Out of the past 12/2/09

25 years ago: Dec. 2, 1984

A special service was held last Sunday at the Wesleyan Church in Scott City to dedicate a new wing of the church; the first service held in the church was a community Thanksgiving service Wednesday night.

More than half of the employees at Cape Girardeau's Arkansas Best Freight System terminal will either be relocated or laid off under a proposal to move a significant portion of the operation here to a new terminal in Springfield, Ill.

50 years ago: Dec. 2, 1959

Cape Girardeau's oldest man, John F. Boss, whose life was spent entirely in this community and dated back to Civil War days, dies at age 95; a clerk in stores here since boyhood days, Boss was associated with the Buckner-Ragsdale Co., store from the time of its opening in 1907 until 1954.

The steering committee for a proposed Toastmasters Club in Cape Girardeau was formed at a noon luncheon at the Marquette Hotel on Tuesday; it is composed of Dr. William J. Blake, Bill D. Burlison, Jim Chenoweth, Art Folsom, Luther Hahs, Jim Hopen, Jerry Johnson, Earl Kirchhoff, Paul Landgraf, Dave Metz, Frank Osborne, Bob Robinson, Dean Tollefson and Norman Wenskay.

75 years ago: Dec. 2, 1934

The Rev. Edwin R. Hartz, a graduate of State College and formerly pastor of the Methodist Church at Commerce, Mo., is now serving as assistant pastor of the Duke Memorial Church at Durham, N.C.; he is a student at Duke University.

The Rev. Frank S. Delo of the Ohio Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America preaches during the evening service at the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, the occasion being Advent Sunday.

100 years ago: Dec. 2, 1909

The train from Jackson to Allenville derails on its first trip in the morning just before reaching Allenville, all the freight cars and the coaches going into a ditch and one coach turning over onto its side; no one is seriously hurt.

Herman P. Siemers, the well-known farmer who presented President William H. Taft with a basket of fine apples during his visit here, has received a letter from the chief executive thanking him for the delicious fruit.

-- Sharon K. Sanders