Out of the past: Dec. 12

1993

The second annual German Christmas service is held in the evening at Old Hanover Lutheran Church; guest preacher is the Rev. Adam Mueller; the liturgy and sermon are in the German language, with familiar Christmas hymns being sung in German and English.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency opens a disaster application center at the Missouri Army National Guard in Jackson; it will be open for three days to accept in person or by telephone requests for assistance from individuals and families whose properties were damaged by flash flooding and storms Nov. 13 to 19.

1968

George W. Kimbel, 65, retired owner of what had been one of the largest truck lines in the country and a philanthropist, died last night at a local hospital after a three-month illness; he was also owner of Kimbeland Country Club, which he leased to the club organization, and was owner of Kimbeland stables.

Plans for a new post office building to be located in Oak Ridge have been announced by Rudolph G. Bohnert, Oak Ridge postmaster; the post office has been located in the IGA Food Market building for at least 15 years; the new building will be built on the north side of Main Street.

1943

The third Sunday in Advent is observed at Christ Evangelical Church; the Rev. Arno H. Franke, pastor, speaks on the topic, "Getting Ready for Christ."

A small, unoccupied dwelling on a farm on South Sprigg Street at the extreme south edge of Cape Girardeau was destroyed by fire last night; the frame house consisted of four rooms and was on a farm owned by W.H. Campbell; firemen took the auxiliary fire truck to the scene, but the blaze was too far advanced to be checked.

1918

B.C. Stafford, brother of D'Nean Stafford, president of First National Bank here who has been a director of the bank for about two years and who for the past few months has been serving in the Army, is now a resident of Cape Girardeau, having been elected active vice president of the bank; the two brothers for several years conducted a successful bank in Seneca, Missouri.

The steady stream of men returning to Cape Girardeau County from training camps continues; every day they come, singly, in pairs and in small squads, all making for home; then follows a welcome more or less pretentious, a series of entertainments and dinners honoring the soldier, and then he takes his place in everyday life again, just as if nothing had happened.

-- Sharon K. Sanders