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Remember When: A Community Review

By Billie Aye - | Mar 15, 2011

10 years ago: Feb. 28, 2001

Wal-Mart’s plans to construct a Bonner Springs super center near Kansas Highway 7 and Kansas Avenue have stalled. Price Banks, a Lawrence land-use attorney representing a group of Bonner Springs citizens, said a lawsuit has been filed to prevent construction of the new Wal-Mart, which is planned on the east side of K-7, near the existing store.

Chief Dee Ketchum, head of the Delaware Indian tribe, headquartered in Bartlesville, Okla., recently learned that the town of Tonganoxie had been named for one of his tribal members. “I knew our history ran deep in Kansas, and I was very delighted to hear that,” Ketchum said. “It’s perked my interest in doing more reading about my own history, particularly in and around Tonganoxie. When we have a town named after one of our chiefs, obviously that’s quite an honor.”

Melissa R. Crain, Tonganoxie, is among students on the dean’s list at Rockhurst University for the fall 2000 semester.

Army Pvt. Leah R. Bliss has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. She is the daughter of Rodney and Jackie Bliss, Leavenworth.

25 years ago: Feb. 26, 1986

Mr. William Denholm’s 90th birthday was Feb. 22, but the celebrations came the next day. Mr. and Mrs. Denholm and their family attended the church services at the First Congregational Church together, where he was honored. The minister, Rev. Bob Kasper, gave some of the history of the family, saying that Mr. Bill Denholm joined the church at the age of 12, making this his 78th year as a member of the church.

Mrs. David (Thelma) Parker celebrated her 75th birthday by hosting a party at her home in Tonganoxie.

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Rob Greenwood, Bonner Springs, a son, Thomas Elliott, born Feb. 19, 1986.

Deaths: Robert Randall Rawlings, 59, Marietta, Ga., died Feb. 10, 1986; Joseph Francis Carney, 75, Basehor, died Feb. 23, 1986, at Alamo, Texas while on a visit.

From “Happenings In and Around Tonganoxie,” by Helen Schilling: We are taking this little note from the Women’s Traffic Club magazine in Kansas City, Mo. Here it is: Bob Hope once received an award and graciously gave full credit to his four writers for making it possible. The next to receive the award was Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. He stepped to the mike and with a grin, he announced, “I also want to thank my four writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”

50 years ago: March 16, 1961

The Leavenworth Regional Planning Commission held the first public hearing Wednesday evening at the Leavenworth High School auditorium concerning a proposed lake and resort area which would be located northeast of Tonganoxie. The lake, when completed, would extend from a point three and one half miles northeast of town, to Easton, a distance of approximately fifteen miles. The 13,500-acre lake would have an estimated 100 miles of shoreline.

Deaths: Thomas S. Drake, Sr., 73, Route 3, Tonganoxie, died Sunday evening; Ed Richard, Route 2, Tonganoxie, died March 14, 1961, at the age of 72 years.

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Ousdahl of Lawrence, observed their 50th wedding anniversary March 12, at their home.

Basehor Weekly Notes: Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bates, a son, Randall Alan, March 8, 1961.

75 years ago: Feb. 20, 1936

Death came with a sudden hand to a young mother Tuesday morning in Tonganoxie. Mrs. Grace Alexander, age 28, died at her home just south of the S.J. McNaughton home on south Shawnee St. This death is particularly sad because she leaves four children, the oldest age nine, without a mother. (Mrs. Alexander apparently had flu and it “became complicated with heart weakness” causing her sudden death.)

Jarbalo, Feb. 18 — The brand of weather that has been prevailing is prompting old timers to become reminiscent and there have been various estimates that this is the coldest winter in 30, 40 and some claim, 50 years.

Airplane falls into sea — Ed Pendleton’s Plane Was Ruined, But He Wasn’t In It. (The article stated Mr. Pendleton had sold his plane, but it was not quite paid for. The two men who were flying it were badly cut and bruised. The crash happened in Chula Vista.)

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Baker, a son, James Lewis, born Feb. 9.

All In a Day’s Work — Prof. W. C. Morrow of the Tonganoxie high school is accustomed to many varied situations which he tries to iron out in a common sense way. But the other morning he had a tough one to solve. A freshman boy’s mother called on the telephone one cold morning and said: Mr. Morrow, my son insists on slicking his hair back with water. These cold mornings, by the time he gets to school, it is frozen stiff. What shall I do about it? Mr. Morrow (patiently), Madam, you might try putting some alcohol in the water.

100 years ago: March 2, 1911

We have it from a German economist that American women will soon be forced to labor on farms like men. Here we have an outlet for the surplus energy of those fair damsels who seek “careers” in preference to husbands.

Mrs. Mattie Fowler, wife of Irvin Fowler who lives about four miles west of town, died Friday night, Feb. 24. The funeral was Sunday in Reno.

Charlie Everett, the first rural carrier in Kansas, has resigned after 19 years of service. He was a carrier from the Bonner Springs office, when the government started its rural delivery experiments.

Mike McDonald, husband of a former Tonganoxie young lady who was Miss Mabel Senhausen, died last week in El Paso, Texas, at the age of 33 years. He had been ill a long time.

Mrs. Clarence Crady died at her home in the west part of town last night of general peritonitis. An operation was performed on her the night before in the hope of saving her life. The deceased was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bateson and was married to Clarence Crady about three months ago.