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Remember When: A Community Review of Tonganoxie

By Billie Aye - | Dec 27, 2011

10 years ago: Dec. 12, 2001

Caption under picture: Visit Vi and Leon Cairns’ home in Basehor, where it’s Christmas 12 months a year. In 1990 the couple began collecting Christmas village pieces. Now, a room in their walkout basement is filled with scenes, which delight young and old visitors. (Story was in the paper.)

Deaths: Bernadine A. Bellinger Kline, 79, Woodward, Okla., died Dec. 6, 2001; N. Jean Lenahan, 69, Tonganoxie, died Dec. 10, 2001; Thelma Elizabeth Reed, 92, Tulsa, Okla., died Dec. 10, 2001; Patricia Laura Watrak, 82, Oskaloosa, died Dec. 11, 2001.

Santa Claus arrived in Tonganoxie last week in some unconventional transportation. The Christmas icon entered VFW Park aboard a Tonganoxie fire truck as part of the mayor’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Gail Kiefer, a Tonganoxie second-grade teacher, recently completed her National Board Certification for early childhood education.

Jarbalo Jottings: A celebration for Madison Smith’s second birthday was hosted by her mother, Rhiannon Mooberry, at the home of Thamar Barnett on Dec. 3. David Turner’s birthday also was celebrated.

25 years ago: Dec. 10, 1986

After 11 1/2 years of service on the Tonganoxie USD 464 School Board, Mildred McMillon resigned Monday night effective Jan. 1, 1987, to take the District 1 position on the State Board of Education.

Mr. and Mrs. George Siddens celebrated their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary, Nov. 29, 1986, at the Florence Riford Center. A family dinner was held at noon with two guests, Christine Peaches and Clarence Priddy from Basehor. About 200 came to help them enjoy the day.

Santa Sees Double: Santa, Charles Eibes, made a stop at the home of Dr. Phil and Joan Stevens on Thanksgiving Day to pay a visit to his newborn twin grandsons, Andrew Philip and Nicolas Charles, before going on to the Leavenworth Plaza where he has been their Santa for the last seven years.

Deaths: Jessie Cronemeyer, 76, Memphis, Tenn., passed away Dec. 5, 1986 in Memphis; Martin F. Aufdemberge, 75, Leavenworth, died Dec. 3, 1986; Frank A. Kramer Sr., 90, Tonganoxie, passed away Dec. 5, 1986; Word was received of the death at Rogers, Ark., of Katherine Bradley, 91, formerly of Tonganoxie; John “Jack” Russell Athon, 70, Overbrook, died Dec. 7, 1986; Crist A. Theroff, 86, Basehor, formerly of Kansas City, died Dec. 1, 1986.

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. S. Kilgore, Jr., of Lawrence would like to announce the birth of their daughter (no date given); Mr. and Mrs. Ron Starcher are pleased to announce the arrival of their daughter, Lindsey Michelle, born Dec. 3, 1986.

50 years ago: December 28, 1961

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Andy (Skeet) Crouse announce the birth of a son Gregory Alan, born Dec. 22, 1961.

A tiny handwritten note in this bound book reads, “This man bound this beautiful book” and a paragraph was marked, stating, “David Freeman spent the Christmas vacation with his mother, Mrs. Opal Freeman and family. David is employed at the state printing plant in Topeka.”

Weekly Comment About This and That (Jere J. Neibarger, Publisher): In reminiscing of Christmases gone by, the two spent in Japan with the occupation forces in the late ’40’s came to mind with a happy memory. Each year a box arrived from the Navy Mothers, or was it the Army-Navy Mothers, which was filled with odds and ends. A pen or pencil, some stamps, key chain or what have you. It was always fun to open these boxes since you never knew what you would find inside. Do these little boxes still head overseas at Christmas time? If they don’t, they should.

75 years ago: Dec. 3, 1936

“Uncle Tom” Davidson, Cheerful, Kindly man Answers To Last Summons…. “Uncle Tom is gone.” That is the characterization by which Tom Davidson was best known in the Mound vicinity, west of Tonganoxie, where he lived many years, and by others all around Tonganoxie. He died Oct. 30 at the age of 78 years, 9 months and 14 days.

Mrs. Lillian Casey, age 68, died at her home Sunday morning at about 6 in the east part of Tonganoxie where she had lived quietly since the death of her husband, J. M. Casey, former Tonganoxie tinner, who died three years ago; Mrs. Amanda White, Basehor, passed away Dec. 27, at age 86.

Mr. and Mrs. Max Woehr announce the birth of a son Nov. 20, in Leavenworth. The little son has received the name of Jerry Ken; Linwood: Friends in Linwood received word of the birth of a son born to Mr. and Mrs. Leman Trout Saturday of last week at their home in Melvern.

From “It Happened in Kansas” by F. A. Cooper: Col. Forsyth and 51 scouts were surrounded by Indians on a small island in the Arickaree River. In their desperate plight, two scouts, Jack Stillwell and Pierre Trudeau crept through the Indian lines on their way to summon help from Ft. Wallace. They were far out on the shelterless plains when they saw Indians in the distance….before them lay the carcass of a buffalo…there was no other shelter in sight so they crawled into the rotting carcass and hid while the Indians passed near by.

100 years ago: Dec. 14, 1911

Early Settler No More. Thos. J. Stout, an early settler of this county and for over 35 years a resident of Fairmount and Tonganoxie, died at his home in Bonner Springs a week ago yesterday evening, following a long illness. He was in the 72nd year of his age.

A girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Will O’Brien Wednesday evening of last week.

Mrs. Adam Seufert received word from her son, Charlie Keller, a few days ago that he had finished his log cabin on his claim near Meeker, Colorado, and has moved into it.

The High School enrollment numbers 140. Last year the school was the largest in the state in a town of this size, and this year’s enrollment has exceeded last year’s.

We see by the papers that an Indiana girl was hurt playing football. Evidently she was training to be a Suffragette.

Miss Idell Nelson was called to the bedside of her grandma who is sick in Kansas City.

The earth, we are told, will be habitable for the next 10,000,000 years. This announcement will cause a feeling of relief among those who have been thinking of leasing apartments on Mars.

Mrs. J. H. Dreisbach once visited the city of Delhi, India, where the great festivities known as the Durbar took place Tuesday. Delhi is one of the oldest cities of the world, and is the burial place of the old Kings of India.