https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/431/Stratton.pdf b5a03677078f4e660b59c4a44ee7f953 PDF Text Text "Main Street" in Stratton, looking south, about 1910. Linford Building in center back. The Holloway Garage interior. W.T. Tyne and Montgomery Garage in the 1920's, now the site of Clark Storage called "The Barn", but used in many other ways during the years. In 1914 Clarence Reish built a large cement garage on the west side of the main street, Part of the Stratton Hotel dining room where meals were served family style. Ruby Ryun Pugh is at the piano and her sister, Almeda Ryun is on the right. The picture is of Amos L. Ryun. STRATTON T364 becoming the agent for Overland and Maxwell automobiles. He also built a large three story residence which Joe Collins Iater bought and used as his home. Ada Osburn and daughters Irene and Maxine lived there to care for Mrs. Nellie Collins. This establishment became a popular rooming house for railroad men prior to a disastrous fire. Later it was razed. Today the site is marked by Virginia Malone's home. In late 1914 interested persons of the Stratton community organized a Farmers Cooperative selling shares of stock. R.M. Farquhar was the first manager. Dick Rose was manager for many years and the business grew rapidly although while weathering the depression and dust bowl years the "going was tough". Today this establishment is the largest employer in the town and has ramifications in its operation that rank it among the top co-operatives in Colorado as well as the nation. Ben Davis has been manager since May 1, 1968. Stratton in 1926, looking toward the southeast; taken from the water tower; Collins Hotel in center foreground. �was elected the first mayor and the first town trustees were J.W. Borders, S.W. Messenger, E.W. Tarrant, A.D. Gemmell, D.O. Beahm, and Jes Holloway. Stratton's mayors over the years: 1919-21: J.E. Holtz; L92l-23: E.W. Tarrant; L923-24: Alex D. Gemmell; L924-25: Roy S. Wingfield; L925-28: J.W. Borders: 1928-34: Thomas J. Murphy; 1934-36: C.W. Waters, pro tem; 1936-38: I.D. Messenger; 1938-40: C.S. Wall; 1940-44: J. Ivan Howtz; 1946-48: J.R. Zur- cher; 1948-52: L.L. Pugh; 1952-58: G.L. Zutcher; 1958-64: 8.L. " Zeke" Kerl; 1964-66: Floyd Borders; 1966-68: Samuel Crocker; 1968-72: Max Toland: L972-74: Charles Nelson; 1974-82: E.L."Zeke" Kerl; 1982-86: Ezra Stratton's Men's Band beside the Stat€ Bank building. Eberhart later came into possession of the building where they conducted an implement establishment doing extensive construction to accommodate their business. In the mid '60's they sold this site to John and Dick Buhr for their grocery and locker plant. Mel Hatfield bought the business from the Buhr's and in 1966 sold it to Ed and Marlyn Dischner who have their very outstanding grocery business housed at that site. In 1915 when talk of incorporation of An early 1900's view of Stratton, looking north. In 1915 the Holloway Brothers built a large cement garage on the east side of the main street and became agents for Chewolet. That same year Collins and Blair opened a hardware store on the west side of the main avenue which they later sold to White and Mavity. B.M. Johnson was a later purchaser of this business. Carlos Dillon and Bob Stratton began, E.W. Tarrant was named chairman of the movement. On March 2, 1915, an election was held between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Linford Hall to vote for incorpora- tion. The vote was 64 in favor of and 49 against incorporation of the Town of Stratton. The incorporation papers were filed with the county clerk on March 15, 1915. This move was followed by city elections in ensuing years. The first election occurred on April22,1919 at the Linford Hall. J.E. Holtz Yoder; 1986-90: Roy Tatkenhorst. In 1916 J.N. Bradley built a large two story structure north of the Holloway Garage. The main floor housed the William Long Hardware Store, with living quarters on the upper level as well as office space for Dr. Cavey. In time the hardware store closed and Mrs. Florence Cavey operated a dry goods and variety store there for a time. Later the Frozen Food and Locker Plant operated by John and Dick Buhr occupied the building. Today the upper floor is apartments. A second disastrous fire in 1918 destroyed a home and the post office. These were replaced by brick buildings which housed the post office and the First National Bank for many years. In 1968 the post office was moved to a new permanent location at 313 Colorado Avenue. On November 4, 1918, the Federal Reserve Bank Charter was issued to officially create the First National Bank of Stratton The first cashier was M.E. Denver, president, E.W. Tarrant, directors: T.W. Triplett, E. McChesney, and Jes R. Holloway. Until its move to a new building dedicated November, 1962, the First National Bank was located at its original site. Many other businesses have occupied the old post office and bank buildings since, but in 1988 the town hall with its offices and court room moved to the bank building. The Stratton Spotlight and Golden Plains Insurance offices are housed in the old post office in the 100 block of Colorado Avenue. The minutes of town board of the 1920's when the board was accountable to only themselves were brief and to the point with little explanation. Today minutes are by Dorothy C. Smith STRATTON T355 One of the earliest fire ensines at Stratton. The famous Collins Hotel with its fabulous sunken garden which employed a full time gardener. �three year old sister died from scarlet fever at this time.) In the early years every home had a windmill or a hand pump and there were few if any trees for many years. One individual who planted many trees all over the town was Raymond Hughes, Vena Scheierman's brother. Until the first town well was drilled trees took second place. The wells which serve Stratton originated when the first well permit was procured in 1919. The town fathers were foresighted enough to procure four lots for the watertower site that year and paid for two in 1919 and two in 1920. In May of 1921, R. Salisbury, an engineer, appeared before the town board with information regarding the probable cost of installing water and a light system in the town, but, although local citizens were interviewed and A 1920's airplane view of Stratton and the "Golden Belt Highway" looking east . . now Highway 24. was 421. On February 24, L920, an ordinance was passed which prohibited the exhibition of motion or moving pictures and the opening of other places of amusement on Sunday, The west side of the Collins Hotel built in 1917. violators to be fined no less than $5.00 or more than $300.00 and costs of prosecution, and to go to jail until all costs and fines were paid. Although 88 petitioners tried to have this measure rescinded, the town board ignored the petition. In the fall of 1930 an epidemic of scarlet fever struck the community. And on November 16, the town ordered that all schools, churches. theaters. and so on be closed to check the spread of the dread disease. But on November 23, by order of the physicians, the town board lifted the ban on closing the school and decided to allow them to reopen. This disease was a terrible scourge in the years before modern day medicines. (Your author recalls things like this vividly for her ,'' ar.... meetings held, nothing transpired in this regard. Then in November of 1921, brave souls that the town board must have been, they awarded a general contract to Gordon Construction of Denver for the waterworks at $26,950, a $5,700 contract to Chicago Bridge and Iron Works for the water tower; and a $1,590 contract to Eureka Fire Hose Company, Denver for fire apparatus. James A. Reisch, Stratton, was given the contract to dig the wells for $2.25 per foot. Drilled in 1922, that well was located where the water tower currently stands. The first water bond was to "Construct Waterworks for Fire and Domestic Purposes" and was made possible by an ordinance passed in August, 1921, which the people of the town of Stratton voted on: 53 votes "for",43 votes "against". The Sundberg Garage with Chrysler auto sales and gas pumps was built in 1923, with a home in the south side and daughter's apartment across the front above. This building has known other uses through the years. . sale barn site, etc. But today it is known around town as "The Barn", a storage facility. At some time through the years a broom factory was established in a brick building behind what is now the Co-op station. For two years this was in operation, then in 1924 a northeast room in the factory building was ;i&w*15r$g A pleasant country home north of Stratton built by the Joe Garners in the 1920's. detailed, long and copious, in order to better document the town'g proceedings which are under scrutiny by not only the local people but the state also. But those early minutes reveal some interesting detail. By the 1920 census figures the town's population .L Coming into town from the north this is what one saw in 1918. A 1940's harvest scene on the Colorado Avenue approach to the elevators where waiting in line to unload was a many hour experience. �rruLcu uP ruf a Jau. Many fine homes were being built in this period, too, and the town board minutes note that it would Iike to haul dirt from any basements to the city street for use in building them up. Some of those building new homes at this time were families named Fuller, Borders, Weddington, Tarrant, Dages, Long, and the Gerke's, who lived at the farm now owned by Kenneth Pottorff, a showplace in its heyday; even then they had electricity, a bathroom, and forced air heat. The town had a marshall named William Hoeck who was very busy in those days but his pay was determined per dog destroyed! In the town board meeting on January 3I,1932, the board voted to pay 300 per hour for a man and 500 an hour for a man with his team, and one man and two teams 700 an hour. Apparently a job with the city was prized in that day. In February of L922 E.A. Brown of Kansas City estimated for the town that bringing electric current the 18 miles from Burlington would cost $19,488, and although the board's consensus was that this was much needed, it was quite some time before the project was accomplished. One big event July 8, 1929, was a terrible train wreck on Spring Creek west of town when lives were lost with some bodies not found for a time. This was so traumatic that people talk of the occasion yet today. But 't t \ apparently the railroad was soon running again, for the Stratton Press carried advertisements for a special round trip by Dorothy C. Smith STRATTON T356 excursion to Denver or Colorado Springs for $3.00 on the Rock Island by the next summer. The papers were full of farm sale ads . . sometimes three as week . . so times An influential couple in Stratton's history: Mr. and Mrs. Ray H. Calverley. ./:" f' tfria '$V W,n', A 1962 train derailment that occurred in town between the Kirk highway and the Stratton Equity co-op fertilizer plant. "& ."Va44. A big time in Stratton especially for the kids . "fur#WWm ittr' . installation of the swimming pools . 1973. were growing more economically depressed. The names of G.W. Waters, L.G. McChesney and Doctors Cavey and Keen appeared often in social news and advertising. Two barber shops were running competitive ads. Arrangements were made for a golf tourney on the Stratton course north of town on May 30 and there were numerous entrants. The Stratton Press was taking subscriptions at 91.50 per year. Several oil companies were leasing land in the area, among them Phillips and Gypsy Oil. Excitement was hiehl �directors. In 1950 the system was in place in Stratton. By 1956 having natural gas in the area became a reality when Kansas-Nebraska Gas was granted a 25 year franchise on March 1. In accord with the times an early 1956 ordinance granted the privilege of Social Security to town employees. In October 1962 discussions were frequent about a zoning 1:--'= ordinance but no action was taken. As early as February, 1959, the town began retaining an attorney, Dick Thomas of Burlington. In this era the Stratton Mobile Home factory was in full swing with 25 or so employees at the lst Street site across from today's Stratton Equity Cooperative hardware dock. The Zurchers were responsible for this business venture. October 1962 sawthe formal opening of the The lineup for Stratton Day's famous barbeque. city at 250 per gallon. The city was proudly maintaining its image the city library in 1966 by budgeting $525 for outhouses nuisances; because of many complaints, these were ordered abandoned and owned by the First National Bank helped the Iibrary greatly. Moved to the 331 New York in 1936 when the town board declared The American Legion Flag corps always heads Stratton's parades: left to right: Max Toland, Sam Rueb, Wayne Greenwood, Ray Schiferl. removed. Erv Jeppe received payment for orange paint he used in marking curbs and parking spaces, so some curb and gutter was in place. In August 1939 Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph received a 20 year franchise in the town. The town purchased blocks 3 and 4 in July, 1930, for $55.89 and received a quit claim deed for land that was the future park. MSA Federated Women's Club worked to procure a WPA project and funds necessary for planting upward of 100 trees. The club members and their husbands planted and carried water to start those trees. The next spring $250 was approved to pipe a fountain and install hydrants plus build a tennis court with WPA labor. At the same time the WPA was utilized in oiling 7 blocks of Colorado Avenue, the main street, and grading and graveling 30 blocks of side streets. Rotary Club began in this era. Lions Club came later in the 1970's. Celebrating Colorado's Centennial along with the nation's bicentennial was a memorable time. In March of 1934 Stratton's famous girls' basketball team played in the state championship game at a Stratton hosted tournament and went on to Wichita for national finals. In spite of "depression" talk the matter of an airport for Stratton was under consideration, yet the town board voted as an economy measure to turn off all lights on the streets except at each church, two at the Collins Hotel and those on the west side of the main street as well as at the Highway 24 intersection. Total Town of Stratton expenditures in 1933 were $8,582.21 which included the water bond payment. The 1988 total expenditures of the city were in excess of $200,000. Some contrast! At one point in 1935 the town had water problems for a gtocery filed a claim for damages to a compressor because they were not told the water was being shut off. Costs of $41.00 were paid. The need for water was increasing, and in July, 1935 a new pump was installed. The Rock Island Railroad was granted permission to obtain water from the First National Bank of Stratton in its new building. A significant mid-60's event was installing the swimming pool, owned by Stratton and located in the city park but leased and operated by the Stratton Swimming Pool Association. The town first began to assume some financial responsibility for The war years were trying for all and rations books for town vehicles were extra hard to procure. In November of 1946 Inland Utilities appeared at town board meetings regarding a new lighting system, and on January 20, t947, a contract was signed to provide this service. A new town well was drilled and pump installed in 1948 at a total cost of $4,619.75. Crops were good and prices high, so things looked promising. But people complained to the town board about the same things they do today: rowdy young people; running dogs and licensing of dogs; upstairs tenants in downtown apartments tossing bottles, water and refuse out of windows; occasional cesspool or sewer trouble; the securing of stop signs for intersections; hiring and firing marshals; and on and on. Problems of the times do not seem too different over the years. In 1949 Stratton became a member of the Colorado Municipal League and soon requested information on starting a sewer system, it estimated cost and the availability of any government funds for financing. In steps which followed with petition elections, Frank Liebl was elected secretary of the sewer that purpose. Free housing in a building Avenue home in the former Seventh Day Adventist Church, the library now occupies an historic landmark of the community. Today when Stratton's 1988 population is estimated at 654, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of its platting and becoming an early 1888 frontier town. With this story we have tried to recount things that will excite your personal memories, helping you appreciate the genius and effort of the hardy, farsighted persons, the events and circumstance that led to this time in our history. If you recall persons such as Mrs. Blakeman, a pianist at the theater; Dr. Chamberlain, a dentist; the Chautauqua or the Hillman touring troop which came to town especially during Stratton Days; the lovely dress shops of Mrs. Mamie Weddington and Esta Bowers or Hazel Tuttle; of Wolgamott's ice plant and Hubbel's shoe repair shop; the lawyer Ikey Friedman; talk of the KKK cross burnings in the 1920's; that Stratton had its own "jet set", members of which wore tuxedos and formals to its evening and cocktail parties; of great meat markets run through the years by Lulu Dack, Hugo Stegman or the Kruse's and later by the Preedy's; of a 5 and 100 store; of five groceries at once in town and 3 or 4 cream- eries; that the West Side Hotel was still operating in the 1920's as Tressie Pugh does because she had to stay there once when she was detained from getting home to the ranch north of town; that upstairs in the Linford Building was a beautiful dance floor and the Odd Fellows met there: that the hardware store carried coffins; and how wonderful it was to visit the confectionery/bakery by the pool hall which was near where Jones Sporting Goods is today, and on and on . . then we have achieved the objective we had in mind when we started to write this story of Stratton. Sincerest thanks are due those who reminisced, or spoke of long ago stories, or told of the early years; to the town clerks over the years who wrote notes from which we drew many of the facts; to old newspapers and diaries; and to wonderful critics who helped by reacting to the story as it was being �written. Without you this would not be much. As it is, there is so much we have not said! by Dorothy C. Smith STRATTON PICTURES T357 :' 'Y,3, id'l'',, ' ::' :i- " _ W:X r,- b-- l --.--" -, .{ __.5=_-\ A parade entry when Limon was an arch footbsll rival. ll 0uE's Dodie Crocker in front of her clothing store in the Linford building before she sold it to become "The Family Affair" and they in turn to "Someplace Special" as it is today. September 1987, Mayor Roy Tatkenhorst received the official recognition of the Colorado lottery role in building the gazebo in the town park. Mel Grantham, Colorado State Lottery Representative made the presentation at homecoming. With the coming of I 70 the complexion of the south side of Stratton changed . . . the Stratton Equity Co-op's "Country Store". �{*-a"'l t{&s, tt A locomotive after the trains ran less and less. l! ':.a:.a;:,., ".6i\ More signs of the weather and its action in Kit Carson County and Stratton . . . thistles. The Stratton Bicentennial Committee, Zeke Kerl, Kenneth Scheierman, and Ida Boecker, receiving the Bicentennial Flag in 1976. Rotarians Gene Clark and Ugene Brown sacking candy for Santa's delivery some Christmas time. A Stratton Day Homecoming parade moving down Colorado Avenue. The girls'basketball team in 1933: Front, I to r: Miss Idris Phipps, Calista Schiferl, Leva Campbell, Stella Sholes, Helen Bardwell, Lucia Gerke, Lilah Druse. Back row: Violet Hernbloom, Sylvia Krauth, Netta Bertrand, Evelyn Ackerman, Magdelen Leoffler, Doris Beck, Coach Robert Murfin, forerunner of 1934 State Champions. �Burlingt on ne pu b lic an, August 7, 1903 Trunks and traveling Mtllisackg. *" w &4,''. & to: IjooalQood _qu-rlity and toir y_ejqh{€ on at Abbott'e. i ; A 320 aere ranch in tho Weet end jof tbe ibunty for sale. An ib'aldl rncs of water at cix to te; fcrt.' 'I{or priee aod termt iuqurrr at.Itepu$[ioai offics. Stratton observed Colorado's Centennial on August 1,1976, with a big bash sponsored by the Stratton Garden Club. Many familiar faces in this crowd watching the awarding of prizes for the day, before the birthday cake was cut. For Mnrtland f,ump and Jnpeflqi uut cod, posts, wire and atl llndt oJ building msteiial ca.ll at, the oflcc bf Iroster .Lumber Co. Burhnqton, Colo ,Groaeriee coet you F great deal in p vear. Tou .can sove a D.rce 8um oB youi groclery bili if fou let ug setl it. C. M. ilillisack. [heap Excursion fiate TO TFIE EA$T GffiEAT ROCK ISLAI'IT} ROUTI A 1930 banquet given by Ray B. and Julia Hoskins, the IHC dealer in Stratton, after the sale of one freight car load of IHC cream separators. Note the separator in the far background. BPECI.AL TRAINS ONI' NICHT oUT 'r'O OHICACC. Ttclrrr: also good oD regul&r tfalDs. olct,Y DrliEcrt r,ir'rr: Fnoru cr)LoRAE.SPIiII,TGS AND MANITOU. !f . II. Fj itTll. G. A. P. D.. Donver, Oolo&irln E. W. l:)ornDcon, A. G, n ,1.. Topekr Kat' John Sebastlsn G. P. A., Chltsco. IU. I I I i l 'rVHffAT WANTED. , (,'boice milling wlteat w::nte.,J 'fop rnnrket pnr:t. .I. W. Pnxror,l, Pr6r, itlre rllll. �theater was open only 2 or 3 years. Dad and Uncle Bob ran a roller skating rink in the building for a while. Aunt Kitten, Uncle Bob, and Bobbie lived behind the stage in the 3 dressing rooms and the film winding room during this time. On Thanksgiving Day the members of my mother's fanily (she, Aunt Ruth, and Aunt Kitten were sisters) had Thanksgiving dinner on the theater stage with a large table made of saw-horses covered with boards and sheets. At least 20 of us enjoyed this great celebration. Seen through the eyes of a child, what a glamorous place to live and to eat a special dinner. Our house with plain furniture seemed very ordinary in contrast. The roller skating business did not last but a couple of years. The Stratton High School then took over the theater for graduation exercises, plays, and to use an a gym for both boys and girls basketball games and practice. My brothers, sisters, and I played basketball on this court. Sometimes dances were held on Saturday nights. During W.P.A. days, when the new school addition was built, a g5rmnasium was included in this work. The old theater building was torn down shortly after this Shades of the 1930's but this was in 1977! school improvement was completed. by Belle (Beck) Danforth a l,.l f'" i*" r,l' l'. {t ;:t PROTECT' 8*' I DtSr ,l'ffi ,l *tr.,,, , Later day fire protection district equipment. TITE MAJESTIC THEATER AND ANNEX ice cream parlor with my Aunt Ruth Dages as proprietor. She sold all kinds ofwonderful T358 I was 6 years old in 1919 when we moved to Stratton from the farm about 20 miles south of town. Soon after that my father, Lewis Beck, and uncle Bob Collins built the Majestic Theater and Annex just north of what is now Bob Miller's store in the business district. Bob has old cars parked there now. The theater faced the west with recessed double doors in the middle and large windows on each side and a lobby all across the front. The ticket window was directly in front of the doors with entrances on both sides of the ticket window. Double doors on the north side of the lobby opened into the Annex when there was a movie showing. The annex was an ice cream and soft drinks, also sandwiches or popcorn if you were hungrier. Booths lined the south wall and there were those beautiful 'ice cream' tables and chairs through the middle. About 3 years later Aunt Ruth married Bill Dew. who worked for his uncle in Dack's Meat Market and they moved to Colorado Springs and the Annex was closed. Later Ada Osburn had a cafe in the building. The latest movies were shown in the theater and sometimes dances were held after the show on Saturday night. John Calkins or Percy Collins operated the projector, my dad sold the tickets, Uncle Bob played the violin, Aunt Kitten (his wife) played the piano, my mother took the tickets at the door. When we children became tired ofthe show and sleepy, we laid down on a comforter on the floor. behind where Mother sat, and went to sleep. Times were hard and monev was short. The �STRATTON T369 THE STRATTON POST OFFICE T360 To begin this history we take the liberty to quote from Nanatiues of Stratton, Colorado by Mrs. Dessie Cassity who lists the Stratton Postmasters as follows: Louis Roether, appointed September 11, 1888; George Hobart, appointed February 26, 1889; James T. Roberts, appointed March 24, 1906, Williem R. Smith, appointed December 29, 1906; Joseph M. Smith, appointed July 22,1908; Eva B. Hamilton, appointed May 1, 1913; M. Gladys Pugh, appointed November 2, 192L, name changed to Quinn, December 17,1925;8. Velma Logan, appointed April 25, 1934; Marie E. Greenwood, appointed April 15, 1943, serving presently. (These names are �Colo. and Dave Meyers from Colorado Springs during the interim before the present Postmaster, Geraldine L. Troyer, was ap- pointed on Aug. 3, 1984. federal government. A contract was awarded to Lloyd L. Pugh who constructed a new brick building with a parking lot at 313 Colorado added to Routes 2 and 3. Rex Powers served as rural carrier from 1924 to Dec. 31, 1959 when he retired. Fritz Kruse, who was the substitute at that time, served the route until Rich May received his appointment Sept. 1960. Fritz Kruse continued as substitute until he retired, Nov. 1966. Then Ray Schiferl subbed until he became acting postmaster Nov. 30, 1971. Other substitutes for Route 2 have been Darrell Fox and Jan Fox. Guy J. Brown was another 37 years career postal employee. He began carrying mail at Lake Village, Ark., then Jaspar, Mo. and Timpas. Colo. He came to Stratton, Colo. in 1936 and served on Route 3 until he retired Dec. 31 1959. He and Rex Powers retired at the same time. Norman Smith was his substitute and continued to carry until Jim McConnell was appointed Sept. 3, 1960. He continued to sub until Jim retired. Norman Smith began substituting for Guy Brown when he moved to town in 1948. After Brown retired Dec. 31, 1959, Norman carried the mail until Jim McConell was appointed Sept. Stratton Post Office was dedicated Aug. 10, Jim retired at the end of March 1985. On 1968. March 27,1985 Norman Smith was appointed regular carrier on Route 32. Fred Erbert is his substitute. Over the years the Post Office was located in various buildings a hardware store, - merchandise furniture store, general store, and a hotel. The quinns moved the Post Office to the front of their building, now designated as 125 Colorado Ave, and lived in :t,.i::::-,.:r.:. ",. . .. Stratton Post Office in 1988. the back. When Mrs. Logan was appointed, she moved the Post Office to the Linford Building, corner of Main St. and Colo. Ave. Mrs. Greenwood continued operations in that building until it was sold by the owners, the Bradshaw family. The Greenwoods then bought the Quinn building and the Post Office returned to 125 Colo. Ave., July 1, 1946. During the 1960's the Post Office Dept. instituted an Improved Mail Service progrem part of which was providing the Post Offices with more ample and permanent facilities. Under a lease-construction program, a local citizen would construct the building, paying taxes in the community, and leasing it to the The Linford Building, site of the Stratton Post Office from 1934 to 1946. Ave. The move was made and the new It would be impossible to name all the postal employees so to avoid the risk of ;-a*,. M ffiwxex,r Bob and Joan Nowak on a Sept. 1951, Stratton Day float presented by the post office. omitting someone I will mention only a few. According to Mrs. Cassity, Milo Davis and James L. Dages were two of the earlier carriers. There was a Thomas L. Van Hook who served as rural carrier several years before 1920. One of the most outstanding carriers was Noble L. Bradshaw. Appointed in 1911, he served for 40 years, Stratton until 1938, then Burlington until 1941. His con- veyances consisted of horse and buggy, mailcart, sled, seven Model T Fords, and several other makes of cars. Another faithful carrier was Raymond Hughes, appointed about 1920. When the snowdrifts were too deep, Raymond would stike out with a team and sled, go as far as he could by nightfall, stay all night with a farmer family, rest and feed his team, and complete the route the next day. About this time the Stratton mail carriers went together and had a snowmobile made. It was a kind of motorized sled that climbed over the drifts and they took turns using it. When I went into the Post Office, there were three rural routes and one Star Route going to Kirk, Colo. Route 1, extending northwest and southeast of town was served by Joel C. Bradshaw. Route 2 reached out northeast of town above the county line and was served by Rex P. Powers, and Route 3 was laid out southwest of town and was Rural carriers out of Stratton Post Office, Novem- ber, 1971: Rich May, Jim McConnell, Tom Conarty. dates were obtained for me by Representa- tive Donald G. Brotzman when he was serving in Washington, D.C., May 1963) Continuing with the above statistics, Marie E. Greenwood served as Postmaster until her retirement, Nov. 30, 1971. Ray W. Shiferl was acting Postmaster until his appointment on Feb. 4, 1972. He retired January 31, 1984. The Post Office was managed by two Officers-inCharge, Michele McHenry from Gunnison, Simon, David Finely, Norman Zogg. Tom Conarty retired June 31, 1978. At this time Route I was discontinued and the mileage served by Guy J. Brown. The Star Route carrier was Earl AtkinsJoel C. Bradshaw began his career as rural mail carrier when he started serving as 3, 1960. He was Jim's substitute then until On the Star Route other carriers besides Earl Atkins were Bill Thyne, Cecil Niles, Russell Spurlin, Bill Ehlers, Duane Spurlin, Ruth Spurlin, Leona Meyers, Audrey Eisenbart, Walter Meyers (17 years), Kathy Thompson, and Allen Greenwood. When Ruseell Spurlin was on the route it was extended from Kirk, through Joes, and to Cope, Colo., April 13, 1964. Elmer C. Kruse was another long-term employee. He was appointed post office clerk by Velma Logan, Oct. 1, 1941 and retired Nov. 30, 1971. He and Marie E. Greenwood retired at the same time. At Elmer's retirement party he remarked that at the time he took office, Iocal first-class mail that stayed in the office could be sent for one cent an ounce, letters on local rural routes cost two cents an ounce, and out-of-town letters were three cents an ounce. Over the years some of the other clerks were Albert Kimminau, Ray W. Schiferl, Joe Simon, Tillie Kruse, Betty Fox, Ray Droste, and Lucille Liebl. Ray Schiferl was associated with the Postal Service from 1952 until Jan. 31, 1984. He substituted on all three rural routes until he was appointed substitute Post Office Clerk in Sept. 1960. He served as acting-postmaster from Nov. 30. 1971 to Feb. 4. L972. He then received his appointment as Postmaster under the New Merit System established by the Postal Service. He retired Jan. 31, 1984. I would be remiss if I did not mention the substitute for his brother, Noble Bradshaw, Post Office custodians who so faithfully scrub, wax, and dust in the building, then Sept. 1, 1917. He substituted on several other routes until he got his regular appointment on Route 1, May 1, 1938. He retired June 30, 1955 after more than 37 years of service. He estimated that he had traveled approximately 600,00 miles during this time. Ray Schiferl, who was his substitute at that time, served the route until Tom Conarty was appointed Aug. 1, 1955. Other substitutes on the route besides Ray Schiferl were Joe Liebl, Joe water the lawn and the flowers in the planters out in front. Leona Meyers served for many years and now Kathy Thompson. Leona also subbed as star route carrier for her husband, Walt Meyers, and Kathy Thompson subs for Allen Greenwood. Bonnie Miller was another lady who took care of the premises. Terri Troyer, appointed Postmaster, Aug. 3, 1984, is the friendly lady at the window these days. She and her two genial clerks, �Lucille Liebl, appointed Nov. 11, 1973, and Ray Doste, appointed Oct. 12, 1974, are the ones responsible for keeping our mail rolling to its destination. After reviewing this history, Mrs. Troyer wishes to add these words of greeting: "The current Postal Personnel considers it both an honor and a privilege to serve the proud and friendly community of Stratton" by Marie E. Greenwood STRATTON PUBLIC LIBRARY T36l Legion Auxiliary were active in assisting with some library events and gifts. During the 1970's the main individual responsible for keeping the library abreast of developments in the state library connection and managing the local library was Doris Peters. Her devotion was exemplary and she served as long as health allowed. It was she who really interested the city in assuming some responsibility for financing of the library. Others who became involved after Doris left the library were Willa Peters, Darice Hostetler and Flossie Reeder. Membership in the High Plains Regional Library Service System, Greeley, and the services of the Northeast Colorado Bookmobile became essential in providing a large array of materials for the library's clientele. Purchase of the historic Seventh Day Adventist Church in 1984 with some city revenue sharing funds started the process that led to a move into a larger and more desirable location for the facility. Although remodeling had been undertaken without outside assistance other than community and city support, an early 1985 application for a Title II LSCA grant was honored by the Colorado State Library, providing monies to remodel and furnish the new site at 331 New York Avenue. The Century Club added further funding, demonstrating the commu- nity enthusiasm for the project. Rewiring, insulating, plumbing, refinishing and painting, a new roof, construction of shelving and desks, carpeting and new sidewalks and a remp preceded the formal dedication held on October 13, 1985. MSA Club further demon- Stratton Public Library housed in the historic landmark: Seventh Day Adventist Church of 1913. strat€d its interest by providing sod to landscape the area. A uniquely charming library sign designed and made by Will Morton, noted carousel restorer and artist, marks the historic site so heavily used by today's patrons. A 1987 Title I LSCA grant was received which made possible the purchase of a computer and its peripherals for use by library patrons with computer expertise as well as for librarian use. That the computer speedily links the local library with the loan services available through High Plains Regional Library Service System became possible, also. As this is written in 1988, Jewell Banister is the amiable librarian, assisted by Esther Lewis, a Green Thumb volunteer, and Dorothy Lucas who gives many hours of volunteer help. A University of Colorado architectural Doris Peters when librarian at Stratton Public Library. Establishment of Stratton Public Library began in an informal fashion in the 1950's when interested and devoted women recognized the need such a facility could fill and proceeded to organize their own books and materials into a small library collection. Gifts and some purchases with their own funds further enlarged the holdings. The first site of the library was a small room in the American Legion Hall, and some of those persons most involved were Dessie Cassity, who never flagged in her enthusiasm for the project, Patti Best, Rena Borders, Florence McConnell and Lucile Lepper Clark, who all took turns acting as librarian a few hours each week. In time the library was moved to a small building on Colorado Avenue where it was for many years. MSA Club and American student drew plans for an equal-sized facility as a class project which he presented to the library. The day is speedily approaching when consideration of making that addition may be necessary. by Dorothy Smith L945. . . GREATEST GRAIN CROP T362 Kit Carson County in 1945 became the wheat and barley center of the Middle West. Two days after the harvest began the elevators at Stratton were overflowing with wheat running as high as 55 bushels an acre and winter barley to more than 95 bushels per acre. With at least two weeks of harvesting A big harvest meant standing in line on Stratton's main street. Looking north toward the elevator. left, two of Stratton's largest garages were being used as storage space. Those rapidly filled up and farmers piled the precious grain on the ground with no immediate transportation relief in sight. A heavy rainstorm at that time would no doubt have caused a loss of thousands of bushels of grain. Farmers being handicapped with the lack ofsufficient harvest hands worked from earlv in the morning until long after sunsei, endeavoring to save the record-breaking crop. It was estimated that there were 80,000 acres in wheat and 70,000 acres in barley in the county. The following article taken from the Rocfry Mountain Nerus gives a very good account of the county's bumper crop: "With the rich prairie's soil yielding better than for many years past, the only sour note in the harvest picture is an inability to obtain railroad cars to move the heavy crops to the markets. 'I haven't seen anything like it in my years', Dick Rose, manager of the Farmers Equity Co-operative, said. 'I haven't seen so much grain, but I don't believe more than one car has been shipped out. The three Stratton elevators are full and the bins are filling up. Grain is being piled on the ground.' "J.R. Zurcher, mayor of this small farming community located in the center of sprawling Kit Carson County, had the same story to tell as did County Commissioner Tom Kennedy and Dr. James L. Keen, president of the Rotary Club. The harvest got underway two weeks ago and will continue another three weeks they said. The wheat is standing well and though there is a shortage of manpower, the huge wheat crop is being rapidly combined. With farms running from 160 to 1,500 acres or more, many individual farmers are harvesting in excess of 50,000 bushels. C.D. Pottorff, who farms 1,500 acres two miles south ofhere, is averaging 50 bushels ofwheat to the acre, and Joe Droste, who has 1,400 acres in wheat six miles northeast of Stratton, it getting about 35 bushels of wheat and 45 bushels of winter oats to the acre. "'This will be our biggest year since 1940', R.O. Woodfin of Burlington, Kit Carson County Extension Agent since 1933, said. 'There is a lot of 40-bushel average wheat in the county. The county average should run about 25 bushels to the acre, which is exceptionally good. We are getting a five-year crop of wheat barley in one year, as barley usually runs about 12 bushels to the acre. This year the farmers are averaging about 55 bushels. One field owned by Leo Dusharm who farms north of Seibert is getting 95 bushels of barley to the acre.' Woodfin attributes the heavy barley yields to a mild winter last year and the use of two barley varieties, Ward and Reno, which are adapted to Colorado's eastern plains.'The lack of cars for shippping purposes can become very �serious if rain comes,'Mr. Woodfin said.'The weather is ideal for the harvest, but if it rains there will be losses in the wheat piled on the ground.' "'A few years ago people were calling this a dust bowl area,'Mayor Zurcher said.'I wish everyone in Colorado could see this haryest. You have to see it to believe it!"' We have seen great crops piled on the ground since, rows of grain bins on farms, and watched as huge silo-like elevators were erected in all the towns of the county. The transportation of grain has changed to accommodate the passing of the Rock Island Railroad in this area, and trucking is commonplace now. But there are many persons who recall vividly that 1945 year with the bounteous golden harvest, the essence of prosperity and joyous reaping. by the editors STRATTON PUBLIC SCHOOL T363 Tradition says that the first school in Stratton was held in a small frame building that had originally been a butcher shop, located on the spot at the corner of Colorado and Main where today's DG Liquors is located. Seven pupils taught by Charlie Dickinson attended. Very soon that building became too small and in 1895 a two story school building was erected on the area where the school stood for so many years. Pictures of the early Catholic Church show this considerable building in the background. According to records, Miss Ruth McCoulogby taught there in 1896 having the Roberts girls, Hazel, Inez and Susie, Manda Buller, Billie and Clara Lipford, and Albert Bradshaw as pupils. In the early 1900's Mrs. Jennie Wellman became the teacher. Her ntme appears consistently in Kit Carson 3rd and 4th grades, Stratton schools, 1923. County school records. Schools involved little expense in those days even if the money was hard to come by. Teachers and pupils handled all the work of modern day custodians and made sure there was fuel and that fires were kept as well as brought the drinking water. You know where the bathrooms were. Teachers salaries were so modest then as to be almost non-existent. By 1910 so many people had settled in the area that a larger building was necessary. Then a b rick building that has been torn down in recent years was built on the same location to replace the two story frame building used for 15 years. As athletics became part of the school program, space for playing floors was found in buildings about town. Many recall playing basketball in the Majestic Theater, located just north of present day Miller Store. This had a large floor suitable for not only the theater showings but dances and use as a gym floor. It was in those years of the 1930's that girls' basketball predominated over boys. Stratton girls went to a national tournament in 1934, and, although they lost in the early games, the town of Stratton was given great "press" in the newspapers and the laurels that came to those players is still recalled by many. A demise of girls basketball carne when injury or illness caused the Colorado school authorities of that day to drop all girls' competition from then on until the late 1970's when they were reinstated. Under the WPA programs begun in the 1930's by the US government a cement building which housed a modern gymnasium and four elementary classrooms was erected north of the brick building. Until 1961 this glrm was home floor for the many fine boys basketball teams flourishing in the school in those years. The home team locker was located in the furnace room under the stage. That stage with heavily gold fringed green velour stage curtains was the scene of many splendid productions in the form of class plays as well as the renowned Drama Club .,J productions under the direction of Mrs. Kivia Slade who is remembered as a teacher of mathematics and Latin during nineteen years at Stratton High School starting in 1942. Christmas operettas, National Assembly programs, productions by local clubs and organizations were also performed before the footlights of that stage. Many students recall painting the setting backdrops in preparation for a play or cleaning the footlight trough and replacing the lightbulbs. During the '50 and '60's this gym was the setting for elaborate Junior-Senior proms. Lots of romancing occurred behind those stage set flats, no doubt. In 1951 the two buildings were joined together by another structure which made The building which replaced Stratton's first school; used continuously until 1977 as a school. possible a school shop and its finishing rooms, a music department and a school lunchroom and its kitchen pantry. Previously the hot �Superintendent J. Oscar Smith carried the plans forth. Building was done on an almost sacred spot to past football players . . . the football field. Impressive dedication ceremonies were conducted on March 5, 1961, following the move into the building in January, which was done in one day with students managing the many trucks as by Dorothy Smith Today's Stratton Elementary School in 1988. lunch program had begun under the direction expectations of those persons so dubious kitchen to which everyone trooped at noontime. There was no shop program until J. Oscar Smith was hired in 1950 with this program in mind for the community school. The music program had no area of its own, but with the forming of a Music Club and the funds they generated for instruments and just come about. Stratton Schools under the direction of Superintendent Arthur G. Wat- of Marge Brown in the American Legion band uniforms, Joseph Lombardi in 1950-51, was able to organize the band that originated bands of today. Home economics had a program for a few years in the late 1930's but during World War II cutbacks this was dropped. In 1950 Dorothy C. Smith initiated a new department housed in the basement of the high school. One must recall that this year was the period of school reorganization and Stratton schools were trying to meet the The Stratton School pupils in 1915. about the wisdom of consolidation which had son at that time did a great deal to augment its programs and revitalize its offerings especially at high school levels. In the mid-'50's as state standards for school buildings became more restrictive, the constant cost of keeping the old high school building "under code" was studied again and again, and the feeling prevailed that a new high school building was needed. This was the era when St. Charles Parochial School was coming into the public school. With well thought out local plans, the services of an architect and bonding company and all the preliminaries needful to promote and produce this new buiding, the school board and �buildings, however. It's the story of people and activities. But without writing a volume of its own one could not mention it all either. Suffice it to say that Stratton Schools have a reputation for offering a diverse curriculum which has prepared many students for the college and vocational training they later pursued, that Stratton has had its share and more of outstanding football, basketball and wrestling teams, that music is an integral part ofthe school activity each year, that the home economics department and its related Future Homemakers of America organization has provided many state and district officers as well as one national officer, that the shop students are famous over the area for the splendid products of their efforts, that science fairs and related activities occur frequently, that dramatics is still an interest for many students, that the commercial and business offerings are distinctly geared to today's expectations, that the school boasts two libraries which are heavily used, and that the community is justifiably proud of its school. The Eagle Chapter of National Honor Society inaugurated and chartered in 1958 has chosen outstanding students who have made special niches for themselves in the entire world. People are a school, too! There are teachers' names that linger and are often mentioned around the community wherever those who felt their influence gather. . Margaret Walthers, Orville Reddington, Helen Price, The first grade at Stratton School in 1923. Violet Davis, Eleanor DeWalt, Ruth McChesney, Mabel Hemphill, Nell Van Devender, Idris Phipps, Harry B. Davis, H.C. Beibee, Curtis Bradshaw, Margaret Holstine, Wallace James, Hazel Chalfant, Frank Osta- noff, Kivia Thorene Slade, Olive Thiringer, Mildred Shenandoah, Jennie Tressel, Thelma Allen, Ruth Gulley, Virginia Felch, Rosemary McCormick, Lucile Lepper, Mabel Guy, Gladys Quinn, Helen Traylor, Joseph Lombardi, J. Oscar and Dorothy Smith, Arthur G. and John H. Watson. Coates Bradshaw, William Leckenby, Betty and Fred Rock, Lee Carpenter, Adeline Sawyer, Leland Monroe, Joan and Larry Vibber, Earl Knox, Elizabeth and Bill Kercher, Ron Neeley, Virgil Watkins, George and Jane Clark, Helen Mclean, Alyce Lewis, Elmer Boone, Joan and Harold Hagan, William McKinley, Robert Sparks, Roy Towns, Richard Buck, Ron Atkins, Betty Smith, Glen The Stratton Public School from 1895 to 1910. STRATTON T364 ues to house the Stratton High School. By 1975 plans for a new elementary school had been completed and the fine structure directed by each department instructor. This building with some modification and the addition of a separate shop building contin- Wry Stratton "S" Club has a homecoming "float". which now houses the elementary school was occupied Feb. 18, 1977. Envisioning a day when all the Stratton school might be located in a campus-like arrangement with playing fields and playground between the two structures occurred when the high school was built and the land was procured in the mid 1950's. When the present elementary building was constructed that long ago dream was realized. Yesterday's elementary building is now a bowling alley with two restaurants and the old annex houses a number of office spaces. T'e old high school has been razed and many former students have an old brick to stir nostalgia for times long past. MSA Club made arrangements to move the original bell which so long called pupils into school to a site near the present elementary school as a preservation measure. Any story of a school is not the story of Hunter, Roy Ingram, June Short, John Trued, Terry Miller, Nick Wilhelm, Wilbur Ziegler, Tom Pannell, Franceis Coles, Kathy Pickard, Cheryl Barry, Linda Stevens, Jim Martin, John Sporleder . . the list could go on and on. Superintendents through the years include some whose names may not have been recorded. Notable among the listed ones are Homer Peck, R.F. Murfin, Gerald Scofield, Harry Zinn, Arthur G. Watson, R.F. Becker, John H. Watson, J. Oscar Smith, Norman Downie, Carl Weigand, Valerie Sullivan, Wayne Brown and currently David Cockerham. No story is complete without the names of graduates either so they are given in another article entitled "High School Graduates Stratton and First Central". And how remiss it would be to conclude this account without reminding us of all the blizzards, the school bus incidents, the dust storm days, spring's muddy roads, the many trips to district and state events, the heartaches of losses or the glories and elation of victories, the long, long �with having played a considerable role in their lives. by Dorothy C. Smith *****{c****rfc***:l€ Freshman class; Stratton,1945-46: Front row, I to r: Rock Luebbers, Joe Weibel, Bill Fehrenbach, Allen Greenwood, Johnny Luebbers, Dean Campbell. 2nd row: Barbara Schermerhorn, Bertha Balanga, Mary Anne Green, Bernadean Rose, sponsor, Dolores Jostes, Doris Paintin, Marlyn Schmidt. 3rd row: Wayne Greenwood, Margaret Meade, LaVilla Sealock, Shirley Ferris, Dorothy Messinger, LaRene Herberger, Verla Jean Reisch, Ida Knochel, Norma Jean Hershey, Bob Bush. Back row: Bill Griffith, Norman Zogg, Sonny Webster, Bob Pickerill, Alfred Flageolle, Dick Borders, Harvey Rose, Donald Torline. bus rides daily for many kids, the patient highorhighschool,revolvearoundtheschool parents who waited for those who practiced, and its activities. That the life of any the beautiful spring days when school could community is determined by its schools is hardly"keep". . andonandon. . .thiswas recognized nowhere more clearly than in part of school, too. That Stratton schools Stratton community. Many have gone from have been a pervading element in the com- this community to higher education and into munity and county throughout the years is endeavors here and all over the world. Most mostevident.Thelivesof allfamiliesoftoday of them will credit Stratton Public Schools having children in school, elementary, junior Machinery "graveyard." June 23, 1988 Market report ..'.$3.51 Wheat .$3'00 New corn Livecattle'....$63.90 Feedercattle. ..$71.00 LiveHogs ...'.546.25 Grades 5 and 6, May 1925, Stratton: back row: Eugene Spurlin, Roy Folsom, Bob Reddy, Sonny Collins, Ernest Lidke, Paul Weddington, Ralph McFarland. Next row: Sarah Sholes, Ruby Ford, Dorothy Bardwell, Teacher, Edna Folsom, Beryl Montgomery, Dorothy Spurlin. Next row; Belle Beck, Lucille Holloway, Thelma Heltzel, -, Lois McOolloch, -, -. Front row: Claude Ellis, Jimrny Rogers, Curtis Rogers, Robert Davis. -. �Homecoming and Stratton Day were combined in 1966 for the first time. The Assn. began to organize the parade, plan the Stratton 5th/6th grades, 1926: Front row: Del Holiday, Floyd Hetzel, Carl Wood, Durward Riggen, Robert Holloway, Wayne Campbell, Vaden Hn-lin. Second row: Stella Chilili, Lucia Gehrke, Evelyn Ackerman, Lucille Chamberlain, Ruby Wolfrum, Dixie Turner, Stella Sholes, Lelah Kruse, Norma Scott. Third row: Evelyn Pischke, Allie Jean Beck, Helen Bardwell, Lloyd Einspahr, Roy Davis, Violet Davis Teacher, George Harnlin, Donald Wolgamott, John Brady. STRATTON ALUMNI ASSOCIATION T365 In March of 1949 a group of Stratton High School graduates gathered to form an Alumni Association. A set of by-laws were drafted similar to those used by the Burlington Assn. The group's main function was to keep an accurate record of the Stratton graduates as well as to raise money for contributions to the school. Some of the early fund raising activities were box socials, carnivals, and plays. The first Alumni banquet and dance were held in 1953. This also became the time when twelve members were elected to the board. When the Assn. was first organized only the twenty-five year class was honored. The graduates from First Central School were initially honored around 1961. Over the past years it has become a tradition to honor the ten, twenty-five, and fifty year classes at the annual banquet. Classes are recognized and given an opportunity to reminisce with old friends. Beginning in 1964 the honored classes had their pictures in the paper. banquet, and the Homecomingdance. Before this the Alumni had held picnic lunches on Homecoming Day. In order to increase the size of the parade the Assn. invited school bands from surrounding areas. Donations to the school have been made frequently and helped with the purchase of musical instruments, speaker system, trophies, the senior class picture album in the High School and the bell tower. Due to the hard times during the Depression the classes of 1934 and 1935 were unable to have their pictures in the senior class album. In 1986 the Assn. donated money to have these pictures framed. The Alumni began charging one dollar dues in 1965 to help cover expenses. After raising the Association's dues to five dollars annually or thirty dollars lifetime, the Board of Directors formed an Alumni Scholarship to be awarded to the most qualified applicant from the graduating senior class. The amount of this scholarship was originally $250.00 but has been raised to $900.00 due to the generosity of time and money given by the Stratton Alumni Assoeiation members. Key: Graduates of Stratton and First Central: *Deceased, FC First Central (Married name) 1909 Mable Pugh (Guy)* 1916 Grace Johnson (Tompkins); Loretta Taylor* 1917 Joel Bradshaw, II*; Marie Chandler (Greenwood) 1919 Evelyn Mulnix (Anderson) 1920 Leonard Hamilton*; Clara Pugh (Baker); Fern Vanhook (Reddington)* 1921 Curtis Bradshaw* 1922 Eleanore Cochran (Beahm); Allan Long; Aliee Mulnix (McNaryl); Gray Spurlin; Frank Wilson 1923 Floyd Borders; Violet Campbell (Barr);Joseph O. Chandler; Gertrude Church (Boulder); Ruth Church (Schaal)*; Fern Ford (Craig); Mary Horrell (Dvorak)*; Alice Poppert (Beal); Lillian Radspinner (Underwood); Theodore R. Smith FC; Fred Weibel*; Elizabeth Zittle (Woolsey) 1924 Blanche Beattie (Dove); Dorothy Cochran (Reish)*; Iva Crocker (Engelage); Virginia Felch; Florence Huscher (Ford); Harold Huscher; Amy Wood*; Ruth Pischke (Wells) 1925 Clarence Connaway; Grace Evans (Weybright); Esther Gerke (Scheierman); Esther Lindley*; Marshall Sims; Ida Smith (Boecker) FC* 1926 Ave Marie Kellogg (Parks) FC; Norma Mavity (Moody) 1927 Amanda Fuller (Borders)*; Mrs. Earl Carpenter; Annie Connaway (Spurlin); Mrs. Carl Hamilton*; Laura Powers (Shupp); Ambrose Williams*; Garvin Church FC 1928 Lewis Adkins; Gladys Beattie (Clair); Erma Gerke (Thompson); Vena Hughes (Scheierman); Leona Jones*; Gladys Lindley"; Roy McColloch; Justus Rose*; Ava Barr (Magnuson) FC; Glenn Smith FC 1929 Lucille Brantley (McColloch); Bertha Chamberlain; Margaret Day (Huppert)*; Verla Ellis (Pieper); Ruth Gerke; Helen Holloway (Jackson); Hilda Kruse (Claussen); June Rose (Schofield); Ruth Thyne (Spurlin)*; Helen Weibel (Berger); Ruth Wilson Stratton High School in 1988. (Norwack); Lawrence Erickson FC 1930 Burnelle Adkins (Horton); Belle Beck (Danforth); Edith Beeson (Murray) FC; �Bernice Brady (Kenper)*; Reva Braley (Jackson); Frank Brock; Irene Calvin (Hern- bloom); Mae Ellen Calvin (Kellogg)*; Edith Campbell (Johnson); Velva Collins (Beeman); lnez Dunhe- (McArthur); Velora Mulnix (Davis)*; Lee Ora Tuttle (Hanrahan);Wilbur Barr FC;Albert Glad FC; James Greenwood FC; Lyle Kellogg FC. 1931 Harry Holloway*; Lucille Holloway (Woodson); Margaret Holloway (Houtz); Leo Kirkendall; Robert Logan*; Georgia McCollough (Berandt); Robert Ready; Viola Wolf (Gacnik); Irene Dunham (Kennedy) FC; Clarence Iseman FC; Lloyd Parks FC L932 Aletha Allen (Bowers); Ted Burggraff; Robert Davis*; Helen Duncanson (Ancell); Luella Hernbloom; Marie Mase; Lois McColloch (Currier); Beryl Montgomery (Hutchins); William Morgan; Maye Rose (Blodgett); Lee Dunham FC; Claude Ellis FC; Ralph Greenwood FC; Warren Hodge FC; Helen Mitchell FC; Lloyd Perkins FC. 1933 Charles Allen; Helen Bardwell (Al- len); Allie Jean Beck (Iseman); Melvin Calvin*; Earl Collins; Ruth Gulley; Lyle Hooper; Helen Kennedy (Kerl); George Klocker*; Magdalene Leoffler (McKenzie); Ralph Pelle*; Edna Blucheck (Carlton); Collosta Schiferl (Swogger); Dorothy Hodge (Peters)* FC; Violet Norton FC; Wanda Norton (Perkins); Harold Pelle; Kenneth Scheierman FC; Norman Smith FC; Cloyd Storrer FC; Nora Wright (Johnson) FC; Orville Wright FC. 1934 Evelenne Ackerman (Folsom); Helen A. Bertrand (Lichety); Irvin Binkley Lucia Gerke (Cowles); Kathleen Green (Sister Evangeline); George Hamilin; Violet Hern- bloom (Kirkendall); Lilla Kruse (Campbell)*; Lillian Murphy; Iona Penne (Hous- mann); Stella Sholes (Arends); Reid Strong; Robert Barley FC; Clair Barr FC; Leonard Beeson FC; Loraine Iseman (Wood) FC; Marie Kiper (Lesher) FC; Ella Storrer (Lebsack) FC; Parker Swann FC; Wesley Taylor FC*. 1935 Lylah Ayers (Ness) FC; Doris Beck (Engelbrecht); Donald Bertrand; Mary Burggraff (Calloway); Lena Campbell (Keelet); Clarice Christian (Johnson); Mertie E. Christian (Crouse); David Davis; Evelyn Einspahr (Burnett); George Green; Mary V. Klocker (Dill); Clara Pautler; Ben Pelle; Oswold Pautler; Inez Perkins (Batholomew) FC; Evelyn Ritzdorf (Poland); Lenora Stom- bought (Scott); Harold Thomason; Leonard Willey*; Virginia Wilson (Foster); Edgar Geisit FC; Russell Glad FC; Lunette Swem (Kibble) FC. 1936 Earl Atkins; Lewis Beck; Lee Binkley; Rueben Beecker; Jeanne Bradshaw (Bruner); Louis Brueske; Helen Burggraff (Morris); Eugene Byrne; Mabel Garner (Scheierman); Dorothy Hanner (Danekas); Alfred Holloway*; Dorothy Huppert (Pierson)*; Willard Kirkendall; Sylvia Krauth (Bowers); James McFarland*; Juanita Nixon; Agnes Powers (Stramel); Doris Proctor (Peters); Eloise Proctor*; Faye Proctor (Byrnes); Fern Proctor (Penick); Magdalene Stoffel (Heiken); Viola Waechter (Ancell); Frank Wolf*; Mavis G. Ayers (Smith) FC; Agnes Iseman (Leonard) FC; Dale Lesher FC; Helen Magnuson (Smelker) FC; Ivan Smelker FC; Vaughn Taylor FC. 1937 Evelyn Atkins (Paintin); George Bowers; Nadean Brown (Zwetschke); Lois Jane Calverley (Schlihs)*; Wava Campbell (Hetzel);Alyce Dischner (Lewis); Arlin Erf- man; Irene Erfman (Hibbits); Delmer Glaze; Edward Klocker; Edmund Green*; Gordon Hernbloom; Frank McFarland; Thomas Moyer; Mary Pautler (Carnese); Ruth Sealock (McFatridge); Galen Thomason; Isabella Thompson (Kerr); Herbert Waechter; Maebelle Wolfrum (Boyer); Eldon Wolgamott*; Velma Beeson (Davis) FC; June McArthur (Martin) FC; Elywin Swann FC; Mary Alie Swen FC; Vance Taylor FC*. 1938 Lucille Bertrand (Wharff); Helen Churchwell (Rockwell); Veralee Conners (Schillings); Dorothy Feirstein; Louis Feirstein; Ruby Gehrke (Bates); Lucille Glaze (Clark); June Courtright (Hampton); Evelyn Gauge (Edmunds); Mary Knochel (Marnell); Emma Lucas (Lempp)*; Wilda Paintin (Pratt); Lewis Powers; Rev. Homer Rich; LaVerne Thomason; Mary Thyne (Flippin); Ralph Tryon; Marie Zubrod (Navrot); Paul Baetz FC; Maxine Iseman (Chandler) FC; Ila Magnuson FC*; Ella Mae Young (Meade) FC. 1945 Millicent Beller (Luebbers); Wanda Bishop (Churchwell); Roberta Calvin (O'Halloran); Marion Dischner (Borden); (Gibble); Lelia Reish (Raines); Juanita Rum- Helen Green (McCormick); Thelma Greenwood (Hutton); Marcella Knochel (Schaefer); Jim McConnell; Norma Jean Messenger Thompson (Gabelman); Arlie Vannatta Harley Pottorff; Almetta Russel (Johnson); mel (Johnson); Raymond Schiferl; Olive (Camp); Lyle Bunch FC; Dean Smelker FC; Dorothy J. Taylor; (McArthur) FC. 1939 Johannah Atkins*; Edith Bardwell; Joel Bradshaw III*; Myron Brown; Mary Burne (Gerligk); Alberta Collins (Rowe); Gladys Hernbloom (Hooper); Herschel Hoo- per; Lucille Hooper; Ruth Krauth (Slick); Agnes McConnell (Boecker); Irene Osburn (Buhr)*; William Parsons*; Neoma Rafferty (Smith); Ethlyn Ready (Springer); Olive Rowley (Eppelsheimer); Wanita Sealock; Catherine Simon*; Irene Stewart (Brown); Lucille Wolf (Kenney); Hazel Wolgamott (Guerin) Maxine Young (Wolgamott); Mary Pfaffly FC*; Shelby Taylor FC*; Donald Thompson FC. 1940 Clark Beck; Herman Bertrand*; Doretta Brown (McEnter); Lola Mae Calverley (Kidd); Gertrude Collins; Earl Davis*; Marcella Dischner (Greenwald); Wanda Gar- ner (Sweet); Clarice Hernbloom (Fager); Cleona Hernbloom (William); Letha Holstein (Lorraine); Jim Keen; Harold Kitten; Gerald Lempp; Julia McCormick (Lowe); Edna Payne (Godfrey); Bill Reish; Vesta Russell (Geoffrey); Bert Stombaugh*; Irene Zubrod (Cannon); Helen Zurcher (Glenskie); Rose Mary Zurcher (Cox); Clark Beeson FC; Charles Bunch FC; Alvin Lowe FC; Velma Lowe (Pratt) FC; Jessie Rich (Gaunt) FC. 1941 Bob Bowers; Arthur Dischenr; Tom Kennedy*' Laurine Kitten (Schiferl); Charles Krauth*; James Leoffler Sr.; Faye McColloch; Clarence Muchow; Lola Lohrman (Gramoll); Louis Pugh; Betty Reish; Joe Simon*; Loren Stombaugh; Pauline Stombaugh; Frances Thomason; Peggy Warrington; Francis Byrne; Dorothy Wilson*; George Wilson; Rev. Phillip Cline FC; George Kirkendall FC; Vivian Smelker (Whitmarsh) FC. 1942 Myrtle Collins (Mumford); Everett Holstein*; Violet McOonnell (Wolski); Rosemary McCormick (Gergen); Zelma Kennedy (Eubanks); Rev. Russell Meade; Marion Powers; Ethel Wolgamott (Evans); Julianne Zurcher (Savada); Rev. Oscar Borden FC; Oris Bunch FC; Wayne Iseman FC; Violet Magnuson (Bunch) FC; Bertha Swann FC; Darrell Taylor FC. 1943 Leon Beck; Marianne Beller (Stevens); Melva Freeman (Cline); Neona Gade (Pierce); Norma Garner (Borden); Laura Greenwood (Thomason); Evelyn Heintz; Floyd Hooper*; Kenneth Lindley; Russell McFarland; Leona Meade (Rich); Howard Pickerill; Lucille Rich (Schreiner); Bernadine Rose (Ardueser); Margaret Simon; Salvador Valesquez; Marion Webster; Verla Smelker (Martinez) FC; Shirley Taylor (Thompson) FC; Walter Rich. 1944 Joyce Beck (Clark); Vivian Bush (Schlichenmayer); Mildred Pelle (Drietz); Goldie Waechter (Doane); Charles Sholes*; Darlene Taylor (Pottorffl FC. 1946 Glennadene Copley (Cline); Keith Kruse; Luella Lucas*; Clifford Messenger; Lela Pottorff (Wilkinson); Florene Schmidt (Weibel); Dorothy Smelker (Clark); Mary Valesquez (Suazo); Rosalie Webster (Jorden); Andy Weibel*. 1947 Altha Borden (Ely); Bill Collins; Ed Dischner; Ardis Heningson (Valesquez); Dale Kindred; Betty Pelle (Lobmeyer); Betty Russell (Sutton); Dale Shermerhorn; Jerry Simon; Colleen Zogg (Travis); Eloise Valesquez; Rita Zurcher (Vinduska); Arlene Bunch (Rains) FC; Patsy Bush. 1948 Roberta Collins (Higley); Marvin Edmunds; Netha Hansen (Kindred); Melvin Hatfield; Roy Herberger Jr.; Conrad Jostes; Elva Lowe (Akins); Velva Lowe (Pickard); Ted Sallee; Melvin Smith; Dean Spurlin; Jim Spurlin; Don Valesquez*; Dale Wolgamott. 1949 Bertha Balanga (Johnson); Dick Borders; Pearl Collins (Hair); Shirley Ferris*; Alfred Flageolle; Mary Ann Green; Allen Greenwood; Wayne Greenwood; LaRene Herberger (Kauffman); Norma Jean Hershey; Francis Husenetter; Delores Jostes (Erbert); Ida Knochel; John Luebbers; Rock Luebbers; Dorothy Messenger (Weaver); Edna Miltenberger (Stegman); Bob Pickerill; Verla Reish (Hall); Harvey Rose; Barbara Shermerhorn (McDaniel); Marlyn Schmidt (Dischner); LaVila Sealock (Clark); Rosalie Stoffel (Greenwood); Joe Weibel; Kathryn Waldron (Burd); Norman Zogg; Maryarct Meade (Thomason). 1950 Lloyd Borden; Donald Borders; Anne Bradshaw (Struthers); Dean Campbell; Donna Carpenter (Borden)*; JoDell Carpenter (Talley); Theresa Isenbart (Baylor); Bill Fehrenbach; Bob Fox; Marvin Hatfield; Joan Nowack (May); Doris Paintin (Vondy); Donna Rae Pelle (Englert); Ellsworth Pottorff; Bill Pugh; Shirley Scheierman (Zoeg); Carcl Smelker (Newman); Arla Smith (Franke); Mary Spurlin (Newton); Claudine Stoner (Messenger); Betty Vinduska (Schawe); Eugene Waldron; Vera Sue Wolgnmell (Grimes); Peggy Zogg (Hubbell). 1951 Richard Bayles; Douglas Bishop; Maynard Bowen; Robert Fehrenbach; Duane Ferris; Chester Frankenfeld; George Miltenberger; Lavina Pugh (Decker); Virgil Pugh; Betty Jo Quinn (Roehr); Charles Sallee; Dorothy Schermerhorn (Neva); Franklin Smelker; Gordon Smith; Bob Spurlin; Melvin Thomason; Kay Webster (Wendler); Lily Woller (Hinton). 1952 Norman Beattie; Clifford Borden; Bill Day; Marlis Dinger James Brachtenbach; (Weaver); Lyle Garner; Joy Hatfield (Blancken); Leroy Herndon; Mary A. Isen- �bart (Sister Mary Cecil); JoAnn Jostes (Day); Kenneth Lobmeyer; Lelan Lucas; Bernetta Luebbers (Curver); Max Mason; Myron Powell; Eileen Powers (Tschetter); Connie Rhea (Decker); Sherry Rose (Martie); John Schermerhorn; Twila Smelker; Paul Smith; Frank Spurlin; Kenneth Stull; Delbert Tanner; Mary Waldron (Keeling); John Webb; Nola Webster (Engstrom). 1953 Carol Lee Conarty (Eberhart); Lodema Courtright (Templeton); Ferdie Knochel; Borden; Audrey Brachtenbach (Eisenbart); Dale Conrardy; Robert Dischner; Richard Flageolle; Darrell Fox; Janice Husler (Collins); John Husler; Dennis Kordes; Nean Liebl; Kathy Mitchem (Hartzman); Danny Rose; Neoma Sisson (West); Gladys Smelker (Norman); Velva K. Smith; Connie Stegman (Baker); Kathy Stegman (Leavitt); Ronald Stoner; Bill Swanson; Bernadean Tesmer; Bob Werner; Donald Wood. 1960 Lila Borden (Gilley); Barbara Bra- fler (Daugherty); Karen Potterff (Ziegler); Marilyn June Powell (Overholt); Colleen Stegman (Stutzman); John Schulte; Mary M. Selenke; Jean Shean (Erker); Robert M. Stegman. 1966 Dale Boecker; Kathryn Buhr; Larry Crocker; John Dasenbrock; Rodney Davis*; Joyce Dischner (Stockwell); Diane Flageolle (Miller); Doris Flageolle (Dombeck); Jennifer Garner (Singley); Delores Goodin (Setter); Vickie Hornung (Sutton); Jana Dee Johnson Claus Hume; Benny Miltenberger; Virginia Pelle (Malone); Kenneth Pottorff; Dan Schaal; Frances Selenke (Torline); Doris Spurlin (Stevens); Dale Strothman; Carrell chtenbach (Eisenbart); Dr. John Bruckner; Galen Conrardy; Charles W. Cure; Genevieve (Shalata); Linda Lewis (Miller); Dennis Merritt; Diane Pottorff (McCartney); Patrick Rueb; LaRita Sawyer (Addams); Sally Shean (Ehlers); Shirley Smith (MicHaelis); Bonnie Toland (Swann); Arlene Weingardt (Weisshaar); Gerald Thompson; Harold Sal- denberger); Joyce Hornung (Austin); Berna- (Rueb). 1967 Darrell Bezdek; Gary Brachtenbach; Stull (Blakely); Geraldine Summers lee; Maxine Urban (Erbert); Denise Verbiest (Kozial); Jack Wolf; Verla Wolgamott (Skufca). 1954 Delmar Beattie; Mary Ellen Bowen; Raymond Bowen; Ora Carrell; Dean Herndon; Roger Kliesen; Janet Luebbers (Bancroft); Martha Mclrvin (Baxter); Opal McNees (Nelson); Donna O'Halloran (Eberhart); Harold Pelle; Orilla Pugh (Harless); Kenneth Sallee; Eleanor Scheierman (Herndon); Albert Selenke; Una Smelker (Reese); Jean Smith (Mason); Marvin Tanner; Carol Webb (Powell). 1955 Ronald Atkins*; Shirley Bohling (Pearson); Paul Brown; Betty Jo Calvin (Bell); Louise Dvorak (McCormick); Gwen- dolyn Einspahr (Schlichenmayer); Charles Fox; Phillip Helsel; Palamon Hornung; LaVon Jostes (Taylor); Bob Krei; Glen Lucas; Dale Mason: Zella Mclrvin; Donald Peters; John Spurlin; Kenneth Stegman; Darlene Verbiest (Strothman); Delphine Verbiest (Wharton); Florence Denise Wilson (McCon- nell); Amy Marie Wood (Smith); Doug Woodson; Patsy Young (Havens). 1956 Harold Churches; Bonnie Bishop Droste (Rubio); David Flageolle; Delores Flageolle (Luebbers); Jerry Fox; Phyllis Goodin (Worthington); Anita Homer (Lin- dine Husler (Gelizeus); Lolita Klotzbach (Ramos); Carolyn Krei (Feldhousen); Mary Lou Liebl (Zink); Carolyn Mclean (Miller); Ronnie Meyers; Phyllis Pottorff (Albrecht); Beverley Scheierman (County); William Selenke; Doyle Smith; Janice Tesmer (Burrow); Ronald Wolf. 1961 Dan Anthofer; Judy Bohling (Payne); Margie Brachtenbach (Colpitts); Don Churches; Roy Conrardy; Charles DeCastro; Shirley Erker (Bruckner); Lorena Flageolle (Kimminau); James Garner; Alberta Lang (Schaal); Douglas Paintin; Luella Paintin (Hershberger); Doris Pelle (Weir); Doris Pugh (Durham); LaDonna Sawyer (Peters); Lynn Scheierman (Johnson); Pauline Selenke (Pesek);Audrey Wood (Smith); Patricia Thomas (Forbes); Mary Kay Werner (Huppert); Myrna Wilson (Bill); Jack Young. 1962 Rollan Bauman; Sylvan Bauman; Larry Brachtenbach; LeRoy Brachtenbach; Anita Conrardy (Balman)*; Betty Cure (Brossman); John DeCastro; Cecilia Isenbart (Fox); Diannen Erker; Marcia Grasser (Sister Mary Carol); Kenneth Hornung; Gary Huppert; Betty Jean Kordes (Brachten- (Schumann); Jack Brachtenbach; Rose Marie Droste (Stoos); Jerome Fox; Ruth Isenbart (Kimminau); Esther Mclean (Herndon); Drusilla Mitchem (Spurlin); Robert bach); Nancy Liebl (Feist); Teresa Liebl (Douglas); Glenn Pence; Sandra Pottorff (Berry); JoDell Pugh (Musgrove); Leonard Pugh; Lyle Sawyer; Betty Bea Scheierman (Short); Bonita Sisson; Charles Smelker; Virginia Stegman (Dobler); Leon Thomas; Robert Smith; Dean Smith; Donna Spurlin; Duane Spurlin; Andra Stegman (Maxon); Melvin Strothman: Carmilla Werner (Pelle); Barbara Wilson (Edmunds); Raymond Mil- Janet Zrubek (Lasinski). Pottorff; Darlene Powell (Freytag); Marie Pugh (Idler); Elsie Smelker (May); John tenberger. 1957 Martin Bauman Jr.; Keith Beattie; Margene Brown (Smith); Raymond Droste; Betty Eisnpahr (Hansen); Albert Hornung; Ed Husler; Elaine Jostes (Hubbard); Tom Luebbers; Vera Malone (Noyce); James Mather; Juanita Meade (Marrow), Diane Pelle (McDermott); Leona Peters (Krentz); Mary Margaret Quinn (Sandy); Geraldine Rose (Ludwig)*; Herbert Scheierman; Elaine Smelker (Hornung); Gary Smelker; Richard Stramel; Carlyn Werner (Gerwick); Edna Woller (Robinson). 1958 Elaine Anthofer (Krueger); Ivan Beattie; Linda Calvin (Torline)*; Judy Conarty (Smith); Glenda Dinger (Levins); Bill 1963 James Best; Lynette Dasenbrock (Fankhauser); Ron Downey; Charles Ehlers; Donnie Flageolle; June Goodin; Anne Helsel (Young); David Hernbloom; Esther Husler (Luther); Robert Kerl; Charlie Mclean; Gary Pautler; Robert Pelle; Mary Proctor (Ehlers); Diane Pugh (Schulz); John Rueb; Delores Smelker (Rehor); Doyle Smelker; Linda Storrer (Swanson); Diane Werner (Kloeckner); Larry Wolf. 1964 Gene Beattie; Joel Bradshaw IV; Christine Calvin (Brachtenbach); Janice Conrardy (Anderson); Cynthia Davis (Beck- er); Carol Ann Droste (Whitten); Ernie Flageolle; Hary Fox; Verlin Garner; Linda Gramoll (Nemec); Gary Helsel; Irvin Husler; Wayne Huppert; Donna Jones (Fox); Robert Ehlers; Leo Isenbart; Walter Isenbart; Ange- Meyers; Jerry Miller*; Linda Paintin (Amack); Carolyn Pugh; William Rueb; Peggy Schwieger (Fox); Rose Selenke; Keith la Flageolle (Isenbart); Kathy Homer (Dobler); John Huppert; Robert Jacobs; Bill Krei; Weingardt; Kenneth Wolf; Daryl Wolfrum. 1965 James Bradshaw; Pam Bruckner Jerry Lucas; Danny McCormick; Ivan Schaal; Rita Selenke (O'Hayre); Richard Smith; Nedra Swanson (Pierce); Loretta Tesmer; Larry Torline; Ruby Urban (Mauer); Rita Werner (Ziegler); Jeanette Wolfrum (Embacker). 1959 Cordella Bauman (Pickerill); Theo (Jones)*; Vickie Calvin (Hahn); Diane Cibol- ski (Albertson); Paul Clark; Robert Coles; Ethel Mae Cure (Martin); Kathy DeCastro (Woodrick); Robert Downey; Ronald Einspahr; Darrell G. Garner; Terry Hornung; Dennis A. Johnson; Beverly Kordes (Beattie); John Liebl;Phillip Liebl; Sondra Leof- James Christopher Carnathan; Kenneth Clark; Edward Cure; Mary Ellen Cure (Bohnen); Dorothy Droste (White); Richard Grasser; Patricia Griffith (Alderson); Jerry Homer; Ronald Jones; Kathy Lempp (Lewis); James Leoffler, Jr.; David Liebl; Glenda Jo Pfaffly (Bauman); Connie Pottorff (Volskis); Pamela Powell (Boles); Dan Ricke; Leon Schaal; Carol Shean (McAlister); Linda Stegman (Johnson); Penny Brachtenbach (Carpenter); Timothy Weibel; Kenneth Witzel; Gary Wolfrum*; Larry Wolfrum; Edward Zrubek. 1968 Kenneth Bezdek; Mike Davis; Karen Downey; (Kerschner); Mike Eisenbart; Marvin Garner; DeeAnn Goss; James Sidney Hubbard; Jeanette Husler (Schreiner); Dennis Kindred; Mark Laue; Janice Lempp (Perkins); James Lewis; Marvin Megel; Beth Ann Miller; Gail Paintin; Leon Pautler*; Terry Pfaffly; Mary Ann Price (DeVinney); Elaine Rueb; Mary Lou Schiferl (Hubbard); JoAnn Schulte (Willis) Jolyn Schulte (Garrison); George Stegman; Dessa Shutte (Jantz)*; Connie Vinduska (Foose); Mike J. Werner; Gerald Wolf. 1969 LaDonna Brachtenbach (Anderson); Linda Cibolski (Miltenberger); Vickie Corliss (Schlepp); Pastor Clyde R. Denslow; Willetta Garner (McKee); David Gwyn; Delores Heit- schmidt*; Steve Hornung*; Sue Hubbard (Marrone); Sherry Krei (Merritt); Patsy Kordes (Eisenbart); Mike Laue; Mike Mclean*; Tom Mills; Janice Pottorff (Ecke); Steve Powell; David Ricke; Lester Schiferl*; Ed Schulte; Becky Schulz; Calvin Shean; Darris Taylor. 1970 Judy Best (Wall); LuAnn Brown (Lucas); Greg Buhr; J.D. Coles; Cheryl Courtright (Richards); Bob Cure; Kay Cure (Unruh); Marsha Davis (Kravitiz); Mark Dischner*; Dan Erbert; Larry Grasser; Rick Kordes; Bob Lewis*; Deborah Mattix (Huppert); Judy Pottorff (Winick); Sherry Pottorff (Lupher); Terry Pottorff; Bill Rau; Joan Ricke (Hick); Lois Schulte (Tilley); Tony Schulte; Patty Schwieger (Witzel); Linda Shutte (Einspahr); Dan Witzel; Donna Witzel (Gwyn). 1971 Virginia Bezdek; Candice Clark (Spicer); Deborah Courtright (Conrads); David Cure; Jane Cure (Hubbard); LuAnn Dasenbrock (Berens); Rick Davis; Bill Dykes; Jim Dykes; Jane Flageolle (Smith); Lynn Gramoll; Mary Gwyn (Tart); Billy Homer; Cindy Hornung (Luebbers); Pam Hotter (Smith); Jane Jostes (Ingram); Gary Kindred; James Liebl; Bunnie Mitchem (Chartier); Wanda Nusser; Randy Pickard*; Nick Price; Tom Proctor; Rex Salling; Charles Schulte; Della Shutte (Calhoun); Denis Smith; Pam Smith �(Liebl); Delmar Stegman; Leon Vinduska; Gary Wilson; Janet Zogg (Churchwell). 1972 Dennis Cure; Nona Eisenbart (Woller); Linda Flageolle (Davis); Mark Flageolle; Niles Ray Garner; David Hornung; Walter Hubbard; Janice Kindred (Still); Valerie Kordes (Thyne); Jeanette Lempp (Leurquin); Nancy Lowther (Sneed); Jo-es Mattix; James Monroe; Marilyn Paintin (Cranmer); Valerie Paintin (Taskila); Larry Pottorff; Sherry Reeder (Monroe); Marla Salling (Flageolle); Doyle Schiferl; Allen Schulte; Daniel Schulte; Barbara Schwieger (Hornung); Larry Shutte; Steve Stegman; Cindy Weibel (Ridder); Rick Weingardt; Roxie Wilson. 1973 Suzy Critchfield; Michael Cure; Rhonda Davis (Peterson); Mary Jane Dischner; Frank Droste; Andy Flageolle; Gail Grasser (Allen); Dianna Greenwood (Husem- an); Neta Griffith (Rau); Nancy Hadachek; John Malone; Sue Matthews; Joanne Monroe (Jones); Patty Parker; Timothy Pautler; John Rau; Mike Ricke; Stanley Rueb; Darrel Schulte; Theresa Stegman (Amos); Marie Toland (Wolfley); Diane Twomey (Denslow). 1974 Jody May Atkins; Bonnie Clark (Mattix); Rusty Critchfield; Alan Cunningham;William Cure; KathyDavis (Sims); Rick DeMichele; David Dischner; Terry Erbert; Steven Fox; Jackie Griffith; Jerry Hasart; Patrick Hornung; Kent Jostes; Alan Kopplinger; Alice Leoffler (Smith); Susan Leoffler; Neal Luebbers; Donald Malone; Karen Mattix (Albers); Kathy Megel; Carolyn Miller; Laurie Mittlestead; Sherry Nusser; Shirley Nusser; Edward Parker; Randy Ramos; Sheryl Reeder (Grant); Keith Rogers; Rita Schulte (Erber)*; FLaDean Wigton; Ronald Wolfrum; Devin Wood. 1975 Ronald Borden; Myrva Buhr; Bill Courtright; James Hadachek; Joyce Ann May (Malone); Mike McCormick; Tony Paintin; Arthur Price: Marc Pottorff: Laura Ricke (Strick); Terry Rogers (Atkins); Linda Schulte; Elizabeth Stegman (Pautler); Mike Weigand; Charlene Wigton (Gorton); Colleen Wilson (Weigand). 1976 Douglas Beeson; Janell Brachtenbach (Woods); John Cure; Lisa Dasenbrock; John Dischner; Norma Eisenbart (Fox); Al Finley; Greg Flageolle; Keith Greenwood*; Lester Hasart; Arlene Hornung; Kenneth Malone*; Mark McClay; Debra McCoin; David Megel; Paul Pautler; Debbie Pottorff; Edward Pottorff; Bill Price; Robert Rueb; Ruth Schukar; William Schulte; Lori Thyne; Janet Wood; Trish Zogg (Dorsch); Greg Grasser. 1977 Glenda Borden; Russell Corliss; Ron- ald Cure; James Fox; Patricia Fox; Sandra Garner; Carl Graham; Karen Greenwood; Edward Herndon: Kevin Hubbard: Kevin Jostes; Marilyn Leoffler (Turner); Gregory Liebl; Kathy Logan; Cindy May; James May; Paul Miller; Jennifer Page; Theresa Peters ; June Radabaugh (Daniel); Marcia Schulte (Stauter); Ramona Schulte (Wagner); Vean Spurlin; Cindy Stegman; Angela Thompson; Shirley Wigton; Lance Wood. 1978 Robin Arends; Shirley Brachtenbach; Donna Courtright (Hake); Theresa Cure; Tom Dischner; Tina Eisenbart; Fred Erbert; Janine Hornung (Fox); Corrine Graham; Terry Ingram; Kurt Jostes; Kendra Kliesen (Monasmith); Linda Leoffler; Dean Liming; Brian Luebbers; Dan May; John McCormick; Rick Peters; Craig Pottorff; Kim Pottorff; LarryRicke; Rita Stegman; Michelle Thompson (Cure). 1979 Carl Anderson; Drusilla Beesley (Jostes); Jeanette Beeson (McCormick); Judy Borden; Gay Nell Courtright; Trenda Garrett (Weisshaar); Stan Hornung; Ted Ingram; Lisbeth Jensen; Moira Kliesen; Vernon Knox*; Beverly Malone; Tom May; Jim McCoin; Laura McCormick; Marci Pickard; Jenny Pottorff; Mark Rueb; Ted Spurlin; Dennis Schulte; Richard Thompson; Tim Greg Whipple. 1988 Roger Austin; Devin Bauman; Kristy Dieterle; Kelly Eisenbart; Brian Fox; John Hornung; Mark Hornung; John Howe; Scott Huppert; Stephanie Krason; Mark May; Patricia Miltenberger; Chuck Pautler; LaDawn Polzin; Daisy Reese; Tonya Schwindt; Dan Topp; Judy Wigton. Wehling. 1980 Rhonda Austin; Marc Banister; Carol Beesley;Kim Downey (May);Bill Fox; Keith Fox; Christy Graham; Peggy Grasser; Annette Hornung; Tony Isenbart; Lynette Jackson; Kris Kimminau; Trina Kliesen (Benson); Jim Malone; Liz May; Stacey Mays; Monte McCormick; Tammy McCor- mick; Pat Price; Mark Schmidt; Janell Wigton. 1981 Lyle Austin; Brenda Eisenbart; Robby Edwards; Jacque Erbert (Schmidt); T.C. Garrett; Carol Herndon; Bill Hornung; Cindy Isenbart; Ed Isenbart; Jeanette King; Kevin Lueck; Trudi Malone; Steve May; Patricia Maya; Del Schiferl; Nean Schmidt; Terry Schwindt; Janice Simon (Pautler); Tammy Solberg; Jeanine Stegman (Hor- nung); Justin Tatkenhorst; Dave Thompson; Lisa Thyne; Kathy Wieton. 1982 Debbie Austin; Joy Borden; Bob Brachtenbach; Dorothee Bruckner; Todd Fehrenbach; Dennie Flock; Pam Fox; Whit- ney Hornung; Amy Isenbart; Barbara Isenbart; Wade Kliesen; Scott Pottorff; Dick Remos; Mary Ricke; Justin Rueb; Jackie Stegman; Denise Price; Darla Swanson; Jenni Thyne; Joe Valenti; Kenny Valenti; Deb Wilson: Pam Smith. 1983 Julie Austin; Diana Banister; Tammy Flock (Beeson); Connie Brachtenbach; Doreli Bron; Tanya Fehrenbach (Taylor); Rochelle Flock; Jon Fox; Leroy Frazee;Pat Kear; John Lempp; Joy Lowe; Tony Garrett; Steve Huppert; Tim Isenbart; Mary May; Ray McConnell; Tim Miller; Tom Miltenberger; Todd Pottorff; Laura Shulda; Ted Simon; Judi Smelker (Mitchek); David Solberg; Doren Spurlin; Bernard Stegman; Rodney Thompson; Rona Weis. 1984 Kendra Berry; Jacqueline Brachtenbach; Zane Brachtenbach; Cheryl Drescher; Donald Fox; Kenneth Fox; Michelle Fox; Susan Hornung; Timothy Hornung; Dolores King; Dana Kliesen; Garrett McConnell; Donna Monroe; Michael Ramos; Robert Schulte; Steve Schulte; Tricia Schwindt; Mitch Swanson; Rebecca Topp; Lawerance Yoder*. 1985 Shandra Adolf; Karine Berry; Eric Brachtenbach; Pam Brachtenbach; Christine Conrardy; Paul Conrardy; Russel Eisenbart; Greg Engel; Geri Freiberg; Roger Hopewell; Larry Hubbard; Joseph Isenbart; Melinda Isenbart; John Lightle; Kimberly McCombs; Deena Monroe; Ann Simon; Juleen Stegman; Carole Lightle. 1986 Lora Abbott; Cheryl Beeson; Howard Craig; DeAnna Fox; Lisa Gorryn; Anna Hartzmann; Mark Kelley; Ed May; Mike May; Bobbi McCombs; Jim Ramos; Leroy Shields; Karen Simon; Danny Shulda; Bruce Thompson; Gerald Weis; Rhea Wigton. 1987 Kerstin Berry; John Brachenbach; Matt Isenbart; Janine Martin; Rodney Martin; Lonnie Drescher; Craig Fox; Kim Fox; Donna McConnell; James McCormick; Gretchen Neumann; Layne Polzin; Jill Pottorff; Julie Pottorff; Lori Roesch; Alice Schaal; Pam Stramel; Rick Stramel; Wendi Swanson; ..CHURCHES' T366 Of the many facets of pioneer life that played meaningful parts in settling the area we know today as Kit Carson County, nothing assumed greater roles than education and faith in a Higher Power. This is evident from the large response to school stories and having a story submitted for almost every church in the county. With "Churches" we are calling to our attention that four of the churches featured in the 1970 book. White Churches of the Plains, written by Robert Hickman Adams and published by Colorado Associated University Press are about churches whose stories are recounted in the Kit Carson County History Booft: Seibert United Methodist, Immanuel Lutheran Church north of Bethune, Stratton United Methodist Church and the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Stratton which is now the Stratton Public Library. In his foreword to that book Thomas Hornsby Ferril, famous Colorado author, stated "People lacking beauty tend to create it." In its unique fashion the prairie was and is beautiful, but the stark and unending sweep of the plains before fences and roads, the trials, disappointments and daily monotony, the vicissitudes of weather, and the ceaseless change of seasons accompanied by infrequent times of exulting in accomplishment drew those hardy souls to attempt fulfilling their fragile dreams by grasping for some visible and constant symbol of beauty and steadfastness that would stay within their grasp. Building and maintaining these churches reflects to us the love and dedication and yearning of great hearts and minds among the early pioneers and their descendants reaching even into today. by Dorothy C. Smith CHURCH OF GOD T367 In the homestead days of 1912 and 1913, Grandma Thomas, who lived north of Stratton, felt the need for a church in her community. Mrs. Thomas began conducting cottage prayer meetings in her home. Grandma Thomas had contact with the Church of God in Kansas. Through her invitation Rev. Clarence Bright and wife held a revival in an adobe school house known as the Thyne School in the year 1916. Near the close ofthat year or the beginning of L9L7 a Sunday School was organized. In August 1918, Mrs. Pearl Norris and Miss Birdie Luther held a two weeks meeting in the same school house. At this time they decided to change from a Union Sunday School to Church of God Sundav School. �to raise money for the Building Fund. This began the practice of a Fall Ingathering Dinner which continues as a yearly extra project for the church. In 1965 bids were opened for the construction of the present building. Geo. H. Allen Construction Co. of Denver was the low bidder. Dan Rohwer was the architect. The Building Committee was Wendell Arnold, Howard Taton, Ray Bishop, Mrs. Joe Garner, Mrs. John Hasart. Kenneth Scheierman and Loyd Hostetler. The new church was dedicated October 24, t965. A dream of 12 years had come to be a reality. The church paid off their loan in 1972 and they are free ofdebt. A new building fund is being held for the construction of an educational unit. Merrill Smith pastored the church at the time the new building was constructed and returned to pastor the church again in 1987. The roster of Ministers is as follows: R.E. Hooper 1918-1923, T. Wade Good The Church of God, Stratton, 1942, in the process of being remodeled. (ready for the stucco). who lived in Stratton, and he was afraid to carry the loan so they refinanced to pay him off. In just a few weeks after the church paid him, the local bank failed, and the man lost all his money. The first building was a one room structure with no basement at a cost of between $2800.00 and $3000.00. It was dedicated in May 1920. Rev. Hooper pastored the church until . ot;-.'1."1*-r-' -,* _,-),'t- .r* The Church of God as it stands in 1988, built in 1965. They began using Church of God literature. R.E. Hooper, who lived south of Stratton, had felt his call to the ministry and he began preaching in the Thyne School and held services Sunday mornings. A.G. Lovell held a revival for the small church in the little school house in November 1919. This meeting brought out people from town. The people were in the process of starting a building fund to build a church. On December 6, 1919, a business meeting was held at the Thyne School for the purpose of deciding as to the wishes of the congregation in regard to building a new chapel and such other business as might be considered. The motion was made and carried that the church be built in Stratton. Will Sweangen was elected President of the Building Committee and R.E. Hooper was elected as SecretaryTreasurer. Pledges were taken and totaled $1850.00. Those who pledged were Mr. and Mrs. D.B. Sealock. Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Garner, Rev. and Mrs. R.E. Hooper, Mr. and Mrs. Will Sweangner, Will Sealock, Mr. and Mrs. D.B. Thomas, Laura Sweangen and Merlin McNees. Lots were purchased at the site of the present church buiding. The money was raised by pledges of money and articles from the farm. Some gave horses, cattle, chickens, machinery or whatever they could give which was sold at a public sale. The balance of the money needed was borrowed from an individual. The money was borrowed from a man 1923. T. Wade Good followed him and was with the church until 1926. Rev. Good supported himself one year during his pasto- rate in order for the church to pay off their debt. In 1934 Rev. R.E. Hooper returned to pastor the church again. The church purchased a parsonage and the Hoopers moved into it. It was located in the block south of the present parsonage. During his pastorage the church was remodeled and a full basement put under the church. Rev. and Mrs. C.W. Baldwin came to the church when the Hoopers left. The Church sold their parson- age and purchased the Hasart house which is still used as a parsonage. It has been remodeled since then. In 1945 the furnace smoked filling the church with thick black oil webs. The ladies of the church cooked meals and the men and women came in to clean away the heavy black smoke. They were very thankful that the church did not burn. In the early 1950's the church basement was enlarged to make ready for an enlarged sanctuary. In the middle fifties a building fund was started for a new church building. A God's Acre project was promoted one year when different farmers in the church gave a few acres of crop to the building fund. There was a drouth during this period and the amount of money raised was small. Kenneth Scheierman then offered to give up the lease on a quarter of land he was farming which belonged to Baughman's. The church rented it and farmed for the Building Fund. This proved to be a big boost to the Building Fund. During one year of this time, the income from the land had to be used to pay the current church expenses, Pastor Harold Taves and his brother-inlaw fished in Canada each summer and when they came home, they would have a fish fry 1923-1926, J.N. Richardson 1927-1930, W.B. Morgan 1930-1932, David Lighty 1932-1934, R.E. Hooper 1934-1943, C.W. Baldwin 19431947, S.C. Ritchhart 1947-1948, E.C. Arthur 1948-1952, Fred Bruner 1952-1958, Harold Taves 1958-1959, Merrill Smith 1960-1968, Wilbert Nelson 1968-1973, Merrill Cunningham 1973-1978, Wayne Woodworth 19781980, Donald L. Bloomer 1980-1987, Merrill Smith 1987-. by Mabel Scheierman SAINT CHARLES BORREMO CHURCH T368 Even before 1900, Franciscan priests from St. Elizabeth's Church in Denver served as missionaries for communities in East Central Colorado. In 1909, the Franciscans turned these missions over to the Diocese of Denver. Bishop Matz assigned Monsignor Godfrey Raber and his assistants to serve the many missions in the area. In Stratton, Mass was usually held once a year in the hall over the old bank (now the Roadrunner). Priests who came to Stratton during the years of 1909 and 1912 included: R. Charles Hagus, Fr. Cloppet, Fr. Felix Abel, Fr. George Fenske, and Father Alphonse Kieffer. In 1910, a committee was formed to raise funds and build a church. Leo Craig was appointed chairman by Fr. Raber. O.S. Taylor and C.E. Malamphy also served on the committee. Members of the parish contributed funds, labor by constructing the basement, and items to furnish the church. A Mr. Leofflor, who was not a Catholic, donated the land. The Catholic Church Extension Society donated $500 and an altar. A local builder, Mr. Huntington, was hired as the contractor. The cornerstone of the first St. Charles Church edifice was laid on November 17, 1910. Planks placed on nail kegs served as pews. Mass was then held once a month. In May 1912, Rev. George Fenske was appointed pastor of St. Charles and its missions, which at that time included Hugo, Burlington, Kirk and Seibert. Due to Fr. Fenske's illness, Rev. Alphonse Kieffer was appointed pastor in 1913. He first lived in one of the Sacristies in the church and ate his meals with the Ollie Taylors, who lived across �to travel on because ofthe ruts than were the side roads through the prairie. The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Dubuque, Iowa arrived in September of 1919, and taught school in Stratton for the next eight years. Sister Mary Charles Duffy was the first directress. She became ill with the flu and died here on March 21, L920. She taught the upper grades and was an artist. Sister Mary Loyola was the next directress. Sister Mary Arangelia Duffy taught music for the eight years and gave individual violin lessons in the kitchen. Sister Mary Therese was the teacher for the lower grades. Sister Mary Agnes was the cook for the school and for Fr. Schmidt and the caretaker. She used a coal stove. Clara Knockel recalled sitting with her feet on the oven door to get warmed up. Other teachers included: Sister Mary Clara, Sister Mary Annunciata, and Sister Mary Juliana. Three lay teachers also worked during the last few years this particular order of sist€rs were here. Miss Mary Horrell (later Mrs. Joe Dvorak) taught the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades, in 1924-25 for 925.00 per month. Miss Grace Comerdy taught the first and second grades one year, and Miss Lucille Wisco the 5th, 6th and 7th grades in L926-27. This was the last year that the Presentation sisters cnme to St. Saint Charles Borremo Church built in 1910. Charles. In 1920, the cornerstone was laid for the St. Charles Academy. The initial cost of the building was $42,000, but the total cost was eventually $125,000 due to the accumulated interest. This was a controversial project from the beginning. It was commonly agreed that a larger school was needed. Some people felt that an academy where girls from the surrounding area could board and room would help develop the parish. Other people felt that this was too ambitious a goal. Once the decision was made, however, many people St. Charles Catholic Church built in 1949 replacing their first structure. The new Parish House and Religious Center built in 1983. replaced Father Kieffer. One of Fr. Schmidt's accomplishments was extending the church to the east in 1918, the new part being the Sanctuary. In 1919, Fr. Schmidt moved into the little white house so the Sist€rs could live and conduct school in the rectory. The south half of the rectory was for the upper grades. The lower grades were taught in the adobe addition. The adobe had double seats with three to a seat. There was a well with a windmill, also a cistern northeast of the The two story brick rectory built in 1915. the street to the west. With his own money, Fr. Kieffer built a little white house, approximately where the church stands today. This little one story house was moved, in later years, to the southeast of the church, but still in the same block, and the caretakers for the church property lived in it. At one time, George Quinn was one of the caretakers. In 1915, the two story brick rectory was built. An adobe addition was later added on the east side. Fr. Kieffer had his office in this addition, with a bedroom upstairs. He had to go outside and up the staircase to reach his bedroom. The adobe also had a cellar under the porch. In 1917, Father Felix Schmidt rectory. Sister Marie Therese would pull out a bucket of water and the students would all line up to get a drink after dinner. In the winter, since there was not much heat in the adobe, the students would take turns standing where the heat came into the room, holding their books to study all the while. Some children c'me by horse and buggy; some walked. Josephine, Alice and Anthony Walker walked eight miles to school when they couldn't catch a ride. The Knockel pledged funds. Unfortunately, a period of drought and hard times followed, forcing many to leave their land and move away, leaving the debt on those members of the parish who remained. Father Munich arrived in 1921. During the 1928-29 school years, the children attended public schools, and Father Munich conducted religious classes in the church each Saturday morning after Mass. Clara Knockel wrote that after Father Munich was sure individuals among older children knew their Iessons he would have them help with the lower classes. Miss Knockel would go up front and ask the lst, 2nd, and 3rd grade girls their catechism. Helen Weibel (later Mrs. Joe Bunger) was sent up to ask the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd boys their catechism. The Sisters of the Most Precious Blood from O'Fallon, Missouri taught school from September 1929 to May of 1960 when St. Charles.Academy was closed due to a shortage of teaching sisters. Sister Mary Walburges was the first Superior. Sister Mary Geraldine taught music. She had been on the stage in Europe before she became a num. Other sisters from that order who taught during these years included Sister Madeline, Sister Christine Marie, Sister Virginia, and Sister Aurelia who also taught piano to many children had to travel seven miles to school. Miss Clara Knockel remembered that the driver would put the top down on their Ford so that it could go faster. She recalled the time of a blizzard and two of the sisters wrapped her up in their shawls for the ride young men and women. Father Munich served St. Charles parish until 1936, when he became ill. He died in Denver in 193?; Father Henry J. Ernst was appointed pastor in September, 1937. He became ill in 1946, and home. In bad weather the highway was harder Fr. George Spehar and Father Edward Dinan �each assisted in the interim. Father Dinan was later appointed pastor and served the parish for over twenty years. Due to the growth of the congregation, a larger church was needed, The cornerstone for the new church was laid on February 23, 1949. The church was dedicated on July 28, 1949. A large hall containing an auditorium, kitchen and dining facilities was built in 1952 and dedicated on Dec. 15th of that year. In 1983, the old St. Charles Academy was torn down because its state of deterioration made it an unsafe place to hold CCD classes. The rectory was replaced by a building which functions as both the parish house and the religious center. The new rectory was dedicated on June 19, 1983. Pastors since Father Dinan include: Fr. II. These members, wishing to continue to observe the teachings and practices of their God-given faith and also to be loyal to the 2000 year tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, sought out priests, who were loyal to 'eternal Rome'of St. Peter and his successors. to offer the Traditional Latin Mass, the Mass of the Saints. Father Placid White, O.S.B., the first resident priest, came to the area from Springfield, Colorado where he had served the Catholics of Southeastern Colorado for sixteen years. At present, Father Eugene R. Berry of Aurora, Colorado offers the Traditional Latin Mass on a scheduled basis at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Chapel, Stratton. by Joann Hornung Maclnerney, Fr. Bannigan, Fr. Sobiesczyk, Fr. Wm. Murphy, and Fr. Edward Leonard. Fr. John Krenzke is the priest in 1988. Boys from St. Charles who became priests were: Rev. Hugo Pautler, ordained in 1932, Rev. George Weibel, ordained in 1948, and Rev. John Holloway, ordained in 1955. Girls from St. Charles who became nuns include: Barbara Wurtele, Mary Dvorak, Helen Wein- gardt, Augusta Weingardt, Elenora Byrnes, Kathleen Green, Mary Alice Isenbart, and Marcia Grasser. Early families in the parish include the Anthofer, Balanga, Brachtenbach, Brock, Dischner, Dvorak, Evans, Fierstein, Flageolle, Ford, Heiman, Horrell, Hahn, Taylor, Jostes, Knockel, Leoffler, Wm. Nowak, Paut- ler, Pelle, Quinn, Schiferl, Simon, Stoffel, Strick, Walker, Thomas, Thyne, Weibel, Weingardt, Wolf, Zurcher, and Thomasen families. Many descendants of these families are still active in the St. Charles parish and the Stratton community today. The history of this church were taken from materials written by Miss Clara Knockel in May of 1969, and a letter from Mr. Leo F. Craig in 1953, and personal conversations with Mr. Louis Pautler. by Elizabeth Whipple OUR LADY OF FATIMA CATIIOLIC CHAPEL T369 Int974,a group of Roman Catholics joined together because of the radical changes caused by the 'so called' reforms of Vatican Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Chapel near Stratton. ST. PAULS LUTHERAN CHURCH T370 St. Pauls Lutheran Church was built in L92L. In 1949 the congregation purchased the Nazarene Church which had abandoned services in Stratton. St. Paul Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, was started in Stratton by the Flagler Church as their mission church. Their pastor, Rev. Beirwagen came and gathered several families together for worship. In 1920 they organized into a congregation. The charter members came from the following families, the Wollers from Vona, Gaddys, Gerke, Pischke, and Lucas. They gathered in the John Gerke home for worship under the leadership of Rev. Vuesing, who interned here for one year. They were encouraged to build a house that could be used for a church. At that time they were a part of the Kansas District of the Missouri Synod. Funds were borrowed from the mission fund of the district and Mr. Joe Collins gave them the lots and helped them build their first house of worship. The church was dedicated in1922 free of debt as they had paid the loan off by that time. Their first Pastor was Rev. Webber. Next came Rev. and Mrs. Christ Adams. They stayed for a year and one half leaving due to health reasons. Rev. Biens came and stayed for a long time. During this time the church grew with the addition of the Grammol, Chris Zogg, Erth- man, Meyer, Einspahr, Scheierman, Mucho and other families. Later other families joined them from the Burlington area. They were the Lucke, and Seelhoff families. The Hasart family joined in the thirties along with others who cannot be recalled. In 1949 they traded their "house" for the church building of the Nazarene Church. The Nazarene Church wanted to sell their building but couldn't find a buyer prompting the trade for the house . . . Worship services were held there until 1979 when the congregation voted to fold due to declining membership. The Church building along with some of the contents was sold in 1980. Mr. Curt Jostes purchased the building converting it into a lovely home. The old bell went to Trinity Lutheran Church in Burlington. Mrs. Hilda Lucas is the only remaining charter member living at this time. by Hilda Lucas STRATTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH T371 The Constitution and By-Laws of the Claremont Congregational Church were adopted March 10, 1888, when it was organized in the home of Mrs. Lucy Hobart. She and her daughter Clara were the only members. Rev. Martin H. Meade was a traveling pastor who came through and held services when he could. In 1889 a building fund was started. Rev. George E. Tuttle was the first resident minister, moving to Claremont on March 1, 1892. By July, 1896, when he left, there were 27 members, Some names that are familiar are Mr. and Mrs. N.H. Fuller, Mr. and Mrs. E.G. Davis, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wellman. Starting in the winter of 1896 services were held only once each month so the pastor could travel farther west and carry the message to more people. He served Seibert and Flagler, also. Rev. C.W. Smith then served Seibert, Flagler, Cope, and Kirk part-time and Clare- mont all of the time until March 1. 1901. Brother Peter Rasmussin of Cope preached a few Sundays at 3:00 p.m. until Rev. N.H. Nash came to Claremont on May 5, 1901, for a salary of $100 per year. His parish consisted of Cope, Seibert, Bethune, and Claremont. On March 1, 1903, Rev. F.S. Hughes became the preacher in this parish. On July 3, 1904, he preached his farewell sermon to the Claremont Church. Rev. J.W. Tipton of Burlington filled in until September 4, 1904, when Rev. J.L. Read was called to be the pastor for a salary of $200.00 per year plus a parsonage, which was bought from Mr. Book for $450. At that time the average Sunday service attendance was 36. In 1906 the members voted to take up a collection at each service to be used as needed for the church. On June 14, 1908, the name ofthe church was changed to the Congregational Church of Stratton as the town's name had been changed. The Methodists had built a basement and used it for a time but were no longer able to continue having a church in Stratton. So the Congregational Church bought this basement and built the First Congregational Church on it for a total cost of $2,012.69. During the next 14 years there were increases and decreases in membership, pastors came and went, and services were held when possible. Sunday School was held regularly and officers of the church were elected and active. On September 22, 1922, Rev. Barton, pastor ofthe Seibert Congregational Church, became pastor of the Stratton Congregational Church, also. His salary was $1,600 per year paid half by Seibert and half by Stratton. Rev. Barton resigned September 16, 1923. Several ministers c"me and delivered a sermon but did not want to serve two churches. On Novembet 24, L924, Rev. J.T. Bainbridge of the Methodist Church in Burlington came over and held a worship service at 2:30 p.m. He agreed to do this on �I i i : AA Iu ,,"-m Stratton United Methodist Church, 1988, one of the "Little White Churches of the Plains" On October L2, 193L, the trustees of the Congregational Community Church voted to lease the church building to the Evangelical Church for 925 per year, although no payment is recorded in the financial statements of the following years. At a special meeting held in 1942, the Stratton Congregational Community Church became the Stratton Evangelieal Church and the deed to the parsonage and church property was turned over to them. The parsonage was sold to Mrs. Anna Scheierman and the house on the corner of 3rd and Colorado Avenue was Community Congregational Church, now United Methodist Church at Stratton, t920-23. an irregular basis. Then from December 1, 1926 until May 1, 1927, Rev. Jockins of Idalia Methodist Church served as pastor for the Stratton Church with two services each month. In February L927, a fire broke out in the little room under the stairs in the basement of the church. Mr. Stoner repaired the damage to the building for 9266.35 but the organ had to be replaced. ' A special meeting was called on March 28, 1927, with Rev. Jockins presiding. Under consideration was the changing of the church to an Evangelical Community Church or, if that did not pass, changing it to the Stratton Congregational Community Church. The motion for the first change did not pass, but the one for the second name change did pass. On May 2, t927, Rev. Alfred Alf came to Stratton, with his wife and 2 daughters, to serve as the full time minister of the church. A new constitution and By-Laws were written and charter memberships were accepted until the end of May, 1927. Rev. Alf served in Stratton for about one year. Sunday School and other activities were continued after he left but no regular minister was assigned. A worship service was held only when a visiting minister could be available. The Evangelical Church rented the sanctuary and started having regular worship services on February 10, 1929, with a membership of 46. Rev. C.E. Glaze was the pastor. bought for a parsonage. In L946 the Evangelical Church merged with the United Brethern Church thus the Stratton Evangelical United Brethern Church came into being. At the annual meeting held on March 27, !947, the pastor, Rev. Erickson, presided. The following officers were elected: Marge Brown, secretary; Geneva Hill, treasurer; trustees, Elora Calverly and Russell Sawyer; class leader Adeline Sawyer; assistant, E.R. Smith; Sunday School Supt., Earl Kindred; 1st asst., Vena Scheierman; 2nd asst., Marge Brown; secretary, Dessie Cassity; Membershin cnm E R Smifh ond Elnro fa"l.'."|.' Tearing down the church steeple and remodeling the kitchen were discussed and referred to the Ladies Aid. During the next few months the church steeple was discussed but nothing was done about tearing it down. In April of 1948, a building committee was elected to start on plans for remodeling the church. Ernest Pottorff, Vena Scheierman. and Art Lowe were elected. A goal of g12,000 was set for this project. Rev. Francis Bayles, Jr. came to Stratton as the pastor in June, 1948. The Building Committee was instructed to get an architect to make plans for the remodeling. In September the plans were presented for the remodeling at an estimated cost of$8,100. 96,100 was on hand or pledged, $1,500 promised from Conference, 91,100 promised for new pews by the Ladies Aid, making a total pledged of $8,700. The committee was instructed to proceed with the remodeling as economically as possible. On March 3, 1949, the estimate of amount needed to complete the project $b,260. A campaign for more money was started and the Ladies Aid would help to make up the difference. Volunteers could be dependld to do some of the labor. A loan in the amount of $6,000 was secured so the building could be finished. On January 15, 1950 plans were started for the rededication of the remodeled building. The rededication was held on March 19, 19b0, with an all day celebration. The Reverend Virgil J. Lnmm came to Stratton in June, Lgl2,to be the pastor ofthe Stratton E.U.B. Church. At the Administrative Council meeting held in November, 19b2, the three pulpit chairs were given to the Bethune E.U.B. Church. At the November. 1953 Council meeting it was announced that Stratton's invitation to host Annual Conference had been accepted. The dates were May 26, thru May 30, 1954. Plans for beds. breakfasts, and transportation for some of the guests to stay in Bethune, Kirk, and Seibert were discussed. Some of the meals were to be served by the Ladies Aid in the Church or perhaps in the school lunch room. Because of this careful planning the whole affair was a great success. During the next years, under Rev. Lamm's strong leadership, the church grew in mem- bership and attendance. Helen Kerl was appointed church treasurer in March, 19bb. Money was always in short supply but with every-member canvasing and a firm understanding of stewardship the bills were always paid even if things were pretty close sometimes. With faithful giving and some sacrificial giving the financial position ofthe church slowly improved. In June, 1957, Rev. Lamm suggested that the membership was increasing and it was becoming necessary to acquire more space. It was reported that the property north of the church might be available. Also the parsonage was getting very rundown and inadequate. Extensive remodeling and improvement was needed. Building a new parsonage might be more economical than the work on the old one. On April 23, 1958, the Council voted unanimously to buy the property on the north side of the Church for $8.800. A letter was sent to every member and a special meeting was called to vote on buying this property.On May 7, 1958, the vote was 84 for buying it and 18 against. At that time the average attendance at Sunday School was 115. The cottage on this property was greatly needed to use as Sunday School class rooms. The cottagewas dedicated July27,19b8. The final payment on the property was made on Sept. 17, 1958 instead of on the due date which was June 1, 1960. During the summer and fall of 1961 several suggestions on a new parsonage or remodel- ing were investigated. On September 21, 1961, a special congregational meeting was called to vote on trading the current parsonage at the corner ofColorado and 3rd Ave. for Nusser's lots, north of the E.U.B. Cottage, and $4,000 cash. The vote was 19 yes and 18 no and the exchange was made. Guy Ancell was given the contract to build the new parsonage with a full basement for 917,000, not including the wiring and fixtures, about $500, as Max Toland had pledged to do the wiring. Financial statement for the building of the parsonage - Cash on hand $4,127; borrow $7,500; making a total of 917,500. In March it was voted to borrow the $6.?50- still �owed the Conference at 6 percent interest, served nearly 4 years (through June' 1983). Sunday evening 18, and prayer meeting 16. In June 25, 1964 Rev. V.J. Lamm was sent Niwot, Colorado moved to Stratton on July the District and Conference Mission Teams. Membership remained a little above 100 for these years. In June, 1982, Rev. Bingham accepted the Hotchkiss/Crawford charge in getting more youth and more young families into the church. On September 7, 1966, he reported an average attendance at Sunday Greenwood, having married Ernest Greenwood, a long time resident of this community. The Auxiliary received a charter in June, moved to Stratton and served the Stratton/Seibert parish until his death in November, 1982. Rev. Douglas Lewis served this parish on weekends from January, 1982, until in June, 1983, when he became the fulltime pastor until June, 1985 when he moved back to South Carolina. Rev. Marge Huffman was appointed to the Stratton/Seibert Parish in June, 1985. Great plans are being made for the Stratton United Methodist Church's Centennial Celebration The charter members were Ursula Fitzgerald, from the Stratton First National Bank at 5 percent interest and pay off the Conference loan. At that time the average attendance was: Sunday School 80, worship service 70, to Peetz, Colorado. Rev. David Finley of 28, L964. Two of his first concerns were School of 46.0 and worship service 46.5. October was designated as Church Loyalty Month to boost attendance' Dorothy Smith and Helen Karl were appointed to prepare a prospect list and implement it with a followup call. In 1967 the 3 churches in Stratton, Church of God, St. Charles Catholic Church, and E.U.B. Church, started working together on helping the migrants in the community. A Joint Conference meeting with Kirk, Bethune, and Stratton on September 19, 1967' was held and the members were reminded that as ofApril 23, 1968, our churches names would be changed to The United Methodist Church. The curriculum of the E'U'B. and These were good years for the Stratton U.M.C. with a strong Sunday school and youth program. The United MethodistWomen were very active with members serving on the western part of Colorado and is still serving there in 1988, but is now Rev. Doris In June, 1982, Rev. Eldon Shoemaker in May of 1988. by Belle B. Danforth Methodist Churches had been written to- gether for the last two years. District orientation groups were suggested. The mortgage on the parsonage was paid off and a celebration service was held on October 29, 1967. It was suggested that the church recognize the uniting ofthe two churches in an appropriate STRATTON AMERICAN LEGION POST way at the discretion of the pastor. Rev. Finley used part of his vacation to attend the Uniting Conference in Dallas. A new bulletin board was erected south of the church and was dedicated on May 12, 1968. The memorial fund was reserved for a new organ. During the next four years membership decreased slightly but attendance at Sunday school and worship service remained stable. New hymnals were purchased. In June, 1972, Rev. Charles M. Wood was assigned to the Stratton/Seibert Parish. The membership in Stratton was 137, with an average attendance in Sunday school of 56 and in worship service 64. New loudspeakers were installed. A memorial plaque was placed in the church and.a2 drawer file cabinet with lock was purchased to be placed in the parsonage. A Baldwin organ was bought from Hershberger, McCook, Nebraska, for $2,395. A new furnace with air conditioning cabinets was installed with air conditioning to come later if money were available. A Building Committee was elected to work on plans for an education building. In June, 1974, Rev. George Dagenakis was appointed as pastor for the Stratton/Seibert Parish. After much work and some disappointments, the work of the Building Committee finally paid off. The contract was let to Ezra Yoder and the building finished near the end of 1977 at a total cost of $65,000' The trustees signed a 6 month note at the Stratton First National Bank which was paid off in 4 months. The dedication and mortgage burning was cause for real celebration with Greeley District Superintendent Jon R. Nieves joining in this time of joy and thanksgiving. In July, 1978, Rev. Frank Harvey came to the Stratton/Seibert Parish on a temporary basis. Rev. Doris L. Bingham was appointed fn fhio norioh fhe firsf nf Sentemher end T'J72 STRATTON AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY T373 The American Legion post and the Auxilia- ry were named for the first two World War I veterans killed in service, Nagel-Rehms. 1926, with J.G. Ford, Commander, and G.E. Quinn, Adjutant, conducting the ceremony. Ada Hunt, Cora Janeway, Gladys Quinn, Jane Pugh, Margaret Epperson, Olive Bertch, Anna Quinn, Inez Ford, and Henrietta Barry. Meetings were held at the Collins Hotel sitting room. Later they moved to the homes where they pieced and tied quilts to sell. They moved to the present Legion Hall which was built in 1948 after World War II. Activities through the years have included having Capper's hospital equipment for community service and use, making and sending knee robes to Fort Lyons and the VA Hospital in Denver, sending cookies with Christmas gifts and a TV for use at Fort Lyons, buying and selling poppies to help the Disabled Veterans, sponsoring space for the library for several years, sponsoring a girl at Girls' State, and hosting Gold Mothers teas. The Gold Star Mothers were Elva Holloway, son Alfred; Nettie Taylor, son Vance; Carrie Wolf, son Frank; Clara Hoyda, son Chester; Esther Mclean, son Chester; Clara Doddridge, son Philip; Lula Hooper, son Floyd; Rosie Gray, son Kenny Hanson; Hilda Lucas, son Ernst. Each year we fix decoration for the departed veterans on Memorial Day. We have a three generation trio of ladies and members: Grace Greenwood, Vera Greenwood, and Karen Greenwood Eastland. Two generation members are Edith Fehrenbach and granddaughter Tanya Fehrenbach Taylor. Our meetings are held the third Wednesday of the month in the dining room of the American Legion Hall. by Lola Gramoll The home of Nagel-Rehms Post No. 138 since 1948 in Stratton. Application for membership to maintain a Post of the American Legion was granted to Stratton. Colorado on June 15, 1922, to be known as Nagel-Rehms Post No. 138. The name Nagel-Rehms was chosen to honor the first two men from this area who had lost their lives in World War I. After World War II the membershiP swelled with World War II veterans being eligible for membership. The old Midway Theatre building was purchased to maintain the Post. The present building was erected in 1948 and continues to be the center of much community activity as well as providing the Legion's home. The Post now has a membership of 86. by Ray Schifierl M.S.A. CLUB HISTORY T374 "M.S.A. Club was organized in 1933 by a group of sixteen Stratton ladies who sought by inspiring relationship and mutual ex- change of ideas to better themselves, their families and their community." The first of 54 scrapbooks has this rather stilted sentence to explain the beginnings of M.S.A. Club. The first meeting was held Oct. 3, 1933 with Helen Liebee presiding as President. The second meeting wae a tea honoring Mrs. A.G. Fish. President of Colorado State Federation of Women's Clubs. Topics that were discussed at that meeting were Hitlerism, Monetary standards, Inflation and the N.R.A.Code. Of these Inflation and Monetary Standards, are still timely as are many topics that the ladies delved into during the years with emphasis in 1987 on obsewing the Bicentennial Celebration of the America Constitution. Now bv Derusing through fifty-four year- �worthy projects - the Community Scholar- ship Fund, the Heart Fund, A.M. Cancer Fund, March of Dines, CARE, Stratton Swimming Pool, the Kit Carson County Carousel Restoration Fund, Deric Bauman Day, and a donation to the United Methodist Church Library in memory of the late Doris Peters in recognition of 28 years of faithful membership in the Club. Another project sponsored by the Club was the establishment of a City Library, Mrs. Dessie Cassity, Chairman of the library Committee will always be remembered for her tireless efforts in finding a suitable building, soliciting financial support from the town, promoting the donation of books and securing the services of the Bookmobile beginning April 7, 1959. In 1968 the Club bought a set of Encyclopedia Brittanica for the Library. Much credit should be given to other members who supported the Library or served on the Board including the late Doris Peters who dedicated so much of her time as Librarian. When the Stratton Public Library MSA Club, the sponsoring organization for this book. Back row, left to right: Marie Greenwood, Shirley Hornung, Mabel Scheierman, Patty Witzel, Wanda Sweet, Florence McConnell. Middle row: Marlyn Hasart, Henrietta Schlte, Belle Danforth, Betty Stewart, Dorothy Smith, Dorothy Stegman, Eileen Cure. Front row: June Pottorff, Sharon Todd. books and scrapbooks we can recall that the M.S.A. Club has promoted a great variety of programs and projects such as Guest Night, Mother's Day Teas, Husband's Parties, reports from Columbine Girls State which the club helped sponsor, Safety programs, Energy Saving and Community Beautification programs, reports from 4-H Club members some of whom were delegates to the Citizen's Short Course in Washington D.C., talks by Foreign Exchange Students, a demonstration bythe County E.W.L., Ambulance Director, high school parties up to the year 1948 when we changed to honoring the High School Senior Girls with a dinner and evening of entertainment, In 1971, a program, arranged by Dorothy Smith and open to the public, featured a guest speaker, Mrs. Galla- gher, the Director of Ridge Home. Other outstanding programs have been "History of Early Pioneers", the Colorado water situation, Child abuse, Keep America Beautiful, Living with a Handicap with Irene Armistead, a paraplegic, as guest speaker; lawyer who explained the legal processes of estates and wills; The administrator of a Nursing Home, Hugh O'Brian Reports; Organ Donors; Reports on National Conventions; and County Nurse on Sex Education in the schools. In 1946, the Club entertained the other Clubs of Pikes Peak District with a pageant of Colorado History, using original script written and directed by the members with Oct. 26th, and are preserved in the scrapbook for that year. On Oct. 22, 1983 the Club celebrated its Golden Anniversary. Several State and District officers attended as well as former members. and members of other Federated Clubs. A history of the Club was read as well as letters from former members. One former member who was 96 years old that year is still keeping in touch with the Club at the age of 100 years in 1987. M.S.A. has had many outstanding pro- grsms and special speakers. On February 19, 1974 the club hosted a group ofboys from the Colorado Boy's Ranch, LaJunta, Colorado. After partaking of a scrumptious supper, the boys favored the club with a musical program and Indian dances for which they are famous. This program was open to the public. In 1977, Jo Downey, Executive Director of East Central Council of Governments, gave a program on Housing and Community Beautification. Other enjoyable programs were on poetry by Bonny Gould, Art by Roy Duell, Hummell Collecting by Frank Liebl, Doll Collecting and repair by Naomi Allison of Greeley and Oil Painting by Sally Bauder of Burlington. One of the most enduring projects of M.S.A. Club is Stratton's City Park established in 1939 with tremendous physical effort from members and their husbands who carried water to nourish the trees. This site is an attractive addition to Stratton and the many tourists who use its shade and ameni- correlating background scenery. In 1947, the ties each year. The public swimming pool and tennis courts are there. Now a part ofthe city many of the organizations in Town participating and competing for prizes. government's responsibility. M.S.A. is very proud of the latest improvement, the delightful gazebo provided with lottery money. The Club has made a number of donations to the San Juan National Forest in the name of bereaved members. They have also contributed to many health drives and other Club put on a Talent Show Contest with In 1958-59, The Club celebrated its Silver Anniversary. The past presidents were contacted and the letters which they wrote constitute history in themselves. These letters were read at a special Guest Night on outgrew the small downtown building, the club supported the city of Stratton in its mandating of efforts to establish new quarters and develop greater use of the town's facility. M.S.A. Club chose sodding of the area and some floral plantings surrounding the historical site, once the Seventh Day Adventist Church, as its major contribution to this project. As M.S.A. Club members as well as Stratton Public Library board officers, Belle Danforth and Dorothy Smith have been closely involved in this endeavor. In order to finance their activities the Club has had many money making projects. For the last seven years it has compiled and sold Community Calendars to the people in the Stratton Community. Birthdays, anniversaries and community and sports events are recorded on the calendars. During the years, the members have been actively involved in the pursuits of the District and the State Federation of Women's Clubs. M.S.A. Club has always taken its turn at being convention hostess club. Several members have served as State Chairman of various departments. Four members have held the office of Pikes Peak District President - Manda J. Borders about 1950. Mabel Scheierman in 1964-66, Florence McConell in 1972-74, and Shirley Hornung in 1976-78. Many awards have been received at District and State Conventions including ribbons on our scrapbooks. Others have been environmental undertakings and several years the Club was cited for collecting the most cancelled stamps. In 1982 they received the Sears Community Improvement Award. One member, Dorothy Smith, was sponsored by the Club as the Colorado Mother of the year 1973 and was honored by the Colorado Mother's Committee as a Colorado Merit Mother at a luncheon in Denver April 21, t973. In 1982, the Club nominated Whitney Hornung, daughter of member Shirley Hornung, as teenage volunteer of the year. Another community project was the preservation of the old bell and belltower taken from the recently demolished old brick school building and placed in front of the new elementary school building where it was dedicated during the Stratton Day-Homecoming celebrations Oct. 8, 1983. The most recent large project sponsored by M.S.A. CIub with members Marilyn Hasart �November and December being combined through the years 1962 ending in October and Dorothy Smith as co-chairman, is the monumental task of gathering and compiling a History of Kit Carson County to be published in 1988 in celebration of the 1966. In the following years they have gone back to March through October meetings. They have enjoyed lessons on many garden subjects led usually by a club member. They have toured gardens in the community and have had some interesting field trips to other gardens and green houses from Goodland, Kansas to Denver. Colorado. county's century of development. Past Presidents: Helen Liebee 1933, Winnie Bradshaw 1934, Genevieve Murfin 1935, Florence Cavey 1936, Mary Evans 1937, Gladys Herburger 1938, June Scofield 1939, Ellora Calverley 1940, Gertrude Rose 1941, The Club promoted flower growing and Dessie Cassity 1942, Leona Stapp and June Scofield 1943, Polly Thiringer 1944, Gladys Herburger 1945, Myrtle Hanley 1946, Marie Greenwood 1947, Manda Borders 1948-49, Mabel Guy 1950, Lucile Lepper 1951, Mary Anne Bradshaw 1952-53, Dorothy Smith 1954-55, Mabel Scheierman 1956-57, Lucile Lepper 1958-59, Eleanor Proctor 1960-61, Betty Miller 1962-63, Doris Peters 1964-65, Florence McConnell 1966-67, Wanda Sweet 1968-69, Helen Mclean 1970, Dorothy Smith 1971, Doris Peters 1972-73, Mabel Scheierman 197 4-75, Belle Danfofih L976-77 , Eileen Cure 1978-79, Dorothy Smith 1980-81, Florence McConnell 1982-85, Patty Witzel 198688. by Marie Greenwood STRATTON GARDEN CLUB T375 The Stratton Garden Club was organized in 1957 fulfilling the dream of Mrs. Dessie Cassity. Mrs. Cassity had visited friends and relatives who were members of a Garden Club and her keen interest in gardening prompted Stratton Garden Club soon after organizing: Left to right: Mabel Scheierman, Helen Mclean, Dessie Cassity, Belle Pottorff, Edith Malone, Gladys Kerl, Cora Hansen, Marge Brown. her to action. She invited a group of ladies to her home on June 19, 1957. She also invited members of the Burlington Garden Club to give direction in the organization of a Garden Club for Stratton. The Club began after that meeting with Mrs. Cassity as its first president. The CIub elected to not become a federated Garden Club because ofthe reports and emphasis on items that were not of interest to them. Dues could be kept at a lower figure and Mrs. Cassity wanted women to belong. Gladys Kerl, Louise Smith and Mabel Scheierman became members in that first year. Helen Kerl was an Associate Member for a number of years in the beginning of the organization. The three ladies who became members that first year have been members of the club all through its 30 years of existence. The Club year begins in March and ends with an enjoyable early Christmas party held in the month of October. The Club held monthly meetings the entire year except for arranging by holding flower shows in its first years of existence. In 1957 they had a flower arrangement show in connection with Stratton Day. They gave three prizes; first of $1.50. second of 750 and a ribbon to the third place winner. Mrs. Marie Greenwood won the first prize, Mrs. Heiman won second and Mrs. Marge Brown the ribbon. The Club has had many projects to beautify its community. They had a very lovely flower bed in the city park and also a flower garden around the flag pole at the old grade school. They planted evergreen shrubs at the new school and donated for landscaping at the High School. They have made donations to Stratton Library, the swimming pool, and Christmas decorations for the town. They helped the Rotary Club in donating in the Park for Christmas. They have been faithfully donating to the Stratton Community Scholarship Fund. They have made floats for many Stratton Day parades and have won money several times. Several years they took Christmas goodies to the elderly and shutins. They have had art shows which included not only flowers but quilts and other types of hand work. Stratton's observance of Colorado's Centennial on August 1, 1976, was spearheaded by Stratton Garden Club. Deceased members have had living memo- rials placed in Stratton City Park and the United Methodist Church yard in Stratton. This Club has not been a money making club. In all of its 30 year existence it has probably only had one big money making project. by Mabel Scheierman IF AN ABSTRACT COULD TALK! T376 Studying abstracts for several properties in our search through Stratton history revealed the wealth of history one could glean from an abstract if given time. The excitement of acquiring a piece of land, the struggle to keep its expenses currently paid, the taxes espe- cially, the regrets and sorrows that were attached to letting it go into other hands or the thankfulness of getting it off one's own hands . . . it is all written between the lines. This is the "story" told by the abstract of the oldest building in Stratton today: the one at the southeast corner of Colorado and Main which today houses the D.G. Liquors and Stratton Garden Club members on a June 20, 1985, tour of the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Governor's mansion: Standing, I to r: Kenny and Mabel Scheierman, Dorothy Flageolle, Dorothy Smith, Karen Topp, Marge Brown, Charlene Garner. Middle row: Doris Gulley, Eileen Cure, Laurine Schiferl, Gladys Kerl, Helen Kerl, Marie Greenwood, Louise Smith. On floor: Lib Boone, Joyce Clark, Belle Danforth, June Pottorff. Roadrunner Cafe and Bar. Built in 1908 or 1909, Stratton has been a town for several years and most buildings built to that time had been frame construction. Fires destroyed blocks of the town during that period of time, so no earlier building remains. Kit Carson County was yet Elbert County and had not resolved the Morton vs. Kit Carson County naming choice when the � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history of Kit Carson County, Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Stratton Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Subject The topic of the resource history Description An account of the resource A history of the Town of Stratton as recorded in the book History of Kit Carson County. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a>