25 Years Ago – 1999
One hundred fifty students competed in the Burleigh and Morton County Spelling Bee held in the Mandan High School Auditorium. Taking first place for Morton County was Sam Unruh, a Flasher Public School seventh grader. Winning second place was Lindsey Voigt, an eighth grader at Sweetbriar School. Also winning Top Speller for his grade in Mandan was Danielle Scholsser, a sixth grader at Christ the King School. For their placements in the spelling bee, Unruh and Voigt received an electronic dictionary, a plaque with “Top Speller” engraved on it; a medal and a promotion to the State competition. Organizer of the spelling bee was Karen Kautzmann of Mandan, Burleigh and Morton County Superintendent of Schools.
The Mandan Park Board, in a special session, has decided, with a unanimous vote, to abandon the rifle range at the Mandan Community Center and convert it into a fitness center. With the closure of the Iron Image Fitness center in downtown Mandan, it is expected its equipment will be transferred to the expanded facilities at the Community Center.
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Funeral services were held for Richard P. Gallagher, 79, at Christ the King Catholic Church in Mandan. He was raised in Mandan, along with five sisters, and graduated from Mandan High School. He attended St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, and the University of North Dakota, graduating in 1941. During World War II, he served as Lt. Commander in the Navy from 1941-45. He graduated from the UND School of Law in 1947. He married Mildred Rausch in 1949; they were the parents of seven children. In 1951 he established his law practice in Mandan and was appointed Mandan City Attorney the same year, a position he held for over 47 years until his death. Burial was at Mandan’s Union Cemetery.
Temps recorded Monday, March 1: a high of 49 degrees; 28 degrees for the low.
50 Years Ago – 1974
Mandan native Fred A. Zander, body man with Corwin-Churchill Motors in Bismarck for 18 years, has purchased Vince’s Body Shop, 715 2nd St. SW, from Vincent Monzelowsky. Zander, manager of the body shop at Corwin-Churchill for the past 10 years, will rename the business, Zander Body Shop. Monzelowsky, also a native of Mandan, began the body shop in 1950. Prior to that, he was body foreman at the former Connolly Chevrolet Garage in Mandan for 15 years.
Members of the Mandan Art Association have chosen the design submitted by MHS senior Jean Rask, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Rask, rural Mandan, as their catalogue cover for the 16th Annual Art Show to be held at the Elks ballroom. Miss Rask attends art class with teacher Burdette Howe.
Dwight C.H. Kautzmann has been named a partner in the Mandan law firm of Bair, Brown and Kautzmann. A graduate of Mandan High School, Kautzmann received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the North Dakota State University in 1968 and his juris doctorate from the University of North Dakota in 1971. He is also an assistant municipal judge in Mandan.
The Mandan Revelers Club held their annual dinner-dance Mardi Gras party last weekend at the Mandan Country Club where Mrs. Warren Buehler and Mrs. Jack Norby, disguised as Sonny and Cher, were crowned the evening’s King and Queen of the Revelers. Following the meal, prizes were given for the best costumes worn by the 50 plus couples in attendance. Dr. H.A. Wheeler, as a one-man band, won the prize for the most original costume. The group prize went to the colorful 30-ft. train, “The Chattanooga Choo Choo,” which contained Mr. and Mrs. Bob Paris, dressed as the engineer and passenger, Mr. and Mrs. Kent Wood, as the fireman and brakeman, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hendrickson, as the conductor and mailman, and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Heisler, the train robber and passenger. Honorable Mention went to Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Arenz, posing as a music grinder and the monkey; to Mr. and Mrs. Patrick O’Neil as “The Sheik of Araby” and his belly dancer, and to Warren Buehler as Liberace. The room was decorated with a false ceiling of white net with black music notes. Dance music was provided by the Leonard Brilz Orchestra.
Temps recorded Friday, March 1: a high of 57 degrees; 24 degrees for the low.
75 Years Ago – 1949
Members of the local 40 et 8 group of Mandan’s American Legion Post 40, attended the arrival of the “Thank You” box car from France at the Bismarck depot. Inside the car, instead of 40 men or 8 horses, which was its use in World War I, were 27 large wooden crates containing more than 270 items donated by the French people, from pottery, pictures, medal collections, paintings, jewelry, miniature French flags, an assortment of dolls, toy soldiers and even a wedding gown. The North Dakota box car is one of 49 shipped to the United States (for each state, plus the District of Columbia) by the French people in appreciation to the United States for the Friendship train sent to France in 1947, laden with much-needed food and clothing. (The “Gratitude” boxcar, covered by 40 shields representing the 40 provinces of France, can be seen at the south side of the Heritage Center in Bismarck.)
Five dollars in dimes was donated by the Kennelly Furniture Company to the winners of the flag code quiz on the American Legion Auxiliary broadcast over KGCU radio this past week. As each question was answered correctly, the winner received a dime. The quiz mistress was Mrs. Carl Keidel; scorekeeper was Mrs. Clarence Turner. Winning dimes were as follows, Grades 1-3: Judy Uden, 5, Marilyn Schwehr, Nadine Flaten, and Stella Ann Olson, each received 4 dimes. Grades 4-6: Eileen Hunke, 3, Jean Uden,4, Jane Barner, 6, Jane Ellen Olson and Shirley Schwehr, each received 8 dimes.
J. I. Rovig, secretary of the Mandan Rodeo Association, has received definite assurances from Gene Autry, nationally known movie and radio star and rodeo performer, that he will be at the 1949 Mandan rodeo to be held July 1-4.
Last week’s grand opening of the J & M Super Valu Store on 5th Ave. N.W. was well attended. According to co-owners, William Joersz and Emil Moos, grocery specials included a 3-lb. can of Crisco, 93 cents; eggs, 35 cents a dozen, ground beef, 42 cents/lb. and a 2-lb. can of Red Rooster Coffee for just 79 cents. With each grocery order, children, accompanying their parents, received popcorn balls as their grand opening treat.
News has been received of a wedding in Richardton, featuring an unusual wedding dress. The bride, Miss Dorothy Krank of Dickinson, wore a gown of nylon, fashioned from a parachute used by her husband-to-be while serving near the Rhine River in Germany during World War II. Mr. Schwab served with the army paratroopers for four years during the war. He now operates a service station in Richardton where the newlyweds will make their home.
Births announced: Daughters, born to Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Mathiesen, Judson; to Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Klusmann, New Salem; and to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Sauter and to Mr. and Mrs. Leo Schweigert, of Mandan. Sons, born to Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Schwarting, New Salem, and to Mr. and Mrs. Harley Preabt, Mandan.
Temps recorded Tuesday, March 1: a high of 32 degrees; 6 degrees for the low.
100 Years Ago – 1924
“Helen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. Horman, 307 Second Ave. N.W., was the happiest little girl in Mandan yesterday, Feb. 29, as she was the hostess at her second birthday party. Helen was born Feb. 29, 1916, and has had but one birthday party since Feb. 29, 1920. However, on this her “second” birthday, her little friends helped make merry with an enthusiasm making up for the four years when she was deprived of a party.
“The Wetzstein brothers, managers of the 57 Taxi Line, have purchased another new bus for the Mandan-Bismarck service, increasing their fleet to four. The new bus will carry 25 passengers and is a much larger and lower machine, similar to the new ones used in the Twin Cities.
“Funeral services were held this week at the Methodist Church for Ann Corpue, 84, colored woman resident of Mandan since 1882. Although the exact age of Mrs. Corpue is unknown, she had remembered the “stars falling in 1847” when 8 years old, making her birth year as 1839. She was born into a slave family at West Point, Alabama, and later moved with her parents to Texas and Oklahoma. She married John A. Corpue, a colored scout for the Confederate army and later moved to Fort Lyons, Colorado, near Pueblo. After the death of her husband in 1882, she moved to Mandan with her six children, three of whom survive- Mrs. Elizabeth Stewart and Charles of Mandan and Harry, Breckenridge, Minn. Pallbearers were: Fred Mitchell, William Borden, William Kuebker, Sid Andre, Fred Motsiff and Arthur Keebler. Burial was at Union Cemetery.
Temps recorded Saturday, March 1: a high of 47 degrees; 32 above for the low.
125 Years Ago – 1899
“On Wed., March 1, the mercury climbed to a high of 24 degrees, with 12 below zero for the low.
“Mrs. H. Binderwald, who has been visiting with her sister, Mrs. J. Stack, for the past three months, has gone to Cuba to join her husband who has a responsible position at that place.
“The card party given by the Lady Maccabees at the Odd Fellows Hall last Tuesday evening, was a decided success and well attended. About 20 tables were in operation and Progressive Pedro was the game. The lady’s head prize, a mounted woodpecker, was won by Miss Bensen; the gentleman’s prize, a silk scarf, was awarded to Will McVey. The foot prizes- a hair curler and a tin rattle, were awarded to Miss Shafer and Louis Goeschel.
“The marriage of Miss Elsie Geisler of Jamestown and Mr. Gustavus L. Heegaard of this city was solemnized at the home of the bride’s parents last month. The bride, attired in white corded silk with lace applique, is a young lady of many accomplishments. The groom is a well-known and successful young Mandan businessman being a member of the Mandan Mercantile Company and a stockholder in the Missouri Milling company.
“On Wednesday night, six Indian girls and 14 boys came up from Standing Rock reservation, on their way to the Indian school at Chilocoo, Indian reservation, in Oklahoma. Agent Bingenheimer came as far as Mandan with them. The young folks vary in age from 15 to 22 years. They had their supper in Mandan, provided by the ladies of the Rebekah lodge, who also provided a lunch for their long trip.