Out of the past 12/5/09

25 years ago: Dec. 5, 1984

The first snowflakes of the season -- usually little more than a flurry -- fell here overnight, but led to a major storm that leaves several inches of snow on Southeast Missouri; travel is extremely hazardous throughout the snow belt, which is approximately 125 miles wide, from New Madrid, Mo., northward to Jefferson County; snow depths in Cape Girardeau measure 8 inches.

The first rewards under Cape Girardeau's Crime Watch program will be paid to two residents who, in separate situations, provided authorities with key information relating to the theft of banners from the downtown section of the city; each will receive a check for $175.

50 years ago: Dec. 5, 1959

D.D. Cleeton, president of Schneider Equipment Co., has been elected to his third term as president of the SEMO District Fair Association.

Thieves during the night take an undetermined quantity of jewelry, mostly of the costume type, from a display case in a window at Tony's Jewelry store, 31 N. Main St., after a cutting a hole in the window with a glass cutter; Tony Wilhelm of Illmo owns the store.

75 years ago: Dec. 5, 1934

A 16-foot Christmas tree will be erected in Courthouse Park and will be lighted for the holiday season, says City Commissioner Frank Batchelor.

New concrete steps, replacing wooden ones, are being built in front of Trinity Lutheran School by Martin Northdurft; a concrete sidewalk leading from the front to the entrance of the school building will be added later.

100 years ago: Dec. 5, 1909

The Rev. A. Kistler has no evening service at the First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau, as he is occupying the pulpit at the Jackson church; there he announces the resignation and severance of the pastoral relations of the Rev. C.P. Browning with the Jackson church.

Members of the Elks Club meet in the afternoon to pay honor to their dead; there have been three deaths in the local membership during the past year: L.S. Allen, F.L. Withaup and Louis F. Klostermann.

-- Sharon K. Sanders