Forum Flashbacks: Feb. 17-23
FORUM FILE PHOTO
25 YEARS AGO: Greeley wins New Star Regional Contest – The New Star Discovery Regional Contest was held Jan. 26 at Cardinal Inn, Maryville. Tyler Greeley, age 4, was the overall 3-4 year old boy regional winner. … He was also chosen as the 3-6 year old winner in the following categories: prettiest eyes, sweetest smile, personality plus, angelface, photogenic headshot, photogenic babyshot, product and snapshot. … He is the son of Gary and Becky Greeley and the grandson of Lola Vivian Wilson and the late John Cecil Wilson and Richard “Dick” and Bertha Greeley, all of Maryville.
5 years ago
In a matter of minutes Saturday night a capacity crowd at the Maryville Community Center raised more than $5,000 for a new preschool and childcare center at SSM Health St. Francis Hospital.
That was the start of a successful evening of fundraising.
The gala, dubbed An Evening Under the Big Top, included live and silent auctions while the Northwest Missouri State University Jazz Ensemble and KC Flo provided music.
Midway through the presentation about the proposed childcare center the 332 people in attendance had a chance to donate. With a goal of $5,000, emcee Sam Mason said if everybody there gave something, the goal could be easily reached.
In the time it took Rick Sons to sing a two-and-a-half-minute song, people donating through their smartphones raised $5,466. Gifts ranged from a few dollars to $1,000. …
(Development officer for the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Megan) Jennings said the night raised between $35,000 and $40,000 — far exceeding the $30,000 goal.
15 years ago
It’s been said that you can’t put a price on freedom.
But if you would try, you would have to tally up the sacrifices of the Mitchell family.
At the Maryville courthouse Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., presented Steve Mitchell with the WWII medals his father, First Lieutenant Ormond E. Mitchell, earned for his service in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942-1946.
Mitchell’s medals were stolen from him shortly after he returned stateside from the war, and after more than 50 years, a new set of medals have been awarded posthumously to his family.
For Steve Mitchell, it was the culmination of more than a decade of work. He’s been doing his research, contacting record bureaus and state representatives to get his father the medals he deserved. Mitchell said contacting Graves was the turning point in helping him to get his father’s medals back. …
In the county commissioners’ office, Mitchell displayed the awards he already had of his father’s and his two uncles’, who also served. One of his uncles died at 23, giving his life in the line of duty to save his friends.
The medals he received from Graves will join his family’s proud collection and will be donated to the Nodaway Historical Society in Maryville.
25 years ago
Ten years ago, Northwest Missouri State University embarked upon the Electronic Campus project and became the first public college or university in the nation to offer a computer terminal in each residence hall room and faculty office on campus.
And for the past 10 years, that system has been utilized to its fullest. Even last year, more than 5 million log-ins were recorded into the system.
But with the changing technology and more demands for desktop computers, Northwest has switched gears. Here’s what’s in and what’s out with the Electronic Campus beginning in the fall of ’97.
Out – computer terminals. In – desktop personal computers.
Out – text-based units. In – graphics-based units with World Wide Web access night or day. … In (the place of the old computers), Northwest will place 1,600 desktop personal computers throughout the residence halls and in selected computer labs by the time school starts next fall. …
In addition, the desktop personal computers will also come equipped with such software programs as Windows 95, Office 95 and Power Point and will include a CD ROM.
100 years ago
EXCAVATOR FINDS OLD MONEY SACK
J. A. Holloway, Digging Basement At Old Lebar Place Finds Money Bag Dated Year of 1847
BRINGS BACK TREASURE STORY
“Old John” Lebar Said To Have Long Ago Buried
His Money and Many Have Hunted for It
— May Make Further Efforts
An old canvas money bag, faded and with the bottom rotted out, bearing in almost undecipherable print the date “1847, First National Bank, St. Joseph,” was found yesterday by J. A. Holloway while excavating for a basement at the old John Lebar property on East Edwards street.
The incident calls to mind stories that were rife for many years among the old timers of Maryville, about “old John Lebar and his buried money,” and it is said that many surreptitious searches were made by interested persons long after the old man and his family had passed into oblivion. But no one ever found the buried treasure, which was supposed to be hidden in the ground because old John had no faith in banking institutions, preferring rather to keep his cash where he could occasionally take a look at it, to assure himself that it was still there.
