Out of the past: Aug. 8

1999

Carolyn Fiedler, a missionary to Paraguay, shares her experiences as music teacher and organist for eight congregations at the Lutheran Heritage Society meeting in the evening in the fellowship hall at Hanover Lutheran Church.

The YELL Foundation is encouraging area residents to include a piece of their own personal history in the upcoming Millennium Time Capsule; photos of individuals, families and businesses will be published in this year’s YELL edition Sept. 14, with proceeds to support literacy programs; the edition will be included in a time capsule to be buried at Arena Park as part of the SEMO District Fair festivities; it will be opened some time in the next century.

1974

Provisions for hiring more employees in the Cape Girardeau fire, police and park departments are included in the 1974-75 summary budget prepared by city manager W.G. Lawley and approved last night by the City Council; total expenditures from the general fund for this fiscal year, which began July 1, are anticipated at $3,488,400, which is about $500,000 above actual 1973-74 levels.

Archie Thomas Smiley, 56, of Cape Girardeau died yesterday of an apparent heart attack at a local hospital; Smiley was well known in the Cape Girardedau area, after he underwent two open heart surgeries, one in November 1966 and another last February; he worked for Federal Materials as a scale operator until his retirement in 1964 and repaired bicycles in a small shop at his home for many years; Smiley lost both hands in a firecracker accident during his early childhood.

1949

The first infantile paralysis death among patients being treated in the polio ward at Saint Francis Hospital is reported; the disease claims the life of Fred Allen Myers, 1 year old, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Myers of Chaffee; he had been admitted two days ago; ward admissions rose to 46, with the arrival of seven patients in the past three days.

Well-satisfied with their fourth-place showing in the state contest Friday, Missouri’s Golden Troopers, drum and bugle corps, have laid plans that they hope will carry them further in next year’s competition; each trooper will be given a mimeographed copy of the local corps’ criticisms, and rehearsals will resume in September, after a number of the men return from National Guard camp; as for uniforms, the American Legion post will ask several companies to submit designs, and corps members will vote to choose the standard outfit; the designers will be asked to keep the color scheme and several features of old Troopers’ garb, but the uniforms will be more modern in general design.

1924

Nearly 500 persons attended the annual picnic of the Egypt Mills Guernsey Club held in a shady grove near that place yesterday, at which many prizes were awarded in different contests, talks were made by a number of visitors, plans were made for the dispersal sale of the club on Oct. 7 and 8, and a motion picture on dairying was shown after dark; the picnic is an annual affair for the people of the Egypt Mills community, although the organization of the Guernsey Club, which has been sponsoring the picnic, will be dissolved after the dispersal sale.

Work has started on George Bolz’s new residence, which is being built on Henderson Avenue, opposite the Agriculture Building of the Teachers College; it will contain about 10 rooms and cost in the neighborhood of $10,000; the residence will be of stucco, colonial style, and is expected to be completed before winter.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at www.semissourian.com/history.