25 years ago: May 20, 1998

Community National Bank held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new 5,800 sq. ft. building at the corner of Main and 24-40. The new building will be able to provide more services to its customers. The building they operate out of now on Delaware and Fourth Street doesn’t allow for drive through tellers – the new bank will have three drive up tells and an ATM. Twenty investors chartered Community National Bank in Seneca, Kan. in 1983. The bank in Tonganoxie was started with sixteen local stockholders.

Steve Skeet will be performing at Glen’s Opry, Saturday May 23rd, 7:30 p.m.

The students in Mr. Weller’s third year shop class are putting their skills to work. Dave Gepner, Scott Breuer, and Mark Gepner started the project with the goal of giving a good send off gift to their brothers, who will live together at Kansas State University next year. The boys constructed pine lounge chairs with KSU painted on the chair backs. They first saw the chairs in a J.C. Penney’s catalog, but after seeing how expensive they were, decided to build them in class. Mr. Weller says that his students ae quick learners and hard workers.

Funeral services for Michael and Ronald DeGraeve of Tonganoxie will be held on Wednesday, May 20. Ronald, aged 42, and Michael, aged 34, died Saturday, May 16 after they became involved in a tragic farm accident on County Road 33.

50 years ago: May, 17, 1973

Two Tonganoxie men were ordered to stand trial in District Court on charges of first-degree murder after Magistrate Court Judge Robert E. Davis heard the second day of testimony concerning the April 8 beating death of 83 year old Violet Frank of Tonganoxie.

Four Girl Scouts are winners of Camperships. They are Kim Garrison, Karen Atwell, Tracy Pittman, and Melanie Michaels.

Thirteen year old William Umbenhower, died late Sunday night of burns suffered in a house fire that fatally burned his younger sister, Shelly Kay, last Monday. A state Fire Marshal’s investigation of the blaze has found the fire was caused by a gas line leakage in the downstairs of the two-story house which was totally destroyed. Brothers Timothy and James were also injured along with their parents, Karen and Clyde Umbenhower.

The Iris Garden of Mrs. Charles Miller is now open to visitors. In addition to Irises, there are other flowers in bloom, including Azaleas and Peonies. Women of St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church are on hand as hostess for guided tours.

Henry Murr, age 92, who died May 11, spent his entire life on the Murr Farm and served four terms in the Kansas Legislature from 1934 to 1942. Henry was an influential legislator and a Republican leader in the House of Representatives. He acquired a thorough dislike for coyotes as a sheep man on the farm and got the legislature to pass the state bounty for scalps. He became one of the most successful hunters and trappers of this predatory animal in Leavenworth County. Nature created only one Henry Murr. It would be difficult to find anyone anywhere even remotely like this venerable Dutchman of the Neely neighborhood.

75 years ago: May 20, 1948

Twenty-six Graduate Here Tonight! Scholarship Honors to Patti Lapin and Robert Matthews.

Martha Still, three-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Still of Monte Vista, Colorado and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Still of Tonganoxie, was killed last Thursday when struck by a truck.

On Friday, May 14, Fay Jeanne Wagner entertained a group of friends with a line party in honor of her eleventh birthday. Ice cream and cake were served after the show at Yonally’s Bakery.

Russian Prisoner — A search for the heirs of the late Hugo Fleischhans who died on his farm 7 miles south of town on the evening of Feb. 29, has revealed that one of them, a nephew, is in Russia, still a prisoner of war.

100 years ago: May 17, 1923

Last Monday evening the City Council met in regular session. The eighth estimate on the sewer was allowed to WH Botsford. This estimate showed that the city had $60,000.00 worth of sewer installed, having paid Mr. Botsford that much minus the ten per cent retained.

Mayor Heynen appointed LE Hazen, city clerk, and Fred D. Angell, city treasurer. LC Love was appointed water and street commissioner and city marshal. The appointments were confirmed by the council.

The council has adopted new parking rules. Cars are now required to park parallel with the curbing and four feet apart. The Marshal was instructed to mark the pavement so that car drivers could have no excuse for jay parking. The Marshal was also instructed to arrest anybody caught speeding in the town.

CITIZENS’ MILITARY TRAINING CAMPS

Four thousand young men from the seventh corps area are expected to attend the annual Citizens’ Military Training Camps which will be held August 1-30. Three courses will be offered simultaneously this year.

Prospectives living in Kansas are requested to address all inquiries and to send for applications to General Wildar S. Meteaif, Lawrence. Approved applicants from Kansas will attend the camp at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The Basic Red Course is open to all young men of good character and physically fit between the ages of 17 and 25. This course will fit them for military service in a national emergency. The age limits shown about do not apply to those who attended a previous Citizens’ Military Training Camp. Veterans of the World War may be accepted up to 35 years of age.

All expenses in connection with the training are paid by the government, even the railroad transportation for which the student receives 5 cents a mile to and from camp. Clothing, food, housing, and medical attendance are without charge. Athletics, physical training, target practice and military instruction will be provided by a corps of experts, many of whom were in the American Expeditionary Forces.

125 years ago: May 19, 1898

Basehor Babble – Mrs. Carpenter entertained a number of ladies with a quilting last Friday. Among those who were present were Mesdames PW Budd, L. Colburn, EG Truskey, J. Kemler, WC Zook, D. Rickenbaugh, WA Carr and OK Lockwood.

We will pay a salary of $15 per week and expenses for a man with a rig to introduce our poultry Mixture and insect Destroyer in the county. Ref. required. Perfection Mfg. Co., Parsons.