Out of the past 3/18/07

25 years ago: March 18, 1982

Having sold their house at De Soto, Mo., over the weekend, 10th District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson and his family begin moving into their new home in Cape Girardeau.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Howard C. Tooke appoints members to a multipurpose building steering committee: city manager Gary A. Eide, Councilmen Loretta Schneider and Donald R. Strohmeyer, Southeast Missouri State University president Bill Stacy, university vice president A.R. Meyer, County Court Presiding Judge Gene Huckstep, Chamber of Commerce president Robert Hendrix, S. Cordell Dombrowski, Walter J. Ford, Charles Westrich and F. Stephen Sumner.

50 years ago: March 18, 1957

Checks totaling $47,550 are received by Southeast Missouri and Saint Francis hospitals, the last of two payments given them by the Ford Foundation; Saint Francis receives $29,400, and Southeast $18,150.

Dr. Jean H. Ruff, an osteopathic physician, insurance company representative and long-time drum major of the champion American Legion Golden Troopers, dies at the family home in Cape Girardeau; he was 61 years old.

75 years ago: March 18, 1932

Oak Ridge school pupils return with little equipment to their classes in vacant buildings following destruction by fire of their almost new two-story brick building early yesterday.

Because reservations grow to 200 early in the day, the area meeting for ex-service men and their wives is moved from the Legion Hall to Houck Field House; J. Grant Frye, state American Legion judge advocate, will preside at tonight's dinner and meeting.

100 years ago: March 18, 1907

F.A. Barraso of Memphis, Tenn., has secured a long lease on the room just north of the Caldwell store on Main Street, at present occupied by a plumbing shop; tomorrow a force of carpenters and decorators will begin remodeling it for a theater.

The remains of John St. Avit Sr. were returned from Farmington, Mo., last night, and the funeral is held today; his presence on the streets where he had been a familiar figure for years will be missed by many of the older residents.

-- Sharon K. Sanders