A fire that caused approximately $200,000 worth of damage Sunday afternoon, Nov. 23, at Basehor United Methodist Church has been determined to have been caused by arson, said Larry Scott, information officer for the local branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

John and Winnie Miller are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married Dec. 6, 1947. Their children are hosting a celebration at Tonganoxie Christian Church Fellowship Hall in their honor on Dec. 6, 1997.

Deaths: Wylene Fain Lipe, 67, Mission, died Nov. 27, 1997; Lafayette Robert Onstad, Perry, died Nov. 26, 1997; Ethel A. Ridgway, 94, formerly of Tonganoxie, died Nov. 1, 1997 in Lawrence; Darrell D. Pearce, 66, Tonganoxie, died Nov. 27, 1997; Clarence Irvin Worley, 71, Basehor, died Nov. 29, 1997.

The tank in the Reusch Memorial Park, at First Street and Meadows Lane, was covered with Christmas lights in preparation for the holiday, and Mayor Herb Robbins’ Tree Lighting program is set for Dec. 7, 1997, in the park.

During the 24-40 Celebration of the ribbon cutting and official opening of the four-lane newly renovated roadway, a book to commemorate the road and its rich history was released by the Basehor Historical Society. “I was the one that tried to get it together to print,” said Gloria Neu, president of the Basehor Historical Society. “The chambers of commerce of both Basehor and Tonganoxie asked for it, so that’s why we did it,” she said.

25 years ago: Dec. 1, 1982

Deaths: Mrs. Ruth M. Sprague, 69, died Thursday in a nursing home at Merriam; Miss Geraldine Ann Buchanan, age 55, of Lansdowne, Pa., died Nov. 24, 1982.

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Breuer, Tonganoxie, announce the birth of a son, Scott Edwin, born Nov. 23, 1982.

Larry E. Scheller, Leavenworth County clerk, was elected vice president of the Kansas County Clerks Association at the annual K.O.C. convention, Nov. 14-16 in Wichita. Eighty-two county clerks attended the convention to elect officers for 1983 and appoint committees for the upcoming year.

A five-man team of swine specialists from China’s Henan province arrived in Kansas Nov. 15, for a 12-day tour of Kansas farms and industry. Kansas Farm Bureau invited the Chinese specialists to Kansas during a KFB sponsored trade mission to Henan province in August 1980. On that trade mission were several hog producers who exchanged information on hog production with the Chinese.

St. Mary College BSN for RN students are pictured: Elnora Butler, Laura Lowe, Barbara Murphy, Shannon Crosby, Mary Kay Hurla and Jean Griffith. These are the six registered nurses who have presented “Here’s To Your Health!” throughout the Leavenworth county area.

50 years ago: Dec. 19, 1957

Clarence Baldwin, age 53, Bonner Springs, died Tuesday morning of injuries resulting from a motorcar accident in which he was involved on Dec. 10, 1957. The accident was near Beloit.

Other deaths: Lon W. Stone died Dec. 6, 1957, after a month’s illness; Robert Wesley Fryhofer, 86, a farmer in the McLouth area, died Saturday in McLouth; Arthur Gray Hughes, Tonganoxie, died Dec. 16, 1957, at the age of 65 years.

Mr. and Mrs. August Diekman are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house on Dec. 29, at the Methodist Fellowship Hall.

Mrs. Nell Angell has retired from Zoellners Dry Good Store after 15 years of service. Mrs. Alta Botts has taken her place.

75 years ago: Nov. 24, 1932

Mrs. Anna Ohlrich, age 65, died Monday morning following an operation Wednesday of last week. Mrs. Ohlrich was 65 years, four months and 28 days old.

John Fenwick Spoor, aged 68 years, died suddenly last Friday night, Nov. 11, at his home in Kansas City, Mo.

Word has been received here of the death Sunday of Miss Alice Hoskins in Lansing. Miss Hoskins is a cousin of Harry Hoskins of Tonganoxie.

The Abilene Chronicle said before election that if all the mud thrown in the recent election should dry and come down there would be a big dust storm in Kansas.

CATS WANTED! It’s a Very Old Story – the story of the man who put in a great daily newspaper an inconspicuous 2-line advertisement as follows – CATS WANTED – $1.00 each, before 9 a.m. 16 Major Street. He put in this advertisement to prove to a doubting friend that the public reads advertisements. You can imagine the doubter’s consternation when he saw next morning a streetful of men, women and children, each with a cat. (This ad ends with: If you want to know how difficult is the job of writing an advertisement which would get 100 marks from a competent judge, try to write one about a vacuum cleaner, a motor car, a writing ink, a child’s shoe, or anything else. Try Mirror Advertising.) Ad.

Friendship Valley: Sunday evening a fire started in the forest on the Freienmuth farm but was put out before very much damage was done. It was believed it started from cigarettes that had been thrown away by hunters while passing through the forest.

100 years ago: Dec. 5, 1907

Dr. Isom Pearson died at Blue Jacket, Okla., (Indian Territory,) a week ago last Sunday of old age. Dr. Pearson was an old settler of Leavenworth County. Dr. Pearson was born June 20, 1824, and was one of a family of 10 children, only two of whom survive, Stanton Pearson of Tonganoxie, and a sister in Iowa.

E. H. Linton died at his home in Holton last Thursday morning of diabetes. Mr. Linton made his home in Tonganoxie over 20 years and is therefore well known to the older residents. He came here as the first agent of the Union Pacific in 1867 and held that position until 1888. He also held the position of postmaster here between the years 1881 and 1885.

Dr. C. V. Slaughter reports the arrival of a 10-pound boy at the home of Joe Henik last Friday.

The Tonganoxie State Bank received a shipment of $10,000 in currency direct from New York Monday.

Harry Sedgwick, a brother of John Sedgwick, of the Dafer neighborhood, died at his home north of Lawrence, Friday.

John D. Edminster died at his home in Superior, Neb., Nov. 24, of cancer of the stomach.