The day Kennedy came to town
Memories of RFK’s visit are still very strong here 50 years later
HARTINGTON — Hartington area residents are marking an important anniversary this week.
Most area folks who lived here 50 years ago, get a bit of a gleam in their eye when they reminisce about the day presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy came to town.
It was an event that even half a century later still remains transfixed in their memory banks.
Coleridge native Dave Domina said he was inspired by the event.
Domina, a Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for Nebraska’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2016, said he had to sneak out of his Republican dominated home to take in Kennedy’s speech.
“My parents didn’t know that I snuck away to see Kennedy in Hartington. I can’t remember the excuse for being late getting home, but I had one,” Domina said. “I went home with no disclosures of my waywardness.”
As a high school senior at Coleridge Community School, Domina already had a strong interest in politics.
“Kennedy was in good spirits. I remember him pointing and smiling at a few Gene McCarthy supporters. He made an impromptu statement about wanting the support of McCarthy’s “spirited supporters” if the Convention gave him the nomination.”
Even though Domina made the trip to Hartington alone he enjoyed being able to catch a glimpse of Kennedy.
Kennedy’s visit to Hartington didn’t just happen.
Weeks of negotiating and planning went into the campaign stop here.
Several communities competed to get the New York Senator to visit their communities on his campaign swing through the state.
Bank of Hartington President Vince Rossiter, Co-Chairman of the Cedar County Democratic Party, and fellow Co-Chairman Leo Kathol, were invited to Nebraska State Democratic Party headquarters in Omaha to lobby for their community to host a visit from Kennedy as part of his bid for the Democratic nomination for president.
Hartington won out, in part because of the opening of the expanded Neu Cheese factory that Bobby could tour, and a comment by Leo Kathol about Bobby’s daughter Kathleen, whose middle name was Hartington, which made for a good connection and good publicity.
In addition, Hartington had a reputation for being a very progressive community in the heart of the rural area.
The state party gave its nod of approval and the two men spent the next three weeks planning to ensure a good crowd would be on hand for the big day. They were not disappointed as over 5,000 people showed up that sunny April afternoon.
Vince, Leo and a small planning committee chose the Hartington Public School campus to host the event to accommodate all of the people expected to come to town.
Leo was in charge of having a stage erected with a podium and the sound system and Vince agreed to be the Master of Ceremonies for the event.
A few Hartington dignitaries were invited to be up on stage when Bobby would talk. Hartington dentist Dr. Paul Lammers and Hartington Mayor Adolph Heimes were also seated on stage with Sen. Kennedy.
Vince and Leo put together a local security team, which included Gene Kathol, and Don Rossiter who were on stage to help protect the Senator.
After the event the Senator got down and walked through the crowd visiting with people and shaking hands. Don Rossiter and Gene Kathol hung right with him.
V. E. Rossiter remembers that the local security detail did a great job.
“As Kennedy moved around town he greeted people and shook their hands,” Rossiter said. “Kennedy had a tie clip on that was in the shape of a boat. A man in the crowd reached in and tried to touch that tie clip. Gene Kathol stopped the guy from doing it — boy, did he stop him.”
Marce Kollars and Don Hoesing were seniors at Cedar Catholic High School that year. They both have fond memories of Kennedy’s visit here.
“The Kennedy’s were kind of like celebrities,” Kollars said.
His speech and impromptu parade through town was like one of those Norman Rockwell moments that make people proud to be an American.
“I was a senior at Cedar Catholic and I remember how proud I was that Bobby Kennedy was actually in Hartington as was everyone else as this was just too good to be true,” Dan Kathol said. “People went out of their way to show their support with banners and posters. Everyone wanted this event to be special and memorable for Bobby and his wife.”
Kollars still remembers how excited the students were about having Robert Kennedy make a stop in Hartington.
“The high school kids made signs to welcome Kennedy,” Kollars said. “Some of the high school students were gone part of the day to a music contest. Everyone wanted to get back to Hartington so they could see him.”
A lot of the students and others gathered at the campus for Kennedy’s speech. Kennedy also made a stop at the Neu Cheese Company where he was greeted by Jim Neu.
Kollars not only got to see Kennedy during his stop in Hartington, she also had her picture taken with him.
That picture was one of the photos featured in a large photo spread in the Cedar County News that week.
Hoesing had just gotten back to town from a music contest and went straight to the campus.
“I remember it well,” said Hoesing, who is serving his fifth term as Cedar County Assessor.
“As Kennedy walked past he stopped and shook my hand. I was thrilled,” Hoesing said.
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