Out of the past: Dec. 12

1999

In an effort to remember their German heritage, a worship service spoken entirely in German is conducted at Old Hanover Lutheran Church in the evening; the Rev. Adam Mueller, who served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim for 21 years, is the guest speaker during the eighth annual German service.

The Rev. Jim Matthews is the new pastor of Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau; he was ordained in 1979 and has served as pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Elkhart, Texas, and Morley Baptist Church; a native of Sikeston, Matthews is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University; he and his wife, Debbie, have three children.

1974

A partial solar eclipse will be visible in Cape Girardeau tomorrow, beginning at 8:02 a.m., with maximum coverage of 50% between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m.; Milton W. Ueleke, assistant professor of physics at Southeast Missouri State University, and a group of his students plan to photograph the event on the south lawn of Magill Hall; the day will end with a meteor shower that will last into the next morning.

Mr. and Mrs. V.L. Howard of Jackson have been named to receive a state farm management award by the Extension Division of the University of Missouri-Columbia; the Howards have put together six small farms into a 678-acre unit that produces grain and hogs.

1949

Announcement was made over the weekend at Jefferson City that S.P. Dalton of Cape Girardeau and two circuit judges from St. Louis had been selected by the Appellate Judicial Commission as nominees for the vacancy on the State Supreme Court, occasioned by the resignation of Judge James M. Douglass; Gov. Forrest Smith will select one of the three, likely this week.

Around 1,000 persons attended the dedication of the new Immaculate Conception Catholic School building at Jackson yesterday afternoon; large numbers of townspeople gathered with the high clergy of the archdiocese and parishioners for the laying of the cornerstone and the dedication the new school; Jackson was honored by the presence of the Most Rev. Joseph E. Ritter, archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, who officiated.

1924

At least two Southeast Missouri towns, apparently with city coffers overflowing with cash as taxes come in, are considering purchasing automobile fire trucks; at Perryville, the council has appointed a committee to investigate the purchase of a motor-driven truck, while at Jackson, a petition signed by more than 100 business men was presented to its council asking the city to buy a fire truck; a committee was named by the Jackson council to consider the project and to go to St. Louis Dec. 30 to look over new machines.

Judge John A. Snider announces the Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad won’t be offered for sale at public auction at this term of Common Pleas Court; Snider is satisfied with a verbal report of the special masters that negotiations are progressing favorably for a private sale.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.