Out of the past: Nov. 14

1999

Ten years ago, recognizing the vacuum of information for Black families wanting to research their genealogy, retired Southeast Missouri State University coach Margaret Mates began researching probate documents, wills, tax records and anything else she could find related to slavery in Cape Girardeau County; her findings will be published by the Center for Regional History at SEMO early in 2000.

Representatives from the 21-member churches of the Saxony Lutheran High School Association turn a dream into reality by signing the constitution and bylaws for the new school; hundreds of guests attend a service and celebration marking the beginning of Saxony Lutheran High School of Southeast Missouri at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau.

1974

All that glitters isn’t gold, but members of the Cape Girardeau’s Metro Merchants Association hope the new, sparkling Christmas decorations purchased this year will help put a little silver in their pockets and a sagging economy; Norman Ueleke of the association, responsible for the purchase of the new decorations, says installation of the decorations is scheduled to begin next week with the aid of Missouri Utilities Co.; the decorations, costing about $4,300, are called “Frosty Pines Skylines”; they will span Broadway from Main to Pacific; additional plans call for installation of holiday lights along the floodwall on Water Street.

More than 100 German feed dealers and business men visited the Theon L. Scherer farm 3 1/2 miles east of Kelso on Route PP yesterday as part of a two-week tour of American agricultural and feed-producing concerns; the nationwide tour is sponsored by Ralston Purina Co. of St. Louis and its German subsidiary, Brand Purina.

1949

Dr. J.A. Rapp, 54, of Cape Girardeau, stricken with a heart seizure while hunting quail near Oran, passed away yesterday afternoon before his hunting companion could summon aid; he was born in Collinsville, Illinois, the son of Mr. and Mrs. V.W. Rapp; he attended St. Louis University, graduating from the School of Dentistry in 1917; after briefly practicing at Chaffee, he served as an officer in the Army Dental Corps in World War I; two years later, after his discharge, he established his practice in Cape Girardeau; he is survived by his wife, the former Viola C. Burger; a son, two daughters, his parents, two brothers and five grandsons.

The groundwork for an organization to promote the passage of the $390,000 bond issue at the special election Dec. 6 is laid at a conference of representatives of service clubs and other groups that have been asked to participate; serving as temporary presiding officer is Fred A. Groves.

1924

The contract for laying the concrete highway from near Jackson to Fredericktown on Highway 9 will cost nearly $1 million and will be the biggest contract yet let by the Missouri Highway Commission, says resident engineer for the commission Dennis Scivally; the section to be laid with slab is 38 miles long, extending from Cane Creek, two and a half miles west of Jackson, to Fredericktown.

Bollinger County authorities are puzzled over the return of $2,500 in currency, checks and county warrants, which were reported stolen from the office of the county clerk in Marble Hill a week ago; the entire lot, it has been learned, was found on a shelf in the collector’s office the second day after the reported robbery, with none of the money missing.

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.