Out of the past 9/20/14

1989

The 36-year-old charter of a fraternity at Southeast Missouri State University has been revoked by the fraternity's national headquarters because of misdeeds by some of its members; the charter of the 60-member Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, which for almost a year hasn't been recognized by the university as a campus organization, was withdrawn following a meeting last night.

The "Gum Tree," a landmark at Southeast Missouri State University for years, has met a violent end; the redbud tree, located at Pacific Street and Alta Vista Drive, fell to the vandal's ax after years of collecting chewing gum on its bark from students who had just walked up "Cardiac Hill" on the way to classes.

1964

Eugene M. Frank, bishop of the Missouri area of the Methodist Church, is the guest speaker for the dedication of the new church building of Scopus Methodist Church; pastor of the church is the Rev. Kenneth Elders.

The congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Cape Rock Drive and Perryville Road, celebrates the dedication of its new church building in the afternoon; the new building, now used for the sanctuary, will be a fellowship hall when another building is completed.

1939

Mrs. Theodore J.E. Umbeck, her three daughters and their English-born nurse, Joan Hopkins, are safely in Cape Girardeau, having moved away from the threat of air raids in England; Mr. Umbeck is a foreign representative for the Standard Oil Co., and his family has lived in Europe since 1924; six weeks ago, the family moved to Wimbledon because of the European conflict; Umbeck will remain for the time being in England.

Missouri's Golden Troopers, the American Legion drum and bugle corps from Cape Girardeau, voted last night not to make the trip to Chicago to compete in the national Legion contests.

1914

George Roth has begun the construction of a large brick building in Illmo, across the street from the Eifert and Roth grocery store; the new building will be two stories tall; Roth expects to embark in the hardware and implement business in the new structure.

Perry Harper, superintendent of the Houck farms, returns in the morning from St. Louis, where he delivered a carload of 23 cattle, which brought $2,000.

-- Sharon K. Sanders