Out of the past: May 23

1993

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson celebrated its 100th anniversary, with the Rev. James W. Kalthoff, president of the Missouri District of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, speaking at the morning worship services; St. Paul began May 18, 1893, with the original constitution signed by six charter members.

The graduating seniors of Westminster Presbyterian Church are honored during the morning service; those graduating from Cape Girardeau Central High School are Kiley Brey, Nicole Byrd and Laura Krone; graduating from Notre Dame High School is Luisa Stone.

1968

Southeast Missouri's galloping race for U.S. representative takes another turn with the announcement by Bernard C. Rice, Sikeston, Missouri, attorney and one of the last to file, he is withdrawing; this leaves 11 Democrats in the contest from which a nominee will be selected in August to match the favorite from among three Republican hopefuls.

Robert Clifton Ranney, 76, a prominent farmer in Cape Girardeau and grandson of the first judge of the Cape Girardeau Common Pleas Court, William Caton Ranney, dies at his home on Route 2; the early Ranney family came here about 1840 from Connecticut, settling on Spring Farm, 2 1/2 miles southwest of Cape Girardeau.

1943

The 50th anniversary of the International Walther League is celebrated by the Senior and Junior Walther leagues of Trinity Lutheran Church at special services; the Senior Society here was organized in 1916, and the Juniors have been organized since 1922; an anniversary banquet is served in the evening at Trinity Hall by the Junior Ladies' Aid.

Chief of police M.F. Morton estimated more than 15,000 persons traveled to Cape Girardeau's downtown today to see the rampaging Mississippi River; solid streams of people walk and drive there from morning until night.

1918

According to a letter received by president W.S. Dearmont of the Cape Girardeau Normal School from Secretary of War N.D. Baker, the Normal will be given a military instructor for the term beginning in September; the school being in the class with more than 100 young men of military age, it is entitled to an Army officer for the military training of its students.

A committee representing the residents of the Red Star and Roberts and Gale additions, north of Cape Girardeau, called on Mayor H.H. Haas yesterday, presenting a petition signed by a large majority of the property owners of those suburbs, asking the city limits be extended to include them.

-- Sharon K. Sanders