This Week in Odessa History

100 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 29, 1917

Tennis tourney won by Odessa. The tennis tournament Sunday between Lind and Odessa tennis clubs furnished some close and, in spite of the unfavorable tennis weather, very enjoyable matches. Very little playing has been done on Odessa courts this season and the tourney was gotten up in such short notice that it would have been no surprise had the local racquet wielders been forced to take the short end of the score, but such was not the case as Odessa took seven out of the twelve events which was not an elimination match but a contest of players drawn by lots for points.

Most of the winners disposed of their opponents easily, but there were several hard matches that required the three sets to decide. These were the men's singles matches between Ganson and Meyer and Rieke and Maddex and the mixed doubles match between Miss Orlou Ganson and Minch and Mr. and Mrs. Phillips (nee Bessie Stevenson) of Lind. Mrs. Phillips was formerly an Odessa girl and ranked as the best lady tennis player in Central Washington, but she has played very little for two years and failed to show any where near her old time form either in Ladies or Mixed doubles.

This contest awakened a little more enthusiasm in the game, however, and the probability is that more players will be done during the latter part of the season on the local courts, as Lind has invited Odessa to come to Lind for a return match Sunday, July 8, and it has been accepted.

Program July 4:

9:30 a.m. Grand parade. First prize $10; second $7.50 and third $5, for best decorated float or auto. First prize, $5; second, $2.50, for best sustained character. Every participant in parade receives a chance on Grand prize, $10 in gold.

11 a.m. Band concert by Odessa Concert Band.

1 p.m. Odessa Band will lead procession to Driving park grounds.

1:30 p.m. Free-for-all running race, half-mile, single heat. Purses $12, $8 and $5.

2 p.m. pony race, half-mile, single heat. Purses $7, $5 and $3.

2:30 p.m. farmers' team trot or pacing race, half-mile, single heat. Purses $10, $5 and $3.

3:00 p.m. Free-for-all running race, quarter-mile, single heat. Purses $7.50, $5 and 2.

3:30 p.m. Baseball game, Odessa vs. Soap Lake. Purse $100, divided 60 and 40 percent.

7 p.m. Foot sports (on First Avenue.) Free-for-all race, 100 yards, purses $5 and $3. Boys' races, 14 years and under, 50 yards, purses $3 and $2. Fat men's race, 200 pounds or over, purses $3 and $2. Ladies' free-for-all race, 50 yards, purses $3, $2 and $1. Girls' races, 14 years and under, 50 yards, purses $2 and $1. Free-for-all sack race, purses $3 and $1.50. Potato race, boys 14 and under, purses $2.50 and $1. Boys' bicycle race, 14 years and under, purses $3, $2 and $1. Novelty races to follow.

9 p.m. Dancing at O.C.B. Opera House. Motion pictures from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Program July 5:

10 a.m. Band concert by Odessa Concert Band.

1 p.m. Odessa Band will lead procession to Driving park grounds.

1:30 p.m. Free-for-all running race, half-mile, single heat. Purses $12, $8 and $5.

2 p.m. Pony race, half-mile, single heat. Purses $7.50, $5 and $3.

2:30 p.m. Farmers team trot or pacing race, half-mile, single heat. Purses $10, $5 and $3.

3 p.m. Free-for-all running race, quarter-mile, single heat. Purses $7.50, $5 and $2.

3:30 p.m. Baseball game, Odessa vs. Almira. Purse $100, divided 60 and 40 percent.

7 p.m. Foot sports (on First Avenue.) Free-for-all race, 100 yards, purses $5 and $3. Boys' race, 14 years and under, 50 yards, purses $3 and $2. Fat men's race, 200 pounds or over, purses $3 and $2. Ladies' free-for-all running race, 50 yards, purses $3 and $2. Girls' race, 14 years and under, 50 yards, purses $2 and $1. Free-for-all sack race, purses $3 and $1.50. Potato race, boys 14 years and under, purses $2.50 and $1. Girls' bicycle race, 14 and under, purses $3 and $2 and $1. Novelty races to follow.

9 p.m. Dancing at O.C.B. Opera House. Motion pictures from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.

75 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 25, 1942

The Record has no copies of the June 25, 1942 edition of the newspaper.

50 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 29, 1967

Odessa Union nets $189K; to be paid to stockholders and patrons.

At the annual stockholders meeting of the Odessa Union Warehouse Co. held Saturday, Manager Winston Weber announced that the company had a net operating margin of $188,991.19 for the past fiscal year.

Of this amount, $84,476.52 was paid out to the holders of First Preferred Stock at the rate of 6%. The remaining amount of $104,514.67 will be paid to the patrons of the co-op on the basis of the amount of business the patron did with the co-op during the fiscal year ending May 31, 1967.

It is anticipated that the entire amount will be paid in cash before the end of the year as the co-op has no outstanding certificates and is current in paying patronage refunds.

Weber also reported that the records show the company has paid out nearly $4,500,000 to patrons in refunds or dividends since the company was formed in 1912. The records also show that no refunds were made during 17 of the first 23 years and that refunds have been paid continuously since 1935.

The stockholders were told Saturday that the Reiman elevator, which was partially destroyed by an explosion in February, will be repaired and ready for harvest and that the insurance would cover most of the loss incurred.

The company is also building a new elevator at Ephrata to better handle the grain from patrons of that area. The capacity of the new elevator will be in excess of 200,000 bushels and will add another dump pit and high-speed leg.

Paul Hoefel of Odessa, Karl Knapp of Mohler, Richard Stone of Harrington and Norman Reinbold of Davenport were re-elected to three-year terms as directors.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors, Karl Knapp was elected president, Walter Quast was elected vice president and Winston Weber was elected secretary-treasurer and general manager for the coming year.

Tennis players place in Ephrata week-end contest.

Ann Evavold, Myrna Heimbigner, Steve Lightbody, Nancy Schauerman, Pat Stephens, Judy and Terri Weishaar entered the sagebrush Olympics in Ephrata on June 24 and 25.

The doubles team of the Weishaars took second place in the Junior Women's Doubles while Ann and Myrna placed third in this event.

Scores of the Jr. Women singles first round were: Schauerman defeated by Michaels of Tri-Cities 7-5, 6-3; Terri Weishaar defeated by Davis of Ephrata 6-2 and 10-8; Evavold defeating Johnson of Ellensburg 6-3, 6-8, 6-4; Heimbigner defeating Johnson of Omak 2-6, 9-7, 6-3;

In the second round Myrna was defeated by Dunham of Tri-Cities 6-2, 6-1; Anne was defeated by Roybal, Tri-Cities, 7-5, 6-0. Roybal took the championship in the tournament.

Jr. Men's singles gave Lightbody a win by default in the first; Steve defeated Spilman of Tri-Cities, 6-4, 8-6 in the second and was defeated by Hutchinson of Ellensburg in the third 6-2, 6-2.

The Weishaars drew a bye in the first round of the Jr. Women's doubles; Anne and Myrna defeated Frestone and Page of Ephrata 6-3, 6-0 while Nancy and Pat defeated James and Johnson of Omak 6-3, 9-7.

In the second round doubles Judy and Terri defeated Dunham and Roybal, Tri Cities, 7-5, 0-6, 6-4; Anne and Myrna topped Austin and Carter, Omak, 7-5, 7-5; and Nancy and Pat met defeat at the hands of Pagemiller and Davis of Ephrata 6-2, 6-8, 8-6.

Third round doubles saw the Weishaars again winning by topping Pagemiller and Davis 6-2, 2-6 and 6-1, while Evavold and Heimbigner were defeated by Johnson and Thomas of Wenatchee 6-1, 5-7, 6-3. Judy and Terri were defeated in the finals by champions Johnson and Thomas 6-2, 6-3.

"It will be quite interesting to watch these young people develop their ability in tournament tennis," Mel Schauerman states. "This is something they do on their own to represent their community."

Locals have close SB contest, lose to Spokane.

The Odessa town softball team sneaked by the College Kids on Thursday night by a score of 8-7.

In the first inning Odessa sent nine men to the plate, scoring four runs. After that the opposing pitcher and his team settled down, allowing no runs until the 4th inning when Odessa came up with three.

The College Kids scored two runs in the 2nd inning and then came across with four more in the 3rd. Sob Haase Jr. hit a homer with two men on for the big hit in the inning.

In the 6th inning the College Kids tied up the score at 7-all with one additional run. In Odessa's half of the inning Marvin Greenwalt was lead-off batter. He smacked one out of the park for a home run and the winning score.

The College Kids came up with a fine team. It is reported. With a little practice it could have been disatrous for the town softball team. Don Schuh pitched for Odessa and Myron Kramer for the College Kids.

On June 25, Odessa lost to the Spokane Canteens 8-4. Spokane scored one in the first, while Odessa crossed the plate with two.

In the third, Spokane scored again, while Odessa came right back with two more. With a man on second, Corky Kiehn hit a home run that traveled 350 feet and then rolled another 50 to 75 feet for the big hit. The roof fell in on Odessa in the fourth, giving up a homer, a walk, five errors and two more hits. Spokane pushed across six runs.

After the fourth, both pitchers allowed no hits or runs, the game going nine innings. Schuh pitched for Odessa and Plaggerman for Spokane. After the game both teams drove to Allington Bay for a picnic and swimming. Odessa's pitcher was thrown in the lake for having lost his first game this year.

25 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

May 28, 1992

About 250 Alumni and former students of Marlin High School and their spouses and friends as well as members of the Marlin community are expected to attend a reunion at the Odessa Community Center on Saturday and at the Odessa Town Park on Sunday.

This will be the second homecoming for Marlin graduates and students. In July 1987, the community Center was the scene of a gathering of about 400 Marlin alumni and friends and present and former residents of the Marlin area. They had come from far and wide for their first get-together since Marlin High School graduated its last class in 1964. Graduating seniors that year included Stan Reider, Daryl James, Ralph Wilson, Ron Kuch, Delores Engle, Judy Lentz, Beverly Evans, Bonney Hemmerling, Jeanna Jolly and Cheryl Feiss.

Even before 1964, the Marlin School District had begun to break up. Some residents of the Ruff area had petitioned to leave the district to join the Warden district, while others in the nothern fringes of the district sent their children to the Almira schools.

After the closure of Marlin High School, some students attended classes in Wilson Creek and others in Odessa.

As a result, many students who attended Marlin Elementary and Marlin High School, but may have graduated elsewhere, still hold close ties with their former Marlin classmates. They are expected to be represented in large numbers at the Saturday and Sunday homecoming here.

The Community Center will be open at 3 p.m. Saturday so that friends may get together for visiting. A dinner catered by Linkers Inn will begin at 6:30. Prime rib will be served. The cost will be $15 per plate.

A public dance will follow, with music by Coalition of Moses Lake.

The organizers have emphasized that the public is welcome at all events, regardless of former connections with the Marlin community. The reunion provides the opportuniy to visit with friends from the Marlin community.

Deife named new head of chamber.

After a vacancy of several months the presidency of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce was filled this week when Mildred Deife accepted the nomination for the post.

The chamber had been without a president since John Strohmaier's term expired last March.

Despite the long absence of leadership, the body had continued to function effectively, even executing one of its most monumental projects, that of planting trees in downtown Odessa earlier this year. That program, however , was carried out largely under the guidance and direction of the ex-president Strohmaier.

Deife has long been a civic activist and community leader. Most recently she has served on the Scablands Committee of the Odessa Economic Development Committee.

She is a retired school teacher, one of only four faculty members in the history of the Odessa schools to have taught there for 30 years or more.

Deife made no statement following her election at the Tuesday meeting other than to say she would be happy to serve "if you don't expect great things."