Harvest yields prize-winning cider: There’s no doubt about it, the Wildhorse apples are some of the best around. For the last two years, cider made from apples grown and pressed at Wildhorse Orchard took first place at the Mid-Continental Fruit Growers conference. “Last year we submitted two varieties and we placed first and second,” said Laurie Walters, who, with her husband, Perry, owns and operates the apple orchard. Walters said that 1,000 trees grow on the land that has been in her husband’s family for 125 years.

Death: William Gerald McCaffrey, 78, Tonganoxie, died Oct. 4, at his home.

A Tonganoxie couple was honored last week for its work in forest conservation. State forester Ray Aslin presented the Kansas forest stewardship award to Bob and Betty Conley during the forest service fall field day at the Conley farm, 6 miles southwest of Tonganoxie. Conley accepted the award, saying, “This award should be given to a whole lot of people, not just to my wife and me. The dream doesn’t happen unless you have people.” (The Conleys offered the use of their 283-acre farm to a Kansas City Catholic food service organization, which provided food to the hungry in food kitchens. Then they built a greenhouse, a sawmill and a kiln to dry lumber harvested on the farm. Four volunteers lived in two mobile homes near the sawmill to run the operation.)

Birth: Arik and Jamie Tillery, Kansas City, Kan., a boy, Caleb Christian, born Aug. 4, 1999.

Tyler and Trey Lohman, children of Karol and Terry Lohman, Leavenworth, received the Leavenworth County Swine Herdsmanship Award during the recent Kansas Junior Livestock Show, Wichita.

25 years ago: Oct. 10, 1984

Rhonda Keylon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Keylon, Basehor, has been named a semi-finalist in the Academic All-American Scholar Award Program.

For the first time in 15 years, four Leavenworth County youths will be representing the state of Kansas at the National Junior Horticulture Convention, which will be held in Grand Rapids, Mich., later this month. The number one horticulture judging team from Kansas consists of Leigh Roberts, Linwood; Mike Seufert, Tonganoxie; Joe Schwinn, Leavenworth; and Wendy Winkler, Leavenworth.

When the descendants of two brothers, John and Stephan Schenck, held their first reunion in 1910 at the farm home of John B. Schenck, near Oskaloosa, they decided to follow up with another reunion the next year. They didn’t realize they were starting a tradition that would continue for many years to come. This year, the 75th annual Schenck Reunion was held at Oskaloosa, again, at the City Building on Saturday and Sunday. (41 people attended the first reunion; 139 attended in 1984.)

Deaths: Rev. Rex D. Kelley, 58, Shawnee, died Oct. 3, 1984; Mrs. Catherine M. Wickey, 68, Tonganoxie, died Oct. 7, 1984; Mrs. Helen Louise Laster, 73, Tonganoxie, died Oct. 6, 1984; Ruth D. Mull, 75, St. Charles, Ill., formerly of Geneva, Ill., died Sept. 26, 1984; Lowell Burnell Turner Sr., 63, Tonganoxie, died Oct. 8, 1984; Mrs. Mattie Martha Schubert, 94, Tonganoxie, died Oct. 6, 1984; Elizabeth Wasson, age 77, Bonner Springs, died Friday at her home.

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Jim Walker, Jr., of Shawnee, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Steven Jacob (date not given.)

50 years ago: Oct. 29, 1959

Deaths: Gladys Petty True, Corpus Christi, Texas, died Monday; James W. Cummings, Tonganoxie, died Oct. 27, 1959, at the age of 74 years; George H. Nirschl, 55, Kansas City, Kan., died Tuesday evening.

Basehor: Mrs. Herman Lindel received word her sister-in-law, Mrs. Erma Hinz, Supulpa, Okla., died Oct. 25.

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shoemaker, Kansas City, Kan., a daughter, Sept. 27, 1959; Mr. and Mrs. John L. Williams, a daughter, Mary Beth, on Oct. 25, 1959.

Basehor: Mr. and Mrs. Robert VanTuyl announce the birth of a daughter on Oct. 23.

One of the principal objections of being a parent is that by the time you have the experience to be able to answer all the questions the youngster can ask, you have run out of youngsters. (The Weekly News Reel.)

75 years ago: Oct. 4, 1934

Mrs. Sarah Hipsher, Osawatomie, died Sept. 28, 1934, at the age of 77 years, 4 months and 24 days.

The New Deal is a strange deal. It pays farmers in one section to retire acreage from cultivation and spends money in another territory to develop more acres for cultivation.

Mrs. George McBroom entertained with a waffle supper Monday of last week, the occasion being the birthday of Mr. McBroom.

Pleasant Valley: Mr. H. Baker and his mother, Mrs. Charles Fisher, made a business trip Monday afternoon to Tonganoxie.

Stanwood Items: D.E. Wiley had the pleasure of having his children home Sunday in a family reunion.

Hazel Ridge News: Lyle Campbell, who is attending the agriculture college at Manhattan, spent Saturday and Sunday with his folks, Mr. and Mrs. Norris Campbell.

100 years ago: Oct. 14, 1909

Emery Kirby is now perched on top of a red wagon with an elevated seat.

One of the KU football players was dismissed last week because he took a smoke.

James McEnulty lost a young heifer by lightning last Friday night in his pasture four miles west.

Someone has gotten a searchlight and is using it evenings. It looks as though it was being used to search for Halley’s comet.

The numerous electric lights on the front of the moving picture show room considerably brighten up Fourth Street these evenings.

Halley’s Comet, which gets comparatively close to the earth about once in 75 years is again visible through the telescopes and will be visible to the naked eye next spring. Some astronomers declare that the comet may destroy the earth when it gets closest to us next May. Of course, no one wants to be in that catastrophe when they owe a subscription account, so that the wisest and safest plan is to settle before it is too late.