Kaukauna Time Machine Trip to March 1954

 

Kaukauna Times – March 1954

By Lyle Hansen

March 3, 1954

An artist’s conception of the way the new Kaukauna Community Hospital will look upon completion. 

Bids were let Saturday for the construction of the forty bed $450,000 Kaukauna Community Hospital according to Dr. George Boyd, president of the Hospital Committee. A. H. Nimmer, Kaukauna, was awarded the general contract job.

 

Fifty employees of Kaukauna’s Badger Northland have embarked on a novel method of contributing to the Kaukauna Community Hospital fund it was announced last week by Vincent Rohlf president of the corporation. Using the slogan “Work One Hour a Week For the Hospital.”

William J. Eiting, owner of Eiting’s Cash Market, was elected president of the Kaukauna Area Food Dealers association recently.

James R. Gustman, of Gustman Chevrolet Sales, was recently named president of the Kaukauna Advancement association.

 

March 5, 1954

A new all-time peak in telephones served by the Wisconsin Telephone Company was reached this week when the number of telephones in use passed the 800,000 mark. 

 

March 10, 1954

Work has begun on the Kaukauna Community Hospital building, W.H. Roloff, chairman of the hospital building committee, said in a talk before the members of the Kaukauna Business and Professional Women's Club, at their meeting Monday evening.

 

The V.F.W. hall was the scene of a going-away party for nine Kaukauna young men last Saturday evening. The boys will be leaving for Fort Leonard Wood tomorrow. Those leaving are Kenneth Van Dyn Hoven, Thomas McGinnis, Richard Bayorgeon, Daniel Schommer, John Haen, Carl P. Kessler, Jr., Charles Sikora, Danny Roberts, and John Landreman.   

 

March 12, 1954

This is the KHS Alumni team who turned out to play basketball at the Alumni Night celebration at the Kaukauna high school gym. Front row, John Diestler, Bob Von Dracek, Don Biselx, Duane Gast. Center row, Bill Van Dyke, Ves Hanby; standing, Jerry Vils, Ken Dexheimer, Phil Haas and Carl Giordana. All are stars of former KHS teams.

George De Koch, 16-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack De Koch Kaukauna, shows some concern over the 4-inch egg laid by a chicken on his grandpa’s farm. 

 

Jack Schumann and Jack Blumreich were named co captains of the 1953-54 Kaukauna   High School Basketball team at a meeting held recently with head coach Fred Barribeau at the KHS gym. Both boys will graduate this spring.

 

Clifford Woods was elected commander of the Electric City Post 3319 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at their regular monthly meeting held Tuesday night at the VFW hall.

 

March 17, 1954

Kaukauna’s future in baseball will be decided at a meeting at the Elks Club Thursday. Leonard Van Zeeland, president of the association, says that the sport needs the support of the public to continue.

 

Marine 2^nd Lt. Francis N. Yingling received the “Wings of Gold” of a Naval Aviator and his commission at a ceremony held at the U.S. Naval Air station at Pensacola, Florida in February. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Yingling Kaukauna.

The first day in their new building was opened with a flag raising ceremony in front of Holy Cross school.

 

March 19, 1954

Alderman James Gertz outlined the reasoning of his committee to other members as to why the city should dispose of the Quonset hut housing units. The council voted 9 to 1 to end the present use of the Quonset huts as housing units by September of this year.

March 26, 1954

Arthur Johnson arrived in Kaukauna this week to make preparations for the opening of the “Corner Rexall Drug Store,” which he will manage at the corner of Crooks and Second. The store which has been closed for a year and a half, was previously known as Christy’s Drug store and for 51 years before that it was Mayer’s Drug Store.

 

A combined Kaukauna and De Pere bowling party was held Sunday afternoon at the S&B alleys. Left to right are William Smith, De Pere, Jim Gerrits, Jim Robedeaux, Keith Siebers and Clarence Vander Hogen, Kaukauna, John Hoffman, De Pere and Arnie Coonen, Kaukauna. Seated are Richard Rottier and Larry Van Browicz, DePere.

Jack Coenen is the first freshman ever to win the K.H.S. ping-pong championship. Joe Lewandowski placed first runner-up in the event.

Enroute from St. Elizabeth hospital, Appleton Monday afternoon the Kaukauna ambulance burned out a bearing. The drivers, in an effort to get the patient Mrs. Hattie Williams to her home, called the city garage. The garage man called Bill Eiting, Kaukauna grocer, requesting the use of his station wagon so Mrs. Williams could be taken to her resident. The patient was then transferred by the station wagon to her home. Bill’s twin sons, Joey and Johnny are both wearing smiles, it isn’t every family car that is also an ambulance.