Spectator Shelf

125 Years Ago
April 25, 1901

The business of the Palmyra post office for the fiscal year ending March 31st shows a substantial increase over the preceding year. For the year ending March 31st, 1900, the total receipts of the post office were $3,965.50, against $4,262.24 for the year ending March, 1901. This increase will probably give Postmaster Huggins a raise of $100 in salary.
George Stuhlman has gone to Silver City, New Mexico, for the benefit of his health. A letter received from there Monday reports him improving.
Dr. J. N. Coons received a fall Monday morning, and severely wrenched his hip. While in his chicken yard he was attacked by a pugnacious rooster and defended himself by kicking at it. He kicked a little high and lost his balance with the above result. The
hurt was a very painful one and opiates had to be administered to him. The chances are he will be crippled for some time.
Henry Bier has bought his son John’s, grocery store in this city. John will go to farming.
Miss Glascock of Miller township was the guest of the Misses O’Connor in this city last week.
J.A. Kennedy has fitted up two rooms above this store as a dress making department. They make a decided improvement to his already up-to-date establishment.
Mrs. LaFever and Miss Ruth Buckwalter, of Pennsylvania, arrived here Saturday morning and are visitors of friends and relatives in this vicinity.

100 Years Ago
April 21, 1926

Palmyra Lodge No. 18 A.F. & A.M. will celebrate the ninety-fifth anniversary of its chartering on tomorrow night, April 22nd.
J. K. Randalls, who lives in the western part of the city has been in a Quincy hospital for the past week or more where one of his eyes is being treated. One day recently while he was pruning some fruit trees about his home, Mr. Randalls had the misfortune of being struck in the eye by one of the branches. Upon examination it was found that the eyeball had been scraped and that treatment every hour was necessary in an effort to save the sight.
Born, to Wm. Burkhardt and wife, Tuesday, a daughter.
Born, to Francis Reddick and wife, Tuesday, a daughter.
Chester Coovert, Paul Bross, Jr., and four of Ollie Bross’ children, all east of town, are recovering from an attack of measles.
Mrs. A. A. Berghofer, who underwent an operation at Mayo hospital, Rochester, Minnesota, several weeks ago, returned home last Saturday and is improving nicely.
Eugene Sprague, who is attending school at Fayette, was the guest of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Sprague, Sunday.
W. A. Diemer yesterday bought from Mrs. Angie Saffarrans her residence property in the
western part of the city. Consideration, $4,000.
Mr. Diemer gets a very desirable piece of property.

85 Years Ago
April 23, 1941

The newly remodeled I. O. O. F. hall in this city will be dedicated on Tuesday night,
April 29, with appropriate ceremonies in the lodge sanctuary.
Nadine Ragar, a pupil of Miss Frances Sams at Prairie school, won the $25.00 first prize in the 1941 George A. Mahan Literacy Contest for rural schools, according to announcements made by the Superintendent of Schools, E. C. Bohon.
Announcement of the approaching marriage of Miss Lalla Winningham and Randles Summers was made on Saturday afternoon at a tea given by Mrs. B. M. Yeager and Miss
Helen Brickman at the home of Mrs. Yeager, where Miss Winningham has lived during the three years that she has been a member of the faculty of Palmyra High School.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Shear, a well known couple of southeast of Palmyra, observed their golden wedding anniversary on April 14. They have been visiting with relatives in Quincy.
Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Calvert of Oakwood spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Herman Pepper in Philadelphia.
James Thornburg, who is employed at Rolla, spent the weekend with his parents, Mr. and Mr. Lee Thornburg, and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Cissna of Monroe City are the parents of a son, born at St. Elizabeth hospital in Hannibal, Thursday, April 17. Mrs. Cissna was formerly Miss Mary Martha Byrd of this county.
Mr. and Mrs. William Drescher of Catalina Island, are expected to arrive are expected to arrive Saturday to visit Mr. and Mrs. Edward Schaeffer and family and other relatives here.

50 Years Ago
April 28, 1976

For the first time in its four years of production, one contestant has captured the three top awards of the Miss Palmyra Pageant. Stacy Faye Hillebrenner is the new Miss Palmyra.
The 18-year-old senior also won the talent and was selected Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.
Everybody loves a parade and Palmyra had an excellent one Saturday afternoon which
included some 50 units.
Trophies were awarded to the Palmyra High School Band, the Golden Eagles of Quincy, and the Philadelphia Christian Church float entitled “Faith of Our Fathers, Spirit of ’76”.
Residents and property owners along the Mississippi River, lulled by reports of a very low spring crest on the river, were rudely surprised on Sunday morning to find water
lapping at their doorstep and thousands of acres flooded.
In observance of their silver wedding anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stuhlman, 3 Johnson Place, were honored at a surprise dinner party at The Flame in Quincy, Illinois, on Saturday evening, April 24.
Tracy Renee Rothweiler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rusty Rothweiler, Taylor, was four years old on April 17.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Walter of Albuquerque, New Mexico, were honored at two events in observance of their wedding anniversary.
Mr. and Mrs. John (Jay) Jehenbauer of Rochester, Minnesota, are the parents of a daughter born at 4:49 a.m.. Angela Dawn weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces. The Lehenbauers have another daughter, Amy Joelle, was two on April 7.

25 Years Ago
April 25, 2001

Brian Sutter and Katie Snyder were crowned king and queen during the PHS Prom. Their court consisted of Carson Smith, Brandi Snow, Breeana Hill John Sublette, Alex Pugh, and Erica Guilford.
The Palmyra City Council is considering several options for dealing with the siren controversy, but turning it off does not appear to be one of them.
Ed and Chelly Pfeifer, Kansas City, MO, announce the engagement of their daughter, Erica Michele Pfeifer, Kansas City, to Alan David Buckwalter, Kansas City, son of David
and Terrie Buckwalter, Palmyra. The couple plans a 7 p.m. wedding on June 16, 2001, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Kansas City, North.
The parents of Linda Rose Singleton and Dustin Eugene Gray, both of Warrensburg, announce the engagement of their children. Singleton is the daughter of John and Linda
Singleton, Portageville, MO; and Gray is the son of Carol and Robert Bleigh, Palmyra; and Gene Gray. A July 18, 2001 wedding in Las Vegas, Nevada is planned.
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Burns announce the engagement of their daughter, Katherine Ann, to Michael Lee Huttenlocker, son of the late Dorothy Lee Downey, Pueblo, Colorado. The couple will exchange wedding vows at the St. Charles Conservator in June.
Palmyra’s Ashlee Gottman will be staying close to home in continuing her basketball career. Gottman signed papers last week to attend John Wood Community College in
Quincy, Illinois.
Andrea Gervais was presented the award of being Outstanding First Year Teacher and was recognized at a dinner in Jefferson City on April 5. Gervais is currently a second-grade teacher at Green City Elementary in Green City, Missouri, and is a 1995 Graduate of Palmyra High School.