25 Years Ago — Oct. 17, 1990
Barb Shoemak
er, Marcia Merren and Amy Holloway, all close friends since their grammar school days at St. Therese, gave birth to girls within two days of each other, as reported by a feature story in the Globe.
The Rev. Rick DeBruyne’s dream dream of having a shelter built for abused children may be near realization after the Watson Township Board approved zoning for a 168-acre site five miles southeast of Hopkins on 120th Avenue.
The Michigan Department of Health has granted Yankee Springs Township larger water mains, but the project for local public water hasn’t yet gotten off the ground.
About 150 of 200 former Kessler employees were reported to have left a special four-hour meeting with better feelings about the closure of the local plant and their layoffs. However, union steward Judy Rabideau candidly said, “No one is going to hang their future on the hope of Kessler’s returning.”
The Wayland Downtown Development Authority unveiled plans for refurbishing the central business district, including more trees, a proposal to have streets without parking, all paid for by tax increment financing in the DDA district.
Todd Moore, 21, of Moline, was killed after he fell almost 20 feet while working at a Byron Center firm. His widow was Kim Miller.
Paul Jackson wrote a feature story about the last five members of the Moline Garden Club, which was disbanding after 35 years. The five were Clarabell and Lois Jean Potts, Esther and Laura VanderWoude and Martha Jackson.
In football, Wayland’s 24-14 victory over Hudsonville have the ‘Cats a shot at a 5-4 season, Hopkins lost 54-22 to Belding and Martin posted its fourth shutout of the season, 27-0 over Fennville.
Wayland High School senior Matt Morse lost his clubs earlier in the day to a car fire, but came back to record a two-over par score in the Class B regionals to qualify for the state golf tournament.
The Wayland girls’ basketball tem finally climbed back to the.500 mark with a 6-6 record after beating Hudsonville. Julie Ainsworth had 19 points and Chris Gruver 11 for the ‘Cats.
The Martin girls’ basketball team was sporting a 12-0 record after edging Lawton 38-33, as Heather DeSmit scored six clutch points down the stretch.
Coach Cheri Ritz’s Wayland girls’ tennis team finished seventh in the Class B regional tournament.
50 Years Ago — Oct. 13, 1965
Jane Brenner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Brenner of Hopkins, earned an academic scholarship from the Alvin M. Bentley Foundation.
Kessler’s Undies and Woolies was inviting the public to an Oct. 16 open house to tour the company’s new warehouse and factory on South Main Street.
Wayland High School graduate Gordon Fish has been accepted into the Michigan State University marching band.
The Wayland Development Corp. has announced it will appoint two new members at its Oct. 19 meeting. Current members include President Arthur H. Johnson, Robert Luckem, Charles Andringa, Harold Weaver and William Kessler Jr.
Hopkins Superintendent John Andreason attempted to explain the upcoming school millage election seeking an extra 2.75 mills for one year.
Michigan State Trooper L.G. Smith has been promoted to detective and transferred from the Wayland post to the East Lansing Intelligence Division.
The Allegan legal firm of Ray, Greig and Barton will have a Wayland office open two days a week here and George Greig will supply services.
A dance is being planned for Oct. 30 to raise money to help defray expenses for Ollie Grysin, who must have a leg amputated at Blodgett Hospital.
Emma Plott quietly marked her 102nd birthday at her home on North Main Street.
The Wayland Board of Education bought a new refrigerator and freezer for Steeby Elementary and hired Mrs. Keith Middlebush as third grade teacher.
Wayland lost a weird football game at Cedar Springs, 22-13. The Wildcats outplayed their hosts throughout the contest, but fell behind 15-13 after giving up a safety. The ‘Cats drove down the field and were attempting a field goal as the clock ran out. The kick was blocked and a Cedar defender took it all the way to the end zone. Leonard Kaminski rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown and QB Terry Parks scored the other six points.
Hopkins notchd its fourth win of the season, 27-0 over Lawrence. George Schwartz scored two TDs, quarterback Jesse Goodrich talloied another and passed a scoring strike to Wendell Beard. Scwartz had eight tackles and Greg Brown and Terry Selvig seven apiece.
John Eylander of Moline and his beagle won top honors at the National Field Trials in Lebanon, Pa.
75 Years Ago — Oct. 18, 1940
Frederic Hilbert has just installed a new seed cleaning machine. This new machine, of which there are only two others in Michigan, will do an almost uncanny job of removing foreign seeds from clover or other farm grass seeds. With the coming of the combine, farmers have been harvesting a lot of grass seed in the past few years, but most of it has been infested with so much foreign matter that the cleaner manufacturers have been hard put to produce a machine that would really clean the stuff out.
Events in the Orient worried U.S. State Department officials to the point of informing consulates in China, Manchukuo, French-Indo-China and Japan, that American citizens within those territories should return to this country as soon as possible. Special emphasis was placed on the early departure of all women and children and men in non-essential posts.
There was a new angle to national defense, which evoked violent differences of opinion. The Canadian army received no less than 24 old American tanks, which were shipped over on flat cars to Camp Borden, Ontario. The Canadians have gotten hold of no less than 200 Yankee “combat cars,” as tanks are called officially. These tanks are six-tonners, lightly armed, and built in the period of 1918-21.
Old Bill says “here’s what I think:” If I were a veteran, I’d remember that Wilkie volunteered within 24 hours after we got into the last war. He won his captaincy by overseas service on the front line, not by White House pull. He didn’t warm a swivel seat at Washington, either.
If I were a mother, I’d surely want to know how far the Brain Trust has involved us down a costly and bloody road to war. Who and where are those 2,000,000 American boys going to fight, anyway—in France again, or Japan?
100 years Ago — Oct. 19, 1915
Grandma Winger died at her home two mils east of Dorr after a lengthy illness. Her funeral was in Moline and her remains were taken to Berlin for burial.
The “crazy social” given by the Methodist Episcopal Church at Gun Lake was well attended. Guests enjoyed a dinner and a quilt drawing.
“Your pardon, juniors. We hadn’t noticed a scarcity of cabbage heads.”
“We hear that Omar Ehle has entered the profession of bull fighting.
The Dorian Society program included a trombone and piano duet by Paul and Mildred Wing; Dorthea Baker and “Mr. Pratt’s First Auto Ride;” a girls’ chorus; “Boots and the Princess;” the high school orchestra; “Who’s Who and Why of the Juniors, and an instrumental solo by Helen Gray.
A representative of the Beacon Falls Robber Co. factory will be at D.W. Chattuck Store to demonstrate the manufacture of rubber goods.
Helvetia Milk Condensing Co. is installing a new heating system.
The local Rebekahs have been busy of late, traveling via the interurban to the home of Ernest Calkins for a dinner and later in the same week paying a visit to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fox.
“War, as it is now conducted, is very different from when men met in conflict hand to hand.”
John C. Jordan has received word of the death of his brother, Henry, in Indiana, who had suffered many years from asthma. “Now there are only two left of that famous Jordan family with 18 children.”
John S. Raum, state evangelist, will do the preaching to kick off a series of evangelistic meetings beginning Oct. 31 at the Christian Church.
PHOTO: The 1914 Wayland High School baseball team. (Photo courtesy of the Then and Now Historical Library)