Out of the past 5/28/09

25 years ago: May 28, 1984

Memorial Day. The Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War is praised by Paul R. Summers, command sergeant major for Headquarters 1140th Engineer Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard in Cape Girardeau, at ceremonies at Cape County Farm Park.

The NAACP holds a Memorial Day parade; the Rev. John Magee leads marchers along the parade route, and the Rev. Lee May gives the keynote speech at ceremonies at Courthouse Park.

50 years ago: May 28, 1959

State and federal officers are investigating the possibility a fourth man was involved in the armed robbery yesterday of the Bank of Advance; three men were arrested within 12 hours of the robbery; officers are searching for $13,441 still missing from the bandits' haul of $17,841.

The Cape Girardeau Civic Center agrees to conduct a survey June 7 to determine what Smelterville area residents would like to go into a community center in the area; the Glyn Hartle building has been secured and will be altered to serve Smelterville residents.

75 years ago: May 28, 1934

Stone work on the new tower being built in the center of Memorial Park cemetery on U.S. 61 west of Cape Girardeau will be completed next week; Herman Loeffel is in charge of the construction of the 40-foot-high stone edifice; interior work will begin soon.

South Sprigg Street, where a widening project is underway, is closed to all but local traffic; the bridge over the small creek at the foot of old Tollgate Hill is being widened; barriers have been set up, allowing traffic to use the half of the span not being worked on.

100 years ago: May 28, 1909

A.G. Pickens, who has been principal of the Cape Girardeau high school for the last year, has been elected superintendent of schools at Festus, Mo., a position that pays considerably more than the Cape Girardeau post and carries more responsibility with it; it is a great loss to Cape Girardeau's public schools.

Vest Meyers wins the medal in the declamatory contest at the Normal School in the evening; his address is titled "Webster's Reply to Hayne."

-- Sharon K. Sanders