Stories from Monday, September 30, 2013

Robert Louis Purvis July 31, 1940 - Sept. 29, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Robert Louis Purvis of McCook passed away Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013, at Community Hospital. He was 73 years old. Robert was born on July 31, 1940, to parents, Lewis and Nora (Wagoner) Purvis...

Lela Leora Stubbs June 11, 1913 - Sept. 28, 2013 BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Lela Leora Stubbs, 100, of Beaver City, died Saturday (Sept. 28, 2013), at Beaver City Manor. She was born June 11, 1913, on a farm near Beaver City to Bert A. and Grace (Gilchrist) Goosic...

Oscar P. Dutcher June 8 2013 -- Sept. 21 2013 MINTURN, Colorado -- Oscar Dutcher, son of Josh and Julie Dutcher and brother to Samantha, passed peacefully in the arms of his loving parents on Saturday, Sept. 21st. His paternal grandparents are Jesse and Becky Dutcher of McCook, Nebraska. Maternal grandparents are Al and Charlotte Dunworth of Culbertson, Nebraska...

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska -- A pair of songwriting teens from McCook are making their mark in the music world, bringing home trophies from the Nebraska State Fair. Shelby Stevens, 14, of McCook won second place in the songwriting competition, performing her song, "Rise Above and Beyond," at the 9th annual Galaxy of Stars Talent Search at state fair on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1...

McCook Boy Scouts Pack 147, represented by, from left, Adam Cunningham, Hunter Cunningham, Curtis Tallent, Kolten Matson, Kaleb Shald and Matthew Fletcher deliver donations to the McCook Pantry Saturday morning. Anyone wanting to make a donation of nonperishable food or cash to the Pantry's annual food drive can drop them off at the Pantry, inside St. Alban's Canterbury House, in the 500 block of West First, Monday through Friday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Dr. Gene Budig and Don Walton, a political writer for the Lincoln Journal Star, have written a book recently released, "George Norris, Going Home: Reflections of a Progressive Statesmen." Budig told the nearly full room at the Bieroc that the manuscript for the book was written many years ago on a manual typewriter and buried in the attic of the Budigs' Charleston, South Carolina home. Budig's wife, Jennifer, found the manuscript and encouraged him to have it published...

Becky Van Dike of Sorghum Partners, New Deal, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, explains the drought and stress tolerance of bronze-colored "SP3425" to producers who attended Mike Baker's sorghum field day on an unseasonably-warm Wednesday afternoon north of Trenton, Nebraska. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale intends to reform several aspects of Nebraska voter registration in an effort to eliminate pocketed areas that he believes present a high potential for voter fraud. Gale sees practices such as same-day and mail-in first time voter registrations, among the areas that invite voter fraud...

With barely a breeze, temperatures that warmed without baking, abundant sunshine and a cleansing rain Friday night, the weather for Heritage Days was as close to perfect as it gets. The crowd, the squirrels, even the bees, buzzing in the canopy protecting the tea settings, found something to attract them to the festivities. ...

A celebration like Heritage Days is always a balancing act between carrying on cherished traditions and keeping the festivities fresh. Congratulations to the McCook Area of Chamber of Commerce and the thousands of other volunteers who accomplished those two goals this weekend...

Heartfelt thanks Over the past six weeks, 16 communities in the Great Plains Chapter held a Walk to End Alzheimer's, including here in McCook, Nebraska. We'd like to send a heartfelt thank you to all of the sponsors, volunteers, and Walkers who made the event a success. Most of all, a special thank you to Carrie Boyd-Johnson, who chaired the event in 2013 and worked all year long to make the Walk to End Alzheimer's a success...

It didn't rain on our parade! Thankfully, it did rain last night! About an inch or so around here. A much-needed and appreciated precursor to our Heritage Days Celebration! What a nice day with a spectacular parade, as well as many other programs and exhibits...

hen settlers began to arrive in Nebraska and other High Plains states in great numbers, there was a very large Indian presence in the state and region. There had always been a great interest in the Indian people of the Plains by the Eastern population, but there was also a woeful lack of understanding of these Native Americans, and the attendant superstitions that arose from that lack of understanding, were huge...

Sawyer, left, and Kael Arasmith, on the Orscheln's Farm & Home float, are distracted momentarily from their waving duties by the droppings of a preceding entry in McCook's annual Heritage Days parade Saturday morning. The "end of the season" demolition derby was new this year, attracting drivers in cars bashed and battered in previous derbies. ...

William Robert Frasier Jan. 25, 1940 - Sept. 27, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- William Robert Frasier, age 73, of McCook, died at Community Hospital in McCook on Sept. 27, 2013. He was born in Hastings, Nebraska, on Jan. 25, 1940, to Robert and Virginia (Amon) Frasier. His family moved to McCook where he attended school, graduating from McCook High School in 1958...

Beauford 'Beau' E. Gilbert July 25, 1922 - Sept. 29, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Beauford "Beau" E. Gilbert, age 91, of McCook, Nebraska, died on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013. He was born in Frankfort, Michigan on July 25, 1922, to Ernest and Ethel (Osgood) Gilbert. ...

Harriette 'Jane" Unger Nov. 19, 1944 - Sept. 29, 2013 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Harriette "Jane" Unger, age 68, died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. Jane was born Nov. 19, 1944, to Harry and Erciel Drake. She graduated from McCook Senior High in 1963. ...