The bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition takes place over a four-year period, starting in 2003. The National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council will meet at Fort Leavenworth March 4 and 5 to begin plans for the celebration. (Picture)

(Picture) On Saturday, Feb. 11, the family of Sandra and Fred Benedict will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Twenty-five years ago on Valentine’s Day, Sandra and Fred were married at the Tonganoxie Christian Church.

When George Cooper returned home after church services Sunday and opened the door, there were 75 balloons hanging from the ceiling of his home with dangling curly streamers in many colors. A surprise family potluck lunch was held on Sunday for George Cooper’s 75th birthday.

Birth: Jay Mills and Toby Balthrope announce the birth of a son, Zachary Hayden.

Deaths: Ian Martino, Key West, Fla., died Jan. 31, 1995. Jeanne Ardath Reeves, 72, Lawrence, died Feb. 1, 1995.

Jarbalo Jottings: John Stiglmire took his parents, George and Mildred Stiglmire, out to eat at Luby’s in Leavenworth, Jan. 30, 1995, in honor of their 66th wedding anniversary.

Jarbalo Jottings: Wanda Benson attended the funeral of her sister-in-law, Wilma Jean Benson, Jan. 31, 1995, in Kansas City.

Jarbalo Jottings: I (Thamar Barnett) received a pleasant phone call from Nancy Feuerborn Monday. Frank and Liz Feuerborn have adopted a baby boy from Korea. The family all went to the baptism in Lincoln, Neb., recently.

25 years ago: Feb. 6, 1980

The Third Wright Brother Line In Tonganoxie: (Article concerned Reuchlin Wright, brother of Orville and Wilbur, who lived in Tonganoxie.) That is how the third Wright brother, Reuchlin, came to live on a farm, two miles east of town on the Waterworks Road or Fourth St. Extension. At the T-Corner, two miles east there is a white house on a hill overlooking Stranger Creek valley, where the Wright Brothers, who came to Kansas City to visit their family, experimented with gliders as a first step in perfecting heavier than airplanes. According to a story handed down here the Wrights succeeded in keeping a glider they had built aloft by hitching a mule to it to gain momentum and accelerate speed to put the glider into the air from the hillside home. It worked altho it probably landed downwind in the present Calovich pasture. The Wright Brothers crated the glider and shipped it back to Ohio via the Tonganoxie depot on the former Northwestern Railroad, according to Mrs. Walter Bleakley, whose father of the Hiser family was depot agent.

Deaths: Graveside services for Floyd L. Channel, 74, Tonganoxie, were Monday at the Reno cemetery. Mrs. Edith Mary Wheeler, 74, Drexel in Cass county, died Feb. 2, 1980. Robert M. Knoche, 65, Basehor, died Jan. 20, 1980. Services were held Jan. 25 for Lena Esther Hancock, 88, in Emporia. John H. Schlup, Tonganoxie, is one of six sons who survive.

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Taylor of Turner announce the birth of a son, Michael Wayman, Jan. 10. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Norman announce the birth of a son, Brian Thomas, on Jan. 9, 1980. Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Bretthauer of Eudora announce the birth of Melinda Lavon on Jan. 7, 1980. Mr. and Mrs. Scott Theno of Kansas City announce the birth of a daughter, Angalyn Diane, on Jan. 31, 1980.

McLouth News: Mrs. Elizabeth Lange received word of the death of her cousin, Herbert Morrow, who passed away Jan. 5 in Portland, Ore.

50 years ago: Feb. 24, 1955

Mr. and Mrs. John Adams of Basehor announce the birth of a 6-pound daughter on Feb. 20, 1955.

Death: Frank William Lenahan, Tonganoxie, passed away Feb. 21, 1955, at the age of 81 years.

Jarbalo: The Erva Dunlap family west of Jarbalo announce the birth of a baby boy Feb. 18, 1955.

Word has been received of the death of Mrs. Carrie Niebaum Huffman of Cincinnati, Ohio, on Feb. 6. She was the wife of the late Ira Huffman and lived on a farm east of Tonganoxie many years ago.

Member of Pioneer Kansas Family Passes (Douglas County pioneer family.) Los Angeles, Calif., Feb. 20: Mrs. Minnie L. Novak, 82, the former Minnie Louella McCarty, died today following an illness of several months.

75 years ago: Jan. 30, 1930

Prema Rose Lenahan, who won a statewide eighth-grade scholarship contest last spring, has received a letter from the sister of Jack Bell, Norcatur, Kan., who won second place. She told Miss Lenahan her brother had said no girl could beat him, so she wished to congratulate the girl who did.

Henry Oberbach was in from Stranger Saturday. He and Mrs. Oberbach started in a bob sled, and the roads thawed so, they had to slide on the dirt in places. This sled is an old one, he says, and came in handy this winter.

H.W. Klinkenberg was in town from the Hoge vicinity Saturday, said he hadn’t been out much lately, like the groundhog, was waiting for it to thaw out a little. “This winter has been something like those we used to have when I was a boy.”

Dr. Coe reports the birth of a boy to Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Hill, Monday, Jan. 27, 1930.

Pleasant Valley: Maurice Heywood missed several days of school last week because of the drifted roads.

Pleasant Valley: Mr. Herbert Baker and family are enjoying a new radio they purchased last week from Ray Ridgway.

100 years ago: Feb. 9, 1905

Died At An Advanced Age: Mrs. Samira Carter died at the home of her son T.J. Carter four miles south of here, Sunday morning, about half past nine o’clock, at the advanced age of 86 years. She had been sick for several weeks. She was a quiet sunny character, held in high regard by all who knew her.

Like the scythe that moweth the grain the Grim Reaper of Death has again been in our midst. The untimely death of our pioneer neighbor Gerson Burkle took place on Feb. 1, 1905, at 9:40 in the morning. Mr. Burkle was sick only a short time. He was a native of Germany, and was born at Black Forest, Baden, Jan. 6, 1828. His aged widow survives him with an only daughter, Mrs. Wm. Leak, to console her in her remaining years, and both of whom mourn his loss deeply.

A 2-week-old son of Section Foreman Thrapp, of Reno, died Wednesday.

Not many participated in the rabbit hunt last week, on account of the extremely cold weather. Gurney Ellis made the highest score by killing 23. About 200 were shipped out Monday to the Salvation Army at Kansas City.

C.A. Leidy has purchased the general mercantile business of S.B. Wiley and will take charge at once. His successor as manager of the Lambert Lumber Co. has not yet been appointed. Mr. Wiley intends to move to Montana to deal in horses.