Out of the past 6/6/03

10 years ago: June 6, 1993

Members of St. Mary's Cathedral Parish celebrate church's 125th homecoming with Mass at Deerfield; festivities continue with picnic lunch, games and lots of visiting with family and friends; parish was founded in 1868.

Ralph Ford, chairman of Cape Girardeau County Republican Central Committee for past two-and-one-half years, has resigned his position; retired Cape Girardeau school teacher, who operates 200-acre farm north of Jackson, made semi-surprise announcement Friday at meeting of committee.

25 years ago: June 6, 1978

Farmington, Mo. -- Question of sovereign immunity as it applies to Cape Girardeau County Court in litigation over collapse of Diversion Channel bridge near Allenville is raised by both sides in legal briefs filed in St. Francois County Circuit Court; county filed suit requesting $125,000 in damages from Johnny A. Below and Lonnie D. Mobley after farm tractor driven by Mobley and owned by Below fell through old bridge; defendants then filed counter-claim.

Petitions urging preservation of Trinity Lutheran Church, year away from its centennial, are being circulated by three groups; church voters recently approved proposal to build new church on current site.

50 years ago: June 6, 1953

May construction in Cape Girardeau pushed year's total past half million dollar mark, giving indication that with main part of building season ahead the city will pass a million dollars for fifth consecutive year; total of permits issued at city engineer's office last month was $91,000.

Denny Davis of Cape Girardeau, who will be Cape Girardeau's "Community Ambassador" to Yugoslavia this summer, receives instructions to be in New York June 30 to sail aboard ship of Holland-American Line for Rotterdam; he will arrive at Rotterdam July 14 and complete his journey by train; Davis will spend month in Zagreb, city of 290,000 population, capital of Croatia, and later will visit Belgrade, Sarajevo, and other parts of Yugoslavia.

75 years ago: June 6, 1928

Lois Batjer, daughter of W.F.D. Batjer of Cape Girardeau, has been selected by extension service of College of Agriculture of University of Missouri to carry on home demonstration work in three Southeast Missouri counties; this service is to be given in flood areas of New Madrid, Dunklin and Mississippi counties; Batjer will focus on instructing farm women in problems of nutrition and making of clothing.

Teachers College in recent years has obtained 130 acres of desirable property at cost of nearly $40,000, which has been paid without any appropriation by state legislature, it is revealed at regular meeting of Board of Regents; property acquired was college farm, formerly known as Mercer Wilson land, and Houck Field, old Matteson quarry, where college is building stadium.

-- Sharon K. Sanders