Out of the past: Nov. 27

1999

When it comes to Christmas, real trees are still in demand; at Meier Horse Shoe Pines near Jackson, a steady stream of customers yesterday boarded wagons pulled by Belgian horses for the short trek to the field of Christmas trees; customers could tag their trees or have them immediately cut and hauled back to the parking lot; Teresa and Steve Meier’s farm has about 14 acres of Christmas trees.

Long-time principal Barbara Blanchard views the closing of Washington School as a new beginning, but that doesn’t keep her tears from flowing as the flag in front of the 85-year-old school is lowered for the last time, part of closing ceremonies at Washington; next month, a new school named for Blanchard will open; Washington School has been sold to Southeast Missouri State University, which will use the facility for storage.

1974

Jackson voters overwhelmingly approved by a 70% margin a proposal to enact a one-cent city sales tax; slightly less than 31% of the 3,714 registered Jackson voters turned out to ballot on the issue, which passed despite a last-minute effort by the Cape County Farm Bureau to defeat it because there is no exemption on farm-producing items such as machinery, seed and feed.

A complaint asking that the City of Cape Girardeau be enjoined from violating provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act as it applies to city employees was filed yesterday in Federal District Court in Cape Girardeau by the U.S. Department of Labor; city officials had expected the suit to be filed, since they had notified a federal government representative that the city wouldn’t comply with the act as amended this year; it calls for minimum wages and overtime pay provisions to apply to state and local employees.

1949

In observance of the 10th anniversary of Foursquare Church in Cape Girardeau, all-day services are conducted at the church, with its organizer, the Rev. Evelyn Taylor, preaching the sermon; it was announced yesterday by the current pastor, the Rev. E. Arthur Larson Jr., that construction of a new church edifice will begin next spring; the congregation is currently worshiping in the church basement at Park and Merriwether.

Fred J. Borchelt of near Egypt Mills, a veteran of World War II who had been receiving medical treatment at Barnes Hospital, has returned home; the other day his neighbors came to his farm and gathered corn for him; they included George Hengst, Eugene Borchelt, Ted Hente, Harlon Young, Junior LaClair, J.A. Young, Harry Heise, Albert Pierce, Herbert Borchelt, Sherman Hanebrink, Frank Niedling, Lee Hanebrink, Tom Huey, Elmer Borchelt, Fred Borchelt, Donald and Ronald Borchelt; Mrs. Harry Heise, Mrs. Elmer Borchelt and Mrs. Nita LaClair assisted Mrs. Fred Borchelt in preparing and serving a lunch.

1924

Thanksgiving Day. Girardeans observe the holiday in traditional fashion; business houses, factories, the post office, banks and schools are closed, while special religious services are held in church; the union service, sponsored by the Ministerial Alliance, is held in the morning at the Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. H.C. Hoy, pastor of Centenary Methodist Church, delivering the sermon.

An elusive aerial attack that nets 165 yards on 10 completed passes gives the Cape Girardeau Teachers a 13-0 victory over the visiting Jonesboro, Arkansas, Aggies in their annual Thanksgiving Day battle at Fairground Park; it was Cape Girardeau’s fourth victory in five contests with the Aggies, Jonesboro having tied the locals in 1921.

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.