Home  |  News  |  Photos  |  County News  |  Sports  |  School  |  History  |  Chamber of Commerce  |  Contact Us

Announcements & Notices  |  Churches  |  Society  |  Obituaries  |  Classified Ads  |  Op-Ed  |  Search Archives

Article Archives

90 Years Ago
September 20, 1918
Miss Leota Versen and Bailey T. Turner were married September 14 at Christ Church in Waukegan, Wis. Turner was in training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago. He received a lawyer’s degree from the University of Missouri in June 1917. Mrs. Turner was also a graduate of the University of Missouri.
Misses Cassie Tooley and Juliet Green graduated from the nurses’ training school of the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Mayor J.G. Wade was carrying his right arm in a sling as a result of a “kick” from his Ford car.
Miss Norene Dowell, daughter of Mrs. Nan Dowell of Stoutsville, enrolled in Chillicothe Business College.

80 Years Ago
September 18, 1928
Miss Alice Virginia Melson presented her class in an expression recital at the high school assembly with the following students taking part: Bernice Ott, Mildred Rebecca Dawson, Alice Virginia Shoemaker and Margaret Arnold Henderson.
Dr. Eldred Thiehoff was elected to the staff of St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Joseph, Mo.
The Rev. W.H. Giddens was assigned to the pastorate of the Monroe City Methodist Church at the annual conference held in Shelbina, succeeding the Rev. Robert McElvoy, who was transferred to the New Franklin and Clark churches. The Rev. J.A. Hughes was transferred from Hunnewell to Mokane and the Rev. R.A. Skelton was assigned to Hunnewell.

70 Years Ago
September 22, 1938
The wedding of Miss Jewel Miller of Lakenan and Russell Zeiger took place September 17 at the home of the officiating minister, the Rev. E.H. Farmer.
Paul Pat Tuley, a member of the 1938 graduating class of Monroe City High School, entered the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri.
Twenty-six boys reported for football practice in Monroe City High School with W.C. Pevestorff as coach. They were Glenn Ward, Robert Painter, Claude Watson, Walter William Little, Earl Rothfuss and Harry Fisher, lettermen; Glenn Gaskill, Junior Colley, Charles Jackson, Rayford Straub, Harold Ford, Jimmy Gibbs, Billy Gibbs, Raymond Rumbo, Harold Hagan, Warren See, A.J. Zeiger, Stephen Benson, Robert Lange, Gilbert Sorrell, Clyde Bohrer, Jack Greathouse, Robert Burditt, Billy Bono, Charles Redman and Bill Rothfuss.

60 Years Ago
September 23, 1948
Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Vaughn observed their fiftieth wedding anniversary September 19 with all of their children present for the occasion. They were Mrs. Collins Buckman, west of Monroe City, Mrs. Don Boone of Macon, and Roy Vaughn of Berwyn, Ill.
Pauline Romig was elected president of the Future Homemakers of America chapter in Monroe City High School. Other officers were Elmo Barr, vice president; Mary Anne Evans, secretary; Arlene Krummel, treasurer; Joan Freidank, reporter; Theresa Laratta, historian; Bernadine Young, parliamentarian, and Billy Romig, song leader. Joan Freidank was treasurer of the sub-district two of the Northeast Missouri FHA district.
Miss Carolyn Montgomery of Indian Creek and Floyd Hack of Lakenan were married September 22 in St. Stephen Church at Indian Creek. Miss Mary Deane Young and John Southern Vickroy, both of Webster Groves were married September 14 in that city.

50 Years Ago
September 25, 1958
Ritter’s Cleaners, owned by Maurice Ritter, celebrated its 10th anniversary by turning back the clock on prices to what they were for the opening 10 years before.
Miss Missy Joy Butler and Paul Mudd were married September 18. Miss Joyce Ann Sheridan and Paul Wayne VanMarter were married September 20. Miss Sandra Kay Lilly became the bride of Charles Whelan September 10. Mrs. Frances McKay and Francis Lewis Lanham were married September 13.
Roy B. Meriwether, retired judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, and William B. Fahy, former U.S. Marshal, were among 400 Missourians who were to be honored with the title of Senior Counselor at the meeting of the Missouri Bar Association to be held September 25, in St. Louis.
Births: a daughter, Cindia Beth, to Mr. and Mrs. G.C. Potterfield, September 19; a daughter, Marilyn, to Mr. and Mrs. William Drebes, Jr., September 23; a daughter, Susan Elaine, to Mr. and Mrs. George Bailey, September 18; a son, Robert Eugene, to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Thomas, September 17; a son, Arthur Lee, to Mr. and Mrs. Sam Newlon, September 12; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Steinberg September 19.
A story, reprinted from the Hunnewell Standard, appeared in the News by Mrs. Donald Harn who came to Hunnewell 10 years before from Germany. She told of how her 10 years in America had been and of her life in Germany prior to coming to the states with her soldier husband.

40 Years Ago
September 26, 1968
Mrs. Clarence Cannon of Elsberry, widow of the Ninth District Congressman for whom the dam is named and who expended a great deal of effort toward promotion of the project was present at the ground breaking ceremonies of the Clarence Cannon Dam & Reservoir Saturday, Sept. 21. She pressed the plunger setting off the charge of dynamite.
The 1968 model Chevrolets and Fords were to be on display at the respective dealerships in Monroe City, Paris and Osbourn Chevrolet and Clark Motor Sales.
Miss Lois Redman returned to Monroe City following a year spent in Sweden. She had been on a sabbatical leave from the Oregon State University where she was an associate professor.
Sons of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Zeiger, Sp/4 Russell arrived in Vietnam for his second tour of duty in the U.S. Army and Specialist Gary Zeiger was leaving for the Marine Corps for training in Sand Diego, Calif.
Class officers for the Monroe City seventh and eighth grades were: eighth grade, Tim Kurz, president; Steve Jones, vice president; Reta Ely, secretary; Linda Whelan, treasurer and Edwin Robinson, reporter. Seventh grade: Gregory Drebes, president; Joe Purol, vice president; Karen Buckwalter, secretary; and Becky Trussell, treasurer.
Births: a son, James Kenneth, Sept. 20 to Mr. and Mrs. James W. Jones; a daughter, Suzanne Rose, Sept. 22 to Mr. and Mrs. John Kendrick; a son, Todd Andrew, Sept. 17 to Mr. and Mrs. Richard McPike of St. Charles.
The students enrolled in the kindergarten class of Monroe City R-I school district includes: Kathy Griffin, Mark Hagan, Angela Elliott, Joseph Spalding, Thomas Maher, Deborahe Whelan, Kimberly Gottman, Carla Beaver, Earl Beaver, Dianne Painter, April Marie Shuck, Glenda Joyce Porter, Joseph Kendrick, Janice Dowell, Jesse White, Martin Taylor, Martin Lee Bunn, Edward Hulse, Michael Hale, Rose Ann Truster, Larry Sapp, Lori Ann Campbell, Denna Campbell and Daniel Mudd.

30 Years Ago
September 21, 1978
Expansion of the Central Telephone Company’s northeast Missouri district office in Monroe City was underway with the purchase of the Murray building. The one story cement building, which formerly housed Murray Grocery, was to be occupied by the centralized service center.
Births: a son, Bryan Matthew, Sept. 14 to Mr. and Mrs. Terry Yeater; a daughter was born Sept. 18 to Mr. and Mrs. Kevin O’Bryan; a son, William Brian, Sept 19 to Mr. and Mrs. David Painter; a daughter, Casey Marie, Sept. 16 to Mr. and Mrs. Warren L. Beaver.
City Clerk Gary Osbourne had completed the city tax bill for 1978 and charged the city collector, Chris Buckman, with a total of $77,261.82 in taxes to be collected. The city’s total valuation was $4,661,794.
Donna Marie Hays and Phillip Manning Thompson were married at Holy Rosary Catholic Church Aug. 12 by the Rev. Richard Hunkins of Glasgow.
A hot air balloon, flown by Danny Freeman, landed in Monroe City for all to see. Freeman, married to the former Peggy Fishback, was here to from Flint, Mich., to visit relatives and friends.
Captains of the 1978 varsity football team were Mark Yager, Tony Franklin, Paul Washington and Scott Geist.

20 Years Ago
September 29, 1988
A large crowd gathered at the Monroe County Courthouse in Paris as Bill Wamego, great grandson of Chief Wamego, blessed the stone on the courthouse lawn commemorating the forced march of the Pottawatomie Indians.
Births: a son, Joseph Andrew, Sept. 17 to L/Cpl. and Mrs. Jeffrey Verrant of Albany, Georgia.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hecht celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Oct. 9 with a family dinner at the Holiday Inn in Hannibal.
Trent Garner, son of Harold and Sue Garner, was attending the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas.
The Junior Varsity cheerleaders for the 1988-89 school year included Vestal Lake, Jamie Thompson, Amanda Miller, Marcie Richardson, Jessica Smith and Tammy Bastian.

10 Years Ago
September 29, 1998
Taken from the files of The Lake Gazette
The Monroe County road and bridge crew were pictured working on the bridge on Route FF near Deer Creek Cemetery that was to be replaced.
Births: a son, Zeke Ryan, Sept. 23 to Joe and Belinda Broughton; cousins born 60 hours apart, Toby Ray, to Tim and Lennie Gottman and Blake Wayne, Sept. 24 to Jerry and Renee Elsberry; a daughter Abby Mae, Aug. 21 to Paul and Rachel Mensching; a daughter, DeJa LeeAnn, Aug. 22 to Mr. and Mrs. Mark Crain of Kansas City.
Over 43 youngsters took part in the Punt, Pass & Kick Contest sponsored by the Monroe City Jaycees.
Adam Kendrick won the PRCA Circuit in St. Paul, Minn. during the time of the Mark Twain Lake Bull Ride on Labor Day Weekend. He also won first place at Lac du Flambeau, Wisc.


  423 080924 9/24/2008 his

Financial turmoil on Wall Street was headline news last week.

Sunday the Federal Reserve said it had granted a request by the country’s last two major investment banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, to change their status to bank holding companies. That change will allow them to create commercial banks that will be able to take deposits, bolstering the resources of both institutions. One analyst said the “change continued the biggest restructuring on Wall Street since the Great Depression.”

History does tell us that banks, like all businesses, are subject to economic tides. Monroe County once had 14 banks. Today there are four in six locations.

In June 1917, when the government was asking American citizens to invest in the war effort, they bought bonds in record numbers. At Monroe City 90 persons subscribed through the Monroe City Bank, 40 at the Farmers & Merchants Bank and 16 at the Citizens Bank. The Monroe City News published a list of local subscribers and those from the Paris National and Paris Savings Banks. It also gave the dollar amount subscribed through the Exchange bank and the Peoples Bank at Holliday, the Madison Bank, Santa Fe Bank, Old Bank of Stoutsville, Farmers Bank of Stoutsville and the Florida Savings Bank. One unnamed institution did apparently not participate in the bond drive. A total of $119,050 worth of bonds was bought at 13 of the 14 Monroe County banks.

Less than 10 years later, by August 1926, there were 108 Missouri banks in liquidation, including the Old Bank of Stoutsville which closed March 12. Others in Northeast Missouri would follow.
The Farmers & Merchants Bank and the Citizens Bank of Monroe City called a meeting of their respective stockholders for September 11, 1926 to ratify a merger. They opened as the Union Savings Bank November 22, 1926 in the Farmers & Merchants Bank building on the wedge. The Monroe City News said, “Both banks are in a strong cash position, their available cash and exchange being about $75,000 while high grade bonds amount to about $100,000. Neither bank has any bills payable. The total resources of the two approximate 3/4 of a million dollars. Combining the assets of the two banks is but complying with the tendency of the times.”

The Farmers Bank of Stoutsville was closed in mid-October 1926, leaving the town without a bank. The Farmers & Merchants bank in Hunnewell failed in November before it could merge with the Hunnewell Bank.
A year later, in late August 1927, the Citizens Bank of Philadelphia, in Marion County, was absorbed by the First Savings Bank of Palmyra. The Citizens Bank was the successor to the Old Peoples Bank of Philadelphia, which had failed a few years earlier and was reorganized in 1920. The 1927 merger was, according to the News, “In line with the policy advocated by S. L. Cantley, state bank commissioner, that smaller banks of the state, which do not have sufficient volume of business to make a fair profit should consolidate with stronger institutions.”

Between 1922 and September 1927 four Monroe County lost four banks through closure or merger. The News of September 20 reported that the surviving county banks were sound. It said, “Quite in contrast to impressions made by the sale of farms under the hammer in Monroe County, a matter that really is more of an echo of an inflation period than otherwise, are conditions revealed by bank statements that were published under this month’s call. In short, the banks have paid off all their debts except for a trifling $5,000 owed by one Monroe County bank, while the people have decreased their borrowings $790,000 and increased their deposits $362,000.

Most historians use the date of the stock market crash in the United States, October 29, 1929, as the starting point of the world wide Great Depression that lasted well into the 1930s.

By December 1930, even Monroe County depositors were feeling the panic. The Union Savings Bank of Monroe City was closed just before Christmas. According to the News, “The closing of the bank was made necessary by the continued withdrawals of deposits over the last few weeks. A run was not made on the bank but for some time there had been steady withdrawals, due it is believed to the uncertainty arising from the closing recently of large banks in Quincy and Hannibal. While there had been some shrinkage of deposits due to the general depression the bank would not have been forced to close had a number of depositors not withdrawn their money.”

The community petitioned the State Finance Commissioner to appoint G. E. Chipman deputy finance commissioner and a local attorney, Roy B. Meriwether, to help liquidate the bank. The Monroe City Bank was appointed as a depository for the Union Savings Bank funds during liquidation.

The Monroe City Bank was formed in 1875. It merged with United Missouri Bankshares, Inc. July 3, 1989. It was later called United Missouri Bank Northeast and today is named UMB Bank. The Paris Savings Bank, now also UMB Bank, was founded in 1885 and purchased by United Missouri Bankshares in 1982.

The Paris National Bank is Monroe County’s pioneer bank. It was organized in July 1858 as a branch of the Farmers Bank of Missouri, renamed the Missouri Savings Association, and in May 1871 obtained a federal government charter and became the First National Bank of Paris. It has carried its present name since 1901 and in 2008 is the only locally owned and operated bank in Monroe County.

Alliant Bank has long-standing roots in Monroe County. The bank was established in Madison in 1888 and was originally named J.R. Chowning Banking Company. Shortly after, the name was changed to Madison Bank and remained such until 1988. In September 1988, The Bank of Hunnewell, located in Hunnewell, Missouri, merged with Madison Bank, forming the Madison-Hunnewell Bank. In November, 1998 a new branch of Madison-Hunnewell Bank was built at 921 East Highway 24 & 36 in Monroe City. Since 1998 Madison-Hunnewell Bank has grown to include two new locations in Kirksville and Boonville, Missouri. In 2003 the name was officially changed to Alliant Bank.

The Perry State Bank in Monroe City has been an affiliate of Mercantile Bancorp, Inc. since 2007. It was organized in May 1888 as the Bank of Hannibal and in 1903 became Hannibal National Bank. The bank continued to grow, with facilities throughout Northeast Missouri, and became HNB National Bank in 2003.

Only time and the ever changing economy will tell what the future holds for Monroe County’s banks.



  424 080924 9/24/2008 his

The Board of Aldermen met in regular session at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Mayor Neal Minor presided with all aldermen present.

The Board of Aldermen conducted a public hearing on the City’s proposed 2008-09 budget. No comments were received from the public and the hearing was closed.

During open forum, Carolyn Fahy said that the monument of one of her relatives has sunk down in St. Jude’s Cemetery. She showed pictures of the monument showing that it was hit by a mower. The amount to replace the monument is $205.89. After discussion, the board asked that a claim be filed with the contractor who mows St. Jude’s Cemetery. The board asked that dirt be brought in to level off the ground.

Alderman Roch Buckman updated the Board of Aldermen on the Administration Committee meetings held on Sept. 10 and Sept. 17. The committee:
* Discussed the 2008-09 proposed budget in detail.
* Reviewed bids for life insurance for the full time City employees. They requested that the detailed bids for the three lowest bidders be given to them and the Employee Ad Hoc Committee. They will discuss this issue at their Oct. 8 meeting.
* Reviewed statements of qualifications from GDC/Insurance Services and C&S Insurance. The committee asked that GDC/Insurance Insurance Services be contacted to see if they can obtain competitive quotes for the City’s insurance.
* Recommends that the City purchase a full page ad in the Monroe City R-1 High School year book for $100 contingent upon the school giving the Police Department a year book. This was approved.

Alderman Ronnie Miller updated the Board of Aldermen on the Public Works Committee meeting held earlier in the evening. The committee:
* Received an update on the North Oak Street Project. It has been too wet to work on this project for the past two weeks. As soon as it dries out, the Street Department is ready to proceed with this project.
* Discussed scheduling for St. Jude’s Park including the church and gazebo. They decided that the City will take over scheduling the entire park including the church and gazebo beginning Nov. 1.

Attorney John Wilcox said that previously there had been some discussion about whether the donations mandated by court be deposited in the D.A.R.E. Fund or the General Fund. There is justification for depositing the donations in the General Fund since that fund pays for the D.A.R.E. program. He is going to ask Judge Wilson for his recommendation on this matter and report back to the board at a later meeting.

Attorney Wilcox said that funds have been appropriated for re-publishing the City’s ordinance book. He said that he needs an updated ordinance book as soon as possible.

Mayor Minor asked Aldermen Melinda Dexter to update the Board of Aldermen on the Park and Cemetery Advisory Committee meetings. Alderman Dexter said that this committee has met twice. They have been discussing ideas for improving the parks such as replacing trees and installing recycling bins in the North and South Parks. They do not believe that the parks are trimmed properly. Administrator Jim Burns said that this matter can be addressed when the City develops bids specifications for mowing the City’s parks.

Burns presented the City Administrator’s report to the Board of Aldermen:
* Distributed an article concerning the nationwide problem of recruiting volunteer firefighters.
* Distributed an article on solar power.
* Due to the heavy rainfall, many sewer lines are full and backing up in basements. He presented information on backflow prevention devices that could help eliminate this problem.
* There was a hearing on Intermet’s bankruptcy on Sept. 16, 2008. The decisions made at this hearing are not yet available. He said that the City can ask Intermet to post a two week security deposit for their utility bill. The Board asked that the matter of billing Intermet more than one time per month be investigated.
* Attended a Gas Commission meeting earlier in the day. He said that the City could reduce its anticipated cost from the gas commission from $10.25 per MMBTU to $10.00 per MMBTU.
  375 080924 9/24/2008 nws

U.S. Commanding General of Multinational Forces in Iraq Gen. David Patraeus has acknowledged the upcoming dedication of the CPT Ben Smith Airfield at Monroe City.

In correspondence to Smith’s widow, Maggie Ramos, Gen. Patraeus said “It is great news” and he is pleased to hear that there will be a flyover. “It’s very nice, indeed, to hear how Monroe is honoring one of our fallen Screaming Eagles,” he said.

In correspondence Mrs. Ramos had sent to Gen. Patraeus to advise him of the Oct. 4 dedication of the airfield, she says “I just wanted you to know how this small community continues to remember our Fallen and to support the Army and Army Aviation as you continue to command and serve with all those still in the flight.”

Patraeus had served as commander of the 101st Airborne Division in which Ben and Maggie had served. Maggie also had been a Blackhawk pilot.

The event will be held at the Monroe City municipal airport from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, to honor Smith, who was killed in Iraq in November of 2006. Smith was the pilot of a Army Blackhawk.

The son of (Swinkey) Bill and Kathy Smith, Smith had graduated from Monroe City in 1993, He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served two years in South Korea., before being accepted at West Point Military School where he was commissioned as a lieutenant upon graduation in 1999. He received helicopter training at Fort Rucker, Ala., where he met his wife, Margaret Bradley, who also was in training.

One of the dignitaries attending the event will be Brig. Gen. William H. Forrester, director of Army Safety, a 30-year veteran whose assignments have included serving as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center and Fort Rucker, and Assistant Division Commander (Support) for the 2nd Infantry Division. Deployments have included Honduras, Iraq, Kuwait, El Salvador, Turkey, Bosnia, Colombia and Liberia.

He has more than 30 medals and awards and wears the Master Army Aviator Badge and Air Assault Badge.

During the event, there will be numerous aircraft on display and there will be flyovers throughout the day. The schedule of events is as follows:
6 a.m. to 2 p.m.-aircraft arrivals and departures
7 a.m.-pancake breakfast served by Chamber of Commerce
9 a.m.-posting of colors, singing of National Anthem and playing of patriotic tunes by Monroe City R-1 High School Band
10 a.m.-Young Eagles Ground School and pre-flight training
10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.-free airplane flights for Young Eagles
10:30 a.m. -2 p.m.-barbecue by Indian Creek and Monroe City Knights of Columbus
11 a.m.-dedication in airport hangar
2 p.m.-closing ceremony

Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, the Univesity of Missouri Air Evacuation Helicopters, specialty aircraft and aircraft owned by Monroe City aviators will be on display. Displays of Smith’s memorabilia and displays by the 101st Army Airborne and Missouri National Guard also will be available for viewing throughout the day. There also will be kiddie train rides.

  376 080924 9/24/2008 nws

The 2008 Football Homecoming King and Queen were crowned Friday night.

Kayla Minor was named queen and Shawn Maloney was named king. Their court consisted of freshmen Riley James and Josh Bailey, sophomores Hilary Wilson and Jeremy Whelan, juniors Devon Ritter and Jordan Holland, and seniors Paul Washington and Jessica Brumbaugh.   379 080924 9/24/2008 nws

Home  |  News  |  Photos  |  County News  |  Sports  |  School  |  History  |  Chamber of Commerce  |  Contact Us

Announcements & Notices  |  Churches  |  Society  |  Obituaries  |  Classified Ads  |  Op-Ed  |  Search Archives  |  Top

http://monroecity.net is the online publication of The Lake Gazette Copyright © 2008. PO Box 187 Monroe, MO 63456.
Phone: (573) 735-3300     Fax: (573) 735-3261     Email: lakegazette@socket.net