; Delphine Hoffman of DuBois and Jerry Crocker of Goodland, Mo.

Sixty Years Ago
(1958)

Max Gaffner of Pana bough the Habbe Jewelry Store in Nashville from Paul Habbe.
A campaign was announced by the Nashville City Council to beautify the city.
The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to close the Courthouse on Saturdays.
February’s total gas consumed in Nashville was 19,458,000.
Deaths: Henry Ankershell, 90, of Nashville; Charles J. Dahncke, 65, of Ashley; Louis C. Bender, 62, of Washington County; Bernard D. Huge, 63, of Hoyleton; Edward Kroeger, 70, of DuBois; Harry M. Hughes, 77, of Nashville; Emelie Eggeman of Okawville; Mrs. Edwin C. Ellerbrush, 54, of Okawville.

Fifty-Five Years Ago
(1963)

Terri Crane of Nashville won a nine county spelling bee in Nashville.
Fire destroyed a barn at the Duane May in Nashville.
Fire damaged a barn on the Herb Luehder farm west of Covington.
A public hearing was scheduled for April 1 at the Washington County Courthose on a petition for the dissolution of the Venedy School District.
Five youths, ranging in age from 15 to 20 were arrested in connection with a burglary of the Paramount Club.
Howard Beckmeyer was appointed the Irvington Town Clerk, replacing his father.
Deaths: Elizabeth Jack, of Beaucoup; Otto A. Blumhorst, 63, of Plum Hill; Hannah Christina Schmale, 76, of Nashville; Louis Steinkamp, 88, of New Minden; Olinda Caroline Sprehe, 63, of Centralia; Enno J. Dick, 88, of Okawville; Charles Ohlemeyer, 77, of Oakdale; Arthur Zick, 57, of Nashville; Paul F. Beckmeyer, 72, of Irvington.
Weddings: Roberta Cowlin, of Essex, England, and Norman D. Vogt, of Okawville; Shelby Jean Schnitker of Hoyleton and Robert J. Heser of Centralia.

Fifty Years Ago
(1968)

Lawrence T. Grabowski of DuBois graduated from the pilot training course at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
A plan to furnish Nashville water to Hoyleton for 40 cents per 1,000 gallons was rejected by the Hoyleton Village Board.
A late season snow storm caused numerous traffic accidents in the county, none serious.
Fire destroyed the rural home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard deeding near Plum Hill.
Nashville City Council approved a contract with C. L. Sagaser and Associates of Carlyle for improvements to the water distribution system.
Deaths: Mrs. Esther Burroughs Weihe, 73, of Nashville; Helena Holenbeck, 62, of Alton; Anastasia “Nettie” Mantyck, of Bolo Township; Adam “Butch” Renth, 50, of New Baden.
Weddings: Mary E. Rice and Stephen Gregory, both of Mt. Vernon; Virginia Kay Vaden of Irvington and Dennis Holthaus of Beckemeyer; Margie Ann Parker of Centralia and Joseph E. Shopinski of rural Ashley.

Forty-Five Years Ago
(1973)

A wildcat oil strike on the Arnold Harre lease four miles west of Nashville brought predictions of an oil boom.
Voters in the Nashville High School District approved a $1,200,000 bond issue, 1,239 to 694.
Voters in Nashville Grade School District approved a $1,525,000 bond issue, 770 to 474.
Washington County’s tax multiplier was set at 1.0638.
Nashville High School students received 44 firsts in the state music competition in Centralia, a record.
Lloyd Karmeier was injured when his car overturned west of Nashville.
LeRoy Borowiak reported selling 28,000 pairs of hosiery in 1972, an average of 90 pairs a day.
The Nashville City Council affiliating with a sister city, San Paulo, Brazil.
Deaths: Mrs. Ella Grewe, 76, of Nashville; Clara Rezba Rott, 87; Eva Pierce, 62, of Nashville; Gould Ulrey, Sr., 81, of Woodlawn; Mrs. Leona Dintelman, 52, of Elkton; Dr. William Bradley, 64, husband of the former Ruth Campbell.

Forty Years Ago
(1978)

Nashville High School’s Varsity Boy’s Basketball Team won the Illinois Class A State Tournament, defeating Havana. The Hornets were 30.3.
The Richview School Building was sold to Harold Wisniewski at Public Auction for $31,000.
State Police arrested Michael Joseph Bury, 20, of Nashville, and Gordon William Goodman, 24, of Okawville, for delivering cocaine to an undercover agent.
Jim Weber was credited with saving the life of one-year-old Stephanie Setzkorn, when she accidentally choked on a piece of candy.
N.C. Pries Implement Company in Hoyleton advertised a $600,000 farm equipment auction.
Duane Schuetz, 34, of rural Venedy, was killed in an auto accident in st. Clair County.
Deaths: Audrey Broadwater, 44, formerly of Nashville; Mildred Brueggeman, 70, of Addieville; Christian H. Meyer, 74, of Addieville;Stella Dudek, 59, of Ashley; Mary B. Gierten Miller, 100, of DuBois; Michael Roznowski, 85, of DuQuoin.

Thirty-Five Years Ago
(1983)

Local doctors resumed coverage of the emergency room at Washington County Hospital.
A 21-year-old Tamaroa man was found guilty of littering in Perry County Circuit Court after he threw a nude photograph of himself in the yard of a woman in St. Johns. The fine was $25.
Seven pistols and a shotgun were stolen in a burglary at the Ashley Elevator.
Rob Mueller was elected King and Christy Howe was elected Queen at the annual Irvington School Coronation.
Deaths: Elizabeth Woker, 87, of Nashville; Louise “LuLu” Brockschmidt, 89, of Okawville; Paul O. Poole, 63, of Nashville; Rose Nowakowski, 90, of Tamaroa; Ralph E. Balbridge, 71, of Centralia; Minnie Reinkensmeyer, 83, of Centralia; Clarence W. Kremmer, 81, of Belleville; Paul Walker, 83, of Los Angeles; Herman A. Dust, 68, of New Baden; Glenn Wilkerson, 59, of Nashville.
Births: A daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Doug Segrist of Farina; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Poirot of Nashville; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kleiboeker of Nashville; a daughter to Mr. Mrs. Ralph Schmersahl of Okawville; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Don Crownover, of Houston, Texas; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Mark Walker of Ashley; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Rabe of Coulterville; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Larry Harre, of Nashville.

Thirty Years Ago
(1988)

Ed Schmitt, former publisher of the Nashville News, was honored by School of Journalism at SIU-C by being named a Master Editor of Southern Illinois.
Ground broken for the Nashville McDonald’s restaurant.
Preston Carson of Oakdale was named a Master Farmer by Prairie Farmer magazine.
Deaths: Harry W. Meyer, 78, of Venedy; Edward Jaroszewski, 84, of DuBois; Gertrude L. Shelton, 75, of Centralia; Goldie Hake, 85, of Hoyleton; Alvin Baima, 76, of Collinsville; Ida Wilma Martin, 87, of Ashley; Ralph “Tiny” Roach, 78, of Nashville; Frank V. Barciszewski, 87, of Washington County; Estes Dickey, 85, of Granite City; Stella E. Pinski, 79, of Nashville; Myrtle W. Nehrkorn, 81, of Tamaroa; Joseph Hagene, 4, of Pinckneyville; Roy Baldridge, 93, of Centralia.
Births: a son to Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Tripp, Jr. of Granite City; A son to Mr. and Mrs. Jay Henson; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Plummer, Jr. of Litchfield.

Twenty-Five Years Ago
(1993)

Burglaries were reported at Meyer’s Landing, the Hill Tavern in Ashley, Teradye Ag Specialits in Venedy, the Waltonville grade school and the Woodlawn Market.
Nashville Fire Department received a $2,000 grant for the Monterey Coal Company’s Exxon Volunteer Involvement Program in honor of Harry Jankowski and Doug Holzhauer, former employees of the Albers Mine.
The Okawville Rockets fell to Cairo 66-62 in the super-sectionals.
Haertling Radio Shack offered a Tandy 386 SX computer for $1,099.
Deaths: Larry Scanlan, Jr., 19, of Centralia; Lillie Klingenberg, 71, of DuQuoin; Leroy Ripplinger, 77, of Posey.
Births: A son to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Pinski; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Brian Richardson of Nashville; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kirk of Woodlawn.

Twenty Years Ago
(1998)

Sheriff Jerry Borrenpohl held off a write-in challenge by Nashville Police Chief Dick Shew to become the GOP candidate for Sheriff. He was set to meet Deputy John Foster in the November General Election.
William Jack of Nashville received the County Engineer of the Year award from the Illinois Association of County Engineers.
Washington County Extension moved into its new headquarters on Wall Street in Nashville.
The Hornets fell to Farmington 57-54 in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
An explosion and fire ripped the roof off of a silo at the Wilmer Brockmeier dairy farm.
Deaths: Oliver Hoelscher, 86, of Nashville; Ernest Deering, 70, of DuBois; Charles Heintz, Jr., 84, of St. Libory; Elmer Lunte, 78, of Okawville; Orval Rightnowar, 73, of Mt. Vernon; Marjorie
Williams, 77, of Waltonville; Mary Cathcart, 76, of Camdenton, Mo.; Vivian Wilson, 83, of Ashley; Minnie Stough, 84, of Coulterville; Hugo Sterna, 87, of Nashville.
Births: A son to Gene and Missy Krummrich of Nashville; a daughter to Carl and Lisa Lintker of Venedy; a daughter to Patrick and Sara Fahrmann of St. Louis.

Fifteen Years Ago
(2003)

Nashville Police Officers Brandon Grzechowiak, Greg Hopfinger and Danny Bradac graduated from the Police Academy at Southwestern Illinois College.
Nashville High School Board of Education trimmed staff and raised some fees in the face of a $100,000 budget deficit.
Washington County Hospital executive Nancy Newby was advanced to fellow statusin the American College of Healthcare Executives.
With the nation at war in Iraq, an ecumenical service was scheduled by local clergy.
A 30-pack of Miller Lite was $15.99 at All Mart Wines and Spirits.
Births: Craig and Johnna Rivermann of Nashville had a daughter.
Deaths: Natalie House, 82, of Nashville; thelma Thompson, 81, of DuQuoin; Leonard Maschhoff, 98, of Hoyleton; Dean Schneidewind, 88, of Marissa.

Ten Years Ago
(2008)

The Washington County Board added a fee charge to anyone convicted of a felony or misdemeanor to support the Amy Schultz Center.
The Nashville Police demonstrated their ability to clear hallways and classrooms in an armed intruder drill conducted at Nashville Middle and Primary Schools.
Gary Winka resigned as the public works director for the city of Nashville.
Engagements: Lisa Marie Dinkelman announced her engagement to David Benjamin Jamiolkowski; Kristina Kellerman and Christopher Kujawa announced their engagement; Ranee Leah Robinson and Christopher Michael Kujawa announced their plans to wed; Rebecca Diane Metcalf and Allen Dale Hopson announced their engagement.
Birth: Austynn Anna Rose was born to Tom and Erin Gale of Ashley on Jan. 31.
Deaths:Dr. Jerry Hastings, 73, of Mattoon, on Mar. 8; Dorothy Gutzler, 96, of Nashville, on Mar. 13; Alice Thompson, 72, of New Minden, on Mar. 10; Stephen Dusky, 54, on Mar. 9; Kimber Weisel, stillborn daughter of Eric James and Elizabth Mae Weisel of Tamaroa, on Mar. 13; Sue Kaufman, 59, of Nashville, on Mar. 10.

Five Years Ago
(2013)

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce named Dan Heggemeier as their volunteer of the year.
Seth Lange, 16, was searching for a compatible bone marrow donor, with a little help from his friends with the St. Louis Blues.
Amelia Riechmann was born on March 17, to Matt and Erica Riechmann of Okawville.
Deaths: Luella Friend, 100, formerly of Nashville, February 14; Florence A. Robinson, 93, of Danville, formerly of Morton, March 15; Loretta Holm, 73, of Centralia, March 13.