Out of the past: March 15

1992

After three years of planning, programming and construction, the congregation at Centenary United Methodist Church celebrates the laying of the cornerstone and the consecration of its Family Life Center; the Rev. Mary Ellen Meyer, district superintendent, leads the service.

The Rev. Claude Russell Jr. of Cape Girardeau is the new pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois; Russell, who is employed at Procter & Gamble, was pastor of Second Baptist Church here from 1979 to 1986.

1967

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education takes an option on a 40.71-acre tract at Sprigg and Bertling streets as a prospective school site. The tract is known as the I. Ben Miller farm and had been under option to a group interested in developing an apartment-house complex on the property; that option has expired.

A protest filed by the Scott City City Council over the alignment of the new runway at the municipal airport is causing a delay in the awarding of a contract for the runway construction. Scott City Mayor Nevan Fisher said the protest, filed with both the Federal Aviation Agency and the city of Cape Girardeau, was based on noise and safety factors.

1942

Four Cape Girardeau men are preparing to leave soon for the Panama Canal Zone to be employed in construction work contracted by the government in the vicinity of Gatun Lock. Along with E.M. Gould, who recently returned to Cape Girardeau from a government project in Ireland, Ray Cobble, Dave Eldridge and Walker Green will be going to Panama.

Norman Kirby, 18, son of Mrs. Nellie Kirby of Cape Girardeau, has taken a job in the drafting department of the Curtiss Wright Co. in St. Louis. Kirby, a graduate of Central High School 18 months ago, recently graduated from the metal-aircraft school at the new city park.

1917

The secretary of the Cape Girardeau Commercial Club has received a request for more details from the locating board to decide on a site for the big armor-plate factory; the board desires to know about railroad facilities, approximate area available for the plant, character of water, sewerage, labor conditions, etc.

The Osborn & Ransom store building on Good Hope Street, between Fountain and Lorimier streets, is nearing completion and will be ready for occupancy within the next week. The store will handle a full line of groceries and also will deal in poultry, eggs and butter.

-- Sharon K. Sanders