Out of the past: Nov. 17

1993

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Word that the National Weather Service has revised the Mississippi River flood crest at Chester, Illinois, brought a sigh of relief in the Bois Brule Levee District yesterday; instead of cresting today at 32 feet, the river at Chester is expected to crest at 29.6 feet, 2.6 feet above flood stage.

Members of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board berate preliminary plans for a multi-purpose building in the city's new Osage Park; the $2 million building and development of Osage Park is being financed with surplus tax funds earmarked for Convention and Visitors Bureau activities and economic development; but one board member asserted, "... somebody's building a sports facility with our money."

1968

The Rev. Walter Keisker, pastor emeritus at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, is honored in ceremonies marking 45 years in the ministry, of which 30 years he was pastor of St. Paul Church; guest speaker at both morning worship services is the Rev. John Hermann of St. Louis, stewardship counselor of the Missouri Synod and a classmate of Keisker.

The congregation of Red Star Baptist Church recently voted to send the pastor and his wife, the Rev. and Mrs. Earl W. Tharp, on a Christian Bible Land Tour of the Holy Land and Greece; they will depart from New York Dec. 31 and return there Jan. 9; the congregation also voted to have a television program on KFVS-TV beginning Jan. 1.

1943

Barney Oldfield, special events director, and E.W. Opfer, county War Chest chairman, complete arrangements for a show at Houck Stadium Sunday afternoon demonstrating the training of war dogs used as sentries and guards; arrangements have been made with the commanding officers at the prisoner of war camp at Weingarten, Missouri, for four men and their four dogs to come here for the demonstration; the show will benefit the county's War Chest drive, which is still about $5,000 short of the $30,000 quota.

Only a moderate number of turkeys, off Cape Girardeau County farms, are coming to market and heading for Thanksgiving tables; more, but probably no big supply, will be brought to town by farmers early next week, dealers expect.

1918

Centenary Methodist Church is particulary fortunate and probably is the only church in Cape Girardeau that can say that death hasn't entered among its fold, either through the great war or the pestilence that is passing over the country; Centenary's service flag contains many stars, yet not one of the blue has turned to gold.

The Spanish influenza epidemic seems to have subsided in Cape Girardeau, to the point that health officials allow churches to hold services once more; Sunday school services are still prohibited, however.

-- Sharon K. Sanders