Beatrice Daily Sun from Beatrice, Nebraska • Page 99

Auxiliary of IOOF had 34 charter ladies Ladles Encampment Auxiliary No. 16 was organized June 25, 1949, at Beatrice with 34 charter members. Mrs. Mattie Eickham was instrumental in the organization of this new order known as the L.E.A. of Hinns Encampment No.

16, branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was also the first Chief Matriarch. The objective of this Auxiliary is to assist the Encampment in its work, holding bake sales, suppers, and various entertainments to raise funds for different projects in community work and for the betterment and growth of Odd Fellowship in general. Present officers are: Doris Sutter, chief matriarch; Pearl 1- drawing of the Martin Luther School, completed In 1956, (Courteiy of Supt. Don ioyer). Martin Luther opens Home and School here olson, high priestess; Esther 'Lewis, junior warden; Katherine Leseberg, Marion Hadley, Minnie Petersen, Guide; Fanny Hall, inside sentinel; Eileen i m- mons, outside sentinel; a Price, past chief matriarch.

Katherine Leseberg is Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Aux- lenbeck, senior warden; Ena Nich- iliary of Nebraska. Lions young; in years but credit to Beatrice The Beatrice Lions Club received their charter on Tuesday, June 2, 1942. It was organized by a Lions International Field Representative, Steve Holcomb, who came to Beatrice having been told that another service club could not be organized in Beatrice. He began searching for young men interested in a better Beatrice and at the time the charter was issued the Club had a membership of 30. At this time there are five char ter members Club: Wilber still active Oldfather, Winne, Robert Bagby, Ed burg, and W.

P. Sherwood. Officers elected to serve in the Glen Podt- the first year of the Beatrice Club were: President, Elwood Purdy; 1st vice president, W. P. Sher- president, V.

A. president, Rob- wood; 2nd vice Norton; 3rd ice ert Bagby; W. H. Oldfather; Tailtwister, Pres Byars; and Lion Tamer, ling Williams. Directors were Glen Winne, Grant Randall, Ernest Smethers, and Milton i n.

Those who have served as presidents of the Beatrice Lions' include: W. P. Sherwood, Robert Bagby, V. A. Norton, Ernest Smethers, Glen Winne, Reinhold Rinne, Jay Timmons, Marion Sargent, Robert Lang, Homer Kessler, William Weigel, Keith Roberts, Harold Lovell, Don Dillow, and Khackelford.

Gene The Beatrice Lions Club had a Very humble beginning. But the Club, though young in years, was ergy to make their City a better place to live. In the year 1945, three years after their creation, the Beatrice Club entertained the State Convention in Beatrice. This was a huge undertaking for a young Club but every Member did his part and the Convention was a success. A few of the projects undertaken by the Beatrice Lions Club are: The Annual Lions' Carnivals held at the Beatrice Auditorium; of which the proceeds were used to help boys' and girls' activities, the Indoor Sports Club, send boys to Boys' State, girls to Girls' State, the Gage County Polio Fund, and Safety Campaigns.

The Beatrice Lions Club became the sponsor of the "Indoor Sports Club" Nov. 18, 1948. This group of handicapped people organized to bring happiness and cheer Into the lives of shut-ins, physically disabled, and to (he blind by help, ing them to get out of their homes for a social get-to-gether and otherwise promoting their welfare so they may enjoy a more formal life. This is the first Club of its nature to organize in the State of Nebraska. The ceiling book projector; a unit whereby reading material pictures are flashed on the ceiling for people bedfast or invalids.

The ceiling projector kept at the Beatrice Public Library is available without charge to patients in hospitals and homes. The Lions' Chorus, organized 10 members, has grown to a wi uicii willing to give their time and en- group of 25. From this came the was activi- annual Minstrel Show. The money derived from these shows spent on boys' and girls' ties, the blind program and home activities. In 1950, the U.S.

Navy Band appeared in concert in Beatrice, sponsored by the Lions' Club. For several years, the Club held a kite-flying contest. In 1949, after getting his kite up about 1,000 feet to take the blues and the grand championship, Dick Witkowski had to go about a mile to run down his kite after the string broke. Purchase of the Readers' Digest record machine for the blind peo pie. Recently the Club has held bas ketball contests, wrestling match es, minstrel shows, food sales.

The money made fro.m these projects, $1,500 was placed in a bank and earmarked for furnishing a room in each of the two new hospitals being built in Beatrice. The Club made a purchase of a new wheel chair and presented it to the President of the Indoor Sports Club, Margaret Otterson. Another project now in progress is the Dale Carnagie Course in public speaking and parliamentary law. Members of the Beatrice Club who have served as District Governors -are Glen Winne, Marion Sargent, and Elvin Schultz. The Beatrice Club sponsors two Lion Clubs in this district and Liberty.

DON LINN'S WINDMILL The Beatrice Metal Pro ducts Company, manufacturers of the Aero-Matic windmill was in its third week of production at its new factory in Beatrice. Located at 510 Market street, the company makes the "airplane type" windmill of radical design. It is turning out about 42 mills a week, and has a capacity of about 3,500 mills a year, according to Don Linn, president of the com-, pany. The late Henry Schlacter, Beatrice, invented the mill, which has three airplane type blades that vary their "pitch" with the intensity of the wind. July 12, 1938 In the southeastern area of the City of Beatrice, a new and un usual School was dedicated am formally opened on July 1, 1956 It is the Martin Luther Home am School.

Making it unusual is the a that the program of training i gives for the trainable mentally retarded child is the first of its kind in the Middle West in a resi dent school. The new resident school with it! more than 200 acres of farm ground represents an investmen of $400,000. A frontal view makes it appear a rambling structure. There are however, three buildings, with two cottage-type dormitories linked to the administration building by en closed, all-weather walkways. In its program of training it en rolls children between the ages ol 6-16 years, whose mental abilities are those with intelligence quo tients of 40-70.

At the present time it is fillet to capacity with an enrollment 70 students. In this enrollm there are 12 States represented with those from the greatest distance being Washington and Pennsylvania. Twenty-three people have full time employment at the Martin Luther Home and School, with four others employed as relief, or on a part-time basis. They are in administration, teaching, cooking cleaning, laundry, as house-mothers, and on the farm. In the program of training, the purpose is to habilitate these children for a useful life.

They are denied entrance to public schools because of their retardation. Under the supervision of four teachers, each child receives academic training at the speed he or she finds able to absorb reading, writing, and arithmetic. Crafts are heavily stressed to help the child's coordination between mind and body. Dependable As Time Since 1898 Insurance has come a long way since the days when policies were written with a quill pen and about all you could get was a little fire coverage. Penner Insurance, founded in 1898 by W.

A. and Peter Penner, has seen many changes. Through the years the agency has endeavored to bring policyholders the newest and best coverage with America's first line companies. E. E.

"Eck" Penner took over the business and together with his wife, Alene, have operated it for many years. And now a third generation member of the family, R. M. "Bob" Penner, is helping to carry on the tradition. Today Penner Insurance offers every type of insurance coverage and thousands of policyholders depend on Penner's to plan their insurance program, Auto Fire Farm Liability Workmen's Compensation Accident and Health Hospitalization Bonds Truck Cargo Livestock Dwellings Burglary Hail Household Goods As each child advances in its training, vocational occupations will begin to be more heavily stressed.

When the girl or boy leaves the School, having reached the maximum of their ability, he, or she will have been given a useful purpose in life. The Martin Luther Home and School is an important contribution to the City of Beatrice. In the year it has been in Beatrice, it has brought over 6,000 visitors to the City from 25 different States and as far away as Germany. Found First Nat'l 15 years after the city Through years bank has been in three locations The First National Bank, which held open house in its new building last year, traces its history back to 1872, 15 years after the founding of Beatrice. Through the years the bank has had three locations.

Until 1885, it had small quarters at 408 Court. In that year the big, brick building at 5th and Court was erected. It served as the bank's home until last year when it moved into its new structure at 6th and Ella. The Smith Brothers, who founded the enterprise, organized in 1877 the First National Bank, which was the first national bank in Gage County and one of only five or six in Nebraska. The two Smiths, H.

W. Parker, C. G. Dorsey, Elijah Filley, Senator A. S.

Paddock, Beatrice, and James Ellis, Cambridge, N. subscribed the $50,000 capital stock. Statement of condition at the close of the first nine months of business was the first bank statement ever issued by any institution in Gage County. It showed deposits of $63,000 and resources INSURANCE AGENCY The 'miracle' of March 4th, 1950 There was a miracle in Beatrice on March 4, 1950. At least that was the way some people felt about-it.

By a strange series of circumstances, the choir members, everyone, were delayed in attending a 7:30 p. m. rehearsal for an Easter cantata and none had arrived at 7:27 p. m. when the West Side Baptist Church exploded, not only completely demolishing the building but also doing considerable damage for several hundred feet around.

For example, Marilyn Paul, pianist, who was to have gone to the church early, fell asleep; Mrs. Roy Estes and two daughters, all members of the choir, had not gotten there because of car trouble; and the Rev. and Mrs. Klempel, who usually were 20 30 minutes early for choir practice, were detained at home. The history of the West Side Baptist Church probably begins with a meeting in 1884 of the Rev.

J. J. Valkenaar, Glenville, with a number of German immigrants at the Aaron Claassen farm southwest of Beatrice to or- ganize the First German Baptist Church of Gage County. Preaching services were held once a month with the place of meeting alternating between Beatrice and the Peter Jansen ranch near Jansen, Neb. In 1886 the Church called Rev.

Ewald Meier of Germany. The congregation of both churches built an edifice on South Center arid remained there until 1891 at which Daily Sun 1957 Centennial Edition 11 In August, 1872, two of the Smljh brothers came from Rldgefield, to Beatrice to open a private bank. John E. is pictured to the left; Samusl to the right. Another brother is between.

of $141,000. (The First National's Dec. 31, 1956 statement showed $0,438,156 in deposits and $7,053,557 in resources.) In May, 1885, the capital stock had been increased to $100,000, and directors voted to purchase the 5th and Court corner. There a new bank building was erected, which served the First National for 71 years. In 1886, the Beatrice Savings Bank had been 'organized, operating in connection with the First National and from the beginning the Smith Brothers maintained a farm-loan department, separately incorporated, as the Smith Bros.

Loan and Trust Co. In 1930 the First National purchased the assets and the good will of the Union State Bank. J. E. Smith, the first president, served until 1897.

Succeeding him were C. S. Black, William C. Black, L. B.

Howey, F. H. Howey, and W. C. Black.

Harold Deitemeyer has been president since 1952. their own church. The church building was sold. Rev. A.

Trans- chel assumed the duties of pastor. With the aid of other German Baptist churches, a place of worship was built on North Bluff Street near the Blue River. After being flooded several times, it was moved to the corner of Court LaSelle where it stood until destroyed by an explosion. After the explosion, which had been felt throughout Beatrice, had ripped their church apart, the con- time the Jansen group organized gregation held services in the un- West Side Baptist Church today. (Courtesy of Mrs.

A. M. Kipf) occupied LaSelle Methodist Church, completely furnished and made available. Song books and Sunday School supplies were recovered from the debris and services were held there the following Sunday. Much of the work on the present building was done by the members of the church and the necessary funds were raised without public solicitation.

Besides the aforementioned ministers, others who have served the congregation included: the Revs. August Marquardt, R. M. Klingbeil, F. G.

Wolter, Oscar Autritt, August Marquardt, H. C. Huber, J. H. Pankratz, A.

G. Rietdorf, Walter Klempel, and George W. Neubert. RIVER ROBBER Gage county's biggest thief races through the center of Beatrice every day unmolested. The robber is, according to M.

L. Hazelrigg, SCS soil expert, the Big Blue river, which annually carries away four million dollars worth of Nebraska soil, a large portion of it from this county, Hazelrigg estimates that the soil carried away annually by the Blue would make a pile a block square and five times as tall as the Paddock Hotel. May 10,. 1938. 7 YEARS YOUNG -But Old in Experience 1950 Dial A 3-2227 for Pickup and Delivery Service Yes, we're the newest LAUNDRY and Cleaners in South-East Nebraska.

Just seven years ago we opened this huge new laundry equipped with the latest and finest machinery and fixtures made. The American Laundry Machinery largest manufacturers of laundry equipment, made the fixtures for DeLuxe. Equipment for the cleaning department was made by many years famous as makers of superlative cleaning equipment. 3rd and Ella 1957 Em and Lu Owners Jim Shoemake, Manager DeLuxe Laundry and Cleaners.