Like many other Kansans, Tonganoxie kindergarten students rooted for the Kansas University Jayhawks to win Monday night’s NCAA championship game. Tuesday morning, following the Jayhawks’ fall to Syracuse, students in the classes of Denise Smith and Debbie Wedel proudly displayed their Jayhawk clothing. A sign on the kindergarten door above them says the Jayhawks “may be #2, but we still love you! (Children pictured were Devan Vaughn, Connor Yates, Kendall Parsons and Cameron Janssen.)”

Birth: Todd and Kim Freeman, Lenexa, a son, Cameron Blake Freeman, born March 3, 2003.

Death: Eugene “Gene” W. Zule, 86, Leavenworth, died April 6, 2003.

Author shares tales with TJHS students: American history class became all the more interesting when Don Coldsmith walked in the door. Coldsmith, a Kansas author and historian who lives in Emporia, recently talked to eighth-graders in Kathy Harrell’s classroom at Tonganoxie Junior High School. Among the students hearing him speak was one familiar face–Coldsmith’s grandson, Zach Young. For Coldsmith, who is 77, the journey to writing novels was prefaced by a career in medicine. (His first published novel was set in 1542 in the Kansas Flint Hills. It was about a lost Spaniard who couldn’t get home when Coronado turned around and went back. The book was so popular that his editors wanted a sequel — again and again. “That’s about 32 years ago and we’re still following the descendants of my lost Spaniard.” Coldsmith said.)

25 years ago: March 30, 1988

Mr. Jim Watson, vice president of the First State Bank, will join the ranks of the retirees on April 1, 1988. Mr. Watson began his banking career in 1974 at Tonganoxie.

A number of fires kept the fire department busy last Friday, including one at the Jim Gambrill horse barn. There were no injuries but the barn was destroyed (Picture of the barn burning.).

Comments by Walt Neibarger: Driving is a major activity in an auto-age worldwide. You can get in the hold financially quicker and further as a car enthusiast than almost any other way and get a short cut to the funeral home quickly unless you are extra careful. We set forth, in 1914, in a stripped-down Ford from the Harman Garage in Valley Falls, and have driven for almost sixty years without a major accident.

The March 24 was a busy day at the Riford Center. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Usborne were honored with a surprise cake from their daughter, Luanne Kietzmann, a Tonganoxie School Teacher, for their 60th anniversary.

Deaths: Gladys J. Reeves, 73, Bonner Springs, died March 24, 1988; Lester M. Schmutz, 68, Basehor, died March 24, 1988; Robert Lee Scott, 71, Tonganoxie, died March 22, 1988; Pearl E. Haney, 79, Lansing, died March 27, 1988; Raymond Reed, 76, Ottawa, died Sunday; Thomas Stroud, 69, Kansas City, Kan., died March 23, 1988; Elsie A. Hunter, 91, Tonganoxie, died Monday; Elizabeth A. Murphy, 75, Bonner Springs, died March 27, 1988.

50 years ago: April 18, 1963

Death: Charles R. Peterson, 74, Kansas City, Kan., died Sunday.

Cub Scout Pack 3075 held their monthly pack meeting March 26 in Hughes Hall. Awards were given to the following boys: Wolf badge and one gold and one silver arrow point to Danny Mathis. Lion badge and one gold and one silver arrow point to Carl Latham. The highest award in cub scouting went to John Gress. John is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gress. We have enjoyed having them all in Cub Scouts and wish them the very best of luck in the next step they are taking in Boy Scouts. Mrs. Harold Putthoff, Cub Reporter.

Larry Doege and 48 of his schoolmates from Donnelly College left last Friday morning for a ten-day trip. They will visit Washington, D.C., New York City, Niagara Falls and Canada.

Weekly Comment about this and that: (Jere J. Neibarger) Next week the Tonganoxie Mirror will be 82 years old. The paper was established just 22 years after Kansas became a state and up among the old established Kansas weeklies.

Weekly Comment continued: The spring home-building activity is starting again in Tonganoxie with three new homes under way; one in Somer’s Addition, one on Piety Hill (old Will Ridgway land) owned by Mr. and Mrs. James M. Carter, and a third on the Hans Freienmuth lot at First and Main St. on the east entrance to town from U.S. Highway 24-40.

75 years ago: March 25, 1938

Paul Peterson, 3-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Peterson was very seriously injured Friday afternoon of last week when he was knocked down and run over by a tractor. The small child was playing in the field and was unnoticed by his uncle, Tom Elmer, when he started to back the tractor. His chest and both arms were badly injured. He is given some hopes for recovery in a Kansas City hospital.

The Weekly News Reel: A subscriber plunked down his $1.50 and 3c for the state, says “I take the paper for two reasons: one, to see what you print; two, to see what you don’t print.” and also the following: Pedestrians were stumped Tuesday when they saw a Fox terrier coming down the street with a pipe in his mouth. It was a trick dog that performed that day at the high school.

The Sans Nom Club meets this week with Mrs. Arthur James.

From “It Happened in Kansas” by F.A. Cooper: The Bashful Suitor; The early Pawnee Indians of Kansas conducted their courtship in a very curious manner. A ‘lovesick’ Pawnee brave simply donned a heavy buffalo robe and entered the lodge of the lady of his choice. No attention would be paid to him nor would he speak to anyone. After sitting on the bare floor for a time he left as quietly as he had come. Two days later the brave returned to the lodge — if a bear skin was spread for him to sit on he knew that his proposal had been accepted. But, no bear skin meant NO! Even this simple and effective courtship had its drawbacks. The father-in-law quite often married ALL of his daughters to the ‘lovesick’ brave.

100 years ago: April 3, 1913

Husband finds wife dead: John Lee, living two miles east on the old Barnes place which he purchased a few years ago, came to town Friday morning to attend the funeral of George Modlin. He left his wife going about her work as usual. What was his surprise therefore when he returned home about 4 o’clock to find his wife lying dead on her bed. Everything indicated that she had become suddenly sick and expired immediately. In the kitchen indications were that she was preparing to do the washing when the fatal attack came on. (Margaret Angeline Tucker Lee was 67 years, 11 months and 6 days old.)

Frank Fairchild’s streak of luck seems to be contagious. He was out on horseback with Whit Laming Sunday, on the Crancer farm near Neely, and the pony the latter was riding stumbled and fell. (Mr. Laming’s ankle was badly sprained and he was using crutches to get about.)

The largest tornado policy in town is carried by the mill. The amount is $20,000.

The streets were dragged last week and it made a wonderful difference in the condition of the roads.

Ralph Hoskins left last Thursday to travel again with a carnival company. They start from Little Rock, Arkansas, and he will be with a picture gallery.

Money deposited in the post office is not exempt from taxation. The attorney-general has made that ruling.

Eliza B. Sylvester died March 19. Therefore, had she lived until the 7th of this month, she would have lived out man’s allotted time “three score years and ten”

R.B. Wilkinson of Tonganoxie died suddenly early yesterday morning.