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Pages of History
On Sunday, May 25, 1947, more than 500 people attended the grand opening of the new Laurel airport east of town. Managed by Luther Einung, the airport operated under the name “Laurel Flying Service.”
Five new planes brought in to take people for rides was the featured attraction. They included two Piper Super Cruisers, one Stinson Voyager, and two Piper Cub Specials. The two Cub Specials were piloted by brothers Ivan and Francis Smith of Laurel.
Einung reported that 148 people went up in the five planes. All were high wing planes with two nonretractable wheels in front and one small wheel in back. Planes like that were sometimes called tail draggers. A new J3 Piper Cub was priced at a little over $2,000 in 1947 – about the same price as a new car. Today a 1947 Cub might cost $50,000 or more depending on its condition.
In addition to the five planes brought into give rides, there were nine other visiting planes, including two Cessnas, a couple of Cubs, a Luscombe, a Taylor, a Fairchild, an Aeronca Chief, and a Stinson. The two Cessnas were flown by Bud Gengler and Bud Becker, both of Hartington.
The day after the grand opening, Ivan Smith flew Einung to Lincoln where he purchased a new Piper Super Cruiser. Einung flew the Cruiser back from Lincoln in one hour flat.
Once Einung received federal approval, he began offering flying lessons to veterans under the new G.I. Bill. “Any veteran with at least 90 days of service is entitled to enough flying time to qualify for a private pilots license,“ he advertised. And many did. Presumably civilians could take non-subsidized flying lessons as well.
Shortly after the grand opening, he announced he would be offering “shuttle fishing trips.“ Two men would be flown from Laurel to a lake in Minnesota where they would be left to fish for three or four days. Then two more men would be flown in and the first two would be flown back to Laurel.” The plane will leave in the morning and fishermen will have their lines wet by 10 or 11 o’clock,“ he said.
May also marked the end of the 1946-47 school year. End of the year festivities included the Junior-Senior banquet which for some reason was held in the Mayfair Hotel in Sioux City. One of the highlights of the evening was the crowning of Pat Mallatt as king and Joan Ericson as queen. The era of “No Kings” demonstrations was 79 years in the future.
The prom was held in the high school auditorium on May 12. During the dance the 1947 “Growlers“ were handed out. These were the first yearbooks published since 1940.
On May 16, 37 Laurel High seniors entered the real world. Members of the Class included Vivian Anderson, Arlene Benjamin, Maurice Chederquist, Mary Ellen Dempster, Lyle Duffy, Philip Eddy, Dale Edwards, Joan Ericson, Harold Flom, Bonnie Hirchert, Carol Hirchert, Harry Huddleston, Norma Huetig, Daryl Johnson, Eugene Kastrup, Ruth Kastrup, Viggo Kastrup, Donald Knudsen, Norman Jensen, Geraldine Korbacher, Gwendolyn Macklem, Patrick Mallatt, John Maloney, Evonne Miner, Carl Nielsen, Milo Patefield, Virginia Paulson, Delores Reed, Martha Smith, John Solso, Carol Sutherland, Merlin Swanson, Dale Thompson, James Tolles, LaVera Urwiler, Marguerite Urwiler, Alice Van Every, Erna Vollersen and Alice Wickett.
Belden graduates included Virgene Arntzen, Waldron Bull, Jeanette Fox, Mildred Griesel, Harlan Herfel, Donald Hoskinson, Helen Lyndon, Lois Lydon and Myrna Rethwisch. The names of graduates from Concord and Dixon were not reported.
In other news of May 1947: Lamson Chevrolet and the Laurel Advocate announced plans to sponsor Laurel’s first Soapbox Derby.
Sugar was one of the few commodities still being rationed. The Advocate said ration stamp 12 would be valid for the purchase of 10 pounds of sugar beginning June 1. That would have to last until Oct. 31 when ration controls were set to expire.
Charles Davis was hired to replace John Taylor who had resigned as night marshal.
Mrs. Loyal Schuler was badly burned when the fuel oil she was using to start a fire in her kitchen stove flared up severely burning her about the face and upper body.
Howard, the 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Evers, suffered a fractured skull after being thrown from a horse. He was rushed by ambulance to the Benthack Hospital in Wayne where he died four days later without regaining consciousness.
The fire department was called to the Paul Lorang farm north of Laurel to extinguish a chimney fire. The heat cracked the chimney in several places but no damage was done to the house. Ordinarily a box or two of baking soda would extinguish a chimney fire.
Paul Booth, who had barbered in Laurel from 1935 to 1941, returned from California and opened a new barber shop in the hotel building on the corner of Oak and Main.
Mac McDonald sold his cafe to Marie Frigge of Hartington.
“Something new has been added – snow on May 28,” said the Advocate. About 0.4 of an inch of rain which fell during the night turned to snow by the next morning. “As we go to press there is a heavy blanket of snow covering the ground,” said Editor Hill.
Congressman Karl Stefan noted the Senate had approved the Truman Doctrine by a vote of 67 to 23. President Truman asked Congress for $400 million in aid to prevent a communist takeover of Greece and Turkey. “If we give money to Greece and Turkey, how many other nations will ask for loans and gifts to stop communism? If we don’t stop this policy of spend, spend and spend more, we’ll go broke,“ Stefan said.
As Johnny Cash might have sung if he were still living in 2026, “How High is the National Debt, Mama? … $38.9 trillion and rising.” And the government is still spending, and spending and spending more.
