Out of the past 12/25/10

25 years ago: Dec. 25, 1985

Volunteers for the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau helped assemble and deliver Christmas food baskets this week; Capt. Ralph Ashcraft, local Army commander, estimates that at least 500 needy area residents received the baskets.

Two Jackson youths -- Brian Haas and Steve Holekamp -- have obtained the rank of Eagle Scout; both are members of Boy Scout Troop 311 in Jackson, led by Scoutmaster Bob Cramner.

50 years ago: Dec. 25, 1960

Cape Girardeau has its first white Christmas in a number of years, the remains of the two-inch snow of Tuesday night that was freshened on Friday by almost another inch.

The Christmas holiday is observed in Cape Girardeau in a traditional manner; with the holiday falling on Sunday, churches are well filled for services.

75 years ago: Dec. 25, 1935

Carried in on the wings of a northwestern wind, a blizzard blows into Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri early in the day; the dash of cold, bringing suffering to those ill prepared for it, brings snow also; while the blanket isn't deep, it does give area residents a white Christmas.

Forty-three hens and a rooster, that were to be sold to pay the expense of sending two members of the family to the state tuberculosis sanitorium, were stolen Christmas Eve from Mrs. Daisy Ravenstein's chicken house at 817 Illinois St.

100 years ago: Dec. 25, 1910

The various churches in Cape Girardeau, in common with churches throughout the Christian world, observe the Christmas holiday with appropriate ceremonies and happy celebrations.

Christmas trees in all the primary rooms of the public schools Friday afternoon made the little tykes happy; one incident, however, marred the festivities; the tree in Miss Mueller's room at the West Broadway School caught fire from a candle and was destroyed, along with most of the presents and good things on the tree.

-- Sharon K. Sanders