Out of the past: Sept. 7

1997

Centenary United Methodist Church welcomes its new senior pastor, Dr. Clayton L. Smith, at the morning worship service; a reception follows in the Family Life Center, so everyone can meet the pastor and his family; Smith succeeds Dr. Neil L. Stein, who retired effective Aug. 31.

Tours of Old St. Vincent's Catholic Church are available by appointment for a group of 10 or more; new this year is the museum in the back corner of the church; on display are old photos of the church, pewter ornaments, pewter bread trays and other items; revenue from sales and other donations goes into a fund for restoration of the church organ.

1972

Like thousands of communities that over the past decade have been sidestepped by the opening of interstate highways, the half dozen towns along Highway 61 from Fruitland to Brewer, Missouri, have begun the transition; while the opening of the 29-mile segment of Interstate 55 on Aug. 30 means certain reduction in the amount of transit business, to most it means relief from the heavy volume of fast-moving traffic; the real pinch will be on the businessmen -- those who for years have enjoyed good profits from travelers using the old two-lane highway.

Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity at Southeast Missouri State University, will sell advance reserve tickets for the Wednesday night grandstand attraction at the SEMO District Fair; featured will be Dawn, with lead vocalist Tony Orlando and backup singers Joyce Vincent and Telma Hopkins; for the first time, reserved tickets are beings sold for the grandstand attractions on all six nights of the fair.

1947

The Rev. Bernard A. McIlhany, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau for about seven years, concludes his service with the local congregation at the morning service, speaking on the subject, "In the Father's Kingdom"; the Rev. and Mrs. McIlhany and their three children will go to Fulton, Missouri, on Monday, where he will soon become pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, one of the five largest churches of the Presbyterian U.S. Synod of Missouri.

Kenneth C. Johnston, an active leader in the Church School and Wesley Foundation, who preached this summer at the Illmo Methodist Church, occupies the pulpit at the morning worship hour at Centenary Methodist Church; Johnston will go to the divinity school of Yale University later in September to prepare for the ministry.

1922

The regular police and the extra patrolmen in Jackson are a busy lot these days, working strenuously to check a good many violations of the law; a merry chase after bootleggers and "questionable females" takes place every night, and these are ordered out of the city, but the general public hears little about it.

Formation of a new high school athletic league in Southeast Missouri, to be composed of the seven larger schools in the district, is being planned; three major sports -- football, basketball and track -- will be played by teams in the league; any school that isn't able to participate in all the sports won't be allowed to join the league; according to present plans, the league will be composed of Missouri high schools of Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Charleston, Jackson, Kennett, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.

-- Sharon K. Sanders