Out of the past: Dec. 25

1990

Frigid temperatures do little to melt the two inches of snow and ice received Sunday, giving Cape Girardeau and the area a white Christmas; the high for the day barely tops the freezing mark, and the low is just 14 degrees, up from yesterday's low of 8.

Going strictly by the seedings, basketball fans can pencil in Scott County Central and Charleston, Missouri, to meet in the championship game of this week's University High School Christmas basketball tournament; top-seeded Cape Central received 13 out of a possible 16 first-place votes from coaches; Charleston is second-seed, having received the other three first-place votes.

1965

Christmas celebrations started early, as some Cape Girardeau churches ushered in the holiday with candlelight services last night; the Wesleyan and Chancel choirs performed inspirational music at Grace Methodist Church's candlelight service.

Area families observe Christmas in traditional ways, mainly having family gatherings here or out of town with the major emphasis on the exchange of gifts and a bountiful dinner; the snow which snarled traffic in other parts of the state, missed Cape Girardeau.

1940

Christmas Day; business generally suspends; all retail stores, offices and most industrial plants are closed during the day, permitting thousands of industrial and commercial workers to carry out their holiday plans.

A free Christmas dinner is served up at Houck Field House, courtesy of Adj. Elof Anderson and the rest of the Salvation Army staff; serving starts at noon and continues until all are furnished a bounteous meal of roast beef, potatoes and the like, and ice cream for dessert.

1915

Mrs. Fred Braun, wife of the prominent grocer, is given the deed to the beautiful new bungalow and lot on South Lorimier Street by her husband; the house has been under construction for the past three months and is now finished to every detail and ready to move into; the contractors were W.W. Taylor and Sons.

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Stacy of Blytheville, Arkansas, are spending Christmas here with Mrs. Stacy's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Minton; Mr. Stacy was formerly connected with Riverside Lumber Co. of Cape Girardeau and is now yard manager of a large lumber yard at Blytheville.

-- Sharon K. Sanders