Fall festival preparation, LC fair results, start of new school year

100 years ago

The Odessa Record

September 7, 1919

News updates: R.M. Kelly and F.J. Geissler have returned from the good roads convention at Yakima and will make their report at the next meeting of the commercial club.

Alex Cook and Miss Mary Kissler were married at the Fred Kissler home with Rev. Albert Reiman officiating.

Mr. and Mrs. David Jasmann and daughter, Miss Ida, returned Friday from a six week’s auto trip.

Cal Graedel, progressive young rancher, has named his farm, Wheatacres, and has printed letterheads and envelopes with that name.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Wagner and son, Charles, went to Opportunity to look over a fruit tract they have bought and on which they plan to make their home. Mr. and Mrs. Gustave Weber and Eugene Weber accompanied them to Spokane to take in the fair.

Charles Clark reports that water in Sylvan lake is drying up and that fish are dying in great numbers.

The Donahue road contracts have been let for $65,000, just three months after the first petition was signed.

Rains have been falling this week and it looks favorable for more. Farmers look forward to planting winter wheat.

The local flour mill started grinding again Saturday, with night and day shifts.

The Davies confectionery store was visited by its second fire within a year. It was confined principally to the basement.

The Luher & Kemp store has adopted one of the newest ideas in store arrangement, removing the shelving that ran down the middle of the store, and putting in display tables.

The little house opposite the school house, belonging to Mr. and Mrs. George Eckhart, caught fire from a lamp Sunday night and was destroyed.

“Jimmy” Ray is the new janitor at the bank, beginning work there Monday.

L.G. Nuelsen is out from Spokane this week helping out the force at the F. & M. bank.

Dr. Hewitson, a former army officer, and wife, were here yesterday looking for a location. It is reported that they rented the Leary house and will open an office here.

Storage of ice has compelled quitting delivery to residences, as there is barely enough to take care of the meat market and restaurant trade.

Emil Hoefel visited Odessa friends, his first visit since his return from France. Robert Hoefel is retiring from the wheat ranch to live in town.

75 years ago

The Odessa Record

September 7, 1944

Seven lettermen for football: On Tuesday there were 25 high school boys out for football. There are seven returning lettermen, including Ralph Heimbigner, Jim Luiten, Howard Odell, Jerry Schafer, Howard Micchaelsen, Lloyd Carlson and Mark Cosgrove.

Suits were issued on Wednesday and regular practice was to start today. Coach Hook said he was pleased with the large turnout and that six games had been scheduled, with a possibility of a seventh.

School draws 318 students: First day enrollment at the Odessa schools totaled 318, the first grade the largest class, with 39. Other grades were: Second, 27; third, 20; fourth, 33; fifth, 20; sixth, 34; seventh, 25, and eighth, 31. There are 20 freshmen, 22 sophomores, 28 juniors and 19 seniors.

Miss Lucille Reiman is assisting in the English courses, a vacancy created by the resignation of Miss Estelle Holland, until a successor can be found. High school staff members also include Mrs. Beulah V. Adams, English and music; Bayard Hollinshead, mathematics and social sciences; Leroy Hook, science and athletics; Alfred Riechers, commercial; Miss Doris Plaster, home economics, and Don R. King, shop.

Grade school instructors include Miss Olive Lewis, first grade; Miss Bernice Sapp, second grade; Miss Helen Parker, third grade; Mrs. Bayard Hollinshead, fourth grade; Miss Mildred Smith, fifth grade; Miss Della Krehbiel, Mrs. Anona Heimbigner, and P.C. Jantz, junior high.

Teachers will be hosts at a reception at the school building, Friday, starting at 7 o’clock with teachers in their own rooms, followed by a program in the school auditorium at 8, and a reception in the gymnasium at its close.

Bus drivers have been named, including William Voise, Lamona route; Ted Kaudt, short route; Dan Frieske, northeast; Fred Stehr, north; Herbert Mills, northwest; George Iltz, southwest; John Speck, Batum; John Lesser, south; Don R. King, southeast; Jacob Dormaier, east. Kenneth Melcher, Henry Orman and Louis Frederick will operate school vehicles on three stub routes and Reuben Heimbigner will handle the fourth stub route with private equipment.

50 years ago

The Odessa Record

September 4, 1969

Fall livestock preview placings according to breed are given for Odessa Show: The Odessa Jr. Cattlemen held a Fall Preview at the fair grounds on Saturday, August 23, with Wilbur and Almira 4-H livestock clubs also in attendance. In addition to cattle, the Wilbur and Almira club members brought sheep and hogs to be shown and judged.

Ted Kerst, head livestock buyer for Hydrage food products, Spokane, was the judge. Laurence Brown, Lincoln county extension agent, assisted in the judging for Fitting and Showing the animals.

Diane King’s steer was judged Grand Champion overall. Gail Wolfe of Wilbur held the Reserve Grand Champion steer.

Placings according to breed were, Angus––Champion, Diane Wagner; Res. Champion, Dennis Goetz; blue ribbon, Jesse Goetz; red ribbon, Diane Wagner.

Hereford––Champion, Gale Wolfe; Res. Champion, Lyn Wolfe; blue ribbon, Lyn Wolfe; red ribbons, Suzanne Sample, Dan O’Neil.

Shorthorn––Champion, Sherrie Walter; Res. Champion, Denice Wraspir; blue ribbon, Dan Wagner; red ribbons, Denice Wraspir, Penny Wraspir, Bruce Walter, Claudia Wraspir, white ribbon, Dan Wagner.

Crossbred––Champion, Diane King; Res. Champion, Wesley King; blue ribbons, Suzanne Sample, Wesley King; red ribbon, Diane King.

Bruce Walter brought two heifers in the breeding stock division and was awarded a blue ribbon and a red ribbon.

In the fitting and showing competition for cattle, Suzanne Sample was top in the Jr. division and Bruce Walter was runner-up. In the senior division Penny Wraspir was first and Gale Wolfe was second. Overall fitting and showing was awarded to Penny Wraspir. Gale Wolfe placed second.

In the market lamb judging the placings were as follows: Champion lamb, Scott Sample; Res. Champion lamb, Don Llewellyn; blue ribbons; Vicki Miller, Dan Bahr, Scott Sample; red ribbons, Jim Kunz, Allan Batie, Linda Mearns, Craig Haden.

The first place in Jr. division in fitting and showing market lambs went to Dan Bahr and second place went to Scott Sample. Vicki Miller was tops in the Sr. division and overall champion.

In the market swine competition Mitch McKay showed the champion hog and Dan McKay had the reserve champion hog.

Ted Kerst and Lawrence Brown gave pointers on what to look for when judging the various animals and afterwards all of the 4-H members took part in a judging contest.

The top winners in the many division were awarded equipment and gift certificates contributed by local merchants.

25 years ago

The Odessa Record

September 8, 1994

Everything set for 24th Deutschesfest: The sausage is made and the kraut has been shredded.

Everything is ready for the 24th annual Deutschesfest and Odessa is waiting to show visitors from the entire Pacific Northwest a good time.

The big celebration begins on Friday, September 16, and continues through Sunday, with a schedule of pre-Fest activities on Thursday evening.

A good-sized crowd is expected to join in the fun. Estimates of Fest attendance in recent years have been placed at between 15,000 and 20,000.

Entertainment and food are the two big drawing cards, and this year’s festival, as always, offers plenty of both. The Biergarten will echo with the sounds of all kinds of music, ranging from Kelly Hughes and the Border Patrol in a four-hour country western concert to Dennis Carey and his big band sound of the 1940s. And setting the theme for the Fest will be Odessa’s own Oom Pas & Mas German band, enlivening the hall with polkas and beer toasting songs, as they have since the very first Deutschesfest in 1971.

Highlighting the entertainment program will be three days of fallschirmspringen-- that’s German for parachuting-- by the New Horizons Parachute Center of Spokane. The jumpers will appear over Odessa many times in skydiving exhibitions. They also will offer to take all who are willing and able on tandem jumps.

Two tandem masters are expected to be present to take passengers on skydives. There is a one- to two-hour training course prior to the jump.

Deutschesfest food needs no introduction. Some visitors come to Odessa just for the German Russian specialties, which include sausage and sauerkraut, kraut ranza, strudel, kuchen and much more. It’s all made locally, much of it by church groups, which have been busily preparing for the Fest for weeks.

Other events on tap are the annual Fun Run, “Do the Hoops” three-on-three basketball, a Hole-in-One golf tournament and horseshoe tournament. There will be narrated walking tours past Odessa’s historic homes. A model airplane show will take place at Odessa Airport.

A comprehensive calendar of Deutschesfest events appears on Page 9 of the special Deutschesfest supplement which accompanies this issue of The Record. The supplement also is being distributed in a number of other newspapers in the region this week.

Hundreds of RVs will be rolling into Odessa beginning this weekend. The early arrivals will seek out choice parking spots, either around the Biergarten or Reiman Park or at the larger RV site at Finney Field.

Grand marshal of the Deutschesfest Parade this year will be Emma Raugust Goede, who celebrated her 100th birthday on July 30. Mrs. Goede was born in Russia and at an early age came to America with her parents to settle near Odessa shortly after the turn of the century.

Odessa participants win top recognition at fair: Odessa should be proud of the 4-H, FFA and open participants during the Lincoln County Fair. Exhibitors and attendance were up this year with a total of 3,977 compared to 3,465 in 1993 exhibiting and attendance through the gate at 5,528 compared to 5,009 from a year ago.

Not only did they bring home plenty of blue ribbons, but many won Best of Show, People’s Choice, Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion ribbons.

With Amy Schroeder and Clarene Haynie promoting the fair to local residents, the turnout for Odessa in other areas besides large and small animals was better than ever before.

Wednesday livestock trailers were seen leaving town with campers and motorhomes loaded down for the four day fair that opened on Thursday morning.

The accumulation of months of hard work was about to pay off. For many, the fair means money for college. Thanks in part to support from local citizens, many earn school money by showing and marketing their animals.

In the quilt division for juniors, Kelsey Buscher had Best of Show and Eddy Carroll received the Commissioner’s Award.

With Odessa having a quilt club and a new shop to buy material, people have gotten busy making quilts. Laura Estes received Best of Show for her Christmas wall hanging, Debbie Buscher won a Special Award for Imari Star wall hanging, Laura also received a Special Award for a wall hanging and Charlene Kagele won the People’s Choice Award for her Pansies in the Garden wall hanging.

Sharon Jantz had two reds for her wall hangings, Ann Herdrick received a red for her challenge quilt wall hanging, Charlene won a blue for her quilt and Mary Miller received three reds and a blue.

Patricia Gies won Best of Show for a decorated sweatshirt in the sewing area. Winning two blues and a red in sewing was Kathy Romine.

The knitting department had three entries from Odessa. Gail Kiesz and Jackie Halfhide each received Best of Show and Clarene Haynie won the Commissioner’s Award. Gail won for her hand knit black alpaca felted hat while Jackie did a machine knitted padded coat. Clarene’s win was for her machine knitted “cat” cardigan sweater.

Pam Bradley won the craftsflower arrangement and in fine arts. She received a blue for her skull painting, red for a painting, three blues for necklaces, two blues and a red for earring designs, Best of Show for her dried Wagon Wheel arrangement, a blue for her hat arrangement, red for a hand tied arrangement and a red on her Indian shield.

Lance Kissler won Best of Show for his natural resource display in the youth poster division. Also winning a Best of Show for her educational poultry poster was Jennifer Smith.

In the canning department, Maggie Baker won two firsts and a two seconds, Best of Show for her tomato salsa and a Special Award for her dried peppers.

Heith Baker won Best of Show for his cookie entry.

In the open crafts division, Patty Walter got Best of Show for her hanging swag with Pam Bradley winning Best of Show for her This is Odessa wall hanging.

From the display areas to the livestock, Odessa can be proud of their showings.

In the 4-H division of the horses, Jayme Haptonstall was Grand Champion in the junior fitting and showing. Sydney Haptonstall received Intermediate Grand Champion in the fitting and showing division.

Jayme won first blue in bareback equitation; first blue stock seat equitation; blue in trail; blue in western horsemanship; first blue in poles, keyhole, figure 8, and two-barrel flag; a blue for her safety education poster and a red in barrels. She also won first in western pleasure in the open junior class.

Sydney got a blue in poles, keyhole, trail figure 8, western horsemanship and her safety education poster. She received first blues in barrels and two-barrel flag race. Sydney received a red in bareback equitation.

Dusti Campbell received a red in fitting and showing, western horsemanship and two-barrel flag race. She got blues in stock seat equitation, poles, barrels, keyhole, English equitation, bareback equitation and western pleasure.

The sheep barn produced many blue ribbon winners. They were: Loni Watters, Heith Baker, Nancy McClure and Nick Henderson. Loni was also champion overall sheep showman and Grand Champion in the large animal round robin.

There was a total of 101 sheep 7 juniors/youth, 83 4-H and 11 FFA.

In the fitting and showing, Loni was Grand Champion overall sheep showman.

In the small animal barn--poultry, Jennifer Smith won Best of Show, and a blue in breed class. She received red in fitting and showing. Nick Henderson won a blue in breed class and a blue in fitting and showing and in the open division, Maggie Baker won Best of Show.

Drew Floch was Grand Champion and Best of Show in the fitting and showing of his pygmy goat. He also won a blue, a Grand Reserve Champion and a blue in the breed class.

Ryan Floch received a red in fitting and showing with his rabbit and a blue in the breed class.

Drew was the Grand Champion in the small animal round robin.

The swine barn produced a special award for the entire Odessa group for sportsmanship. This was an exciting award for the members to win.

Brent Kissler was Grand Champion in fitting and showing and Reserve Grand Champion in the market class for the FFA senior division.

In the junior FFA division, Scott Knerr was Grand Champion in fitting and showing and market and Jennifer Kniola was Reserve Grand Champion in fitting and showing.

The 4-H winners were Loni Watters--Grand Champion in the market class, Brian Knerr fitting and showing Reserve Grand Champion, Nick Henderson fitting and showing Reserve Grand Champion and Drew Floch was Grand Champion for the fitting and showing division.

Other blue ribbon winners were Loni Watters, Nicholas Henderson, Heith Baker, Ryan Floch, Brian Knerr, Lance Kissler and Drew Floch.

Brett and Sean Moon show for the Davenport 4-H club. Brett received Reserve Champion in the market class, Sean was Grand Champion in fitting and showing and they also won blue ribbons.

LeRoy Van Dyke was “The Auctioneer” for the market sales. “We’re spending a lot to help those kids who are doing the wrong things. It’s good to see you all supporting the kids who are doing the right things,” he said.

For the FFA Lisa Knerr was Grand Champion in the steer barn. Scott Knerr was Reserve Grand Champion and Eddy Carroll received a blue and a red ribbon.

The 4-H placements were: Chase Walter, Landon Heidenreich, Janae Heidenreich, Lacey Walter all blue ribbon winners in the market division. Red ribbon winners were Brenda Knerr and Jeff Zagelow.

In fitting and showing, Grand Champion went to Lisa Knerr, Reserve Grand Champion to Scott Knerr and a blue to Eddy Carroll in the FFA division.

Lisa Knerr received Overall Barn Grand Champion Market Steer.

Chase Walter received Grand Championship for the junior division and Janae Heidenreich was Reserve Grand Champion for fitting and showing. She also received the Overall Reserve Champion of the barn. Receiving blue ribbons for fitting and showing were Jeff Zagelow, Brenda Knerr, Lacey Walter and Landon Heidenreich.