Out of the past: March 18

1998

Cape Girardeau's Weed and Seed committee has established the city's south side for its first project; the committee met last night to decide how to distribute about $40,000 to groups that provide educational development and recreational activities on the city's south side; funds will go to the Civic Center, the Greater Dimension Church of God in Christ, May Greene Elementary School and the Salvation Army.

A joint committee of Cape Girardeau and Jackson city officials came away from an hour-long meeting yesterday with a desire to develop 5-, 10- and 20-year annexation plans to accommodate growth of both cities; it was the first meeting of the committee, which wants to develop a map that outlines possible future boundaries for the two cities.

1973

An office for Birthright, an emergency counseling service for pregnant women, will open in temporary headquarters at 220 S. Sprigg St., the first part of April, says Bernice Buehrle, coordinator for the volunteer service; the office will serve as a crisis center for pregnant women, whether married or not, offering everything from help in arranging transportation for physician visits to providing temporary care for other children while a mother is hospitalized with her new baby to helping an unwed mother deal with her situation.

The Singing LaClares from Festus, Missouri, sing at the morning service and again at the 2 p.m. service as part of Bethel Assembly of God's 20th anniversary celebration; now located at 1855 Perryville Road, the congregation began 20 years ago in a store building on Broadway.

1948

Experienced Lions Club members say yesterday's Pancake Day hosted the largest crowd in its 10 years of the activity; 2,758 persons ate a breakfast of pancakes and coffee at the Millikan Motor Co. building, 817 Broadway; approximately $1,250 was raised for the club's child welfare fund.

Considering the current international crisis and President Truman's call to revive the wartime draft and universal military training, locals are wondering what the status of World War II veterans is; authoritative sources say those who were given outright discharges from military service would have to volunteer or be drafted again for service; those enlisted in the organized reserves can be summoned to active duty, but no such call has been made.

1923

A class of seven children are presented to the congregation of Christ Evangelical Church in the morning; the Rev. Rinehart Lehmann, pastor, doesn't preach a sermon, but instead members of the confirmation class testify to the faith; they will be confirmed March 25; members of the class are Myrtle Eckleman, Olga Geiser, Evelyn Lampe, Elsie Bohle, Dora Teichman, Charles Dankel and Raymond Watcher.

Meetings at South Cape Presbyterian Mission, which have been going on for a week or 10 days, conclude in the evening with a communion service; several persons have indicated they are anxious for a permanent and well-organized mission in that part of town.

-- Sharon K. Sanders