56 Years Ago
Spotlighting The Year—1964
* And So They Say: Howard Wanamaker: “About the only green thing one sees around here anymore are the weeds one sees growing along the edges of Main Street.” Ray Bigge: “Montana finally got around to paying its World War I bonus after 45 years. I just got mine today.” LeVeda Ives: “There are lots of interesting things to see in Kansas if people would just take the time to visit them.” Ina Copper: “I’ll certainly be glad when it starts snowing. I think I’ll go right out and walk barefoot in it.”
* Gary Robert Bates, 21-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bates of the Alton area, had met a tragic death the evening of Wednesday, August 5th. The tragedy was not discovered until shortly after five o’clock Friday afternoon when his body was found in his 1957 Rambler, that was upended in the creek east of Woodston about 50 feet west of the Osborne/Rooks County Line. Gary, who was a junior at Fort Hays Kansas State College, had been working in Hays, but Monday before the accident he had returned home and was a dinner guest of his sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Eller of Stockton. Relatives did not know he had not reached Hays after leaving and the tragedy was discovered quite by accident when tourists traveling west caught the light reflecting from something they took to be a car obscured by trees and bushes and some distance from the highway. They notified Woodston City Marhsal Irvin Earl and he called authorities in Stockton. Officers, doctors, the ambulance and wrecker went to the scene. Gary was considered a careful driver and not given to speeding, but he had suffered occasionally from blackouts and it was the belief of the authorities that he blacked out, and his foot pressed on the gas feed, causing the accident.
* Mrs. Roy Poore of Oakley had sold her dress shop in Stockton, known as Evelyn’s Dress Shop to Mrs. Alan Stewart and Mrs. Harold Stice. The young women, who were sisters-in-law, were going to operate the shop under the name Maylaine’s, which was a combination of their middle names.
* From The Feminine Slant By The Office Cat: It is easy to know where your money goes these days. It goes to the government.
* Looking Backward Fourteen Years Ago: The Preston Abstract Co. was having a grand opening in its new building on Walnut Street. Seven local youngsters, Gary Pauley, Robert McMichael, Victor Dryden, Carolyn Young, Karleen Webster, Farrell McCauley and Bruce Smith were attending the High Plains Music Camp.
* Bob Hamilton was the first casualty of the American Legion baseball team, and had eight stitches in his eyebrow as a result.
* On sale back-to-school specials at Slansky’s IGA were round steak for 79¢ a pound, five pounds of peaches for 49¢, family-sized frozen fruit or coconut custard Morton pies for 29¢ each and a two-pound tin of Nestles Quik for 79¢.
* Mr. and Mrs. Jess M. Koontz had entertained several family members at the Midway Party Room with a dinner celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Guests included Mr. and Mrs. George Richards and Raymond, Omer Atkisson, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baxter, Dick and Tracy, Mr. and Mrs. Gale Odle, Terry, Ted and Tammy, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Muir and Benny, Mrs. Wayne Jackson, Mrs. Winifred Low, and out-oftown guests Mr. and Mrs. Carl Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Erwin Low, and Mrs. A. D. Hawks. The evening was spent taking movies and flash pictures.
* Mrs. Charlotte Riffe had held a piano and vocal recital for her students in her home. Those who performed were Phyllis Ross, Sara Jo Stice, Sharon Pettijohn, Sharon Gaines, Phillp Probasco, Denise LeSage, Sally Hackerott, Elizabeth Dryden and Charlotte Dryden. Her pupils who were unable to be present were Lynn Carpenter, Alan LeSage and Yvonne Sammons.
* Showing at the Park Drive-In Theatre were the movies “Gunfight at Comanche Creek” starring Audie Murphy, and “4 for Texas” starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress.
