The Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI)
October 1, 1997
Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Old Items Taken from The Thorp Courier files of 1897-1922-1947-1972-1987

100 Years Ago (1897)

Henry Elmengreen killed a badger and a wild cat in the woods North of here last week.
 
The potato crop is not turning out to be a large as expected in this vicinity.  Some rot is reported.
 
A. J. Minard has moved to his farm just south of the village limits.  Will Aucutt has moved into the dwelling vacated by Mr. Minard, and purchased by Mr. Aucutt a few weeks ago.
 
While Jos. Klouda was absent from his shoe shop one evening last week, some sneak thief entered and purloined Joe’s open face, old country watch and his overcoat, in one of the pockets of which was tucked a twenty dollar bill.
 
The barn of Anton Malinowski, four miles east of here, burned to the ground on Wed. night of last week together with several tons of hay and some grain. The loss is quite severe to Mr. Malinowski.  How the structure caught fire as yet a mystery.  On Thurs. a warrant was issued for Josef Golomblewski, charging him with setting fire to the barn and Constable Jas. Connors arrested the man.
 
On Fri. evening last the store building of W. S. Tufts, at Withee was accidentally set on fire by the explosion of a lamp and in the course of an hour nothing remained but ashes.  In addition to the store building used by Mr. Tufts as the post office, and the flames spread in a few moments so as to make it unsafe to enter the building.  The loss of post office records, fixtures, etc., is complete.
 
Stanley Sunbeams – It appears that the N.W.L. Co. will put in five logging camps in the vicinity this winter, four of which will be located on the S.M.& P.R.R. and one on the North Fork River. – It is reported that Dan Donahoe will open a drug store in the post office building in a few days, and that Chas. VanDusen of Thorp is to be the druggist clerk thereof.
 
75 Years Ago (1922)
 
Henderson’s Corner – Jas. Doberty, who passed away at his home near Eidsvold Thurs. at the age of 76 years, was one of the sturdy pioneers who transformed the boundless forests of Clark and Chippewa Counties into productive farms.
 
Born: to Mr. and Mrs. P. Turenne, a daughter, Sept. 13.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Piper and family who have been located at Owen for several years past, have returned to Thorp, moving into the Burke building here.
 
A. C. Bishop, who recently traded his farm in the Town of Worden to O.A. Solvlrud for land on the north edge of this village, left on Thurs. last for the Dakota harvest field.  From there he will go to Washington where he expects to locate.
 
Mrs. Katherine, 22, wife of Chester Soderberg, died at their home in the village on Mon. morning after a very brief illness.  Deceased was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Warner.
 
Miss Minnie Pribbenow, 35, died at her home in this village on Thurs. Sept. 21, 1922, after an illness extending over a period of several weeks.
 
District No. 2 and District No. 3, Town of Reseburg, bordering the village of Thorp, are each erecting modern state graded schools.  Both are being built of mat face brick.
 
50 Years Ago (1947)
 
Word was received here Mon. of the death of Herman Stracker, 76, a former Thorp resident, a Modesto, Calif.
 
The wedding of Mary Ann Patraz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Onstad, of Eau Claire to Fred C. Pagel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Pagel of Thorp, took place Sat. afternoon, Sept. 27, in the chapel of the English Lutheran Church.
 
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Buss, Sat. morning, Sept. 27th at their home.
 
Word was received here that a baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Clem Herman of Chicago and they named him Clem Richard Jr.
 
On Sept. 20th, the Notre Dame Church of Chippewa Falls, was the scene of the double ring ceremony which united Irene Skaleski, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Skaleski, Thorp, and Donald White, son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. White, Chippewa Falls, in holy matrimony.
 
During a Nuptial Mass celebrated Sat. morning at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church, Thorp, Miss Bernice Przybylski, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Przybylski, Thorp became the bride of Leonard Wisniewski, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wisniewski, Lublin.
 
Miss Alice Bobb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bobb, Town of Reseburg, and Lloyd L. Peterson, so of Mr. and Mrs. George Peterson, of La Crosse, were joined in the holy bonds of matrimony at the Reseburg Congregational Church at high noon, Sat. Sept. 27th.
 
Bobb’s Mill – A daughter was born to M. and Mrs. George Wendt at the Victory Hospital in Stanley on Sept. 27th.
 
25 Years Ago (1972)
 
Civilian airline pilots might be unlikely candidates for the honor of being the best marksmen flying military jet interceptors, but the Wis. Air National Guard has four such “top guns”.  The four – one a Thorpite, Captain, Dale L. Ebben, of Monona, who flies the Boeing 727 for Northwest Airlines out of Minneapolis and son of Mr. and Mrs. Delton Ebben of Thorp – find it challenging to step from the spacious flight deck of a large commercial jet transport into the tiny cockpit of a Convair F102 Delta Sagge jet interceptor.
 
After two years in the making the final day has arrived for Tom Hompe to be rightfully proud of his ownership of the new Ben Franklin building on Main Street.
 
Ted Lato, 19, died at Victory Memorial Hospital, Stanley, on Tues. Sept. 26th.
 
Funeral services for May Wyczawski, 83, Thorp, were held Mon. morning, Sept. 25 at St. Hedwig’s Church, Thorp.
 
On Sat., Sept. 9, 1972, Miss Christine JoAnne Krug, daughter of Mrs. Adeline Krug, Withee, and Gary Walter Fritz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elton “Jack” Fritz, Owen, were united in holy matrimony, at St. Joseph’s Lutheran Church, Withee.
 
10 Years Ago (1987)
 
Richard L. Bauer, 49, Route 1, Thorp, died Sun. Sept 27, 1987, as the result of injuries sustained in a silo accident on his farm.
 
Eugene and Stella Wilhelm, Thorp, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church, Sun. Sept. 6, 1987.
 
Gayle Bivans, 76, Stanley, died Mon. Sept 28, 1987 at Victory Memorial Hospital, Stanley.