Out of the past 3/7/09

25 years ago: March 7, 1984

Cape Girardeau businessman Roger James Howell died yesterday at age 76; Howell had operated The Lemon Tree, a downtown gift shop, since 1967; he was a former real estate salesman and had been employed by Shell Oil Co. for 32 years.

Amoco Oil Co. will close its Cape Girardeau distribution terminal this summer; Amoco fuels, however, will continue to be available in this area through the Mobil Oil Corp. terminal at 1400 Giboney Ave.

50 years ago: March 7, 1959

Newspaper editors of three states gather in Cape Girardeau for their annual Tri-State Daily Newspaper Editors Conference, sponsored by Southern Illinois University; chief speaker at the evening session at the Hotel Marquette is Arthur Ballantine Jr., publisher of the Herald-News at Durango, Colo.

SIKESTON, Mo. — The board of education calls an election April 7 to consider bonds to underwrite construction of a new high school; bonds of slightly more than $600,000 will be asked, and the receipts will be used to build the high school and construct an annex for the Lincoln School here.

75 years ago: March 7, 1934

Eighteen candidates for city commissioner and three for mayor have filed their petitions with the Cape Girardeau city clerk; hopefuls have only two more days to file their petitions for the municipal election.

Rebuilding begins of a section of roof to replace one which collapsed at the Cotton Belt Railroad roundhouse in Fornfelt yesterday; that section is thought to have been weakened by the heavy ice and snow of last week and gave way while employees were at lunch.

100 years ago: March 7, 1909

In an imposing ceremony, the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Jackson take possession of their beautiful new church home; the congregation marches from the old building to the new behind the pastor, the Rev. M.T. Haw, and William Henderson, carrying an open Bible; 450 people join the parade, halting just long enough for a picture to be taken by Frank Medley.

William Bartels of the Bergmann-Bartels Mercantile Co., leaves for St. Louis to buy more spring goods.

— Sharon K. Sanders