Out of the past: Dec. 25

1993

An early, 6 a.m. worship service is held at St. James AME Church in Cape Girardeau; the message is given by the new pastor, the Rev. Simon Perkins; an ordained pastor, Perkins has served 40 years as a full-time pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio and New York.

While many people are at home enjoying Christmas with their families, skeleton crews of hard-working people staff essential, and some not-so-essential, businesses; perhaps the earliest to work Christmas morning are the crews of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, arriving at about 7 a.m. to relieve the Christmas Eve shift.

1968

Christmas Day. Services keyed to the holiday theme are conducted in a number of Cape Girardeau churches; some began the observance early with Christmas Eve services, including St. Vincent's Church and St. Mary's Cathedral, which each held a Midnight Mass.

L.W. Simmons, president of the State College Board of Regents, has been reappointed to a new, six-year term by Gov. Warren E. Hearnes; Simmons, a Cape Girardeau savings and loan executive, has been a member of the college's governing body for 10 years.

1943

In keeping with the general holiday observance, business in Cape Girardeau suspends, businesses having closed last night at 6 for the first time in many years, rather than remaining open until a late hour to give belated Christmas shoppers a last-minute try for purchases; merchants here agreed to close early to give hundreds of store employees the opportunity to spend their full Christmas Eve at home.

Christmas is ushered in with Midnight Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Monsignor H.F. Schuermann being the celebrant; traditional carols are sung by a boys chorus.

1918

Because of the ban placed by city authorities in the fight against the influenza epidemic, all Christmas trees and other holiday exercises for children are omitted this year; children under 14 years of age are forbidden to attend any public service.

Lt. Roscoe Harris passes through Cape Girardeau on his way to Oak Ridge, having been discharged from the Army at Camp Taylor, Kentucky.

-- Sharon K. Sanders