50 years ago

may 23, 1963

The initial step in the long-range program of widening Main Street is beginning this week. Starting on the north side of Main Street between Second and Third streets the extremely wide sidewalks, better than 16-feet, will be narrowed by six feet. “It is hoped to extend the improvement on both sides of the three blocks from First Street to the bridge within the next year or two,” said City Commissioner Earl Kreuter.

“Back in ’17 and ’18” was the way most stories started this week when 34 men of Company M of the 139th Infantry Regiment, WWI, held a second reunion at the cabin of Ollie Wight at the Marion County Lake. Attending from Marion were Wight, Earl Linn, Charley Niederhauser, Gotfried Beisel, and Harry Patterson.

St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church at Pilsen celebrated its Diamond Jubilee last Thursday morning with Pontifical Mass, a family dinner, and an appropriate program.

Mrs. Harold Berg of Newton received $200 in this week’s Marion Cash Days drawing. James Knoblock of Marion missed $10, Don Rogers of Marion missed $5, Mrs. Lois Jost of Marion received $15, and Mrs. Martin Lueth of Lost Springs missed $25.

Work is progressing this week on replacing fabled “Dead Man’s Bridge” on a county road south of Marion. The new “bridge” will be a fill over a steel tube.