Out of the past: June 20

1999

Robyn Hosp, a consummate professional used to performing in front of audiences large and small, admits she was nervous when she stepped on the Show Me Center stage yesterday afternoon to perform in the Heartland Homecoming ’99 talent shootout; however, Hosp prevailed, taking first place in the competition that featured dozens of professional gospel performers; the Gaither Video Artists production drew of a crowd of 3,172 to Cape Girardeau.

Meadowlark Lemon, who starred with the Harlem Globetrotters for 38 years, speaks at Bethel Assembly of God Church in the evening; in addition he sings two gospel songs from his compact discs, getting the crowd of 150 clapping and swaying in their seats.

1974

The dirt will be replaced and seeding will soon be done on an acre site at the base of Cherry Hill in Capaha Park, after the Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday voted to abandon it as the location of four new tennis courts on a 3-to-2 vote; Councilman Oliver A. Hope, who made the motion May 15 to build the courts at the foot of Cherry Hill, also made the motion to stop construction; that location had met fierce opposition by a group of local residents, who expressed sentiment against “using the open space” at the base of the hill for the courts.

Applications for chief of the Cape Girardeau Police Department have grown in number to about 70 from all over the United States, as well as two from Thailand; in the latter cases, both are Americans with police backgrounds in Thailand on assistance projects.

1949

Cape Girardeau County, in the week now ending, had 363 persons either drawing unemployment compensation or in the waiting process to make them eligible for benefits, but officials of the local office of the Missouri Division of Employment Security say there are no indications of widespread unemployment.

Registration for the Girl Scout Day Camp, to be held this week at Arena Park, reaches the 154 mark, with 55 Brownies and 99 Intermediates signing up for the four-day camp to be direct by Mrs. Elmer A. Strom.

1924

Pledging $15,312.50 in less than 30 minutes at services last night, the fund drive to build a new First Baptist Church stands at $25,537.50; this is the fourth day of members’ efforts to raise $80,000 for the new West Broadway edifice; with more than 25% of the quota raised, members are making a determined effort to get a large crowd out for services tonight, and at that time will attempt to push the pledges to more than $50,000.

A handsome sun parlor and a sleeping porch have been added to the home of Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Bartels, 227 N. Middle St.; the front porch has been converted into the sun parlor, while the sleeping porch has been constructed to extend across the rear of the residence; both are screened, and the sun parlor is equipped with casement window and the interior walls decorated.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at semissourian.com/history.