Community digest 2/25

American Legion post to observe 83rd birthday

Athenthal-Jones Post 158 of American Legion will join the legion's worldwide observance of the organization's 83rd birthday in March, said post commander Richard Aguilar.

A special committee headed by Bill Poe is planning festivities for the March 14 event. A birthday banquet will be held at the Jackson American Legion Hall beginning with a social hour at 5:30 p.m.

Serving with Poe on the planning committee are Mike Proctor, Jack Latimer, Jim Nelson, Tom Sperling and Keith Seabaugh.

Special guests at the banquet will include Norman Campbell, commander of the Missouri American Legion and director of John J. Pershing Medical Center at Poplar Bluff; Bruce Jansen, administrator of the Veteran's Home in Cape Girardeau; Jackson Mayor Paul Sander; Gerald Jones, presiding commissioner of Cape Girardeau County Commission; and a number of American Legion officials.

The American Legion was founded in March 1919, during a caucus in Paris, France. Today, there are 1,600 American Legion posts in the United States and its territories as well as overseas.

Woman from California researching family tree

Monica Rae Stein, daughter of Albert and Carma Heuring, formerly of Scott City, is updating her family history book. Her parents will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in June this year. Stein is asking for help from the community. The first part of her research involves finding direct descendants of John Anton Glueck, son of Johannas Glueck and Katherine Job of Germany. He was born June 4, 1852, in Germany and died Jan. 11, 1931, and was buried at St. Augustine Cemetery in Kelso, Mo.

Glueck came to America in 1854 and married Johanna Scherer. They had nine children: Herbert Glueck, who died as a baby; Helen Glueck, who married Ferdinand Seyer; Veronica Glueck, who became a nun; Anthony Glueck, who married Ida Schlitt; Johanna Glueck, who married Lawrence Bell on July 9, 1914; Regina Glueck, who married Bernard Heuring in 1908; Andrew Glueck, who married Philamine Hahm on April 28, 1914; Rose Glueck, who became a nun and later married Bill Merz; and John Glueck, who married Olivia Blattel on Oct. 24, 1922.

Stein has sent letters to those relatives that she found addresses for. Anyone with information for the family book should contact her by mail at: 26834-220 N. Claudette St., Santa Clarita, Calif. 91351, by phone at (661) 252-1770 or by e-mail at steinent@prodigy.net or mstein@ggfirm.com.

'Independently Speaking' show will feature LFCS

Molly Strickland, director of Lutheran Family and Children's Services in Cape Girardeau, will be the guest on "Independently Speaking," a public affairs show which airs on WDKA, Channel 49.

The program will air Sunday and again March 31 at 5:30 a.m. It can also be seen on March 12 and 26 on cable access Channel 5.

"Independently Speaking" focuses on services for the handicapped. The program is produced by the Southeast Missouri State University student chapter of the Media Communications Association.

Master Gardener class begins Thursday night

A 10-week Master Gardener class will begin at the Jackson Extension Center, 684 W. Jackson Trail, at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The Master Gardener course consists of 10 three-hour sessions to go along with 30 volunteer hours, which are required for certification.

Volunteer hours may be accomplished in a number of ways: working in community gardens, participating in home and garden shows, speakers bureau, growing food for the hungry and teaching youths.

Cost of the class is $60. Registration and additional information are available by calling 243-3851.

Classes are also scheduled at Perryville starting March 5 and Ste. Genevieve starting March 18.

Spring plant sale slated for Arena Park

The Semo Master Gardeners spring plant sale will be from 7 a.m. to noon April 20 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.

The spring sale will be in the Conservation Shelter at the park.

No-till farm meeting scheduled for March 7

John Bradley, a no-till specialist with Monsanto Co. and former superintendent of the Milan, Mo., No-Till Research Station, will be key speaker at the Southeast Missouri No-Till Farmers meeting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 7 at the Cape County Extension Center at Jackson.

Bradley will discuss economics and the future of no-till farming and how to be successful in the practice.

Lunch will be free for all who pre-register. To pre-register, call 243-3581.

The program is one of two agricultural events to be conducted in March. "New Trends in Corn Production" will be held March 13 at the county extension center.

--From staff reports