The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, Dec. 6, 1923
LOSE TO DALLAS CITY: While the football season for 1923 did not end in what might be exactly termed “a blaze of glory’ for the local high school squad, it did terminate in an exhibition of the classic game which convinced everyone who saw it of the justice of their claim to a place in the very front rank of contenders for high school gridiron honors in Western Illinois this year.
The team against which the Thanksgiving Day game which closed the season was played was the Dallas City aggregation, which by virtue of its performances this year had already laid claim to the Western Illinois championship; and flushed with the recollection of their recent 42 to 0 victory over the Stronghurst team and their still later defeat of the fast Alexis bunch at Roseville, they came here with a large bunch of enthusiastic rooters, many of whom openly expressed their expectation of seeing a 100 to 0 score rolled up against the local lads. The state of mind of these same fans toward the close of the game when it was evident that the 10 points which Dallas had gained in the first quarter had ended their scoring, was perhaps well expressed by one of them, who, as he watched the Stronghurst backs tearing through “Hindenburg Line”(a famous defensive German line during World War I) for a succession of first downs, was heard by the Graphic reporter to murmur; “Well, they can’t take our 10 points away from us, anyway.”
The entire game was played in a storm of driving rain and sleet which made the footing treacherous and kept the ball in such a slippery condition that long passes were risky and the results of punts attended with much uncertainty. The playing on both sides was, therefore, largely confined to line plunging; and while in the matter of yardage gains, the locals outplayed their opponents, their failure at critical moments in the game to profit from the gains made lost them the victory
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Ted Stewart, son of Mrs. Ivabelle Stewart, who was raised at the Stewart farm south of town but now of Monmouth, is recovering from a very serious operation at the hospital for appendicitis. Work began on the new gymnasium here. After a three days drive by five of the interested members at the sum of $5,000 was raised. Last Wednesday night officers and committees were elected by the Booster Club. W.A.Stevenson, Jr., President; A. P. Mc Henry, Secretary and Treasurer, Ora Smith. W. A. Stevenson, Fred Burrus, George Kelly and Francis Gibb were selected for the building committee. Wm. Campbell, Wm. Sanderson and Paul Stevenson were chosen as trustees for the transfer of the deed of the ground site. It is hoped that the building will be finished before Christmas. John Roy, oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Cochran, had the misfortune to fall off his pony and broke his arm in two places.
WEDDING BELLS AT OLENA: A very pretty wedding was solemnized on Thanksgiving Day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Dowell near Olena when their son Acil was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ellen Anderson of Vandalia, Ill. The bride was very becomingly dressed in a costume of dove colored silk canton and blue velvet. Miss Winifred Dowell and Daryl Dowell, sister and brother of the groom attended the couple. At the end of the ceremony a wedding dinner was served. On Dec. 1st the newly wedded pair was given a miscellaneous shower by their friends and was the recipients of many very pretty and useful gifts.
***OBITUARY***MRS. BARBARA NICHOLS: The remains of Mrs. Barbara Nichols, who passed away at the home of her son, T. A. Nichols in Burlington last Saturday night at the age of 85 years were brought to Stronghurst following a service at the home. The body was taken to the local U. P. Church where funeral services were conducted by her pastor, Rev. Hoy McElhinney assisted by Rev. J. H. Mahaffey. The remains were taken to the Walnut Grove Cemetery near Media and interred beside those of the husband who died 42 years ago.
Mrs. Nichols was the last member of the family of ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Adam Thompson, who moved from Pennsylvania to Henderson County, Ill. in 1851. The brothers and sisters who preceded her in death were the following: William Thompson who was killed in the Ellison tornado of May 30, 1858; David, who was a Kansas farmer; Mrs. Sarah Rankin, whose home was in Henderson County; Samuel F. Thompson, a minister of the U.P.Church in Missouri; Lillis, who became the wife of Joseph White of Henderson County; John who died in 1859; James, who followed farming in this vicinity; Jane, who became the wife of James F. Rankin and Joseph Thompson, well known farmer of this vicinity who died in Stronghurst several years ago.
T.V. Nichols, with whom the deceased was united in marriage soon after his return from the Civil War in which he attained the rank of lieutenant, settled on a farm in this vicinity and became an honored member of the community. He passed away April 2, 1882. The two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Nichols and who were bereft of their father early in life, survive to mourn their mother’s departure. They are T. A. Nichols of Burlington and Mrs. H. H. Slater of Deer Park, Wash.