Tonganoxie City Clerk Karen Daniels submitted her letter of retirement to the city council on Monday. The longtime clerk’s final day with the city will be April 30. Council voted to have Kathy Bard, assistant city administrator, replace Daniels when she retired. Bard will retain her current title when she assumes Daniels’ duties.

Deaths: Urban Hess, 91, Shawnee, died Feb. 20, 2003; Rev. Edward E. Hobby, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Tonganoxie, died Feb. 15, 2003. He had served as pastor of the First Baptist Church for 48 years. He retired in December 2001. (Rev. Hobby was an employee of President and Mrs. Harry S. Truman for more than 25 years. He was present at both the official release of the Truman Stamp and the dedication of Bess Truman’s birthplace as a historical site.)

25 years ago: Feb. 17, 1988

The Tonganoxie Community Historical Society will celebrate Black History Month at their regular monthly meeting on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. In the Senior Citizen Center. Topic of the program is the Black migration to Kansas during the 1870-1890’s. (Mrs. Gladys Jarrett had profiled Geraldine Woods-Bragg in this same newspaper. Mrs. Bragg talked of her grandfather, John Davis, who owned a barbershop on Shawnee St. during the town’s golden years of the last century. He was one of the best known barbers of his time, and although he was black, his customers were mostly white. The article continued with many facts from Mrs. Bragg’s life.)

Deaths: Ruth G. McHenry, 93, McLouth, died Feb. 13, 1988; Geraldine E. Latham, 66, Osawatomie, died Feb. 9, 1988; Albert C. Messinger, 85, Tonganoxie, died Feb. 10, 1988.

Susan Seufert, daughter of Louis and Linda Seufert, Rt. 3, Tonganoxie, was recently chosen National Best Jr. Handler at the National Australian Shepherd Finals in Phoenix. Susan and her dog Briarbrooks What A Way to Go, qualified for the competition by winning the second highest number of showmanship points in the nation for this past year. Susan is a senior at Tonganoxie High School.

50 years ago: March 7, 1963

Birth: Mr. and Mrs. Sam Wiggins, Long Beach, Calif., a daughter, March 3, 1963.

Fire, origin undetermined, destroyed the home of Lester C. McGinnis on Thursday evening on Kansas Highway 16, northwest of Tonganoxie.

Richard Koerth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Koerth, has joined the Navy and now is stationed in San Diego.

Deaths: Mrs. Agnes T. Leemam. 84, a life resident of Leavenworth, died Tuesday night following an extended illness; Lewis W. Koch, 81, Tonganoxie, died March 3, 1963.

The 44th anniversary at the Dale Rawlings Feed and Seed Store in Tonganoxie this week brought out another anniversary, the Opliger Grocery Store in Jarbalo. It is now owned by Clyde Opliger and was started 50 years ago by the late Sam Opliger.

Reno: Mr. and Mrs. C. L. DeHoff attended the funeral of Mrs. DeHoff’s sister, Mrs. Flora Pace, in Overbrook Friday. Mrs. Pace lived in St. Joe, Missouri, formerly in Overbrook.

75 years ago: Feb. 10, 1938

Mrs. Charles Heman Cain died Monday night at 11:35 o’clock; Mrs. Luzella Newby Gilmore passed away in Kansas City last Thursday. She was born in Hoge, and was 44 years old; Benj. B. Eschleman, age 69, died in Leavenworth Tuesday.

Wayne, yearling son of the Tonganoxie Browns, is a sweet kid. He was sweeter than usual Tuesday when he upset a can of sorghum in his lap and then got the stuff tangled up with his hair.

From “It Happened in Kansas” by F.A. Cooper … When a country newspaper “scooped” the nation. On June 26, 1876, Gen. Custer and his famous 7th Cavalry set out on their tragic march toward the valley of the Little Big Horn River. All the nation knew that a battle with the Indians was near and every paper of importance had its star reporter on the scene, but for two days nothing was heard. Then, strangely enough, on the evening of June 26 the Hays City “Star” (over 600 miles from the scene) published the first reports of the terrible massacre. No other paper obtained the news until the following morning. Editor J.H. Downing accomplished this “scoop” through the help of a friendly telegraph operator at Fort Wallace, Kan.

100 years ago: Feb. 20, 1913

The county spelling contest is Friday in Lansing. It will be something novel for the students because they will spell inside the walls of the penitentiary.

Jesse Norris of Jarbalo was in town Tuesday morning. He has sold his pool hall and building to his father and will give possession in a few days.

Sam Opliger is building a large store room in Jarbalo and will put in a large stock of general merchandise.

The new restaurant had a new sign put up this week, for orthographical reasons.

The old city windmill tower was taken down Monday. The windmill was damaged years ago in a wind and as a precaution against accidents it was removed. Last year the tower was put up at auction and was bid in by J. C. Laming.

The hunters had a fine time on their wolf drive Saturday southwest of town. However, there is nothing further to tell.