Out of the past 5/30/12

25 years ago: May 30, 1987

An isolated thunderstorm, with strong winds and heavy rain, struck the Cape Girardeau area late yesterday afternoon, causing some minor wind damage; that storm, and another thunderstorm early this morning, brings welcome rainfall to an area that's five to six inches short of the normal amount for this time of year.

The Cape Girardeau City Council is considering imposing a two-month moratorium on construction of billboards or alteration of existing ones.

50 years ago: May 30, 1962

Service and veterans groups from the community participated in the annual Memorial Day ceremonies in 1962 at Cape Rock. (Missourian archive photo by G.D. "Frony" Fronabarger)

A Memorial Day observance, sponsored annually by the Knights of Columbus, is held in the morning at Cape Rock; representative units from the military installations and service clubs in the city parade from the Missouri Utilities Co. water plant grounds to Cape Rock, where they and the audience listen to an address by lawyer John Bradshaw; a wreath is dropped into the river from an airplane.

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band opens its summer season with a concert at the band shell in Capaha Park; guest performers are the Cape Choraliers.

75 years ago: May 30, 1937

With reverent dignity Memorial Day is observed in Cape Girardeau; aside from spiritual services at many of the churches, the general public goes to Old Lorimier Cemetery to hear a Memorial Day message and to decorate the graves of veterans of the Civil War and other wars; about 500 people gather at the tomb of Louis Lorimier to hear Vest C. Myers speak.

Guest speaker at First Baptist Church is the Rev. Joe Percente, former lightweight boxing champion of the world and a former henchman of Al Capone.

100 years ago: May 30, 1912

A large audience attends the 39th commencement exercises at the state Normal School in the morning; guest speaker is Dr. James W. Lee, pastor of St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church, South, St. Louis.

Gathering at Courthouse Park in the early afternoon, members of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Sons of Veterans, and the Ladies' Auxiliary, schoolchildren and citizens generally form a procession and march to Lorimier Cemetery to visit the last resting place of the dead soldiers and to place floral tributes on their graves.

-- Sharon K. Sanders