The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
ANGEL OF DEATH MARS HOLIDAY: That the angel of sorrow often moves side by side in this vale of tears with the messenger of joy and hope is a truth which has been impressed upon the minds of people of this community during the past week…
OBITUARY***MRS. JESSE DENUM*** Mrs. Jesse Denum passed away at her home in Stronghurst Dec. 21st at about 3 o’clock Monday afternoon after a few days of intense suffering from intestinal trouble. She had been well and active up to within less than a week of her demise and the suddenness of her death came as a great shock to relatives, friends and neighbors. Mary Ann, daughter of Elijah and Laura Ridicile Hudnut was born June 8, 1887 at Knox City, Missouri and departed this life at the family home in Stronghurst, Illinois on Dec. 21, 1925, aged 38 years 6 months and 13 days.
She grew to womanhood in the country near Knox City, Mo. and on Dec. 24, 1805 she was united in marriage to Mr. Jesse Denum of that locality. Soon after their marriage the couple came to Illinois for a period of two years, returning to Missouri for eight years, whence they came back to Illinois where Mr. Denum accepted employment of the Peasley farm near Decorra. There they remained for six years and four years ago moved into Stronghurst to receive the advantages of schools and since that time have been valued citizens of the village. Mrs. Denum administered aid at many homes in the capacity of a nurse and everywhere she won for herself a place in the hearts of the people she served.
Two daughters, Roberta May and Leila Hazel, were born and under a mother’s careful rearing have grown to young womanhood and are able at this time to support the heart-broken father and husband in their common bereavement. Mrs. Denum in early life united with the Christian Church at Knox City and after taking up her residence at Stronghurst, united with the Methodist Church…
Besides her immediate family, she is survived by her aged father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Hudnut of Knox City, Mo.; five brothers: Charles of Edina, Mo.; Cleveland of Canton, Mo.; James of Stronghurst, and Ray and Carson of Knox City; three sisters-Mrs. Lottie Garrett of Quincy, Ill.; Mrs. Carlie Burk of Colony, Mo.; and Mrs. Elsie Hart of Canton, Mo. Two brothers and one sister preceded her in death. Funeral services were conducted at the M.E. Church with interment at Colony, Mo…
OBITUARY***WILL P. MOORE***From the LaHarpe Quill: The death of Will P. Moore of the Terre Haute country which occurred Friday night, Dec. 18, 1925, brought great sorrow to family and friends. Will was 46 years and 21 days old and always enjoyed robust health until he suffered an attack of flu last December which left him with an enlarge heart. His condition has been serious for several months.
Will was a son of Oliver and Viola (Lovett) Moore and was born Nov. 28, 1879. He married Miss Maud Jenkins on March 18, 1903, who survives with one son and two daughters, Lyle, Twila and Viola. Their home was one mile east of Terre Haute. He also leaves his mother, who resides in Terre Haute, his aged grandfather, W. H. Moore of LaHarpe; two brothers, Albert of St. Petersburg, Florida; Fred of Burlington,Ia. and one sister, Mrs. Fred Magee of Albia, Ia. He was a member of the I.O.O.F and a sterling citizen in every way.
The funeral was held at the Terre Haute M.E. Church with the Odd Fellows in charge of burial in the Terre Haute Cemetery.
OBITUARY: ***PAUL D. LANT***News of the death of Paul D. Lant at South Bend, Ind. received here last Saturday came as a shock to members of the family and friends of the deceased as no intimation of his illness had been previously received. In fact, these relatives had been looking forward to a visit from Mr. Lant during the holiday season. Mr. Lant was a victim of uremic poisoning and passed away Dec. 18th.
Paul Dean, son of Charles A. and Jessie Lant, was born near Olena, Ill. on May 14, 1895, being at the time of his death, 30 years, 7 months and 4 days of age. His early life was spent in this vicinity where he became a member of the U.P. Church. On Nov. 26, 1912 he was united in marriage to Miss Mae Biddenstadt and to this union, three children were born, namely Ivan Delain, Charles Dean and Elburn Dale, who with the wife and mother survive him. Three sisters and one brother are also left to mourn his departure besides a large circle of other relatives and friends.
The married life of Mr. and Mrs. Lant was mostly spent at Flint, Mich. and South Bend, Ind. Mr. Lant being in the employment of the Buick Automobile Co. at the latter city at the time of his death. The remains of the deceased arrived here Sunday evening and funeral services were conducted at the Olena church on Monday afternoon, Dec. 21st with interment in the Olena Cemetery
OBITUARY: ***DELBERT FLATLEY***Friends of the J. C. Flatley family will be grieved to learn that that Mr. and Mrs. Flatley’s son Delbert died at the family home in Des Moines, Iowa on Dec. 18th from diphtheria. Delbert was born in Stronghurst in March 1911 and was a lad of 7 years when he left with his parents for Des Moines where they have since resided. He was a member of the Christian Church and at one time a member of the Boys Choir of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Des Moines.
CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE: Open House Day, held by the Stronghurst Public Schools, Wednesday, Dec. 23rd was a big success. The exhibits of work by pupils of the various classes were numerous and interesting and there were many visitors from amongst the patrons of the schools during the morning recitation hours. In the afternoon at the Lyric Theatre starting at 1:30 pm a special program for the day as well as the usual Christmas exercises were given. Mr. W. C. Ivins gave an interesting and impressive talk on “Why the children are required to attend school, what the schools are trying to do and why the parents should co-operate with the teachers.” (This was the time when the value of children was changing from family workers to beloved family members.) Songs, readings, short plays, monologues, dialogues and music by the high school orchestra helped to make the afternoon’s entertainment by students from both the grade and high school a very interesting and delightful one.
COMMUNITY CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY (this would have been the social whirl of the time): Last Friday evening at their club rooms, the ladies of the Community Club gave a Christmas Party to club members, their families and to invited guests including the Stronghurst High school orchestra, a 27-member organization with Prof. Dawson as leader. The evening’s entertainment was varied and much good talent was enjoyed. The opening game was a free for all contest in figuring the names from suggestive pictures posted on the wall. Mrs. Helen Ross won first place and Robert Mathers won second place after winning in drawing straws with quite a number of individuals with which he had tied. Both received nice prizes.
Then followed a season of music, community singing led by Mr. E. D. Walker, local farm advisor. The Misses Lucile Butler and Katherine Anderson played a piano duet, “Carnival Parade.” The orchestra played several selections during the evening, one number of which was entitled “ S.H.S.” and was composed and written in orchestration by Paul Bell, a member of the Senior Class. Mr. John Stine, who is home having completed a successful season in his appearance on the platform with one of the prominent Chautauqua, gave two well received readings. A Penualo Race served to give the participants as well as the onlookers much enjoyment. A delicious luncheon was served consisting of pork and beef sandwiches, ice cream, cake and coffee.
One of the merriest times of the evening was when presents were called off from a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Each one attending the party brought a small present in return for which they were given a tag bearing a number. Then the presents were distributed to the persons holding numbers corresponding with those on the gifts.
VOICE OF STRONGHURST HIGH SCHOOL: The class of 1925 (last year’s seniors) gave the high school a fine 6 x 5 ft. library table, purchase for the library in the new building. It is made of fine oak and beautifully grained. On the front it has a plate with the inscription “Class of 1925.” Step right up and meet class reporters: senior-Gladys Mudd; junior-Lester McKeown; sophomore-Herbert Brook and freshman-Dale Grandy. Twenty per cent of our students turned out to attend a lecture by H. L. Taylor entitled, “Give the Boy a Chance.” It was interesting and entertaining as Mr. Taylor proved his points; it was never dry. One of the Freshman girls says that she’ll never go late to anything again, especially to a lecture course (embarrassing to walk in late). The school received a Christmas gift from Mr. R. E. Gallager of Hawaii. It consists of a beautiful illustrated monthly magazine “Paradise of the Pacific.”
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Mrs. Harry Foster was hostess to the Eldeen Book Club. At the meeting the theme of Christmas was throughout the house. Mrs. Alice Kilgore was buried from the home of her sister Mrs. James Whiteman. Miss Mildred Pearson who has been suffering from an infected heel is improving. The county spelling contest was held here in the grade school. County Superintendent Mrs. Mildred Beall was in charge and 100 words were pronounced by Miss Olive Noyes with Bernice Wilson of Oquawka winning first place. A party of men from Monmouth came down Saturday evening and went coon hunting in the timber north of town. Dale Whiteman and Jack McIntosh were home from Monmouth College for the holidays. Oscar Nelson and Miss Esther Plyon of Ladd, Illinois were married last Tuesday afternoon in Monmouth at the Presbyterian Church. Will Stevenson accompanied a load of stock shipped to Chicago last week. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lukens of Gladstone and son Frank are here for a visit with his parents after a number of years in Canada.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Raymond and Marie Johnson are home from Hedding College Doris and Joseph Dixson, Agnes Findley, and Frank Wilcox from Monmouth College, the Misses Gertrude Gibb and Lucile Parish, students of the Illinois Teacher College at Normal, Ill., Miss Winifred Jones, who is a student at Bradley Polytechnic Institute at Peoria, and Gail and John Brook, the Misses Marjorie and Lois McKeown and Merle Adair, students at the Illinois State University are home for the holidays. W.T.Weir, the genial Oak Grove Fruit Farm proprietor, was calling on friends here and told them he expected to take his departure for California to spent the winter. Frank Silsbee, whose home is now at New Rochelle, Long Island and who is engaged in the oil business with an office in New York City, is here to spend Christmas with his mother, Mrs. Caroline Silsbee.
Police chief A. D. Irey of Monmouth has been made the defendant in a $10,000 damage suit brought by the relatives of Louie Dennison, who was shot and killed by Chief Irey one-night last summer when he was endeavoring to arrest Dennison. Eddie Dennison, a brother of Louie, who as wounded by a bullet from Irey’s gun at the same time his brother was killed, has also filed a $20,000 damage suit against the police chief.
CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS: Christmas Eve the U.P., M.E. and Christian churches will hold their annual Christmas entertainments. The cantata, “The Babe of Bethlehem,” will be presented at the U.P. Church; a children’s service and playlet entitled “How the Christmas Song was Found” will be the features at the M.E.Church and a miscellaneous program by the children will be given at the Christian Church. Christmas trees and the distribution of gifts and treats will also be features of all these entertainments. Christmas morning the usual early morning Christmas service will be held at the Lutheran Church.
WEDDING BELLS**HENDRICKSON-WHITE: Miss Sarah White and Walter Hendrickson, both of this community were united in marriage Thursday afternoon at three o’clock at the M.E. parsonage in Stronghurst, Rev. R. C. Myers officiating. The single ring ceremony was used and the attendants were Miss Audrey Marsden and Mr. Bruce Galbraith. The bride was charmingly attired in a gown of ivory silk bengaline.
The bride is the only daughter of Mrs. Claire White of this place and since graduating from the Stronghurst Community High School in 1922 has lived at home with her mother. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hendrickson of Media Township and is one of the well-known young farmers of the community. The newly married couple will make their home for a few weeks on the Hendrickson farm.
WON THE TERRE HAUTE SPELLING CONTEST: Everett Smith, aged 12, a pupil in the Peasley School, Stella Marshall, teacher, won the Terre Haute Township spelling contest with a perfect paper and Ruby Kemp of the same school won second place. Third place went to Naomi Ballard of the Terre Haute village school. In spelling off the tie, Everett missed and was awarded 4th place. First place in the county went to Bernice Wilson of Oquawka and second place to Wendell Sloan of Biggsville.
INVENTS A NEW OIL BURNER: From the Orange City, Journal, Orange City, Iowa: “A patent for a new oil burner was recently taken out by T. J. Gratenhius of this city. This item of news is of special interest to the people of this vicinity as Mr. Gratenhius married a former Stronghurst girl, Ellen Gray Tillotson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. G. K. Tillotson now of Moline.
The new invention is something entirely new in its line for heating homes, the claim being made that it is absolutely noiseless, that it can be operated more economically and is cleaner and more nearly sootless than most burners. It is built to give service for many years. The patterns for the burner are in the hands of foundrymen and some of the burners will soon be on display.”
From the Media Record in the Graphic: CHRISTMAS IN MEDIA: The annual Community Club Christmas festival held last Thursday evening in the United Church proved to be one of the most enjoyable affairs the club has ever sponsored. The excellent program which the committee had prepared was entirely in keeping with the Christmas spirit. The remainder of the evening entertainment took place in the basement. In one corner of the room, a little Eskimo house which was built in a miniature evergreen forest contained the gifts which were to be exchanged by the guests. Mrs. Minera Biggs and Mrs. Will Cross at this time received letters of honorary membership to the club. The executive committee served lunch cafeteria style which consisted of sandwiches, pickles, doughnuts, pie and coffee. Treats of home-made candy and popcorn ball were given to the children.
Thursday evening, Dec.24th, the annual community Christmas program will take place in the United Church. The cantata, “Santa Listening In,” which is to be given by the children, is full of good music and speaking parts. The story of the play portrays Santa’s displeasure at the children’s ingratitude after Christmas, but when a radio agent is final allowed to install one of the world wonders in the north pole home, old St. Nicholas hears from both the rich and poor children. He is deeply touched by the unselfishness that really exists and starts out to make this the greatest Christmas of all. There will be a large tree upon which the gifts will be placed and all the children of the community will receive treats. Classes in both schools will be dismissed from Thursday evening, Dec. 24th to Jan. 4, 1926.