Out of the past: Dec. 22

1999

Sources have told the Southeast Missourian that Marshall defensive coordinator Tim Billings will become Southeast Missouri State University's new head football coach; he will likely be formally introduced as the Indians' coach tomorrow.

Contractors are transforming the old General Baptist Church at Broadway and Spanish Street in Cape Girardeau into a retail space; the downtown landmark, built in 1893, has changed congregations three times; after being damaged by fire in 1984 and later renovated, the church has remained vacant, but is scheduled to be occupied by a retailer within the next couple of months.

1974

Retirement of two area priests has been announced by Bishop Bernard F. Law of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese; they are the Rev. William J. Winkelmann, pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Advance and St. Anthony’s Mission in Glennon, and the Rev. Leo F. Schmelzle, pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Fredericktown; the Rev. Paul McHugh, associate pastor of St. Mary’s Cathedral, will become administrator of the Advance and Glennon churches; the new priest at Fredericktown will be a Scott County native, the Rev. Quentin V. Hahn, now serving parishes in Pulaskifield and Cassville.

The Missouri Office of Comprehensive Health Planning has determined that Saint Francis Hospital’s proposed 92-bed nursing home facility would be more feasible than that proposed by Doctor’s Park, a 120-bed home; meanwhile, a survey initiated by First Presbyterian Church to determine the need for a retirement community here indicates the feasibility of such a project.

1949

R.P. Smith, special counsel for the City of Cape Girardeau, says he has been notified that an application for a rehearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals in the post office case has been denied; the application for rehearing had been filed by Homer Hall of St. Louis and I.R. Kelso, attorneys for Iska Carmack, a plaintiff in the suit; it came after the appellate court had affirmed a Federal Court decision here that the city was entitled to the award in condemnation for Courthouse Park rather than the Louis Lorimier heirs.

At least 191 baskets – and perhaps as many as 225 – will be distributed tomorrow afternoon by the Salvation Army following a Christmas program at the citadel on Broadway for Cape Girardeau families; each basket will include a roast from Pipkin-Boyd-Neal Packing Co. and a package of bacon from Central Packing Co., potatoes, corn, peas or beans, tomatoes, beets, sugar, canned fruit, nuts and bread; each child at the program will receive a toy.

1924

The Cape Girardeau Post Office faces the problem of distributing the largest amount of Christmas mail in its history; delayed train service because of the icy, snowy conditions resulted in huge quantities of mail pouring into the office yesterday, and today every available inch of space is taken up by Christmas packages; seven additional men and two additional trucks have been added by Postmaster H.H. Haas in an effort to clear away the jam; with two men to each truck, hundreds of packages are being distributed throughout the city, and more men and trucks may bee added.

The first real floe of ice in the Mississippi River this winter started coming down Saturday night and is holding up all river traffic here; the floes aren’t heavy, but the river is nearly choked with myriads of small ones; Cape Girardeau is without ferry service as the Gladys is tied up behind the dyke on the Illinois shore.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.