Out of the past 8/17/05

25 years ago: Aug. 17, 1980

Bethany Baptist Church has announced the hiring of a new pastor, the Rev. Jim DeSpain; he is a native of Fredericktown, Mo., and has recently served the Beulah Baptist Church at Des Arc, Mo., for three years.

The congregation of Second Missionary Baptist Church, 426 S. Frederick, observes its 113th church anniversary in the afternoon; the event is held at the church with members of New Zion Baptist Church of Carbondale, Ill., and the Calvary Baptist Church of Centerville, Ill., as guests; the Rev. Pythias Frazier of Carbondale delivers the anniversary sermon.

50 years ago: Aug. 17, 1955

Cape Girardeau voters, despite a substantial majority in favor, still failed to reach the required two-thirds majority yesterday and thereby rejected a proposal to issue $165,000 in municipal bonds to finance a two-unit municipal swimming pool to replace the once-condemned, 36-year-old pool in Capaha Park; the vote was 1,942 in favor of the issue and 1,107 against it.

The Pak-a-Snak, a drive-in, cash-and- carry market at 1506 Independence, has been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Porter Stubbs; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Farrow are the former owners.

75 years ago: Aug. 17, 1930

The Rev. W.O. Schultz, pastor of Grace Methodist Church, preaches in the evening at union services at Courthouse Park; his subject is "The Spirit of Christianity"; a male quartet from Grace Church, composed of W.J. McBride, Ed Happel, Albert Kuehle and John Hargens, sings several selections.

The Hanover Lutheran congregation on Perryville Road northwest of Cape Girardeau is guest of the Illmo Lutheran church at its all-day mission festival; the Rev. Dye of Friedheim and the Rev. A.H. Schmidt of the Egypt Mills church are the out-of-town speakers.

100 years ago: Aug. 17, 1905

Martin and Herman Ringwold, threshers, have finished for the season; they threshed about 8,000 bushels of wheat for farmers west of Cape Girardeau around Umbeck Church.

Brent Byars, the horse trainer who has been training horses at the fairgrounds for the past two months, moves to Marion, Ill.; he takes three promising, green pacers with him; the horses belong to Harry Alexander, George Vancil and the Anderson boys.

-- Sharon K. Sanders