Nails are pounding at Himpel Lumber Company, where after 28 years the walls are expanding. Charlie Ussery, owner of the business since 1984, said he recently purchased a former feed store from Link Stone. The building, which has 5,000 square feet of floor space, has been vacant for two years. Ussery is renovating the building to make way for warehouse storage and to add more space to his retail store.

Deaths: Glenna M. Brassfield, age 53, Basehor, died March 17, 2002; Ruby Velma Agnes Coffman, 84, Tonganoxie, died March 11, 2002.

Paul Berry, a 1999 Tonganoxie High School graduate, has received his applied science degree in computer information systems and his vocational certificate in mainframe programmer/analyst from Johnson County Community College.

Jarbalo Jottings: Jarbalo United Methodist Women met last Wednesday to finalize plans for the pancake supper, which was a success. A note from Bid Sheppard was read that thanked the group for helping with her 90th birthday celebration.

McLouth residents continue to work towards bringing the city a veterans’ memorial. The memorial was expected to be built in Prairie Park, but other sites have been discussed as well.

25 years ago: March 18, 1987

News Selected 4-H Family Of The Year: Bill and Loris New, rural Leavenworth, and their four children: Jilinda, Damon, Shawna, and Brandon were chosen as the 1986-87 Leavenworth County 4-H Family of the Year by the County 4-H Council. In turn, this honor gives them the opportunity to represent Leavenworth County in the State 4-H Family of the Year competition.

From “Happenings” by Helen Schilling” Just had a call from Mrs. Erma Monhollon with an interesting bit of news. Last Thursday she received a Christmas card from a friend in California, that was mailed the 17th of December. It arrived in Tonganoxie after having travelled to Paris, France first. Truly quite a journey.

Mr. and Mrs. William B. Irwin celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with friends and relatives February 28.

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Trieb of rural Bonner Springs proudly announce the birth of their son, Stefan Thomas, born March 8, 1987.

Deaths: Kathleen Odessa (Heiser) Boardman, a former resident of Tonganoxie, died March 7, 1987 at the age of 81 years in Sedona, Arizona; Brandon Wayne Pratt of Tonganoxie, infant son of Wayne Pratt of Kansas City, Kansas and Debra Pratt, Tonganoxie, died March 14, 1987. He was born Nov. 2, 1986.

50 years ago: April 5, 1962

Births: Mr. and Mrs. Don Himpel announce the birth of a son, Donald Arthur, born March 9, 1962; Mr. and Mrs. J. T. McKinney of Oklahoma City, announce the birth of a son April 4, 1962. He has been named James Frederic.

Deaths: Mr. Steve Walter Farren, age 88, Tonganoxie, passed away April 1, 1962; Mrs. Nellie Mae Bell, Tonganoxie, passed away March 30, 1962, at the age of 68 years; Mr. Dean William Ratliff, Tonganoxie, age 55, passed away March 30, 1962.

There will be an informative meeting at Reno School April 6 at 8 p.m. to discuss the annexation of Hawk Hollow School to Reno.

Weekly Comment About This ‘n That: (Jere Neibarger, Publisher) Do you want to live like a king and get paid for doing it? According to information just published, the best way to do this is to get yourself elected to the Congress or the Senate of the United States. It doesn’t make any difference which party you belong to. (A paragraph followed describing all the benefits these people had.)

Linwood News: Word has been received here of the death of a former resident. Mrs. Harriett Crum, age 69, of Valley Falls.

Kenneth Thistlethwaite, who has been superintendant of school at Melvern, Kan., for the past fifteen years, has accepted a position as principal of the school at Stony Point, near Kansas City.

75 years ago: March 11, 1937

Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Newby of Salinas, California, will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary March 19, at the home of a daughter, Mrs. L. C. Hausmann, Brawley, Calif.

Reports from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Klindenberg today (Thursday) are that Mr. Klinkenberg remains about the same being able to be up part of the time but Mrs. Klinkenberg has taken a turn for the worse and she is reported as being very low.

From “It Happened in Kansas” by F. A. Cooper: Yes, there was a battleship “Kansas”! It was a 16,000-ton ship, one of the first line battleships to sail on their famous cruise around the world in 1907-08. The “Kansas” forced a peaceful occupation of Messina, Italy, in 1908 when the city was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Etna. The veteran “Kansas” was used as a transport in the World War and was scrapped in 1923. It never fired a shot at an enemy…….And: It is against the law to swallow reptiles in Kansas…..And: Stones were placed in the openings of this birdhouse so that only wrens could use it, but an ingenious pair of Martins removed a stone, built their nest in the house and replaced the stone before leaving that fall.

Navy radio stations and ships spend three minutes of every 30 listening for distress signals.

McLouth Items: Word was received last week of the death of Loring Swain, Modesto, Calif. He was a resident of McLouth several years ago and will be remembered as a painter and paper hanger in this community.

A birthday party was given Sunday honoring Bud Gress at his home in McLouth.

100 years ago: March 21, 1912

The Congregational people are laying plans to buy a pipe organ for the church. The first money to be raised for the purpose will be a silver offering taken up Easter Sunday at a concert to be given in the church.

The body of Mrs. Leota Robbins was brought here from St. Joseph, Mo., last Friday for burial. She had died at a hospital at 11:30 Wednesday forenoon of paralysis and indigestion. She was born in Easton Feb. 22, 1885.

C.C. Brown is again making up a club for Hoard’s Dairyman at the rate of 60 cents per year. See him if you want to subscribe.

In order to make it more pleasant for the skaters at the rink Frank McRill has ordered a lot of maple flooring, and as soon as it comes a new floor will be laid to skate over. Maple floors are considered the best kind for skating rinks.

Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Canfield of Chicago were visiting here last week. The former had been called to Lansing by the death of a brother. Mrs. Canfield is a former Tonganoxie girl, the daughter of Mark Todd.

A New Jersey woman is suing for damages because after a surgical operation a pair of forceps was sewed up inside her. She is lucky not to have the price of the instrument charged against its loss in her bill.

T. J. Edmonds, for many years national secretary of the Fraternal Aid Association, died suddenly at his home in Lawrence Tuesday night. Mr. Edmonds was about 50 years old.

Samuel W. Ellis, living in the north part of this township, died Sunday evening of heart trouble, in the 81st year of his age.

Fire destroyed the opera house and other buildings at Dodge City, causing a loss of $150,000.