Throwback Thursday 1955: Gavins Point Dam big catches

Sept. 7, 1950

HARTINGTON — Ed Specht was the high bidder on the Emma Thomas 80 acre farm, which was sold at public auction at Hartington Friday. The farm sold for $165.00 an acre.

Sept. 8, 1960

SOUTH YANKTON — Loren Dempsay snagged a 45 lb. spoonbill catfish on the spillway at Gavins Point Dam last Thursday evening. Monday evening Tommy Phillips, 13, caught a 22 lb. channel catfish while snagging below Gavins Point.

Sept. 8, 1965

HARTINGTON — Richard Wintz has been appointed Hartington community chairman in the fund-raising campaign to be launched October 4-8, by the Prairie Hills Girl Scout Council comprising 19 counties in northeastern Nebraska, it was announced this week by Julian Meyer, Council Finance Chairman.

The Girl Scout Council will seek $7,000.00 to finance the organization of urgently needed additional Scout troops, and to provide training for volunteer leaders, as well as to maintain Camp Crossed Arrows near Fremont and day camps in 18 Council locations, to provide professional staff assistance to volunteers and the facilities of an office for troops in the council.

Girl Scouts of Hartington are working with the Prairie Hills Council and the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. to provide a better program for more girls.

In our town, the theme for the finance campaign is “Service... A Girl Scout Promise”. All are invited to be part of the campaign and give their gifts to this fine organization.

Sept. 8, 1965

HARTINGTON — A portrait of the late John F. Kennedy on display at the Bank of Hartington, clearly reveals the exceptional talent of a local artist — Mrs. Paul Modde.

Mrs. Modde created the masterpiece from a picture on a magazine cover. The magazine cover was 8” by 11” and the finished portrait, done in oils, measures 4’ by 5’. We suggest you stop by and see this excellent production the next time you go past the bank. When asked how long it took her to finish the portrait, she replied, “Oh, I worked on and off since January. When I tired of painting I let it stand for several days or a week and then started in again”.

Mrs. Modde is a graduate of Sioux Falls, S.D. Baptist College where she majored in arts and crafts. Following her graduation she taught for 2 years in a Sioux Falls school. She then married Paul Modde and moved to Lincoln where he attended college and had employment. In Lincoln she assisted in the department of occupational therapy at the state mental hospital.

The couple resided in Lincoln for seven years before moving to Omaha where Mr. Modde was employed as a salesman. He was out of town most of the week and to pass time Mrs. Modde turned to art as a hobby. She took a class in art at the College of St. Mary.

She first started profitable painting by decorating aprons with textile paint and selling them to various organizations. Since then she has done many charcoal portraits and a few in oils.

Her collection consists of several scenery pictures, one of the family pets and a portrait of their daughters.

The Modde’s came to Hartington 6 years ago when Mr. Modde established an auto parts store here. They are the parents of 7 children ranging from 14 years to 4 years.

Aside from her artwork, which includes sign painting and decorating for various functions and caring for her family, Mrs. Modde enjoys golf and was chairman of the ladies golf committee this year at the Hartington Town and Country Club.

She also takes part in many church activities.

Sept. 8, 1965

HARTINGTON — Most studies show the preservatives are not likely to increase feed value enough to return their cost when added to corn or sorghum silage, according to Paul Guyer, University of Nebraska Extension livestock specialist.

Of the many “new” products on the market, some may be profitable but, if the past is any guide, most will fall by the wayside, he said.

You can estimate your chance for gain by figuring how much storage losses would have to be cut to pay for the preservative, Guyer said.

You should cut losses by 10 per cent just to break even when corn is worth $5.50 per ton in the field, harvesting costs are $2 per ton, and the preservative costs 75 cents per ton, he said.

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