Spectator Shelf

125 Years Ago
April 18, 1901

Dr. A.M. Raines was buried at Emerson Sunday at 11 a.m., and his funeral
was very largely attended. He practiced medicine at Emerson for years and
was one of the best known physicians in the county, but moved to St. Louis
several years ago.
When Rural Mail Route No. 2 out of Hannibal was put in operation Saturday the post office of Uva was discontinued and all the supplies boxed up and sent to Hannibal.
Born, to the wife of Lee Schults, the 8th inst., a boy.
The ladies of the Presbyterian church have about decided to have the
walls and ceiling of their house of worship frescoed. The frescoing will be done on canvass glued to the plastering and will cost something over $400. Other improvements on the building will make this amount up to over $700.
Walter S. Johnson, who formerly lived near North River station, but lately moved to Palmyra, died at his home in the eastern part of the city early Thursday morning. Mr. Johnson had a wide acquaintance in Marion
county, and his sudden death will prove a severe shock to his many friends.
Mrs. Elmer Gibson died Thursday morning at her home in this city, after a lingering illness of consumption, and was buried from the Baptist church Friday afternoon. She was a daughter of Wm. Godfrey.
Mr. John Holmes of LaBelle was the guest of his mother, Mrs. May’s the first of the week.

100 Years Ago
April 14, 1926

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Betz and family spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Ed
Yarbrough of Emerson.
Miss Lena Wagner, of St. Louis, has been the recent guest of Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Frankenbach.
Miss Lois Suter has been suffering with inflammatory rheumatism for the past week. She is slowly improving.
Samuel Withers, of Miller township, living near Withers Mill, died Friday
morning at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He was a son of John R.
and Sallie Smarr Withers, pioneer citizens of Marion county, and was born on a farm within two miles of the home where he died.
Rev. Farischon is installing a fountain in front of the parsonage of the Catholic Church. The fountain is that which was on the property of the late
R. L. Bowles and is the gift of Geo. Schaffer.
Born to Louis Schade and wife, Friday, a boy.
Wm. Burkhardt, who has for several years operated a blacksmith shop in this city, has decided to give up his business and will move to the farm recently left to him and his brothers through the sudden death of his father.
Chris Drebes, Jr., and Miss Esther Heidbreder, of near this city, were quietly married at the Lutheran parsonage in this city last Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Geo. Moeller officiating. Following the ceremony, Mr. Drebes and wife started on an automobile trip of a week. The young people are well known in Palmyra.

85 Years Ago
April 16, 1941

With this issue, the owners of the Palmyra Spectator and the Marion County Standard announce a consolidation of newspaper and printing interests into a new firm to be known as the Spectator Publishing Company in which the owners of each concern will retain their respective interests.
Margaret Ahland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Ahland, a member of the Sophomore class, represented Palmyra High School at the annual Missouri Federation of Women’s Club tour to Jefferson City, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Al Juette and daughter were guests Easter of her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Oney Bowen, near Mt. Zion.
Miss Minnie Nix is visiting is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Herbert Miller and Mr. and Miller, in Hannibal.
Miss Esther Marie McPike has been employed to teach Salem school in Marion county.
At the Philadelphia District oral reading contest held last Thursday night at
the Baptist church, Nadine Ragar, Prairie School eighth grade pupil, placed
first.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Hirner and children, Patricia, Leo, and Mark Anthony, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hirner and daughter, Ileen, spent Easter with Mrs. Mary Hirner and daughter, Mary Alice, in Quincy.
Mrs. C. M. Donelson and sons, Herman and Paul, Mrs. John Teel and Mrs.
Dave Hayden visited over the week end with their sons at Camp Robinson,
Little Rock, Arkansas.

50 Years Ago
April 21, 1976

The Palmyra Bicentennial Parade, “200 Years and Just Begun,” will be one
of three big happenings in Palmyra Saturday. The festivities begin with the
dedication of the Palmyra Bicentennial Public Library at 10 a.m. The parade is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. To climax the busy and entertaining day, is the Miss Palmyra Pageant at 8 p.m.
Palmyra High School’s new principal for the coming year is Steven Lowenberg of Quincy, Illinois, according to a report from the Palmyra
Board of Education.
Monte Cassidy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Titus Cassidy, 824 N. Main, was commissioned April 11 as a second lieutenant in the Illinois Army National Guard at Springfield, Illinois.
Mrs. Emma Doscher was honored Wednesday evening at a supper in observance of her 79th birthday, in the home of her grandson, Steven Begley
and wife.
Phillip Mahsman was crowned FHA Housewarming King at Palmyra High School Saturday evening, April 10, by FHA President, Dotty Hudson. Other royalty were Tim Whiston, Howard Kroeger, Jim Skinner and Kevin Pyse.

25 Years Ago
April 18, 2001

The Palmyra R-I Board of Education approved a teacher’s increase during
their meeting last week. The board also approved increases to support staff
and to the administrator’s salaries. Teachers were given a $550 raise on the
base salary, increasing that to $23,700 for new teachers.
After learning more facts, the Marion County Commissioners reversed a decision they made last week and agreed to allow the Ralls County Water
District to run a water line along the Veterans Road Right-of-Way.
Nicole Lovegreen, a seventh grader at Palmyra Middle School, took second
place at the Illinois State United State Gymnastics Association Championships at Rock Island April 8. The 13-year-old compiled a score of 36.35 from four different events – vault, floor exercise, uneven parallel bars, and balance just three tenths of a point behind the first place winner, and qualified to compete in regional competition at Indianapolis in May.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Throught the United States, rape crisis centers such as AVENUES in northeast Missouri, are attempting to
raise the public’s awareness of the realities of sexual violence. It is believed that as little as 10 to 20 percent of all sexual violence is ever reported to law
enforcement.
Kristy Kay Janes and Greg Joseph Bross, both of Palmyra, were united in marriage on Saturday, March 3, 2001, in the Palmyra United Methodist
Church. Rev. Bruce Jeffries and Rev. Helen McFarland, aunt of the bride, performed the 6 p.m. ceremony. Parents of the couple are Jerry and Gayle Hurst, Palmyra; and Charles and Patricia Bross, Palmyra