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Peekin’
into the
Past
75 Years Ago - Nov. 17, 1949 RANDOLPH – The golden jubilee of the founding of St. Frances school will be marked Friday, November 25 in a jubilee drama to be given at the Randolph city auditorium in matinee and evening performances.
Pageantry will recreate the opening of the little frame school in 1899 and bring to life incidents through the years to the present school of eighth grade as an accredited high school. Interpretative dances and a verse-speaking choir, assisted by choral background will tell the story of the building, expansion and growth of St. Frances school.
When the Sisters of St. Francis, whose Mother House is at Milwaukee, Wis. founded the school in 1899 it was housed in a two-room frame building. In 1909, the present school building was erected and at that time six sisters operated the school. Thirty years ago the high school was added to the school and now there is a much larger staff of teachers operating the school. Dormitories are maintained for a number of pupils.
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RANDOLPH – Alvin Kessler Post No. 5545 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was the first VFW post in the state to exceed their 1949 membership, it was announced the past week in the November issue of the Foreign Service Review.
At the district VFW convention held recently the arrangements for the annual drives for membership were explained, and to encourage the posts to increase membership and retain all old members, the state officers said they would give the first post to send in their dues 100 per cent, (as many dues for 1950 as for 1949) a Dutch lunch.
The Randolph post was third in the state to report 100 percent, but they were first in the state to send in over their 1949 membership quota. Their membership is now nearly double that of a year ago.
60 Years Ago - Nov. 12, 1964 RANDOLPH – In these times when the cost of living continues to spiral, it is refreshing for this newspaper to report that Randolph residents will find their personal and property taxes slightly lower this year compared to one year ago.
Although the drop is not of great proportions, the total tax load for local residents is 1.26 mills less than one year ago.
This decrease is the combined result of a slightly lower levy for School District No. 41, and also a slightly lower county and state levy.
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RANDOLPH – Pierce county’s annual 4-H Achievement Program was held Tuesday evening at the Plainview High School auditorium.
The following youths from the Randolph vicinity received medal awards: Achievement, Susan Huwaldt; Beef, David Meyer; Clothing, Jean Huwaldt, Barbara Wattier; Dress Revue, Susan Huwaldt, Jean Huwaldt, Barbara Wattier, Mila Wattier; Foods - Nutrition, Susan Huwaldt, Mila Wattier.
Home Economics, Barbara Wattier, Mila Wattier; Leadership, Susan Weyhrich; Photography, Janet Weyhrich, Jean Huwaldt.
50 Years Ago - Nov. 14, 1974 RANDOLPH – Winning another term on the school board in District 45 were incumbents Darrel Neese receiving 475 votes and Henry Hilkemann with 455 votes. Beginning his first term on the school board is Neil Lackas, who polled 495 votes in the Tuesday election. Only three names were on the ballot for the General Election.
Roger Buchanan, who has served on the board for 38 years, will retire in January. The three elected to the board will begin serving their three year terms on the board in January.
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RANDOLPH – Residents of Randolph and the surrounding area are extended a cordial invitation to attend Pancake Day on Saturday, November 16. Serving beings at 4:00 and continues until 8:00 p.m. at the Randolph City Auditorium as the annual event sponsored by the Randolph Community Club members.
Pancake Day this year will have a 50c charge to help defray the cost of the serving of pancakes and sausage.
General chairman of the event, Ray Hayes, has released the work schedule. Others on the general committee besides the chairman include: Marvin Taylor, John Kelsch, Al Sauser, Walter Andersen and Paul Schnieders.
40 Years Ago - Nov. 15, 1984 RANDOLPH – Besides doing routine business at their monthly meeting, the Randolph City Council decided that the amount of deposit for utility meters was insufficient, because of the loss of revenue from one former resident who moved out of town without paying their utility bill.
Presently a fee of $35 is collected as a meter deposit but it is possible that a utility customer can owe the city somewhat of a larger amount because of the collection schedule and billing procedure.
It is expected that in the future the meter deposit will be raised to $100, but some formula will be worked out that will refund a portion of the deposit after the customer had been successful at keeping his utility bill current.
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RANDOLPH – The Randolph Volunteer Fire Department has been kept busy the last several weeks as they have answered four fire calls in the last two weeks.
Firefighters fought a fire near a corn field that has been harvested by Paul Korth at a farm north of Randolph. Before that they answered a call for assistance south of town, but turned out that help was not needed.
On Thursday afternoon, a call was answered to the farm home of Darrell McFadden where it appeared that a burning trash barrel had spread to a nearby garage. When firemen arrived the McFadden family had the fire under control.
30 Years Ago - Nov. 16, 1994 RANDOLPH – Selected as Nebraska Fireman of the Year, Randolph Fire Chief LaVern Scott was awarded at the local Veterans Day program, Friday, Nov. 11, west school gym.
Scott received a plaque presented by master of ceremonies VFW Commander Gene Baird.
Scott has been a life member of VFW Post 5545 and has held most post offices of VFW and is an active member. He has spent 19 years in charge of the VFW Post Home.
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RANDOLPH – School board members were addressed by concerned parents regarding this year’s change to full alternating days for kindergartners at the regular school board meeting, Monday, Nov. 14, east school.
One class of students attends Mondays and Wednesday and the other attends Tuesday and Thursdays, each with alternating Fridays.
After Monday evenings’ discussion, board members decided to stay with full days with a half day on Friday beginning on the Friday after Thanksgiving until the end of the semester on Jan. 13. At the Jan. 9 board meeting, the topic will be discussed and re-evaluated depending upon monitored progress throughout *** RANDOLPH – Veterans of World War II were presented pins, a replica of the ruptured duck discharge pin, at the Veterans Day program on Friday. Lois Baird, VFW Auxiliary president presented the pins. Those recognized include Vernon Viergutz, Willis McDonald, Gene Baird, Don Bermel, David Winkelbauer, Marvin Lienemann, Russell Van Slyke, Cliff Galvin, Leonard Korth, Jim Backer, Fred Rokahr, Kenneth Rath Sr. and Richard Remington.
20 Years Ago - Nov. 17, 2004 RANDOLPH – A joint meeting of the Osmond and Randolph board of education took place on Thursday, Nov. 11. The Randolph district hosted the meeting.
The group spent about an hour in closed session - from 7:36 p.m. to 8:38 p.m.
Returning to open session, both boards adopted motions to share a superintendent for the 2005-06 term. The schools are one-third of the way through their second term of superintendent sharing with Ted Hillman in that position.
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RANDOLPH – Anyone who attended the recent Eric Crouch fundraising event may have run across and admired a “Drink of the. Cardinals” water bottle.
Examination of the label shows the water bottle came from Long Pine, Neb. and displays school spirit through a picture and designed cardinal logo designed by a Randolph student.
This label was designed in cooperation with the Long Pine company by Randolph student Kurtis Leiting.
10 Years Ago - Nov. 19, 2014 RANDOLPH – Work is underway this week on the second of five Randolph homes slated for demolition and reconstruction. The two-story house on the southeast corner of Broadway and Pierce streets came down Thursday and the land will be prepped for construction as weather permits.
Each of the properties is part of a program to revitalize Randolph neighborhoods by removing blighted and substandard housing and constructing new, energy efficient homes for current and new residents in the community.
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RANDOLPH – Mary Miller’s report during the Nov. 17 regular, monthly school board meeting was the high point of the evening.
Miller, elementary principal, spoke with excitement about the National Blue Ribbon School award celebration to be held this week with Nebraska’s governor and a senator in attendance. According to the U.S. Department of Education, this coveted national award is based on a school’s “overall academic excellence” or its “progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.” Blue Ribbon Schools “demonstrate that all students can achieve to high levels.” Furthermore, the National Blue Ribbon School award “affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. The National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing an entry or flying overhead is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.”
The Randolph Elementary School can now proudly display its Blue Ribbon School flag and as well as a plaque. Miller and Latricia Olson, Randolph’s third-great teacher, recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C., where they received the flag and plaque at a recognition ceremony. *** RANDOLPH – There was no shortage of veterans around in Randolph during their program held on Veterans Day at Randolph High School.
One of those veterans was Jerry Sievers who entered the military in 1980.
He was selected out of a group of 245 for the sniper program and has been on assignments to places like Korea and Honduras during the Contra Affair.
Sievers retired in 1992 following some cutbacks in the military, but he made it to the rank of Sergeant E5.
During his time in the military, he represented the state of Nebraska in combat shoots competition and won top honors two years in a row.
