Good Old Days 03-25-16

Compiled By Delaney Uhrig

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

50 Years Ago

‘Storm Creates Problems Driving, Power Lines’

March 23, 1966

Transportation and communications were hard hit during the comparatively brief blizzard that struck here Tuesday, but all in charge agreed that “our problems were mild compared to those east of here.”

Nevertheless, the job of clearing roads for travel, repairing line breaks to restore service to electric and telephone company users has been no small task.

As soon as the wind subsided and the snow stopped late Tuesday afternoon, highway and street crews went to work.

The traditional bottleneck between Chappell and Big Springs Junction was opened to one-way traffic at points by this morning after state crews worked throughout the night. Other highways in this area were useable but spotty, it was reported this morning.

The Nebraska Safety Patrol reported two accidents both at the height of the storm, but said there were no cases of hardship. At Big Springs junction the usual tie-up of vehicles occurred but this is old stuff at that vulnerable point on highway.

Power and telephone lines were downed over a wide area. Bureau of Reclamation problems shut off the power for a few hours on Tuesday and Wheatbelt Power District crews worked 25 hours straight in some instances. Wheatbelt crews were out again this morning with the weasel and a helicopter to spot trouble. The workers were hampered by zero visibility and the enormity of drifts in rural areas.

40 Years Ago

‘Cheryl Meier Killed; Services Held Today’

March 22, 1976

Cheryl Kay Meier, 11, of rural Sidney was killed Friday night when the pickup truck she was riding in went out of control on a county road one and a half miles northwest of Lorenzo. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Meier.

The northbound vehicle was driven by the victim’s brother, Virgil, 15, who escaped with minor injuries. The wind apparently forced the pickup into a roadside ditch and as Meier tried to drive back onto the road it flipped, landing on it’s top. Both the driver and passenger were pinned in the wreckage.

Investigating trooper Larry Krebsbach said the accident was discovered by the children’s parents when they noticed the pickup was no longer following them. The family was on its way to a relative’s home when the accident occurred.

Cheryl Kay was a sixth grade student at Lorenzo Consolidated School. She was active in the Peetz, Colo., Girl Scouts, the Lorenzo 4-H Lassies Club, and was a member of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where she was baptized. She was a twin; her twin sister, Carol Kay, was stillborn.

Survivors include her parents, one sister, Barbara, her brother Virgil, and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Sunderman, all of Sidney.

Services were scheduled today at 2 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church with Rev. Harlan A Brei of Omaha and the Rev. John Rhine officiating, Burial was in Greenwood Cemetery.

Pallbearers were cousins, Mervill Meier, Lavern Meier, Gary Meier, Vaughn Meier, Alan Meier, Jan Meier, Douglas Meier, Dean Meier, Stanley Sunderman and Steven Sunderman.

25 Years Ago

‘Caravan Greets Luke Kesselring, County’s First Gulf Veteran To Return Home’

March 25, 1991

Pfc Luke Kesselring, first Sidney soldier back from the Gulf war, got a grand reception Friday afternoon. It might have been said that is was the mother of all welcomes in Sidney.

A caravan of almost 100 cars, all tooting their horns, greeted his arrival in Sidney at 5:30 Friday. Returning on Highway 19 from the Denver airport where they had picked up Luke, the Kesselrings came upon a procession of parked cars near the 1-80 underpass. As the Kesselring van passed, the parked cars blew their horns and fell behind making a caravan a half a mile long.

“Mom, I just can’t believe this!” Luke’s mother says her son kept repeating to her when he saw the welcoming caravan.

A neighborhood “welcome home” party was scheduled for the evening, and others for Saturday afternoon. There will probably be more.

Luke said the extent of the welcome at the outskirts of town caught him totally by surprise. Yet it wasn’t the first welcome he’s received since returning to Fort Bragg a week ago. On the airplane to Denver, for example, the flight crew moved him into first-class compartment when they discovered he was a Gulf veteran. Sitting next to him was a Vietnam veteran who “got teary-eyed” telling how happy he was for Luke. The Viet vet told Luke he got criticism instead of parades when he returned, and it made him feel good to see Luke getting such well-deserved treatment.

The “treatment” continued when the family stopped at a Village Inn restaurant in Denver. Luke’s meal was “on the house.”

Luke was among the first American troops to arrive in Saudi Arabia. He came into Dhahran by plane August 20, when there were but few troops and almost no heavy equipment to stop a possible invasion.

Luke’s primary job was chemical decontamination, a job he thankfully was never called upon to do even though his unit, the 101st Chemical Co., had to keep up with the front line troops when the shooting started.

Luke’s company was attached to the 18th Airborne Corps, which was positioned on the extreme left flank of the Allied army when it swept into Iraq.

10 Years Ago

‘4-H Building Getting Much Needed Improvements’

March 21, 2006

Improvements are underway on the remodeling of the 4-H building. Roger Conley, building and grounds superintendent, met with the Cheyenne County Commissioners yesterday morning to discuss the progress of the project so far.

As of yesterday the ceiling is completed on the building. Conley said the rewiring in the building is the next thing to be done on the project. The rewiring will provide for more electrical outlets to use in the kitchen. He will also work on installing new sinks into the building as well.

Brian Hiett, weed superintendent, also met with the commissioners at this time to inform them of a truck not in use in his department. Hiett stated the 1990 Dodge diesel pickup truck was in relatively good condition. According to Hiett, it has a new battery, good tired, but might be in need of some brake work. Conley stated he could use it in the building and grounds department and would have someone from the county look at the brakes.

“It doesn’t hurt to give it a try,” said Commissioner Ken McMillen.

The commissioners approved the transfer of the truck form the weed department to the building and grounds department.

Tom Noel, highway superintendent, gave his department report to the commissioners as well. Noel reported he had a 1991 Dodge pickup that wasn’t being utilized by the highway department. The pickup has close to 300,000 miles on it and is of no service to the department at this time. The commissioners agreed it wasn’t worth $500 and could be declared as surplus property to the county. They also decided to auction off the pickup.

In other news, McMillen with the approval from Commissioner Harold Winkleman, the special liquor license for the Fireman’s Ball was approved.