Out of the past: Aug. 20

1995

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Plans are being made for a Mass of thanksgiving at St. John's Catholic Church here, followed by a dinner at the Leopold Knights of Columbus Hall, next Saturday in observance of the 40th anniversary of Sister Mary Jane Jansen entering the School Sisters of Notre Dame; Jansen is the daughter of the late Robert W. and Clara Jansen; she taught in various Missouri parish schools, including St. Mary's in Cape Girardeau; she resides in Leopold, where she works in various capacities at her home parish.

Union Planters Corp., a bank holding company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, has announced it intends to apply to the Federal Reserve Board for permission to acquire Capital Bancorporation Inc. of Cape Girardeau.

1970

Permission for small pleasure craft on the Mississippi River to moor for certain purposes to the larger restaurant boat -- the Rebel Queen -- at the foot of Broadway was granted by the City Council last night; however, no refueling of the smaller boats will be allowed while moored to the restaurant boat.

A "garbage dump" in South Cape Girardeau and a lack of public housing brought a South Cape delegation numbering around 50 to a meeting of the City Council last night; through spokesmen Bob Williams and Richard E. Snider, the group protested the sanitary landfill in the southern portion of town and demanded the council act on public housing; the council didn't take action on either request.

1945

Funeral services for William Grandville Spradlin, 84, who died at his home in Fornfelt Saturday, will be conducted tomorrow morning at the Methodist Church, and interment will be in the old Spradlin Cemetery on the Commerce, Missouri, road; Spradlin was born April 22, 1861, in Wayne County, moving with his parents to Commerce in 1863; he is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.

A certified copy of the general election result of Nov. 12, 1870, was found in old papers ordered burned by the County Court, but rescued by John G. Putz; voting was on the first six constitutional amendments and yes and no votes on "Shall the County Court appropriate $25,000 for the new courthouse," the result being 1,164 in favor and 694 against.

1920

At last West Broadway will be paved; the worst stretch of street surfacing in Cape Girardeau should disappear before the year ends, the only thing preventing that from happening would be the failure of contractors to get labor; in Common Pleas Court this week, H.E. Alexander, who objected to the award of the commissioners assessing damages to his property, withdrew his exception, although it hit his residential property hard; then the city paid the $175 damages and was given a deed to the land, which enables the city to widen and pave the street.

The words "Cape Girardeau" now stand out in bold letters on the exterior of the new Frisco passenger depot, proclaiming to everyone that it will only be a short time until the structure is service; it is sure to be a think of pride to the community.

-- Sharon K. Sanders