Out of the Past: May 30

1999

The Rev. Jack Owen, pastor of New Life Gospel Center in Scott City, preached from the roof of the church yesterday afternoon; Owen had challenged his congregation to break an attendance record on Easter; if the record was surpassed, he agreed to preach from the rooftop; more than 130 persons attended the Easter Sunday service.

Hanover Lutheran Church sponsors its eighth annual “Historic Hanover Ascension Run”; the run begins and ends at the church parking lot and includes a 1-mile race and a 5-mile race; the course loops around a scenic area outside the Cape Girardeau city limits; proceeds from the event will benefit the restoration of Historic Hanover Lutheran Church.

1974

The Cape Girardeau City Park Board urges the City Council to officially adopt the entire master park plan prepared by consultants for Cape Girardeau and to reconsider its decision to place eight tennis courts in locations at Capaha, Indian and Missouri parks, which the board says are “in conflict with the master plan”; the plan was prepared by R.W. Booker and Associates of St. Louis and Thomas E. Phillips and Associates of Cape Girardeau.

There are 338 fewer residents aged 6 through 19 in Cape Girardeau this year than in the spring of 1970, a new school enumeration has determined; results of the recently completed survey, compiled by enumerators employed by the Cape Girardeau School District, shows that 8,686 residents now fall within this age group; in 1970, the count was 9,024.

1949

Memorial Day is observed by Girardeans in the traditional manner, the general suspension of business and the sunny skies make it possible to take to the open road, in many cases; hundreds attend the two-day annual picnic at St. Vincent’s Catholic Church, which began yesterday and continues today; following the memorial Mass, members of the George Washington Auxiliary and others, an estimated 200 in all, march to the Mississippi River at the foot of Merriwether Street, where a Memorial Day service is conducted by the auxiliary and a unit of the Naval Reserve; a floral piece is placed in the water by Fred C. McGowan, a member of the Sons of Union Veterans, and Ben Rupert sounds taps.

Full-scale operations of the city in cleaning debris and wreckage from public and private property left by the tornado are put into motion; many persons work through the Memorial Day weekend, making repairs wherever possible in their damaged homes.

1924

It’s Memorial Day, but no special program is held in Cape Girardeau, although the graves of the war dead here are decorated with flowers by the local Sons of Veterans organization; there is no united closing of business establishments here, although the local post office observes regular holiday hours, and banks are closed all day; International Shoe factory stopped work at noon yesterday and won’t recommence until Monday; union barbershops close at 11 a.m.

Part of a human skeleton was found yesterday when an old well located on the Main Street of Illmo, between the post office and the Illmo Motor Company, was opened and cleaned out; two arm bones, two leg bones, pelvis bones and a number of smaller ones were found by the men cleaning the well, but not the skull; the well was dug in 1904 and was in use about 10 years; it was closed about 12 years ago and a concrete block put over the top; at a recent meeting of the Illmo City Council, it was decided to clean the well and use it as a reserve water supply for the fire department.

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 www.semissourian.com/history.