Time Machine Trip to November 1954

 Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

 

November 5, 1954

The era of the Quonset huts of Kaukauna as temporary housing units is now a part of history.  Workmen are preparing the last of the thirteen buildings for moving. The Quonset huts came to Kaukauna as veteran's housing units as the result of a resolution by the city council in December 1945. The 13 huts provided 26 living units.

Nicolet grade school recently held a Halloween party. Left to right, front row are Joan Biersteker, Danny Van Hammond, Lynn Schneider and Ronna Lyons, In the back row are Jerry Luckow, Tom Lettau and Lindy Lou Kemp.

Five Students had straight A’s the first six weeks of the current school year. They are Eyla Mae Van Treek, senior; Mary Jo Krueger, Ruchard Boyd, Janet Oettinger and Ann Teske, sophomores. 

November 10, 1954

Close to 130 well-wishers and supporters of George "Stormy" Kromer were on hand Saturday night to honor the man who they termed "the best sport in the world." Kromer, who is considered to be one of Kaukauna's most outstanding baseball figures, was honored for the many contributions he made to baseball here, showing the high esteem in which he is held by those who know him. Although the testimonial dinner concluded shortly after Kromer's remarks, at least officially, the guests remained until late in the night to offer their personal congratulations and to reminisce about the "good old days" of baseball.

 

November 12, 1954

Fire of undermined origin Wednesday morning completely destroyed the Nitingale Ballroom located on highway 96 near McCarty’s crossing northeast of Kaukauna. An unofficial estimate of the loss suffered in the blaze which leveled the structure, and destroyed all the furnishings and supplies, was set, tentatively, at $75,000. The Nitingale, which was built in 1928, has been an institution in the Fox Valley area for 26 years providing residents and tourists with top name bands for dancing. According to Sylvester Esler, owner and manager of the hall, the Nitingale was the only ballroom in Wisconsin that ever had the Glen Miller Band as an attraction.

Stormy Kromer night honored Kaukauna’s greatest sportsman and most enthusiastic player, who in his time played, managed and lived baseball. Former ball players Marty Lamers, Little Chute and Pete McMahon, Kaukauna, presents Stormy with a bat in memory of the evening along with former umpire Casey Jansen, Little Chute.  

A project in measuring and drawing their own school building was undertaken the fourth grade of St. Mary’s school. Left to right are Anna Baeten, Therese Landreman, Shirley Donnermeyer, Margaret Burns, Eugene Biese, Karen Hostettler, John Weyers, Mary Klein and Nancy St. Arnold. 

 

Five young men from Kaukauna and Three from Little Chute were ordered to report for induction into the armed forces on November 8. The Kaukauna youths included Patrick A. Cox, Earl T. Jacoby, Eugene G. Feldkamp, John W. Ebben and Robert C. Vandenberg. From Little Chute were Maynard J. Romenesko, Leo A. DeCoster and Paul P. Verhagen.

Bob Ribarchek bowled a 277 game at the S&B alleys on November 11. Ribarchek tied the top place among men with Bill Lucassen who bowled his game on September 27, 1953. 

The Old Timers bowling team, complete with decorative mustaches were featured in a recent hospital benefit bowling event. They are Henry Minkebige, Joseph Steger, Ethan Brewster, Barney Lamers and Henry Schmidt.  

 

November 19, 1954

New members were welcomed into the VFW sponsored Cub Scout Pack 20. Front row are Buddy O’Brien, James Niesen, Robert Robach, Jack Weigman, Richard Robach, Dennis Gerhartz, Dennis Kiffe and Bob Hoehne; second row, James Brown, Gerald Magi, Bruce Van Drasek, Tom Yingling, Dennis Haas, Mark DeBruin, James Hadfield, James Courtney, Tim West and Eugene Durkee; third row Pat O’Brien and John Schuler.

Kaukaunans, traditional rooters for the Green Bay Packer football team, will have a special interest in the Sunday afternoon game between the Packers and the World Champion Detroit Lions at Green Bay since Earl "Jug" Girard, of Kaukauna, star halfback for the Lions will be in action against the Green Bay girders.

The general feeling of all those who took advantage of Monday's Kaukauna High School's open house, which featured the recently completed addition, was that the new building and the program of the open house were very successful. The new addition is an impressive part of the school and will definitely fill a well realized need at the school.

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Coenen of Little Chute held a family reunion Sunday at their home. Seven Coenen brothers with a total age of 547 years were present, They are John, 84 and Martin, 83, Henry, 82, August, 80, Theodore, 78, William, 75 and George 65.  

November 23, 1954

Clement La Jeunnesse, 52, a farm hand on the Gerald Geenen farm Kaukauna died Sunday afternoon after he was gored by a 3,000-pound bull on the farm where he was employed for the last month.

 November 23, 1954

The Schermitzler cottage, the last of twenty or more that once lined the shore of the "Big River," will be removed this week from its location on the island near the lower mill. In the early 1900's hundreds of people, in that pre-automobile world, "went to the river" on Sundays to spend a quiet afternoon.

The Grand opening of the Herman T. Runte company’s newly enlarged store. In completing this building, Runte’s have expanded their flour space by one third.

  

1955 Ford Fairlane

Time Machine Trip to November 1944

Kaukauna Times – November 1944

By Lyle Hansen

 

November 1, 1944

Wisconsin Marines got together in the Marshall Islands recently. Staff Sergeant Alvin J. De Bruin of Kaukauna second from the left.

 

Major John A. Sullivan, 26-year-old fighter pilot and squadron commander of Kaukauna has been awarded another Oak Leaf Cluster to his Air Medal for meritorious service in aerial fights over Europe.

 

On November 1, Nic. J. Mertes completed twenty-five years of service with the Kaukauna Electrical and Water Departments. He started as a meter tester on November 1, 1919, shortly after returning from service in World War I.  

 

The Kaukauna Galloping Ghost bounced to a 20-0 over the Clintonville gridders at Clintonville Saturday night.

 

November 3, 1944

Young women who are joining the waves these days are mindful of many postwar advantages of having been in a women's reserve of the Navy. The G.I. Bill of Rights will give education advantage, civil service priorities and job advantage to those who served in any branch of the armed forces and the women's as well as the men's branches.

Mark Verhagen and Francis Liethen were announced as co-captains of the 1945 Kaukauna High School football team at the annual father–son banquet held at the high school gym Tuesday evening. Liethen, a tackle, was one of the outstanding line men in the conference this year in on every play. Verhagen led the league in scoring, probably being the hardest running back in the conference. He played either right or left half.

 

November 8, 1944

Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt was reelected before midnight last night when trends in the voting gave him a substantial lead in 32 states. Thomas E Dewey led in 16 states. Wisconsin went for Dewey by a margin of 28,000 votes. Dewey had 650,000 votes to 622,000 for President Roosevelt. 

A cable received by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hahnemann from their son Pfc. Kenneth C. Hahnemann states he is well and safe. He had been reported missing over Holland since September 18 according to a report from the War Department.

 

Cadet Melvin M. Courtney, 25 of Kaukauna, was killed in an airplane crash Sunday evening 6 miles north of Garden Army Airfield, Garden City, Kansas, where he was stationed. Cadet Courtney, in service since January of last year, would have been commissioned and received his wings in a few weeks.

 

Staff Sgt. Edwin J. Dougherty has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action in a recent campaign. Sgt. Dougherty entered the Army in October 1940 and went overseas in April 1942.

 

The young people's dance sponsored by the auxiliary of the electric city post 3319 had over 100 youths in attendance Friday evening. Refreshments were served during the dance.

 

November 17 is set as a formal opening day for Service Hardware. Carl Anderson stated that moving from the Dietzler building one door east to the Fechter building will give the store greater space. 

 

With six lettermen returning to this year's basketball team coach Guy Krumm has picked his squad, and his charges are working out every night on the hardwood courts in preparation for the opening game of the season against Seymour November 14. Fred Nack, guard Don Kuehl, center, Bill Landreman, forward, Jim Lehman, forward, Pat Flanagan, center and Ken Dexhiemer, center.

 

November 10, 1944

Word has been received by the parents of Lieut. Clifford Kalista that he was seriously wounded in action in Belgium, October 25. Lieut. Kalista entered service in August 1943 and went to France September of this year.

 

Ed Mauel took high game in the Businessmen’s league with a 252 and high series with a 627. George Duprey hit the maples for a 259 game and 629 series in the Knights of Columbus Bowling league. 

 

Word has been received by the parents of Marvin A. Trettin that he is in a hospital at Statton Island, N. Y. Marvin had been wounded in England on November 9.

November 15, 1944

Wisconsin hunting gun accidents so far this season resulted in 31 casualties, eight dead the rest wounded. The record points out that 11 of the gun victims were less than 18 years of age.

 

Kaukauna industries and their employees, businesses and professional men raised $4842.60 for the Wisconsin war fund according to local drive chairman, Mayor L. F. Nelson.

 

Lieut. Elroy J. Peters was awarded the air medal and Purple Heart recently. He was wounded in action over Germany on August 9 serving with the Eight Air Force. He entered service in January 1943 and went overseas in June 1944.

 

“Yes, I think our team has a mighty good chance of getting the championship this year”, said Fred Nack captain of the high school basketball team. “Besides my three years in high school, I played basketball ever since I can remember. I’d rather play basketball than sleep or even eat.” Fred will lead his team for the first time this season in a non-conference game against Seymour.

 

November 17, 1944

Mrs. Robert Peterson received word from the war Department that her husband Lieut. Robert Peterson was seriously wounded in action in France, October 26. He has been awarded the Purple Heart. He expects to be in a hospital for several months according to word from him.

 

Two Weigman boys were home on leave at the same time. S2c James J. Weigman visited his wife and son. A.O.M. 2c Leo Weigman visited his wife. The boys are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Weigman. When they leave, they will enter the Pacific area.  

 

A very small crowd saw the Kaukauna High School cagers down the Seymour five 29-16 on the local floor Tuesday evening. The first game of the season for both teams the Kaws decidedly controlled the ball but while towering over their smaller opponents they did not use their height advantage on offense or defense for rebounds. The ball handling while not polished was fairly good and will have to improve incoming games.

 

November 21, 1944

First Lieut. Francis J. Schneider who is serving with the twelfth air force B-26 Marauder group has been awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm by the French government for precision attacks on bridges in support of the French ground forces in Italy.

 

Staff Sgt. Gordon Reed spent part of his 21-day furlough with relatives and friends in Kaukauna. He recently returned from overseas where he has completed 50 missions as a nose gunner on a B–24 operating in the Mediterranean area. He has received the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak leaf clusters. Sgt. Reed entered service in November 1942 and left for overseas early this year.

 

Patrick F. Burns has completed 25 years’ service with the Wisconsin Telephone Company. Mr. Burns started work at the company in Green Bay in April 1918 as an apprentice.

 

Call them inspired, hot, lucky, or what have you, those Kaukauna High School cagers had what it took to beat Appleton here Saturday night. They downed the Terrors by the final score of 29 to 24.

 

November 23, 1944

A 21year old Kaukauna girl has become nationally known. She is Yeoman third-class Margaret O’Connor who was chosen from 1,000 spars as the “typical Spar” and led the grand march at the ball celebrating the spar’s second anniversary at the Astor Hotel in New York Monday evening. 

 

Lieut. Kenneth J. Busse has been seeing a lot of the world since he left New York in August according to letter he sent home. He is still flying P-38’s in the Air Force and says, “He truly loves this life, lots of excitement". He did not mention the fact, but the war Department has announced that he has been awarded the air medal for action in three major battles in the European theater. Lieut. Busse has two brothers serving in the armed forces in Europe. Pfc. Bernard is in France and staff Sgt. Victor has been overseas since October 1943.

 

Approximately 22 firms in the aluminum ware industry are getting ready to resume production of household kitchen utensils. A few have already gone into production. In addition, there are numerous companies now in war production that are planning to enter the aluminum field for the first time.

 

Bill Landreman says that under our team captain we have an excellent chance of taking the conference championship this season. Bill, a senior plays forward on this year's squad and is the smallest man on the varsity, standing 5'9" and weighing 135 pounds.

 

Coach Guy Krumm stated; “After a comparatively slow first half the Kaws really poured it on the Brillion quant Tuesday night and walked away with a 40 to 17 victory. Bob La Plante, the Ghost forward, was the high scorer with 14 points.

 

Mr. and Mrs. H. Leatherbury of Kaukauna were at Truax Field, Madison, last Friday where they were presented with the air medal and one oak leaf cluster awarded to their son, Staff Sergeant John H. Leatherbury, who is a prisoner of war in Germany.    

 

November 29, 1944

Flight officer Robert J. Voet was awarded the air medal at an airstrip in France for his part in a gigantic airborne invasion of South France and Holland. “Quite a bit of flak and ground fire was encountered on the way, but I landed on a fairly good field with no damage to the glider, except for a couple of holes in the nose section.”

 

Private Leo J. King, Kaukauna, was a member of the 1^st Battalion of the 168^th regiment which received the Distinguished Unit citation for seizing and holding several important German positions in Italy.  

 

“Look out for the shell with your initials on it,” Long has been a grim warning among soldiers, but Pfc. Raymond Zehms, Green Bay, not only escaped injury, but also has the piece of metal with his initials on it as a souvenir. Zehms is a bazooka man with an antitank company on the front in Germany. Early in November a shell burst nearby, injuring one of his officers and narrowly missing him. A large chunk of shrapnel landed a few feet away; picking it up, Ray found it bore the letters “RZ.” 

 

Notes from the Armed Forces

 

Pvt. Willard Delcore writes home from a fox hole somewhere in France. He entered the service in February 1942 and has been overseas about a year. “I am in good health, and everything is fine. I even went back a few miles from the front and saw a movie.”

 

Richard Watson 18 of Kaukauna is receiving his initial navel training at Great Lakes, Illinois.

 

David Flanagan, co-captain of this year’s football championship team, left Monday morning for Milwaukee to report for duty with the armed forces.

 

Corporal Michael Milton is spending a two-week furlough with his family before returning to Camp Ellis, Ill. 

 

Leroy Balza has been ordered to report for service in the air corps at Ft. Sheridan. He graduated with the class of 1944.

 

Capt. Rollie Halfman left for Washington D. C. after a two-week furlough with his family in Kaukauna.

 

Staff Sgt. Paul W. Green, 27, of Kaukauna, has arrived at Army air force station in Miami Beach, Florida, for reassignment processing after completing a tour of duty outside the United States. Sgt. Greene was a mechanic and gunner in the European theater.

 

Donald Biselx, MM second class, Coast Guard, arrived home to spend a leave with his wife and parents after which he will return to his assignment at Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Roy Deering, apprentice seaman, is spending a short leave with his parents. Seaman Deering has just completed boot training at the Naval training Center at Great Lakes. He is a 1944 graduate of Kaukauna High School.

 

Albert DeWitt, Seaman first class, graduated from advanced naval training school at Treasure Island California, as a welder. He will now go to a deep-sea diving school.

 

PFC, Lawrence Kappell has returned to Vaughn General Hospital at Hines Ill., after spending a five-day furlough with his wife and children. 

 

Lieut. Elroy J. Peters has been decorated with the air medal recently by the commanding general of the eighth Air Force which is stationed in England.

 

Marine Pvt. Gerald J. Klister graduated from the Browning automatic M1 section at the training command at Camp Pendleton Oceanside California.

 

Sgt. Jerome Parman and his wife arrived here for a 14-day furlough from Fort Worth Texas to visit his family.

 

Lieut. Valbur Borger has called his wife to let her know that he has arrived safely in England.

 

Lieut. Frank Hermsen Jr., Little Chute, has completed 35 missions over Europe as a bombardier on a B-17 flying Fortress and is currently visiting his wife and parents.

 

Tech. Sgt. John J. Kramer, 21 Kaukauna, a veteran of 30 missions has arrived at Scott Field Army Air Force training command.

 

Flight officer Donald J. Rohlinger, 19 Kaukauna, has graduated from flight training school at Ellington Field, Texas. 

 

   Cpl. Jerome J. Belongea a veteran of 30 months in the Middle East as a military policeman has been assigned to duty with the Provost Marshal's office in Miami, Florida.

 

Gunnery Sgt. Gene Nagan has arrived safely at his foreign destination and is now stationed in Holland.  

 

Inducted into Navy:

Richard J. Brown, Kaukauna

John H. Helein, Kaukauna

Donovan Moreland, Little Chute

Raymond Van Asten, Little Chute

Joseph Cappaert, Kimberly

 

Inducted in the Army:

Earl B. Arnoldussen, Kaukauna

Robert A Kerscher, Kaukauna

Robert Krueger, Kaukauna

 

Seaman Gerald Derus left for the naval training base at Mt. Pleasant, Michigan after spending a seven-day leave with his parents. 

 

Marine Pvt. Roger J. Voet has graduated from the infantry Browning automatic rifle school at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. Before entering service in May 1944, private Voet was employed by the Kaukauna Hardware Company.

 

 Pfc. Rudolph Schneider arrived home from his station in Nebraska to spend a 15-day furlough with his parents.

Staff Sgt. Irwin Dougherty arrived in California Friday after having been wounded in combat in New Guinea on August 1. He had been in service for four years. He is now on his way home to spend a 30-day furlough with his parents.

 

Tech. Third Grade Marvin Siebers arrived in France recently. He entered service in November 1941.

 

Seaman Jack Leddy arrived home to spend a few days with his parents. He has made 10 trips across the Atlantic with a task force on a destroyer escort.

 

Lieut. Michael J. Gerharz has been promoted to Captain. He is with the 78^th Medical battalion.

 

Lieut. Robert L. Lang is now located in France according to word received by his parents. He is serving in an infantry division.

 

Pfc. Carl H. Holtz, 20, has been awarded the combat infantry badge for service and combat against the Japanese. 

 

James Lang has been promoted to the rank of Lieut. in the Navy. Lt. Lang is currently serving at Algiers, Louisiana.  

 

Keith W. Ploetz, 18, and Eugene J. Kersten, 17, are receiving their initial Navy induction training at Great Lakes Illinois.

 

Captain Donald Grebe, who is stationed at Camp Steward, Savannah, Ga., arrived here spending a 10-day leave with his wife, son and mother.

 

Staff Sergeant Melvin Arps was home for a week spending time with his family. He had been wounded in France June 16 and has been in a hospital in Maywood, Ill.

 

Corporal Russel Gerrits, a radio operator in field artillery at Fort Bragg, N.C., spent a 15-day furlough with his parents.    

 

Donald Kobs has been promoted to sergeant in the 40th infantry division. He has been in the Army since September 1941 and has been overseas since August 1944.

1944 Lincoln-Zephyr

Time Machine Trip to November 1934

 

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

November 7, 1934

Premier Mussolini of Italy tells his troops that war clouds are over Europe and that they must respond when the call to arms occur.

The third-party candidate Philip F. La Follette was elected governor of Wisconsin in the Tuesday election according to the latest returns. Robert N. La Follette was again named to the Senate.

Postmaster A. R. Mill received word Wednesday morning that a site has been selected by Washington D. C. on which the new postoffice will be constructed. The site which has been selected is the plat of ground situated on the east side of Main Avenue from the power canal to the tailrace, directly across the street from the public library. 

 

One hundred twenty men are at present employed on Kaukauna FERA projects. Forty-four men are employed on the ornamental street lighting system while the balance are working on the other five projects.

Mrs. Henry Bates of Heber Springs, Ark., has given birth to three sets of twins in five years. The twin boys, age four, the twin girls, age three and twin boys three-month-old.

 

 

William Bay, Kaukauna Progressive, was elected assemblyman for the Wisconsin second district in Tuesday’s election.

 

November 9, 1934

Boy Scouts of Troop 31 will enjoy an overnight hike in Riverside Park Friday night according to scoutmaster Leonard Macrorie.

 

November 17, 1934

Alvin McCormick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank McCormick, 323 West Ninth Street, was elected captain of the 1935 high school football team. He performed at fullback last season and has won letters in football the last three seasons. His line plunging helped in establishing the fine record the teams have produced the last three seasons.

 

November 27, 1934

The work of excavating for the foundations for the new high school auditorium and gymnasium was started by workers Wednesday morning. The buildings are being constructed at a cost of about $130,000 with a grant of approximately $38,000 from the PWA and the remainder a loan from the state land fund.

 

The high school basketball squad, about 30 strong, is practicing nightly in the old city auditorium in preparing for the opening tilt against the strong St. Mary’s five of Menasha.

 

November 30, 1934

Henry Esler was named ‘permanent chief of the Kaukauna Fire Department at a special meeting of the Fire and Police Commission. Chief Esler fills the vacancy caused approximately two years ago by the death of Chief Albert Luckow. Chief Esler worked under Fire Chiefs Faust, Schubert and Luckow and also helped chief Klumb during his 30 years of connection with the department.

 

 

Time Machine Trip to November 1924

 

Kaukauna Times 

By Lyle Hansen

November 6, 1924

 

Kaukauna Pig Fair parade coming down the Lawe Street bridge.

  

Calvin Coolidge, Republican, elected President of the United States by record vote. Coolidge won a landslide victory, taking majorities in both the popular vote and the Electoral College and winning almost every state outside of the Solid South, while still making headway by winning Kentucky.

Twas a sad and terrible day last Saturday. The day after Hallowe’en for twenty-five lads of Kaukauna who were made to undo what they had done with great pleasure the night before namely, return to its resting place on the Van Lieshout garage scrap pile an old auto. On Hallowe’en the boys yanked it out of the pile and pushed it down the long hill. But alas they were detected by Officer James McFadden now they are required to push it back up the hill to the cheers of a large crowd which gathered to witness the event.   

 

November 13, 1924

The Manitowoc referee beat the Kaukauna Legion team last Sunday afternoon in what started as a sunny Sunday afternoon ending as a three-ring circus. The game began with Manitowoc kicking off over the Legion goal line and into the crowd. A spectator threw the ball back on the field in time for Manitowoc player to fall on it and the referee called it a TOUCHDOWN. Later in the game the Manitowoc team was forced to punt but the Legion team blocked the attempt, and Kaukauna fell on the ball with a Manitowoc player later falling on him. Guess who was given position of the ball?

 

On Monday evening when ordinarily hundreds of people would have driven to the chicken supper and bazaar at Wrightstown only two Kaukauna cars ventured out. The hazardous risk of driving a car to Wrightstown on the road that has been named as the Death Gap.

The payroll of the Oneida Indians claiming property in New York state will be made tomorrow at the residence of Chas. Tourney. All persons entitled to be represented on the tribal list are urged to report without fail to be sure that the list is as complete as possible.

November 20, 1924

As a result of the election the states of Texas and Wyoming now have woman Governors. Talk is now on the way of when will the time come where a woman may become President?

November 27, 1924

All Ford touring cars and coupes will be licensed in class "B" in 1925 and unless they have reached the age limit of five years, the license fee will be $11.00. Ford roadsters will be licensed as class "A" for $10.00 and sedans in class "B" for $12.00. This is in accordance with the Secretary of State.

Fred J. Hein has moved here with his family and opened a new harness shop on West Third Street where he will also do all sorts of shoe repairing.