LeMars Sentinel
May 25, 1937

SENEY: (Special Correspondence)

Mr. and Mrs. Will Detloff motored to Luverne, Minn., on Sunday to visit
relatives.

Kenneth Rees, who is employed near Sheldon, spent the week end at his home
here.

Roy McArthur, who is employed at Ida Grove, spent the week end with his
family, here.

Mrs. Marshall Rees and Mrs. Leon Rees motored to Orange City on Friday to
the Tulip Day Festival.

Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Becker, sons Bobby and Jerry, spent the day with
relatives in Sioux City, Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Naninga and family were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Alex
McDougall, of Struble, Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. Homer Becker, of Waubay, S.D., are visiting at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Becker.

Miles McArthur and daughter, Joyce, and Mrs. Dan McArthur, of Sheldon,
visited relatives here Tuesday.

Mrs. Thos. Batho, Sr., of Canton, S.D., arrived Monday for a visit at the
home of her son, Rev. Thos. Batho.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Howes, Lloyd and Jean, of LeMars, were guests of Mr. and
Mrs. M. J. Lancaster on Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. Marion Chapman are the parents of a daughter, born Sunday, May
23, at the Sacred Heart hospital in LeMars.

Rev. T. C. Batho officiated as chairman and toastmaster at the Excelsior
Club banquet held at Western Union college Friday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Utech and family and Raymond Utech, of Heron Lake, Minn.,
spent Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Will Utech.

Mr. and Mrs. Judson McDougall and family, of Yankton, S.D., moved Saturday
into the Rees residence recently vacated by Garret Hartog and family.

Members of the LeMars high school graduating class from this community are
Evelyn Lancaster, Ruth McArthur, Frank Buss and Henry Berkenpas.

Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Wills and family motored to Ireton and visited relatives
Sunday. Vernon and Frances Ewin accompanied them and visited the Walker
Bushby home.

Among those from here who attended the annual Tulip Day Festival at Orange
City were Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hawkins, Mrs. Harvey Buss, Rev. and Mrs.
Thomas Batho.

Mr. and Mrs. John Daugherty had as guests on Sunday Mr. and Mrs. Glen
Whitelock and daughter, Eleanor, John Betsworth and granddaughter, Violet
Betsworth, all of Sioux City.

Little Frances Hartog, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hartog, was taken to
the Orange City hospital Friday, suffering from ptomaine poisoning. She
responded quickly to treatment and was able to return home on Sunday.

WESTFIELD: (Special Correspondence)

Jos. McCue is ill at his home in Westfield.

A fine rain on Monday was encouraging to farmers.

Mrs. Harry Connolly is spending a couple of weeks with relatives at Omaha.

A number from Westfield attended graduation at Elk Point on Tuesday evening.

Olin Lilly and the Misses Rollins, of Lamont, Iowa, are visiting relatives
here.

The Akron-Westfield baseball team defeated the Elk Point team at Elk Point,
S.D., Sunday.

Miss Dorothy McDougall, of Sioux City, spent the weekend with her parents in
Westfield.

Misses Carol and Shirley Lilly have finished school for this year and
returned to Westfield.

Mrs. Edmund Spaulding has returned to her home in Marshalltown, Iowa, after
visiting in the home of Mr. Spaulding's parents.

Mrs. Nelson, of Merrill, invited the Tuesday Club to hold their last meeting
of the year and club picnic at her home. The invitation was accepted and
nearly all members were present and enjoyed the occasion.

Graduation exercises for five pupils of the Westfield high school held
Friday evening were largely attended. Rev. G. O. Thompson, of LeMars, gave
the address. The graduates are Fay Boyd, Allen Moffatt, Catherine Martin,
Mary Ellen Faust, Bernard Bertrand.

Mrs. Rose Shearer, daughter of Mr. Warren, passed away Friday morning after
a lingering illness. The funeral was held in the Congregational church
Saturday afternoon conducted by Rev. Kirchner, a former pastor. A very large
crowd attended the last rites. Mrs. Shearer was well known and respected.
She leaves her aged father, three sons and a brother and sister. She will
be greatly missed in church and school activities.

LeMars Sentinel, May 28, 1937

Farmers Put in Crop On Church Land in Johnson
Men of Plymouth Presbyterian Church At Crathorne Follow Yearly Custom

A dozen men with seven tractors, two corn planters, two manure spreaders and
three teams of horses moved in on the forty acres of land owned by Plymouth
Presbyterian church, on Friday, and by 6 o'clock that evening they had
plowed, harrowed and planted nearly thirty of the forty acres to corn,
besides hauling out several loads of fertilizer that had accumulated during
the winter.

For several years the men of Plymouth church have followed this plan of
farming their land on a cooperative basis. In this manner all the income
from the land goes into the church treasury.

The total value of the equipment used that day was not far from nine
thousand dollars. Those who were present with tractors were Henry Eilks,
Foster Rowe, George Gabel, Milton Atkinson, Elmer Childs, Albert Thomas and
Earl Love. George Bauerly and Harlan Rowe planted the corn while R. J.
Stephens, John Siebens and Cloyde Gabel cleaned up about the barn and other
buildings. It was an interesting sight to see seven tractors of various
types and makes going about the field, six of them pulling plows and one
following up with a harrow. Near the close of the day's operations the
tractor men decided to settle once and for all the matter of pulling power
in tractors of two, four and six cylinders as well as the traction power of
lugs of various types as against rubber clad wheels.

Two tractors of exactly the same make and size were put to the test and it
was found that the rubber equipped tractor was able to pull a heavier load
without slipping or digging in than the tractor with the steel wheel and
lugs.

Perhaps the tractor that attracted the greatest attention of the day was the
little "grasshopper" owned by A. J. Thomas while the titan sized outfit
piloted by Elmer Childs was able to cut the widest swath with its three
sturdy plows.

Dinner is Enjoyed.

The workers brought their dinner with them and the pastor's wife made a pot
of hot coffee to go with the dinner, which was eaten in the spacious social
rooms of the church.

Others of the members of the church will cultivate the growing corn and in
the fall there will be a "huskin' bee" when all the men and boys will turn
out to gather in the year's harvest of golden corn, if it rains enough.

Rev. W. E. Smith is pastor at Plymouth church which is the first religious
body ever incorporated in Plymouth County, having been organized on August
11, 1867. For several years the congregation worshipped in school houses
and in 1880 a frame building was erected on the spot where the new church
now stands. Material for the old church was hauled from various points with
ox teams and for fifty years it served as a meeting place. In 1930 the old
church was removed and a fine new brick building erected at a cost of about
$14,000. Rev. W. E. Smith is now in his ninth year in this field and lives
in the beautiful little manse near the church.

LeMars Globe-Post
May 31, 1937

COMRADES ARE DEAD; HE CARRIES ON
[photo]
This remarkable photo of A. W. Crouch, sole surviving representative of the
G. A. R. to participate in the Decoration Day parade, was taken this
morning. Mr. Crouch not only sat in the saddle firmly and erectly, despite
his 88 years, but he also carried the flag for a short time. Standing beside
him is Col. J. G. Koenig, Marshal of the day.

DECORATION DAY OBSERVED HERE
Annual Exercises Held At Both Cemeteries this Morning

The annual Decoration day services were fittingly held at both cemeteries
this morning, with Fred P. Johannsen, of Sioux City giving the principal
address at the City cemetery.

The parade formed at the corner of Central avenue and First Street North,
and headed by the colors and the LeMars band, started the annual march to
the cemeteries, where the usual exercises were carried out.

The column moved first to St. Joseph’s cemetery, where the follow program
was given:
America, by school chorus.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg address by Agnes Ryan.
Patriotic song by school children.
Logan’s order, Edward Kempker.
Decoration of veteran’s graves.
Salute, firing squad from Co. K. Taps.

The column then moved to the LeMars City cemetery, where the following
program was given:

Prayer, Rev. L. L. Belk.
Music by Band.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg address by Rosina Lubben.
Logan’s order by William Fisch.
G. A. R. ritual by Miss Monah Hord.
Decoration service for unknown dead, W. R. C. Spanish-American and American
Legion Auxiliaries.
Address, Fred P. Johannsen, of Sioux City.
Decoration of graves during address.
Salute, firing squad from Co. K.
Benediction, Rev. Geo. Moir.
Taps.
Star Spangled Banner.

Hundreds of persons visited both cemeteries and took part in the excercises.

DO THINGS IN A BIG WAY.

Thirteen men with seven tractors, 3 teams, corn planters and manure
spreaders, plowed and seeded about 30 acres of land on the Plymouth
Presbyterian church property recently. The church is located in the extreme
northeast corner of Johnson township and Rev. W. E. Smith is the pastor.
The picture shows part of the crew who gather annually to do this work.

Left to right are:
George Gabel, John E. Siebens, Cloyd Gabel and the Rev. W. E. Smith.
The property consists of 40 acres in all, with the church, cemetery and
manse taking up about 10 acres.

The seven tractors, plows, harrows, two planters and six horses used on the
place that day represented about $10,000 in equipment.

The present church was built in 1930 at a cost of $14,000. Rev. Mr. Smith
has been pastor for the last nine years and stated that in his 23 years in
the ministry, he has never seen such a splendid bunch of workers. The men
started at 8:30 in the morning and had the job completed by evening. The
church purchased the seed and next fall when the crop is harvested and sold,
the proceeds will go into the treasury.

The church plans a big homecoming event on August 8. It will be the 65th
anniversary of the founding of the church.

Those taking part in the day's work are: Elmer Childs, A. J. Thomas, Foster
Rowe, Harlan Rowe, Earl Love, George Bauerly, R. J. Stephens, George Gabel,
Cloyd Gabel, Milton Atkinson, John E. Siebens, Henry Eilks and Rev. W. E.
Smith.