PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

December 1, 2011

This Saturday and Sunday Christmas comes to Waitsburg with Santa, a lighted parade and plenty of shopping and prizes during the town’s annual Hometown Christmas event. “Come to the Town Hall for vendors and gifts,” said Ruth Peterson, an organizer of the event. Held every first weekend in December, this annual tradition centered in Town Hall is sure to be a delight. This is the festival’s 26th year in Waitsburg, Peterson said.

Cardinals head coach Jeff Bartlow just stopped having Deja vu’s. His team’s game against Colfax Saturday was the last echo from last year’s playoffs. Now that the big red birds have kenneled the Bulldogs, he and the Cards are in unchartered territory – meeting a west side team in the Tacoma Dome for the state championship game. It’s a historic time for the Cardinals. Never before has a football team from this town gone to the modern state final.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

December 5, 1996

A special bit of history for pre-1963 Waitsburg sports fans – a custom-built clock and scoreboard devised by the late Ernest Kison – will be refurbished and re-installed in Preston Hall’s gymnasium. School officials hope to have the clock operational for an upcoming junior high basketball game. Kison, who died in 1991, and his wife Dottie, who died in 1980, were the unflappable scoreboard at Waitsburg football and basketball games for years. The Kisons operated K & K Jewelers at 231 Man (presently the Brandt Kleist home).

Fifty Years Ago

December 2, 1971

[Photo Caption]

SMILING THROUGH THE TEARS might be the title of this picture taken moments after Jenny McKinney of Waitsburg was announced as Touchet Valley’s Junior Miss for 1972. Jenny, daughter of Mrs. Henry McKinney of Waitsburg, was one of eight contestants vying for the title at the Jaycee-sponsored pageant held last Saturday evening. Helping Jenny to center stage are (left) 1972 Junior Miss Kay Spoonemore, Dayton, and Mrs. Glen Hinchliffe (former Cherie Rose, of Waitsburg).

A handicapped physical therapy student will spend two years in Brazil helping other handicapped persons as a Peace Corps volunteer. Donald “Tom” Richardson, 23, who completed pre-physical therapy studies at Washington State University this year, will practice and teach therapy techniques in Barbasina, Brazil. Richardson hopes to gain practical experience before returning to graduate school for his therapy certificate.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

December 6, 1946

With the return of Ernest Kison as Scoutmaster in Waitsburg, the Scouting program has become increasingly active in this community with several high school boys attaining high rank in the organization.

Ernest Mikkelsen was named president of the Racing Association Tuesday evening.

Frances Zuger Estes became the bride of Dr. Melvin Smith in Portland Nov. 24.

Miss Lillian Johnson and Andrew Keve were married in Walla Wall on Nov. 28.

Capt. And Mrs. Chas. Wilson of Spokane visited his grandmother, Mrs. Mattie Wyatt and his aunt, Mrs. Frank Vennum, Wednesday.

One Hundred Years Ago

December 2, 1921

The Will Vollmer home on West 6th Street was the meeting place for Thanksgiving dinner of the Vollmer and C. E. Shaffer clans last Thursday. About 30 relatives gathered round the festive board.

Miss Florence Rees, principal of the Kiona-Benton City High School spent the Thanksgiving vacation with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Rees.

Miss Elizabeth McCoy who is attending Whitman College, came home Wednesday evening, bringing a friend, Miss Ella Porter, of Yakima.

Mrs. A. S. Dickinson has returned home from Olympia where she has been assisting with the work in the State Superintendent’s office for several weeks.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

December 4, 1896

Misses Virta Phipps, Lizzie Wisdom, and Marguerite Irons all finished successful terms of school today.

Part of the proceeds of the lecture given tonight by Prof. Penrose will go towards buying new dictionaries for the Public School. There is but one good dictionary in the building. Everybody should attend.

E. W. McCann doesn’t have to go very far to hunt. Yesterday he stood in the door of Macomber and McCann’s hardware store and shot a prairie chicken out of the top of one the trees near the Royal Block.