Out of the past: Jan. 25

1995

Around 60 parents attended a meeting last night of Cape Girardeau's public schools redistricting committee at L.J. Schultz School; many in attendance felt the committee was trying to shut them out of the decision-making process, after the committee voted to hold half of its scheduled meetings behind closed doors; but after an outburst by parents opposing the decision, the committee changed its mind and voted to conduct business in the open.

Burlington-Northern Railroad's decision to increase the speed of its trains has prompted concern and protests from Southeast Missouri towns such as Holland, Oran, Steele and Portageville; the company notified the towns in mid-December that trains would start going 55 mph through the towns beginning April 1; the railroad is also seeking to make its 20 mph stretches in Hayti, Lilbourn and Sikeston shorter.

1970

Climaxing the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a community observance is held at Grace United Methodist Church in the afternoon, sponsored by the Ministerial Alliance of Cape Girardeau; key speaker at the event is James R. Stricker, a member of First Christian Church.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Rep. Martin P. Degenhardt of Perryville Route 5, the senior Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives, died yesterday at a Perryville hospital at the age of 52.

1945

S-Sgt. William J. Kaempfer, a waist gunner on a Flying Fortress, is back home visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Kaempfer, after completing 35 missions over continental Europe; he will be home 21 days and will then report to Santa Ana, California, for further assignment.

Mrs. Garnett R. Sanders, who resides with her mother in Cape Girardeau, has been advised by the War Department that her husband was slightly wounded in action in the fighting in Belgium; Pvt. Sanders is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richmond Sanders of Benton, Missouri.

1920

The repairs have been about completed at Centenary Methodist Church, and the scaffolding has been removed from the interior.

G.W. Cross and G. Maurer drive two Samson trucks through from St. Louis, arriving here today; Cross is the Samson representative in this district and has the agency for the Samson tractors, trucks, lighting plants and cars; the company is incorporated under the West End Fuel Company, of which Cross is the head.

-- Sharon K. Sanders