Colfax Co. - Looking Back (Apr-Jun 1967) NEGenWeb Project
Looking Back At The World (April - June 1967)
By The Leigh World
Colfax County, Nebraska


The Leigh World publishes a weekly column entitled Looking Back at the World, which is comprised of articles taken from earlier Leigh World files. A special thank you to the Leigh World for allowing me to reprint those articles. The following are selections from that column:


April 6, 1967 - reprinted June 4, 2015

The fund raising committee for the Music Boosters reports $1,320.50 donated toward the purchase of new uniforms. Their goal is $4,900. In the next week's issue of this paper the donations and individual donating will be listed.

The Leigh High School seniors will present their class play, "Incident at Dark Cedars," Friday night, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.
    The three act play includes a cast of fifteen characters. Directors are Mr. Jahrmarkt, Miss Hecox and Mrs. Eisenmann.

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hughes of Lincoln are the parents of a daughter, Heather Robyn, born March 28. Mr. Hughes is a former vocational instructor at Leigh.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wilson of David City are the parents of a daughter born last week at Columbus Mr. Wilson was an instructor at Leigh from 1962-1966.

A fire Monday afternoon resulted in the loss of a corn crib, hog house, tractor and wagon, and 2500 bushels of ear corn on a vacant farm located eight miles south and four and a quarter west of Leigh, belonging to Elmer Hollman of Omaha.
    It was reported that tree stumps had been burned there on Saturday, and that possibly a spark from these stumps ignited the grass near the crib.

Word has been received of the death in Fremont of Dr. Stanley Sixta, 52. Funeral services were held last Tuesday in Fremont with burial at Clarkson.
    Dr. Sixta was born Februry 14, 1915 at Leigh. He was a dentist in Howells for several years before moving to Fremont in 1946.

Mr. and Mrs. Ladean Korte and Kevin and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Werkmeiester and family were Saturday evening callers at the R.W. Korte home. Mr. and Mrs. Marcellus Larson of Axtel were also guests.

NOTICE: Because of damage to flowers and gardens-all dogs must be confined in owner's yard between April 10 and October 1. Order of Village Board of Creston.

Small topiary trees, candles and flowers in blue and mauve-pink decorated Christ Lutheran Church, March 25, for the 7:00 p.m. wedding of Robin Davison Thimgan of Boulder, Colorado and Myron Inselman. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Thimgan of Florence, South Carolina and the groom's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Inselman.
    Following a short wedding trip the couple will live at Kearney, Nebraska where Mr. Inselman is a senior at Kearney State College. Mr. Inselman is a garduate of Leigh high school.

The Brownie Scouts met at the clubhouse on Thursday, March 30. Paula Asche was a visitor.
    A hike was taken to find different signs of spring. Girl Scout cookies are being delivered this week. Linda Callies will have nibbles at the next meeting on April 13.

Airman Russell L. Ehlers, USN son of Mr. William H. Ehlers of Leigh, Nebraska, is in the South China Sea with the United States Seventh Fleet, as a crewmember about the attack aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard.
    The "Bonnie Dick," on her third deplayment in the waters of this war zone, is homeported in San Diego, California.
    On March 10, pilots flew their aircraft from her decks on a successful air strike on an ammunition depot at Hon Gai, some 25 miles northeast of Haiphong, in North Vietnam.

At Auction: Leigh Motor Service Building, Saturday, April 8. Same time as the sale of garage equipment. Building to be removed by May 1st. Leigh By-Products Company, Inc.


April 13, 1967 - reprinted June 11, 2014

Dale Malasek flew from Kansas City, Missouri to New York City, Monday morning, where he will assume his duties as a flight engineer on a Boeing 707 with TWA. He is based at Kennedy National Airport from where he will leave for international flights to Europe. His first flight was Tuesday.
    Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Malasek accompanied Dale to Kansas City. They returned Monday evening, bringing back Dale's car and some other possessions.

A son, weighing seven pounds, 14 ounces, was born Thursday, April 6, to Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Kauk of Montclair, California. He has been named Zachary Allan.
    Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bausch. Edward Bausch is great-grandfather.
    Mrs. Bausch flew to California, Monday, for a week's visit.
    Mr. Kauk is an instructor at Poly-Tech College.

Mrs. Frieda Asche was admitted to the Behlen Memorial Hospital in Columbus, April 3. She was dismissed last Wednesday, April 5.

Service address: Pvt. Roger L. Wurdeman ... Roger Wurdeman left Omaha by plane April 3, bound for Fort Polk [Louisiana]. There he will receive basic training with the National Guard.

Retiring from the Village Board in May will be Mayor Gustave Spanhake, who has served on the board, non-consecutively, for twenty-four years.
    Spanhake was first elected to the Board in 1940 and served until 1960. In 1963, he allowed his name on the ballot and was elected and has served until the present time. During his years on the board, he has served as Mayor many times.

Mrs. F.F. Jones is reported to be improved at the Schuyler Senior Citizens Home.

Save with these jumbo values! Envelopes, plain, 6 3/4 inch size, 49c value for 31c. Tablets, king size, 6x9 inch size, good quality bond paper, ruled, 27c. Bic ball point pens, medium point, long lasting ink supply, reg. 19c. 2 for 29c. Miss Breck Spray Net, big 13 ounce can, quality product for better grooming. Regular of hard to hold. 98c. Leigh Sundries.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kumpf and family, Mrs. Hulda Kumpf and Gordon Kumpf were Saturday and Sunday guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Kumpf and family in Lincoln. Sunday, the birthdays of Pamela and Barbara Kumpf, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Kupf were celebrated.
    On their trip home Sunday evening, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kumpf visited her mother, Mrs. Edward Franzen, a patient at the Schuyler Memorial Hospital.

Mrs. Edward Franzen remains a patient at the Schuyler Hospital.

Kathie and Carrie Brown were admitted Sunday, to Clarkson Hospital in Omaha. They are daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Brown.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Reichmuth Sr. accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Reichmuth and Mrs. Robert Pfeifer of Humphrey, drove to Lincoln Friday, April 7, to attend the ceremonies held at the state capitol in honor of Mrs. John G. Elliott of Scottsbluff, the Nebraska Mother of 1967. After the ceremonies, the guests were invited to the governor's mansion with Mrs. Tiemann as hostess to a coffee.

A birthday part was held April 2 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jerald Held. Honored were Peggy Marty, daghter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Marty, Jamie Held, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerald Held and Kay Larson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Larson of Creston.

Returning to her home, Monday, following a four month absence was Mrs. Emil Trojan. She had arrived in Omaha on Friday, where she visited friends until Monday.
    Mrs. Trojan spent the winter with her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Trojan and family in Murray, Utah, and with a niece, Mr. Elsie Bartlett in Inglewood, California.

Whiskey, valued at $65 to $75, was taken last Thursday evening from Brahmer's Tavern in Pilger, during business hours apparently while employees were busy.
    Stanton County Sheriff Emil P. Christensen reported Tuesday he has recovered a case of fifths of whiskey from an old storm cellar in an abandoned school yard 3 1/2 miles southeast of Pilger. Investigation is continuing.

The late Edward J. Patach, former sheriff of Colfax County and the late Earl Trofholz, former chief of police of Schuyler, were selected by American Legion McLeod Post No. 47 of Schuyler as posthumous recipients of citations honoring them as outstanding officials.
    The citations will be presented to their widows as part of the Legion's Support Law and Order Program.

Two hundred acres of ground was plowed here last Tuesday afternoon when 25 relatives, neighbors and friends joined at Louis and Carroll Hastrieter's farms for a plowing bee.
    Loius "Bolivar" Hastrieter is in the hospitial in Columbus with injuries received when heavy machinery fell on him.

One Stanton minor has been sent to the Boys Training School at Kearney, one will enter the service and another has gone to live with a relative in another state, because of a series of thefts uncovered at the Stanton Grade School.


May 11, 1967 - reprinted July 16, 2014

Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Hake were in Lincoln Sunday, where they were among two hundred guests attending the Parents Day picnic with their son, Wayne, a sophomore at the University of Nebraska. The picnic is an annual event sponsored by the Alpha Gamma Sigma fraternity.

Going to Le Mars, Iowa, Sunday, were Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Hobel and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Meiselbach. There they were guests of Dr. and Mrs. G.O. Thompson and JoAnn. JoAnn Thompson recently returned from Malaysia and Tunisia where she served with the Peace Corps.

Barbie Southwick was honored after school, May 4, by the girls in her class and her sisters at a birthday party. It was Barbie's seventh birthday. Those present were Sandy Wendt, Audrey Went, Judy Oltmer, Cheryl Eisenmann, Rhonda Burger, Sally Spanhake, Pamela Hake, Shari Harney, Corinne Dohmen and Susan, Debbie and Dee Ann Southwick. Barbie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Southwick.

Ron Folken, a student at the University of Nebraska has been appointed social chairman of the pledges of the Alpha Delta chapter of Delta Sigma Pi fraternity. Ron is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Merle Folken.


May 18, 1967 - reprinted July 16, 2014

Mr. and Mrs. Don Barr of Storm Lake, Iowa, are the parents of a seven pound, ten and three-fourths ounce daughter, born May 10. She has been named Sherry Lynn. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold T. Olson are maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. George M. Barr of Madison.

Mrs. Helen Cramer accompanied Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Botsford of Meadow Grove to Omaha on May 2 to attend the State Convention of the Nebraska Association of Postmasters which was held at an Omaha restaurant. A reception honoring the retired Postmasters was held that evening.

It has been announced that Lester Bruhn has been employed by the Village Board as night watchman. He began his duties this week.

Coronado Theatre at Humphrey, Nebraska presents Don Knotts in The Reluctant Astronaut; the maddest mix-up in space history! Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21. A Universal Picture in Technicolor. Two shows each evening beginning at 7:15 and one show on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

The Farmers Co-op Oil bowling team enjoyed a dinner, Friday evening, at a Norfolk restaurant. Members of the team and their wives are Mr. and Mrs. Harold Wiechen, Mr. and Mrs. Arlen Osten, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Fuhr, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Fichtl and Mr. and Mrs. Emil Machacek.


May 25, 1967 - reprinted July 16, 2014

In an auto accident investigated by Colfax County Sheriff, Richard Kruse, Dean Thalken, son of Mr. and Mrs. LaVerne Thalken, and Dennis J. Schwichtenberg, son of Mrs. Amy Schwichtenberg, were injured about 8:00 p.m. Sunday, when a car driven by Dean struck the south railing of the Maple Creek bridge southwest of Leigh. The car was traveling west at the time.
    Dean received a broken left leg, injuries to his right ankle and cuts and bruises. Dennis sustained a fractured jaw, had several lower teeth knocked out, plus cuts and bruises. They were taken by ambulance to Behlen Memorial hospital in Columbus.
    The 1962 Chevrolet belonging to Dean received considerable damage to the left front.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Prokop of Lincoln are the parents of a daughter weighing eight pounds, two ounces, born on May 17. She has been named Patricia Ann. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Prokop Jr. are paternal grandparents.

Mrs. Eugene Herink represented the Leigh Woman's Club at a workshop at the Stanton Community Building on May 16. Mrs. Ora Russell, a registered parliamentarian, directed the afternoon session on Parliamentary Procedure.

Mrs. Janice Srb Hubbard has signed a contract for $5,697 to teach English and German at Madison high school for the 1967-68 term. Mrs. Hubbard is a 1963 graduate of Leigh high school and received her bachelor of arts degree from Wayne State College in April, 1966. This will be her first year teaching.

A planting bee was held last Wednesday at the Carl Huisman farm. A total of 122 acres was planted and harrowed.
    Men planting were Stanley Sedlacek, Bill Schroeder, Henry Schroeder, Edward Mohnsen, Louis Kudera and James Kudera. Harrowing were Frankie Charipar, William Udlinek and Dennis Severa.

Sunday evening visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hilger Schaad and Marilyn were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Neuhaus and Diane.


June 1, 1967 - reprinted July 23, 2014

Robert Lake, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lake, graduated Tuesday morning from Norfolk Junior College with a degree of Associate in Arts. He will be employed in Leigh this summer. In the fall, he plans to continue his education.

A wedding dance will be held Saturday evening at the Leigh Memorial auditorium, honoring Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Schwichtenberg (nee Connie Hake). Bud Comte and his orchestra will provide music. Friends and relatives are invited.

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Richard Goldfogle and family of Papillion arrived Friday at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Ahrens, for a few days visit. The Goldfogles will move this week to Washington, D.C., where Lt. Col. Goldfogle has been transferred from Offutt Air Base.

While playing Friday afternoon, Karen Dohmen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Dohmen, tripped and fell on Main street in front of the Leigh Hatchery, breaking her left leg.
    She was taken by ambulance to St. Mary's hospital in Columbus where the bone was set. She was dismised from the hospital Saturday, but will be in a cast for at least six months.

Firemen from Leigh, Creston and Humphrey were called to the Milan Loseke farm southwest of Leigh, Thursday evening. Two steel cribs of corn caught fire. A third crib was undamaged.
    The fire is believed to have started from a spark in a pile of spoiled silage that had been burned a week earlier.

Kenneth W. Carmann is a new member of the Leigh High School faculty. He will be instructor in mathematics and physical education.
    Larry J. Herman will be the Leigh High School vocation agriculture instructor for the next school term.

The Clarkson Volunteer Fire Department was called out last Thursday evening to an unoccupied farm of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Wichen, where a pile of bales and a flatbed were on fire. John Bahns, a Clarkson school bus driver saw the fire while out on his route and turned in the alarm.
    According to the fire chief, Ronald Vavrina, the fire was caused by an electric fence, and due to a high wind, could have caused much damage.

Dennis Nadrchal, Leigh, escaped serious injury in a one-car accident at 3 a.m. last Monday, 12 1/2 miles south of Stanton on Highway 57.
    According to Stanton County Sheriff, Emil Christensen, who investigated, Nadrchal was driving north when a rear tire blew out and he lost control and careened into the bank on the west side of the road.
    He was cut about the head and was taken to a doctor for treatment. There was extensive damage to the auto, especially the front end.

Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Grundemann moved this past weekend to Seward. There, Mr. Grundemann will contine to study for his Bachelor's degree at Concordia College.
    Mrs. Grundemann will attend summer school at Concordia, and teach at Staplehurst during the 1967-68 school year.
    Mr. and Mrs. Grundemann have taught in the Leigh area for the past year.


June 8, 1967 - repritned July 30, 2014

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Callies returned Thursday evening from a six-day trip through western Nebraska. They spent two days at Valentine visiting the Wildlife Refuge, Merritt Dam, museums and lakes. Stops were made at Kingsley Dam on Lake McConaughly, Lake Minatare and Kinball reservoir. They also attended commencement exercises at Crook, Colorado for Marteena Kokes, a grand niece.

Two long-time residents have once again returned to their homes in Leigh where they will stay for the sumer months, as they have done in the past.
    Mrs. Mary Overstreet, who will be 99 years old December 22, returned Friday. She was accompanied by her son, Roy, of Mallard, Iowa.
    Louis Loseke arrived last Sunday at his home after spending the winter months with two daughters, Mrs. Elsie Chamberlain and Mrs. Louise Ahrens at Tekamah.

Mr. James Garner moved the end of last week into the Mullenhoff house. He will assume his duties as superintendent of the Leigh public school on July 1. He is a graduate of Murray State College and Memphis State University in Tennessee.

A commuunity meeting will be held on Saturday, June 10 at 8:30 p.m. for the purpose of organizing a Whisker Club for the Nebraska Centenial [sic] and the Colfax County Fair. Anyone interested in joining is invited to attend this meeting.

Leland Daniels of Leigh was among more than 1,500 graduates at the University of Nebraska's 96th annual commencement exercises Saturday morning, June 3, in Pershing Auditorium. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Engineering and Architecture.
    During the summer months, Leland will be employed at a testing lab for the State of Nebraska Department of Roads. In the fall, he will return to the University where he has been accepted to do graduate study towards his Masters Degree.

Moving to Leigh the end of this month will be Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Frey of Stewardson, Illinois. Mr. Frey will be principal, teacher and music director of the Zion Lutheran school for the coming year.

Mrs. L.L. Hobel and Douglas attended funeral services for their cousin, Tom Wortman, 23, at St. Mary's church in West Point on Saturday.
    Mr. Wortman was injured in a one-car accident last week. He would have reeived his degree from the University of Nebraska on Saturday.

Dale Malasek left Saturday from Kennedy Interntional Airport in New York City, bound for Lebanon and Frankfort, Germany. Dale is a flight engineer on a Boeing 707 for TWA. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Malasek.

The long awaited official word on the Spencer Packing Co. plant to be built in Schuyler, seems to be at hand.
    In a letter received from the Spencer Packing Co, Mr. Mehesan wrote, "You might be interested to know that we are all set to start construction at Schuyler the week of June the 5th."

During the storm Sunday ight, a few head of cattle at the Rosendahl farm on the Monastery road several miles south of Creston, broke through a fence and got onto the highway. Clifford Muhsman, driving south, was unable to avoid one steer. The impact swung the car around and it was then struck in the side by a car driven by Alan Hake. Both cars were badly damaged.

Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Korte have received word of the Sunday drowning, in an irrigation ditch, of Ronnie Larson, 15, of Axtell.
    Mrs. Larson is the former Miss Alberta (Bert) Carson and would be remembered in Leigh. The Larsons and Kortes are close friends.


June 22, 1967 - reprinted August 13, 2014

Russell F. Rabeler, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Rabeler, Dodge, Nebraska, was promoted to Army private pay grade E-2 upon completion of basic combat training at Fort Dix, NJ, June 1.
    Russell is the grandson of Mrs. Florence Rabeler of Leigh.

Mrs. John Hyland was admitted to St. Mary's hospital in Columbus last Wednesday. She remains a patient there.

Robert Barjenbruch remains a patient at the Behlen Memorial hospital in Columbus. His condition is reported as satisfactory.

Gustave Goetz celebrated his 98th birthday in the Senior Citizen's Home in Schuyler last Wednesdy. Gustave was born in Milwaukee, June 14, 1869. In 1879, he came with his parents to a Platte county farm that his father purchased for $5 an acre.
    He married Gesina Hoeft on June 24, 1903. She had come with her mother from Germany the previous year to the home of her uncle, Fred Ahrens of Leigh.
    After farming for 17 years they retired to Leigh in 1920.
    Mr. Goetz entered the Home in February 1966. Mrs. Goetz still maintains the home in Leigh where she lives alone.
    Celebrating Gustave's birthday were his wife, Gesinda, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Ahrens, Mrs. John Oldigs and Miss Mignon Jones. They were joined by Mrs. F.F. Jones, 90, and Alois Brauner, 92, both residents of Leigh for over 50 years, now living at the Home in Schuyler.

Mrs. Ivah M. way of Schuyler announces the engagement of her daughter, Linda Irene, to Pvt. Richard C. Knapp, son of Mr. and Mrs. Emil Knapp of Schuyler, formerly of Leigh.
    Miss Way is employed by Dale Electronics in Columbus. Pvt. Knapp is stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he is undergoing maintenance training.
    No wedding date has been set.

Service addres: Pvt. Earl A. Barjenbruch ...
    Pvt. Barjenbruch is now stationed in Hawaii. He is the son of Mrs. Elsie Barjenbruch of Omaha, formerly of Leigh.

Visiting at the Albert Cerv home Wednesday evening were Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Kudrna.

Spending Saturday and Sunday in Omaha at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Matt Kaarstad were Mr. and Mrs. Louis Metzger.

Douglas Hobel was a weekend guest at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Hobel. He is now attending summer courses at the University of Omaha.

Father's Day guests at the Frank Charipar home were Mr. and Mrs. Jerry H. Karel and family of Clarkson, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Charipar of Columbus and Mr. and Mrs. Frankie Charipar and children.

Tuesday evening, June 6th, lightening struck the Meadow Grove Grain Co. and knocked several holes in the roof. Following the light wires to the switch box, burning out lights and switches.
    It then followed the electrical wires into the main office and blew out fuses and knocked the fuse box lid open Only minor damage resulted, according to manager Duane Kallhoff.

Marine Cpl. Darrel L. Hovenden, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hovenden of North Bend and grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William T. Grady of Schuyler, was killed in combat in Vietnam, June 3.
    Funeral services are pending the arrival of the body and its military escort.
    Darrel entered service in March, 1965, prior to graduating from high school, and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam last April. After a 30-day leave with his parents and other relatives, he returned to Vietnam two weeks ago. p> Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Callies attended church services at the Bethlehem Chapel near Dodge Sunday morning. Their grandchildren, children of Mr. and Mrs. Lambert Vacha of Dodge, were members of a Junior Choir which sang a special Father's Day song during services.
    The Callies were dinner guests at the Vacha home following services. Also guests for dinner were Mr. and Mrs. Ed Vacha of Clarkson.

An overnight guest Wednesday, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Reichmuth Sr. was Alvin Steinway of Elgin, Illinois. He was enroute to Denver, Colorado where he will attend summer sessions and the 1967-68 term at the University of Denver.

Mrs. Anna Tiedke of Pilger received word this past week that her grandson, Philip Tiedke, 23, youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Art Tiedke of Modesto, California, was a casualty of the USS Liberty, a Navy ship that was torpedoed off the Egyptian coast by Israeli war planes last Thrusday.
    Philip was serving with the U.S. Navy. The USS Liberty was a research ship helping relay communications from United States installations in the Mid-East. It was fifteen miles off the Sinai Peninsula in international waters.



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