Out of the past 10/12/05

25 years ago: Oct. 12, 1980

The Rev. Johnny Thomas has been elected pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church; installation services are held in the afternoon, with the Rev. Oliver Johnson and his congregation, Greater Mount Oliver Baptist Church of Decatur, Ill., as special guests; Thomas and his family formerly lived in Decatur.

Acting Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Eugene Coombs and Delmar L. Eggimann of Gordonville were named police officer and firefighter of the year, respectively, by Post 3838 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at a ceremony last night.

50 years ago: Oct. 12, 1955

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce reports that construction of a plant to house Cagleco Sportswear is now assured, although the sum on hand is slightly short of the $30,000 asked in the fund-raising campaign.

The call of the Colorado deer-hunting season has lured many Girardeau hunters to the Rocky Mountains; deputy sheriff Elmer E. Thompson was among the first to leave, followed by Lloyd McNeely, Bill Beard and Dale Nett; two parties leave today; in one group are Joe Gerhardt, Gene Hohler, George Kester, Cletus "Shorty" Givens and Glen Harrold; the other party is made up of John Monroe, Oliver Patrick, Ned Moore and Bob Isaac.

75 years ago: Oct. 12, 1930

V.A. Moore, for four years superintendent of the Red Star Baptist Sunday school, will be ordained as a minister at a special ordination meeting at the church Wednesday night; the Rev. E.D. Owen, pastor of the First Baptist Church, will examine the candidate, and the Rev. J.S. Compere of Charleston, Mo., will preach the ordination sermon.

The congregation of Third Street Methodist Church celebrates the lifting of the mortgage on the church, thanks to the generosity of local businessmen who contributed toward the payment of the debt.

100 years ago: Oct. 12, 1905

Cape Girardeau's merchants and bankers have agreed to close their places of business tomorrow at noon, so that all may attend Cape Girardeau Day at the fair; attendance yesterday was more than 7,000.

Work has begun on the task of laying the foundation for the gas plant near the electric powerhouse; one of the members of the company doing the work says the laying of pipes should start soon and will take about two months; pipes will be installed on all the principal streets of town.

-- Sharon K. Sanders