Out of the past: Dec. 25

1994

A former Cape Girardeau resident was among the guests invited to the White House recently for the Pageant of Pace Reception, where Christmas decorations for 1994 were unveiled; Jack Komis, who now lives in Washington, D.C., helped design some of this year's White House decorations.

Capt. Elmer Trapp is confident the Salvation Army's Tree of Lights will meet its goal of $125,000; if that goal isn't met the next time kettles are checked on Tuesday, the campaign will be extended.

1969

Capt. Ralph Spicer, Salvation Army Corps officer, reports that as of Monday the Salvation Army had received $6,976.34 toward its Tree of Lights program and that $3,895.88 was called in during the telethon Saturday on KFVS-TV; these figures bring the total to $10,872.22, which is $1,372.22 over its goal.

Forty-three cartons containing 2,737 pounds of clothing were recently packed by the St. Mary's Cathedral Ladies as a part of the world clothing drive; Charlotte Nenninger was in charge of the project.

1944

The Christmas celebration in Cape Girardeau is marked by a holiday for business and industry and by services in the community's churches; the hoped-for white Christmas doesn't materialize, the snow stopping generally about 50 miles north of the city; instead, a cold rain which began yesterday continued at intervals through the night and reduces traffic to a low point for holiday travel.

O.M. Mulkey of Cape Girardeau, who was recently retired from naval service, has taken a position with the state as a district service officer, his territory covering all of Southeast Missouri from the Lead Belt to the Arkansas line; his job is to assist veterans of the first and current world wars in making claims, enabling them to secure hospitalization and other medical care, etc., and to help families of veterans secure assistance where needed.

1919

In the morning, Christmas services are held at the Methodist Episcopal, Christ Evangelical, the Lutheran churches and at St. Mary's and St. Vincent's Catholic churches; at St. Vincent's the full choir is assisted by Frieda Rieck, violinist, as they sing Loesch's Mass and Novelle's arrangement of "Adeste Fidelis."

While the family of F.L. Owens, 32 N. Ellis St., was preparing last night for Santa's arrival, a coal oil stove in a bedroom upstairs explored, setting fire to a rug and spreading to a bed; a member of the family was attracted by the smell of smoke and discovered the blaze; the fire department responded quickly, extinguishing the flames with chemicals; besides the damage done to the rug and bed clothes, a hole was burned in the floor, and the walls of the room were ruined by smoke.

-- Sharon K. Sanders