Out of the past: May 25

1998

Memorial Day services in the region attract large crowds of people who gather to honor fallen veterans; about 200 veterans and their families gather in the Osage Community Centre for the annual Memorial Day service sponsored by the Joint Veterans Council in Cape Girardeau; patriotic music performed by the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band, special flag presentations by color guards and a gunfire salute are included in the ceremonies, which are moved from Cape Girardeau County Park because of the threat of rain; Navy Reserve Cmdr. Thomas Gunnell is the guest speaker for the event.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Fire of undetermined origin damages at least three businesses at River Birch Mall early in the morning; Radio Shack, Malco Theater and Freshour Cycle Co. are damaged by the blaze, although smoke and fire damage occur throughout the structure; no one is injured in the fire, which causes the mall's roof to collapse and takes better than three hours to extinguish.

1973

JEFFERSON CITY -- Opponents of a fourth bank for Cape Girardeau argued before the State Bank Board yesterday that establishment of the proposed Mark Twain Cape Girardeau Bank would adversely affect the growth of the existing banks; Dr. Paul E. Junk of Columbia, Missouri, and Narvol A. Randol, president of Farmers & Merchants Bank at Cape Girardeau, were the principal witnesses on the opening day of the hearing challenging the charter granted the new bank.

The terrific task of cleaning up the mud and debris left by the great spring flood of 1973 has begun in Cape Girardeau; but the destruction dealt by the swollen Mississippi River during the longest flood in modern history will be felt for some time -- mostly in the form of pinched pocketbooks and probably a few aching backs.

1948

Commissioner Charles Schweer is on the warpath; a number of boys, evading the ticket office at the midget automobile races last night, climbed atop the Arena Building and thence to the grandstand roof for a view of the competition; the boys were apprehended last night, and today are doing cleanup work as punishment.

J.R. Cady, owner and operator of the Cady Funeral Home, 118 S. Sprigg St., has sold the building to Lester Rhodes, who will convert it into an apartment home; Cady, who has operated the funeral home here for the past 25 months, is erecting a mortuary near Crystal City and Festus, Missouri, at a cost of $220,000.

1923

A successor to Col. Warren L. Mabrey as head of the 140th Infantry, Missouri National Guard, will be elected at a meeting of the officers of the organization at the headquarters in Cape Girardeau on June 3, it is officially announced; since Mabrey retired in December, until three weeks ago, the regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. Kenrick Burrough of Cape Girardeau; however, he has tendered his resignation.

The mill and other property of the Marquette Milling and Manufacturing Co. on South Fountain Street, near William Street, will be sold at public auction June 16 to satisfy a mortgage for $6,500; the sale will take place at the east door of the Common Pleas Courthouse; the mill was abandoned three years ago; it had been used for the manufacture of paint.

-- Sharon K. Sanders