Out of the past 6/29/07

25 years ago: June 29, 1982

The second murder in five months of a Cape Girardeau woman living alone in the south part of town has prompted Circuit Judge A.J. Seier to propose the impaneling of a grand jury to investigate the killings; Margie Call was killed in January and Mildred Wallace on June 28.

A contract has been awarded by the Cape Girardeau School Board to the Drury Co. for roofing work at Alma Schrader School; the project, which includes most of the roof on the structure, calls for a total outlay of $67,047.

50 years ago: June 29, 1957

The Mississippi River traffic bridge at Cape Girardeau is made free of tolls, nearly 29 years after it was built; the last person to pay a toll on the bridge is Jerry Burchyett of McClure, Ill., driver of a pie truck; promptly at 5:30 a.m., the bridge is thrown open free to traffic, and the first of hundreds of vehicles stream over.

Two Cape Girardeau youths, Ray Blitstein and Gene Watkins, are the first to cross the free bridge in a car driven by Blitstein from the Missouri approach.

75 years ago: June 29, 1932

A rail car filled with stone for the addition to the Cape Girardeau post office has arrived and two additional carloads are expected to arrive soon; this is granite for trimming the base and Bedford limestone for the main structure.

L.A. Mudd & Sons of Cape Girardeau have been awarded the contract for laying the brick on the new high school building at Oak Ridge; the foundation for the building has been completed, and laying brick is to start at once.

100 years ago: June 29, 1907

Marvin Gockel, the 8-year-old son of August Gockel, was seriously injured yesterday when he was thrown out of a wagon on Lorimier Street near the courthouse and under a wheel; his face was cut badly, and his body bruised considerably.

Extensive exercises will be held in Lorimier Cemetery tomorrow, when the unveiling of the monument erected to the memory of D.O. Carle will take place; the Woodmen of the World, of which he was an honored member, will have charge of the services.

-- Sharon K. Sanders