Stories from Wednesday, January 23, 2002

Back in the old days, everybody went to the big game on Friday night. The boys played basketball or football, the girls played volleyball or took part in the pep club. That was before Title IX required an equal number of sports for boys and girls, and such changes were needed. It wasn't fair for boys to enjoy more sports opportunities than were available to girls...

Gerald W. 'Jerry' Gammill NAMPA, Idaho -- Gerald W. "Jerry" Gammill, 89, died Thursday (Jan. 10, 2002) at a hospital in Boise, Idaho. He was born Dec. 14, 1912, to Elwood and Nellie Gammill in a sod house near Stockville. His early years of schooling were spent in Indianola and Bartley. He graduated from Bartley High School in 1931. In 1933, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and spent a year in Oregon, felling timber, building roads and working in a rock quarry...

Homer Elwin Hoff WAUNETA -- Homer Elwin Hoff, 85, died Monday (Jan. 21, 2002) at Fillmore County Hospital in Geneva. He was born May 14, 1916, at Wauneta to Amil W. and Clara (Burham) Hoff. He graduated from Wauneta High School in 1934, and attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He returned to Wauneta and became a lifelong farmer...

Urbin 'Shorty' Wolkensdorfer WRAY, Colo. -- Urbin "Shorty" Wolkensdorfer, 84, died Thursday (Jan. 17, 2002) at Cedar Dale Rest Home in Wray. He was born Aug. 14, 1917, to Paul and Mary Wolkensdorfer in Herndon. He served in the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Division in the Third Army under General George Patton. ...

Verla E. (Grout) Most Bendes DENVER, Colo. -- Verla E. (Grout) Most Bendes, 85, died Sunday (Jan. 20, 2002) at Hospice of St. John's in Denver. She was born Nov. 11, 1916, in Rawlins County to Robert Rose and Edna Emily (Lloyd) Grout. She attended Fairview District No. 48 and Atwood Community High School. She lived in Maywood, Portland, Ore., and Atwood before moving to Denver in 1956...

Neomia Lee Spainhower AURORA, Colo. -- Neomia Lee Spainhower, 90, formerly of Parks, died Saturday, (Jan. 19, 2002) at the Aurora Care Center -- Hospice of Metro Denver. She was born May 8, 1911, to Morris and Sally (Moser) Brooks at Kansas City, Kan...

We moved quite a lot while I was a youngster. I'm sure I've already shared that I was born in Iowa and learned to talk in Texas (which explains why I so easily begin to say "ya'll" whenever I hear anyone with the slightest southern drawl speak)...

Dear Editor, The end is near! How many times have you seen this spoofed in the comics? A man walking around carrying a sign saying "THE END IS NEAR."? We receive all kinds of warnings "Danger, bridge may be icy." "There's a big snowstorm coming. Stay home or don't go out on the roads if you don't have to be out."...

Dear Editor, When the boards make their decisions and the taxpayer complains, I will not feel sorry for the taxpayer. I was the only person in the audience (at the Monday night meeting of the McCook Board of Education). My question to the board is, why wasn't there public participation? Are the rules different than at a regular meeting? They did not even have the contract there so the new board members could see it. ...

Neva I. Province Neva I. Province, 66, died Tuesday (Jan. 22, 2002) at Bryan LGH East in Lincoln. She was born July 11, 1935, to Virgil E. and Elsie Leota (Horn) Cochran in Oberlin. She graduated from Oberlin High School in 1953. On April 8, 1954, she married Bob L. Province in Oberlin. In 1962, they moved to McCook. She was employed by Dayco for many years. Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Bob in 1973; one sister, Wilma Mott; and infant twin brothers, Lee and Rea Cochran...