Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Extractions from the Blakesburg Excelsior Wapello County, IA, Dec 1926. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Martha Richards maseattle@copper.net Microfilm from State Historical Society of Iowa Blakesburg (Wapello Co, IA) Excelsior Newspaper, Jan 1, 1925 (missing issues Aug 6, 13;) Oct 8, 1925-Dec 25, 1930 Thurs. Dec 2, 1926 --Mr. and Mrs. SNOW have gone to California where they will make their future home. The SNOWs have many Blakesburg friends who wish them well in their new home. --Tom HUFF was a caller at the news factory last Monday. At first we thought he had come for dinner, but he came simply to bid us goodby. Tom has purchased an acreage in Bloomfield and is moving there. He says he has two Jersey cows, a few chickens and a hound dog and if he can’t make it with that lay out there is no use for anyone to try. --Miss Edna HUGHES of Clarence, Mo., has our gilt edge thanks for a box of delicious persimmons. They were sure fine and served to renew our faith in old Missouri. The HUGHES family have many friends in Blakesburg. ASH GROVE --Mr. and Mrs. Carl ROBERTS are the proud parents of a baby girl. --Mrs. Ed GARRISON and son Leland spent Saturday night and Sunday with her mother, Mrs. J. W. PROCTOR. SOCIETY DREAMS --Dr. Harry JOHNSON of Des Moines spent Thanksgiving with home folks, returning to his school work Sunday. Harry is one of these doctors who believes in "rubbing it in". --Miss Glee CHISMAN who is attending college at Grinnell spent the last of the week at the Walter SCHOECH home. --Mr. and Mrs. Paul PECK of Ottumwa and Mr. and Mrs. Joe THOMPSON took Thanksgiving dinner at the parental NOLAND home. PROGRAM Following is the program which will be given after the Baptist supper at the opera house Thursday evening: Piano Solo--"Russian Dance"--Freda CHIDESTER Piano Solo--"Whipporwill Waltz"--Genevieve COHAGAN Piano Solo--"Haunt of the Fairies"--Roberta DIMMITT Song--Girl’s (sic) Quartet Piano Solo--"Dance of the Hours"--Margaret McCUNE Piano Solo--"Love Dreams"--Helen CHIDESTER Violin Solo--Walter ROBERTS Piano Duet--Kenneth and Helen CHIDESTER Reading--Perle PETERSON Piano Solos: "The Drum"--Margaret HUBER "Pitter-Patter"--Delores HUBER "Playing Tag"--Constance GLOVER "Airy Fairies"--Mabel BELLES "Cuckoo"--Betty BERRY Song "How Different"--Mable BELLES "Dissappointment" (sic) Natalie POST "In Twilight"--Marguerite JOHANNES Violin Solo--Melvin WELDMAN "Old Mother Moon"--Chorus Duet--"The Sleighride"--Natalie POST and Billy WINECUP Piano Solo--"Falling Waters" and "Fairy Wedding"--Virginia BERRY Good Night Song (In costume) LEGAL NOTICE--Abstract Administrator’s notice: Leo V. SCHWARTZ appointed administrator of estate of Margaret S. SCHWARTZ, dec., late of Wapello co. 29 Nov 1926. Thurs, Dec. 23, 1926 --Harold HARSCH and family of Batavia were Blakesburg visitors last Saturday. --Menritt TINSLEY has been on the sick list all winter. A part of the time he is able to be up, but his Asthma trouble is worse after the sun goes down. --Clarence SHEEHY writes his mother that he has secured a good job in the new hotel barber shop in Newton. Mr. SHEEHY is a splendid barber and will make good in this fine shop. --Miss Lillie MAJOR from Albia has a fine office position with a large wholesale firm. She secured this position after taking a business course at the Iowa Success School, Ottumwa. --Walter ABEGG departed last Tuesday for Alliance, Nebraska, where he will attend a meeting of the board of directors of the First National Bank, of which he is the president. In the meantime he will meet his new grandson, Edward Willis SPENCER. --Mrs. Glen McALISTER, 511 West Finley avenue, entertained fourteen in honor of the eleventh birthday of her little daughter, Mildred. The hours were spent with music, games and contests with prizes in the latter going to Veronica ANDERSON and Margery MILLER. A birthday cake holding eleven lighted candles was af feature of the refreshments served.--Ottumwa Courier --The Excelsior acknowledges a nice Christmas card from the First National Bank at Alliance, Nebraska, where Frank and Edward ABEGG are. --Miss Evelyn ZEIGLER has had a Secretarial position in Fairfield for several years. She completed a business training at the Iowa Success School, Ottumwa. --A letter from Ben H. THAYER located him in Los Angeles, Calif. During the past few months Ben has been in Old Mexico, Florida and Georgia and has finally reached his goal in Los Angeles. --In the contest for a recount of the ballots cast at the last election for county attorney, E. K. BEKMAN was declared to be the winner and will receive the election certificate. His election was contested on account of errors existing in an Ottumwa ward, and after all the ballots had been counted he made a gain of 27 votes and was elected by a 123 majority. --The marriage of Mr. Frank FLETCHER and Miss Ruby SPONSLER occurred at the home of the officiating minister, Rev. John W. McKEE in Ottumwa on Wednesday, December 15. These young people are well and favorably known to Excelsior readers. Both of these young people are pupils of the Blakesburg high school, the bride being a graduate of 1925. They will reside on a farm near Blakesburg. The bride and groom are very popular among their friends who are showering them with hearty congratulations. Here’s best wished to Frank and Ruby. May their sunshine never grow less. CHILLICOTHE --Thomas STREICHER and Miss Mary SWANSON were married at the Munterville parsonage Wednesday Evening. They went to Burlington Thursday to visit with his mother. (NOTES: 1)Mary Swanson is a daughter of Charles L. SWANSON and Sopha A. CARLSON. 2) SEE related story, Thurs Dec 30: North of Town) PARAGRAPHS --Mrs. Albert TUBAUGH and son, Roy returned home from the Ottumwa hospital Tuesday. --Frank FRITZ was able to be up town for a few minutes monday, after a prolonged tussle with the pneumonia. --Herman HUBER pleads guilty to sitting up untiul three o’clock in the morning since he has a new Atwater-Kent radio. --O joy, it’s a boy over at the Arch HERRON home, he arrived Saturday evening, his name is James Archie and his fond parents are fully convinced that he is the finest Christmas present ever. --Earl CHISMAN died as a result of the injury he received in a coal mine in West Virginia according to a dispatch received here by relatives. It was thought from the first that he could not live but relatives here and at Unionville had hoped for the best, but the sad news came Monday evening stating he had passed to the great beyond. Earl lived in Blakesburg several years ago and was a splendid citizen and has many friends here. His body will be brought to Unionville for burial and is expected to arrive about Friday. Thurs, Dec 30, 1926 --There was a fine time at the G. W. IRELAND home south of town Christmas. Among the guests present were Laurence ROWLAND and wife of Des Moines and Elvin STOCKER and family. (NOTE: Elvin Stocker’s wife was Minnie Ireland) --Mr. and Mrs. Marion HUNTER spent Christmas in Des Moines with their son Winfred and family. It was May’s first vacation in five years and he had a very enjoyable time. Every time a train would whistle his old truck would start running and it kept Arch HERRON busy stopping it. --Dean LONG, a former Blakesburg boy, was a holiday guest of friends here and a caller at the Excelsior home Christmas day. Dean has matured into a fine looking young man and is a professor in Drake University. He graduated from Simpson college and took a post graduate course at Harvard and is well equipped so far as education is concerned. We are glad to note his advancement in the world. --There was a Christmas wedding that Blakesburg people were interested in when Jake WINKELMAN and Miss Elizabeth MILLER were united in holy bonds of wedlock in Ottumwa Christmas evening. They are two of our popular young people, the bride being a graduate of the class of 1925 of our high school and is one of the popular teachers of this community. Everybody knows Jake--he’s a prince of a good fellow and a splendid citizen. Here’s good luck to Jake and Elizabeth. --Miss Luella JOHNSON from Mt. Pleasant took a business college course at the Iowa Sucess School, Ottumwa. She is now a Stenographer for a firm in Fairfield. --Miss Ethel LENHART from Blakesburg has been in Civil Service for several yars. She made preparation for this position at the Iowa Success School, Ottumwa. --In the little curch around the corner (sic) in New York City on Christmas eve occurred the marriage of Marian Crawford TENNY to Jesse MAUZEY of Los Angeles. The bride was a resident of our city for a time several years ago. GRAND VIEW --Forrest GROOMS of Ft. Des Moines spent Christmas at the parental Arthur GROOMS home. --Orval WARNER and family of Ottumwa Sundayed at the parental E. D. WARNER home. --Paul SCHAKEL and family also Gus DUBOIS and family visited at the parental Martin SCHAKEL home. --Lester GROOMS and family were weekend guests at the parental Arthur GROOMS home. --Hazel FISHER is spending her vacation at the parental Ben FISHER home near Iconium. --Gale GILLEN and family were guests at the parental Joe ANGEL home Xmas day. --Arthur GROOMS and wife were Sunday callers at the parental Wm. JOHNSTON home. NORTH OF TOWN --Miss Mary SWANSON and Thomas STRIKER of Chillicothe, Ia., were married Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the Munterville Lutheran parsonage at six p.m., Rev. Curtis WIBERG officiating. Only immediate relatives were present. They left the same evening for Burlington to visit Mr. and Mrs. Elmer SWANSON a brother of the bride. They will make their home on a farm near Chillicothe. The happy young couple are well and favorable known in this community. Here is wishing them success and happiness through life. --Carl GUNNERSON of Lincoln, Nebr., spent Xmas with his parents. --Carl GUSTAFSON of Fort Dodge spent Xmas with home folks. --Mamie, Maurine (?) and Lena GUSTASON of Des Moines spent the holidays with their parents, Frank GUSTASON and wife. --Mrs. Esther CARLSON of Boone, Ia., spent Xmas with her brother and sister. --Otto PIERSON, wife and son Homer and Julius HOAG of Centerville spent Christmas at C. A. CARLSON’s. TWP CORNERS --Chas. and Tom HAMILTON received a telegram from their brother, R.L. HAMILTON of Pasadena, Calif., Saturday night stating that his wife India HAMILTON died at noon Christmas day. Mrs. HAMILTON will be remembered by the oder people here as a Methodist Evangelist. --Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence SMITH of Munterville spent Christmas eve at the parental DERBY home. URBANA --Carl BUCKINGHAM and family spent Christmas day at the parental Ed BUCKINGHAM home. --Roy FISHER, wife and brother Bert were in town Saturday evening. --Mrs. Mag LEACH and son Jim visited at the Ed LEACH home Saturday. --Roy DuVALL and family of Wyoming are visiting at Bill WILSON’s. BROMPTON --George McGILVERY and family spent Sunday at the parental ROBINSON home. --Sylvia FLETCHER visited last week at the home of her grandfather H. ROBINSON. --Mrs. John STOCKER and sons Elmer and Clair spent Thursday night in Ottumwa and attended the wedding of her sister Miss Anna FRENCH to Harold STUFFLEBEAM. They will make their home in Ottumwa where the groom has employment at the packinghouse. (NOTE: Mrs. John Stocker is Emmeline Mae French, her sister Anna French was born Grace Louise French) --A few friends from here attended the funeral of France JONES in Albia last week. France lived for a number of years in this neighborhood and was converted and held his membership in the United Brethren church at Brompton until he moved away some years ago. The writer has often seen Bros. France, Perry and Abb all kneeling side by side at prayer meeting and following each other in prayer. One after another they have all passed to the great beyond. --Wm. TINSELY and wife, Charlie WILCOX and wife, Frank, Adeh and Gussie BURGASON and John TORRENCE and wife spent Sunday afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. Merrit TINSELY in honor of their sixteenth wedding anniversary. A very pleasant afternoon was enjoyed. --The Rebekah lodge of Blakesburg was Santa Claus to Frank WILLIAMSON and his sister, Katie JONES Friday evening. A fine lot of fruit and other eatables were given them and on Christmas day Mrs. DeHAVEN furnished dinner for them and spent the day there. --Mrs. Ed BELL and daughter of Mystic, Mrs. M. MILLER, Mrs. Eva JAY and daughter, Margery, Ira GLOVER and family, Lester GLOVER and family, M. B. ABERNATHY and family and Mrs. Laura MILLER enjoyed Christmas dinner at the home of Dr. and Mrs. H. B. STEVENSON in Ottumwa. --Mr. and Mrs. W. L. SMITH were called to Knoxville Friday evening on account of the death of the former’s grandmother, Mrs. Mary Jane POPE, who was 93 years of age. Quite recently Mr. Smith attended a birthday dinner given in honor of his grandmother and the cake on the table contained 93 candles, one for each year she had lived. He brought home two of the candles. --The body of Earl CHISMAN arrived from Charleston, West Va., last Friday morning and was taken to the home of his mother in Unionville, where on Christmas day funeral services were held for him and the body buried in the cemetery at that place. The story of Earl’s injury in the coal mine where he worked was brought home by his son, who accompanied the body. He and the boy were working in a mine when a big rock, weighing about a ton, fell on him, injuring his back which caused his death after a week’s suffering in the hospital in Charleston, West Va., Earl and his son had planned on spending Christmas with his mother in Unionville and had made all arrangements to come home. He is survived by three children--two sons and a daughter and his aged mother, one sister, Mrs. S. J. UNDERWOOD of Blakesburg and Bert in northwest of town. ADVERTISEMTENT--Abstract Geo. W. SPEIRS closing out sale Fri 31 Dec 1926 at his residence on Blue Grass road, 2.5 miles east of Blakesburg "Having decided to quit the farm"