Cass County Star-Gazette

H. Aileen Emerick, 94, of Beardstown, died Thursday, August 7, at Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville.
Sager Funeral Home in Beardstown is in charge of arrangements.

Eva G. Little, 97, of Rushville, passed away at 4:49 a.m., Monday, August 11, at the Heritage Health, Therapy and Senior Care in Mt. Sterling.  A Celebration of Life service will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, August 14, at the Wood Funeral Home in Rushville, with the Reverend Grant Armstrong officiating. Interment will follow in the Littleton Cemetery in Littleton.
Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church in Rushville or the Activity Fund at Heritage Health, Therapy and Senior Care in Mt. Sterling.
You are invited to share your memories of Eva, view her memorial video and leave condolences at www.woodfh.net.

Robert H. Virgin, 93, of Virginia died Thursday, August 8. The Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Virginia was in charge of the arrangements. Memorial gifts are suggested to the Cass County Fair Foundation for Livestock Events, Passavant Hospital Foundation for the Transitional Care Unit, or Cass County Food Pantry.
Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.buchanancody.com.

Eugene “Gene” B. Taylor, 73, of Chandlerville, passed away at his home at 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, August 7. Funeral services were held at Lintner-Hurley Funeral Home in Chandlerville at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, with visitation held two hours prior to the service. Burial will follow the services at Chandlerville Cemetery. The Rev. Mike Hopps will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. Online memorial messages may be left for the family at www.hurleyfh.com.
Lintner-Hurley Funeral Home in Chandlerville is in charge of arrangements.

Aug. 14
Hollywood’s Cafe in Chandlerville will host a fried chicken buffet with proceeds going to the Chandlerville Improvement Council and the Chandlerville Burgoo.  The fundraiser will be held from 4-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14.

August 16
Movie in the Park will be held at Jennie Marr Dunaway Memorial Park in Virginia, on Saturday, August 16 at dusk. (8:30). Bring your family, blankets and chairs and watch the movie, “42” (legend of Jackie Robinson).

Slaw Dawg’s 50/60s Diner will host their Ninth Annual Cruise-In from 4-8 p.m., Saturday, August 16 at 218 W. South Street in Astoria. Nine trophies will be given out. No entry fee. For more information call Jerry Barnes at 309-333-3130 or Neil Danner at 309-329-2774.

Aug. 20
Virginia CUSD# 64  registration for grades K-12 will be held on Wednesday, August 20 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the Administration Office (Band Room).

August 21, 22, 23
DNR hunter safety course at First Southern Baptist Church, 426 Maple Ave., Rushville. Classes will be held Aug. 21 and 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For additional information about the course and to register, contact the Extension office at 217-322-3381.

Aug. 24
African Celebration Day, August 24 in Beardstown at 2 p.m., at 105 West Third Street in Beardstown.

By Don Chipman
chip22@att.net
Track and field events were the first competitive sport in which Beardstown High School participated, and Milton Angier became the first “star” in BHS athletics.
Angier practiced throwing the javelin at the Beardstown High School first athletic field, which was located across 9th street from the high school; where at that time the high school was located at Lincoln School, bordering Monroe, Clay and Eighth Streets.

By Don Chipman
chip22@att.net
Tom Orr, manager of the Tri-County Thunder 10u announces sign-up date for the 10u softball  team for the 2015.
The date for the sign-up for the 10u squad has been set for Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. at Rice Field in Roy Roberts Park.
Tri-County Thunder  organization has been the highest successful fast pitch softball team in the Tri-County area and have been the state champions for the last seven successive years in ASA, NSA, and Little League softball.
All girls interested in playing for the Tri-County Thunder 10u team birthday must be no later than January 1, 2004.
For further information about the 10u sign-up you may contact Tom Orr at (217) 323-4787.

By Don Chipman
Chip22@att.net
L. Milton McClure II, (known to all as Mac) was captain of the 1936 University of Illinois track team and was a sprinter for the Illini track team.
He ran against Jesse Owens (All-time track great/Olympian) who ran collegiately for Ohio State. “Mac” ran the 60-yard dash and I can vividly recall him telling me how he could beat Jesse out of the blocks, but about the 35-40 yard mark Jesse would pass him and go on to win with Mac finishing second. The picture you see in this auricle is the U. of I. blanket given to players who lettered more than once. They would receive the Block “I” for their letter jacket and then when they were seniors they received an Illini blanket.

By Freida Marie Crump
The Coonridge Digest
Greetings from the Ridge.
Herb and I have a great doctor. The little rascal can out-diagnose the best and he keeps up to date on the latest tonics, pills, and potions. If the paperwork doesn’t kill him we plan to keep the guy forever.
But there’s one malady I’ve contracted that even the town’s finest physician can’t cure. After a long weary year of wars, epidemics, tyrants, and weather, I’ve been left with a severe case of helplessness. Perhaps you feel the same way . . . the Middle East, Ebola, the Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan. . . the worrisome beat goes on. Americans have long prided themselves on the ability to look at a problem, figure out a way to solve it then get‘er done. More and more we find ourselves feeling powerless and even vulnerable as the world seems to be spinning out of control.

By Leigh Morris
Our Place in History
When you’ve visited an antique shop, you no doubt encountered glass and porcelain insulators that were used by electric utilities as well as telephone and telegraph companies. How quaint.
While these antique insulators often are relegated to paperweight duty, insulators are critical to our 21st century way of life. From generating plants and high-voltage transmission lines to distribution lines and substations, every aspect of the electric grid is dependent on insulators of various types.