Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

May 31, 2017, Page 16

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

May 1962

 

Horse raising will return to the Clark County Fair this year.

 

The decision to return horse racing, with carts, to the fair program was made by directors at a meeting last week.  It will mark the second attempted revival by the local fair.  Back just before World War II, an effort was made to revive saddle racing, but the revival lasted only that year.

 

The fair this year is scheduled August 2 through 5, with the first day as entry day.  A talent show will be featured on the second day.  A variety show is scheduled for Saturday; and the horse racing Sunday, a comedy show will be featured before the grandstand Sunday evening.                    

•••••••••

The bicycle built for two has nothing on the modern four-seated perambulator, which appeared in Neillsville last Thursday.  The four-seater was being pushed by Mrs. Danny Wallace of Humbird.  The Wallace family created quite a stir along the business district with the four-seat stroller; Pamela, 10 months, occupied the back seat, with her twin brothers, Dana, and Dennis age 2 in front.  Besides Mrs. Wallace who was hanging onto the stroller were Dean, 3, and Danny, Jr. 5.

 

There was one empty seat in the back.  Mrs. Wallace, the former Pauline Zimmerman of Neillsville, says she’s in no hurry to fill it.                                                                                             

•••••••••

A confirmation of 102 students is being conducted this Thursday morning at 10:30 o’clock in St. Mary’s Church by Bishop John P. Tracey of La Crosse.

 

Confirmation is held in the parish every fourth year and this year students are included from grades 5-6-7-8 and from a Saturday class of students from surrounding areas.                 

•••••••••

With the planting of 1,000 Norway Pine trees on the old Joe Poertner farm this week, a total of 66,000 trees are now growing in the reforestation project.  In the last 10 years, Mr. and Mrs. George Poertner, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Yndogliato, Mr. and Mrs. Gavin Upton, Ronnie, and Sara Poertner, and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sollberger returned the old 160-acre farm to forest.

 

The trees, nearly all Norway’s, are from three-year old to trees of 10-inch trunk and 15 to 20 feet tall.

•••••••••

The foundation for the new Loyal Medical Clinic was laid last weekend, east of the motel, on a 132-ft by 150-foot lot donated by Elmer Sterr.

 

The cost of the building now under construction is approximately $37,000, which includes fixtures and all equipment, but not sewer, water, landscaping, and parking.  A community-drive for funs netted about $40,000.

 

The board of directors includes: Tom Wepfer, president and head of doctor procurement; Mr. Sterr, vice president, and head of the construction; Byron Zepplin, vice president, and head of the fund drive; Paul Davel, treasurer, and William W. Trindal.

 

The 50- by-50-ft. building will provide facilities for two doctors, including examining rooms, consultation rooms, laboratory, nurse’s station, surgery room, and waiting room.

 

Loyal has been without a doctor since February. The committee states that it has been in touch with prospective doctors, and will have information soon.

 

The Sears-Roebuck Foundation furnished architectural fees, assisted in the survey, worked with the fundraising committee, and is assisting in the procurement of a physician.

•••••••••

Capistrano is more widely heralded in song for its swallows; but Neillsville has them too.

 

And they’re back again this year.  They were back last Friday over the Farmer’s Store Company building, where they have made their northern “home” for several years.  No one knows how many hundred of the birds make their home in the chimney of the store; but it is several.

 

In recent years, it has been quite an awesome sight to see them swarm over the roof of the building at twilight, then quickly, and as though directed by a policeman on a busy corner who directs traffic, drop into the chimney.

 

Tuesday morning, two residents watched as they returned to the chimney in the daytime.  Over the building the air was virtually black.  Quickly the swallows disappeared down the chimney.  It was an unusual sight, for normally the birds do not return like that until nightfall. 

 

But there probably was good reason for it.  The temperature was but a shrug above freezing, and swallows don’t have long-handled undies.                                                           

•••••••••

The opening of the Black River camp in the 65,000-acre Black River State Forest of Jackson County about May 15 will usher in a new idea and new era for the care of delinquent youths, ages 16 – 20, inclusive, by the state of Wisconsin.

 

The new state institution is in the heart of a vast, unbroken evergreen forest, miles from farms and inhabitation, and will provide a beautiful setting for the temporary home of young men who have been found delinquent by local courts and sent to the state reception center at Wales.

 

The new institution, which is being hurried to completion, is in the Town of Komensky, 13 miles northeast of Black River Falls, and 22 miles south of Neillsville.  Located on high land about 300 yards south of Morrison Creek in an evergreen clearing, the general atmosphere and environment is pleasing, beautiful, and healthful.

•••••••••

The sale of two cottages in recreation areas of Clark County was revealed this week.

 

The cottage of Bob Urban, on Lake Arbutus has been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Darald Krieger of Prospect Heights, Ill.; and the Mike Krultz, Jr., cottage at Mead Lake has been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Nubert Kruger of Madison.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Riedel have purchased an acre of land east of Lynn and south of highway 10 from Mr. and Mrs. Otto Hasz.  They plan to build a house there next year.       

•••••••••

Diane Wuethrich, daughter of Mr. and Mr. John Wuethrich of Eaton Center, took a plane to Seattle, Wash., last week.  She planned to attend the World’s Fair and visit her sister, Mrs. Keith (Dawn) Stump in Tacoma.

•••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. George Bryan and 10 children are living in a trailer home at the Bryan farm.  Mr. and Mrs. Bryan are planning to tear down the old residence, which was damaged by fire and water, and will build a new home on the old foundation.  They hope to have the new home ready for occupancy by fall.

•••••••••

Dr. and Mrs. Carroll Schield have started construction on a house on Huron Street, north of the William Ruchaber residence. Plans call for completion of the building by late fall.                                     

•••••••••

The 1962 – Greenwood Community High School representatives for Badger boys’ and girls’ state are Dale Brux, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harland Brux, Greenwood; Stanley Schwarze, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ewald Schwarze, Greenwood; and Mary Ann Staut, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Staut, Rt. 2 Greenwood.

•••••••••

With Dave Meier pitching three-hit ball and walking only two men, the Neillsville Warriors won the first round of play in the W.I.A.A. baseball tournament from Loyal 1-0, Monday.

 

Kenneth Mohr tripled in the sixth and scored on a single by Kenneth Smith for the only run of the ball game.

 

The games were played at Greenwood due to wet grounds at Loyal.

•••••••••

Ninety-eight members of the Neillsville High School Class of 1962, were handed diplomas in graduation exercises Tuesday night at the high school, attended by a high capacity audience.

 

Supt. Ivan Lauscher said that it was the largest class to be graduated in the history of Neillsville High School, and that the class would hold the record “for a couple of years.”          

•••••••••

Graduation ceremonies were held in Neillsville Tuesday night, but nobody graduated!

 

The seniors, all 98 of them received diplomas that didn’t mean a thing.  They were unsigned by school administrators.  As such they were just worthless scraps of paper.

 

The reason: School isn’t out until May 31, and final examinations for the “graduates” as well for the rest of the pupils were scheduled for May 23 and 24.

 

The delay in final examinations was occasioned by the spring’s snowstorms after the graduation date had been set and arrangements were made.                                                                     

•••••••••

Two dark angry tornado cones swirled down “Tornado Alley,” near Thorp, late Tuesday night, leaving an area strewn with wrecked barns, and other buildings, and with one man in Victory Memorial Hospital at Stanley.

 

The tornado hit in the townships of Reseburg, Worden, Withee and Thorp in Clark County, and Roosevelt township in Taylor County.

 

Injured was Harry Groz, 70, who suffered lacerations of his back, and bruises when a funnel struck, and destroyed his trailer house near Highway 73, a mile south of Thorp.  His house was parked at the Fred Roberts farm, and was in the area in which two other disastrous tornadoes have ravaged the farmyard.

 

In the Town of Longwood, a barn, and two sheds on the Emil Malnar farm were destroyed.

 

Early reports indicated that the worst damage resulted in the Lublin area, north of Thorp, where from 15 to 20 barns reported down.

 

The whole area within an 80-mile radius of Eau Claire had been in a tornado alert zone since 6 p.m. Tuesday and came in the last hour during which the weather bureau had said there would be danger.

•••••••••

Neillsville IGA Foodliner Specials are Something to Crow About!

 

IGA TableRite Whole Fryers, 3-Legged, Triple-Breasted, 23’; IGA Wiener & Barbecue Buns, pkg. of 8, 5 for $1; IGA Charcoal Briquets 10 lbs. 49’; Watermelons, Red, Ripe & Sweet Eating! 89’ ea.; Catsup. Del Monte, 14 oz. bottle, 5 btls. for 89’; Cantaloupe 3 for $1; Peter’s Bologna, by the chunk, only 35’ lb.

 

FREE – 10 oz. pkg. IGA frozen Strawberries with every 2 Half Gallons of IGA Royal Ice Cream! Assorted Beverages, 7 oz. bottles, 24 for 99’.                                                      

•••••••••

Sam and Levi Fitzmaurice decided Thursday, was a good day for fishing, so to the Eau Claire River they drove and before long, by skillful maneuvering, and breaking two lines plus tired arms and cut hands, landed a 48-inch Musky, weighing about 28 pounds.

 

Ed Harris and Lewis Fitzmaurice were fishing at Hatfield Sunday and brought home some nice Walleye and Northern.                                                                                                                     

•••••••••

Mr. and Mr. Michael Burchard have sold their tavern and cabins to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Chimel of Chicago, Ill., who will take possession in June.                                                             

•••••••••

Ten young people were confirmed during services Sunday in the Methodist Church. The district superintendent, Gomer Finch of La Crosse assisted Rev. Lloyd Mauer.  The confirmands were: Rae Ann Moen, Carol Feig, Dean Struble, Jo Ann Bollom, Linda Drescher, Carol Hanson, Marilyn Anding, John Perrine, Sherri Ray, and Linda Lezotte.                                                                                      

•••••••••

Seven letters of the Neillsville High School track team were awarded Thursday by Coach Henry Lukes.  Receiving them were: Danny Schield, James Holmes, Tom Schaub, Joel Ylvisaker, Don Quicker, Peter Manz, and Dean Crissinger.                                                                                       

•••••••••

Gary Thornton has been selected for a four-year course in the U. S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, Conn.  He is one of 400 youths out of 5,000 in the nation to be selected based on an entrance test.  Gary is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Thornton of Neillsville.

 

He will report in New London July 9 for a course, which will lead to an ensign’s commission and a Bachelor of Science degree.  He is a 1962 graduate of Neillsville High School.

•••••••••

The purchase of approximately two acres of additional land, which adjoins their property near the Silver Dome, was announced this week by Clifford M. Gross, president of the Neillsville Gun Club.

 

The purchase of a strip of the 50-feet of land was made from the Lee Kapfer’s.

 

Gross also announced that the club is installing an electric trap in its trap-house, giving the club two traps and enabling it to conduct registered shoots.

 

The first of these shoots is scheduled for June 17.  In advance of this date, members have been assigned to work details.                                                                                      

•••••••••

A crowd estimated at from 4,000 to 5,000 people witnessed perhaps the longest, and certainly one of the most impressive parades in the history of Greenwood Sunday afternoon.

 

Eight high school bands of the area strutted their stuff and furnished a stirring musical climax to the district American Legion conference, which was held Saturday and Sunday.  Included among the bands were those from Thorp, Neillsville, Owen-Withee, Loyal, Granton, and Melrose.

•••••••••

Neillsville merchants will hold “sidewalk days” Thursday and Friday.

 

Pony and mechanical rides will be provided free for the children, afternoon and evening.

 

Merchants and clerks will dress like they used to in the 1930s and before.

 

 

Above is an early 1960s view of the West Fifth and Hewett Street intersection’s north-west corner.  Also visible is McCain’s Department Store (former J. C. Penney’s) and Kearn’s Rexall Drug.  (That car a 1959 Chevrolet, could well be the light-colored car we owned back then. DMK)

 

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