Out of the past 11/27/11

25 years ago: Nov. 27, 1986

Thanksgiving Day. The Salvation Army serves up a free, traditional Thanksgiving meal at its headquarters, 701 Good Hope St., for about 450 people; dinners are also delivered to those unable to leave their homes; the dinner was initiated four years ago.

Ferd Sturm, a Cape Girardeau man who retired in 1982 after 38 years of service with the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole, has been appointed to a Citizens Advisory Committee on Corrections by Gov. John Ashcroft.

50 years ago: Nov. 27, 1961

Lack of a county zoning ordinance has led to a land dispute; involved is a three-acre tract on which John Reed and Lloyd Penny planned to store cars, selling parts of the vehicles to a service station; however, residents in the area of Melody Lane, between Big Bend Road and North Sprigg Street, object to the salvage yard and have refused permission to have cars brought to the yard across their property; there is no direct road to the property.

Theon F. Schaefer, 40, of Illmo suffers a broken back, when the dump truck he is driving slips off the ledge of a rock quarry at Grays Point on the Mississippi River and falls about 25 feet before rolling over several times.

75 years ago: Nov. 27, 1936

Thanksgiving in Cape Girardeau and the district yesterday brought real winter weather; snow fell during most of the day and early in the night a blizzard of brief duration virtually stopped all traffic; the temperature skidded to 18 degrees overnight.

Wayne Godard, left tackle for the Cape State Teachers College Indians, was a unanimous choice for the MIAA All-Star football team, selected by The Associated Press with the aid of conference coaches; he was the only Cape Girardeau player to make the team.

100 years ago: Nov. 27, 1911

Mrs. Amelia Kassell and Mrs. F.H. Kassell return home from Cairo, Ill., where they have been visiting relatives for the past week; F.H. Kassell went to Cairo yesterday and accompanied the ladies home.

The curbs along Water Street are being placed in position preparatory to paving that street with wood blocks; the work of rebuilding the levee is being rushed, as is also the filling in of the big curve below Independence Street.

-- Sharon K. Sanders