People, events and issues during May 1941 in Gratiot County (from the top): Recruiting Services brought in a mobile recruiting station in Alma for one three day weekend; The first citizens in St. Louis buy defense bonds from postmaster Adeline Phillips; Former St. Louis resident and Alma College student Fred Hill poses in what was one of the first photographs of servicemen to appear in county newspapers in the World War II era; Fay Church and Lem Rowley take care of a car at Rowley and Church in St. Louis. They combined to a new name change starting in 1935; Memorial Day was coming, and newspapers reminded locals of how they owed their freedom to those who had served as far back as 1775; The Alma WPA recreation department offered a marble tournament early in May 1941. Just fill out the form and turn it into any of the area recreation centers or the Alma Western Auto Associate Store.

As the nation continued to prepare for war, more Gratiot men were drafted through the Selective Service. Many still volunteered to go, but the draft numbers kept being called.

There were those citizens who believed that the Depression was slowly ending, that more people could find work, and that the county was trying to rid itself of people on public relief rolls. The idea was that if people really wanted to work, they could find jobs in the county – even if it meant signing up for the CCC, PWA, or NYA projects.

Farmers went to their fields after a long winter. People still faced public health issues.

It was May 1941, and Gratiot County continued along the path toward war.

War News in Gratiot

As spring arrived in Gratiot County, citizens heard President Roosevelt’s proclamation of an unlimited national emergency during a Tuesday night fireside chat. Roosevelt emphasized America’s continued commitment to keep Hitler out of the Western Hemisphere, regardless of the cost. Part of this commitment was measured by America’s continued support for England through the shipping of goods, supplies, and armaments to the beleaguered British Isles. One headline that ran in Gratiot newspapers on May 1, 1941, warned readers by asking the question, “IF HITLER WINS THE WAR OVERSEAS, THEN WHAT?” Dr. George Gallup urged Americans to write their congressmen and senators with their opinions on America’s leaning toward direct involvement in the European war. The responses would be used to gauge citizens’ views on war-related issues facing Congress.

America’s continued move toward war was evident in news articles claiming that American aircraft were being prepared to build 500 heavy bombers each month. However, there were other warning signs, such as extended comments by Joseph P. Kennedy, former ambassador to England, who openly said that America could not stop Hitler’s tide of victories over Europe. Another well-known American, Charles Lindbergh, had also previously stated that he did not think America could hope to stop the German Luftwaffe. Both men’s images would be tarnished regarding their Hitler commentary after Pearl Harbor. However, Gerhart Segar, a former member of the German Reichstag prior to Hitler’s assumption of power, spoke to the Ithaca Rotary Club about his experiences in a concentration camp. He urged America to stand with England against Hitler. Fifty people heard Segar’s speech.

The Redman Trailer Plant continued to produce trailers for government contracts and asked the city of Alma for building permits to expand its factory. Requests for the building permits stated that nearly $10,000 would be spent on the additions. Redman’s had a workforce of 170 laborers working day and night to keep up with demand for trailers. Once national defense bonds and stamps went on sale, Captain Charles Reed was the first to appear at the Alma Post Office to oversee sales. Marie Downer of 911 Republic Avenue purchased the first bonds that went on sale. Over in St. Louis, Frank Curtiss bought the first defense bond from postmaster Adeline Phillips. In the first week at St. Louis, Phillips sold over $2,000 in bonds.

County newspapers also printed requests from military leaders asking residents to write to their sons who had left due to the selective service. Major Howard Freeman asked that people write to members of the Alma antitank battery that was at Fort Knox, Kentucky. To boost morale, a group of six Alma women soon traveled to Fort Knox to see their husbands and relatives. Marian Morris, Betty Allen, Alice Nelson, Dorothy Hitchcock, Emma Mix, and Maxine Norse were a few of them. Pictures of these men also began to appear, marking the start of publishing photographs and letters from men in the military, a process that would continue in Gratiot County for the next five years. Fred Hill, St. Louis boy and Alma College graduate, graduated from the U.S. Naval Reserve Aviation Base at Grosse Ilse. His photograph appeared in the Alma Record. Men like Private Elmer Russell of Wheeler wrote home that he was doing well at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Virginia. So did Maurice Bacon, who was stationed at Camp Haan in Riverside, California. News came that Private J.F. Swigart of Alma attended radio training at Cahanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois. One of the first St. Louis letters published by a serviceman was from Private Edward Barnes, who was at Fort Winfield Scott. The Barnes letter launched the mission of publishing letters from World War II servicemen and appeared on May 15, 1941.

Army recruiters visited Alma College to encourage young men to enlist. At that time, 69 men were eligible for the draft; 39 of them were seniors. Some of the students who were enlisted and prepared to leave included Danny Gallagher, Al McCuaig, Bud Howe, Tinker Kirby, Dick Krall, Warren Hartt, Bud McLean, Joe Chester, and several others. Their departures depleted the college’s sports teams, as these men were all good athletes. Naval Reserve recruiting also soon followed to Alma College. Michigan State College in Lansing added another defense education course to help high school graduates who had prepared for the Army Air Corps examinations. Soon, the army sent a recruiting service on wheels to Alma, which parked downtown near the post office on one Saturday through Monday and attracted much attention. Fort Custer also wanted mothers to know that those young men who trained there received adequate spiritual care. The base had eight new churches scattered around its base. Since August 1940, 895 new buildings have gone up on the base, but the churches are easy to find, as their steeples rise to over 50 feet.

To have a Defense, Gratiot had to have the Draft.

One of the recurring issues in supplying an increasing number of young men for the selective service was reducing the number of men rejected on grounds of physical fitness. It seemed that each time Gratiot County sent in its required number of men, several were rejected by doctors at their induction in Detroit. One way the Selective Service corrected this problem was by telling men to engage in “prehabilitation” or to make themselves fit for service. This involved learning the minimum physical requirements, consulting the family doctor or dentist if one believed they fell short, and then following the physician’s advice to maintain good condition. To assist with the growing need for physical examinations in Alma, seven doctors served on the Gratiot draft medical staff. They included: Dr. Don Howell, Dr. Robert Davies, Dr. Charles DuBois, Dr. Bernard Graham, Dr. John Rottschafer, Dr. Spencer Miller, and Dr. Thomas Carney.

A group of 44 men (12 volunteers and 32 conscripts) made up Gratiot’s sixth draft quota and reported on May 5 for Detroit aboard the Ann Arbor train. Howard Salisbury (Bannister), David Church (Alma), and Donald Forest Faye McMullen (Ithaca) headed the volunteer list. Other conscripts included: John Weller (Ithaca), Robert Grossett (Alma), and Alfred Stearns (Riverdale). A week after the group arrived in Detroit, five men were rejected for failing their physicals. Still, the Gratiot board was not worried about having to send five more men, as they had more than enough volunteers waiting to take their places. The ninth conscientious objector in Gratiot County also came forward in early May. This man made out his questionnaire and could be sent to a special camp, such as the one in Manistee, Michigan.

Later in the month, the board announced that 44 more men would be called for the June selectees. July 1 also would be registration day nationwide for those young men who came of age for the selective service since October 16, 1940. These men were now eligible for possible military service.

Continued Effects of the Depression

With the coming of summer and the need for farm workers, the Gratiot County Social Welfare Commission planned a sharp cut in the county’s relief rolls. Employable single persons on direct relief and heads of families with only two members now had to find private employment as of May 1, as the county attempted to close all welfare cases. However, anyone who remained in need of relief had to prove their need to be reinstated. The social welfare commission still believed that up to 200 cases would be reinstated. The director, C.J. Chambers, stated that there had been a significant decrease in the number of relief cases in the last year. By May, 245 cases existed, averaging 1,221 people in the county on relief. The Gratiot board of supervisors also favored cutting relief, supposedly forcing those on relief to seek WPA work.

Work employment also picked up at the Michigan State Employment Service in Alma. William N. Irish, local manager, stated that there had been 45 new placements during National Employment Week, 87 renewals, and 29 registrations for new employment. Something was definitely happening in the county’s economy. Some of the new openings now included farmhands, maids, cooks, waitresses, and machinists.

The defense class in carpentry at St. Louis High School created a 10-week shop class attended by 16 boys. At the end of the class, several of the boys received employment at places like Lobdell- Emory and Alma Trailer.

More practical help and relief for many at this time could be found at the Open Mattress Center in Riverdale. Applicants who wanted a mattress were required to come for a demonstration on how to make and receive a free mattress. These programs, which resembled an old-fashioned quilting bee, were held in other townships, such as Washington Center and the Newark Grange Hall. Women at the Washington center site worked to create 41 mattresses under the direction of Mrs. J. Van Beck. When finished, the new mattresses were said to be as soft as a feather bed.

New Deal Projects Continue in the County

The WPA, NYA, and even the CCC were visible in the county in May. WPA (Works Progress Administration) projects dominated the headlines during the month. Glen Ellsworth of Alma qualified to be hired as a full-time WPA attendant at Conservation League Park after passing a state conservation department exam. He was in charge of picnic grounds cleanup, reservations, and campfire fuel, and in June, he attended the state conservation department nature guide school at Higgins Lake. A luncheon at the Wright Hotel kept the WPA’s work in the forefront and supported its leaders and sponsors. A total of 57 workers and sponsors attended the affair that highlighted the importance of WPA projects in Gratiot County.  

Dr. Thomas Carney announced that he would provide free monthly health physicals for children ages 3 to 6 at the WPA preschool program at Old Republic School. The center also anticipated establishing a milk fund to provide at least one important meal a day. WPA authorities also moved to immediately complete six tennis courts and six concrete shuffleboard courts in Wright Park. A crew of 40 men would be needed right away, with more likely to be hired. Sewer and water construction, along with widening Pine Avenue and Downie Street in Alma, also needed to be done. This involved a work crew of 80 men on the project. A new WPA-supported project was proposed to set up a practical nursing and home aid program for a selected group of 12 or more people on relief. Other WPA-related work involved an essay contest for Alma youngsters entitled “Why I Am Glad to Be an American.”Karl Miller, a sixth-grade student, won the contest and received free tickets to see “Land of Liberty” at the Strand Theatre. Harry Scholtz of the recreation department headed a marble tournament from May 3 to 10. Harlan Sabin, 15, a ninth-grader at Stilwell Junior High, won the championship. Margaret Dean won the girls’ division. Each received a large ribbon reading “CITY MARBLE CHAMP.” The recreation department also worked with 18 Alma youths to construct soapbox derby cars for a contest during the Alma Harvest Festival. Finally, need to cool off? WPA workers prepared for the opening of Turck Beach in Alma, complete with lifeguards and first aiders. The beach was open from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. until school ended for the year.

The National Youth Administration (NYA) had 85 youths aged 16 to 24 working on out-of-school projects. Many of these were participating in activities at the new work center in the former Washington school building in Alma. A sewing workshop for girls and a woodworking workshop for boys both operated there. Finally, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) wished to enroll up to eight young men ages 17 to 23 from Gratiot County in its program. It paid $30 a month, with half going home to his dependent(s), $8 for spending money, and $7 put into a type of savings to be paid when enlistment was completed. As part of a change in CCC policy, members could choose to re-enlist for up to 2 years.

Health News in May 1941

One of the largest health concerns in the county continued to be the battle against tuberculosis. The Michigan Tuberculosis Association brought a free X-ray clinic to Alma, with Miss Elizabeth Speiss acting as the association’s representative and field worker. Speiss spent the month of May holding TB clinics, contacting families with TB, and inviting them to attend testing. Some locations for free testing in Gratiot County included the American Legion Hall in Alma and the Ithaca Village Hall. Speiss told the public that testing involved the Vollmer “patch test,” which was painless and felt like adhesive tape on the arm. Speiss also reminded the public that those who contracted the disease did so through contact with an infected person. The test easily showed whether a person was positive or negative, and the results in Alma showed that of 86 people tested, 17 tested positive. In Ithaca, 68 people were tested, and 16 tested positive.

Two Alma hospitals, R.B. Smith Memorial Hospital and Carney-Wilcox-Miller Hospital, held an open house to allow the public to see how they treated the sick and injured. The open houses took place on National Hospital Day, and Mayor Thomas Carney issued a mayor’s proclamation to honor that day. At Smith Memorial, refreshments were served, and the public viewed the new baby incubator that it recently acquired. At Carney-Wilcox, an X-ray demonstration was given. An estimated 400 people, including several high school groups, toured the hospitals and enjoyed refreshments.

Several Gratiot residents battled or encountered health issues. Laurel Hastings of St. Louis sought treatment at Smith Memorial after being accidentally struck by a baseball bat while playing at home. Clayton Bunce of Alma was also sent to Smith after he accidentally amputated part of a toe on his left foot. Bunce was treated and released. Will Robson of Elwell had things much tougher, as he lost his right eye when a cow hooked him. Better news appeared when Emily Humphrey, 91, of Elm Hall, left Smith Memorial after making a fine recovery from an appendectomy. Dr. C.F. Dubois performed the first surgery of its kind using local anesthesia on a person who was advanced in age. Doctor, staff, and family all marveled at how well Humphrey was doing after surgery and considered it a success.

Good news came to the county when county school commissioner Donald Baker announced that this year’s Easter seal sale exceeded that of 1940 by over 1,473 sales. The Kellogg School in Newark No. 5 placed first in the largest sale, as each student sold at least 25 seals. Mrs. Ruth Heilman was the teacher.

Gratiot Farming in May

An estimated 1800 Gratiot County farmers united in a plan to dispose of corn stalks and stubble by May 15 in an effort to combat the corn borer. Farm officials hoped for a warm April so that the borer would lay its eggs early and thus be destroyed during early farm plowing and tilling of the soil. County farmers signed cards confirming their decision to attack the problem. At North Star, 96 farmers signed the agreement, while 72 farmers did so in Fulton Township.

The government also urged farmers to expand their bean acreage for 1941. Claud Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, asked farmers to consider increasing their acreage by 35 percent to meet anticipated needs in the United States, for Lend-Lease sales, and for the American Red Cross. Gratiot farmers also went to the polls on the last Saturday in May to vote on whether to be subject to federal wheat marketing quotas.

The Gratiot County Council of Churches and Women’s Council of North America for Home Missions planned for a larger migrant school for the summer of 1941. Last year, the summer educational plan had 100 Mexican children enrolled for the eight weeks the school was open. It cost $800 to operate, and contributions and additional funds were welcome. Miss Gertrude Herman of Grand Rapids planned to supervise the school.

A hodge-podge of farm news dotted county newspapers. Bill Harper’s Hardware and Implement Service Store, located five miles west and one mile north of Ithaca, advertised the John Deere No. 999 corn planter. A total of 990 sheep were dipped on opening day at the Delbert Pullman farm in Bethany Township. Barn fires at the Homer Bupp farm in East Sumner and Lester Thompson’s place at Fulton Center took down the buildings and resulted in the loss of stock. Bupp’s fire came from embers driven by the wind from bean pods in his barnyard. Finally, state conservation leaders warned farmers that hunters should work more closely with landowners about hunting and the potential harm caused by inconsiderate hunters, rather than institute “blue laws” that banned Sunday hunting in Gratiot County.

The Long Arm of the Law

Court reports from April provided insight into the status of violations of the law and crimes. In April 1941, 37 convictions and 2 dismissals were recorded. Most of these included 22 traffic law violations. But, there were 17 other penalties, including two cases of arson, two people arrested for illegal cohabitation, and another for illegal hunting of a pheasant. Fines and costs for the month amounted to $605.45. At the start of the month, the Gratiot County jail held only 7 inmates, well below the winter average of 20.

Many of the crimes told sad stories of victims and offenders. John Duflo of Middleton called the sheriff after a trio of gypsy women showed up at his door and managed to steal his pocketbook containing $360. The gypsies did it by coming to his door to buy a chicken, then offering to give Duflo a free fortune telling. In the process, one of the women lifted his wallet. Juan Alcoser, 28, Mexican beet worker from Elwell, was arrested for wife beating. He got 40 days in jail and a $37 fine.

In Ithaca, the sheriff’s department, state police, and village police started enforcing double parking on state highways. This meant that more Ithaca visitors needed to use the new large parking lot on North Main Street to alleviate accidents, pedestrian crossings, and the difficulty drivers had pulling out of parking spots into heavy traffic. Drivers who lived outside of Gratiot County were increasingly picked up for drunken driving, such as Gail Hutchinson, 24, of Saginaw, and Paul Bohnhoff, 33, of Freeland. After side-swiping a car belonging to Kenneth Bebow, Hutchinson got a fine of $70.45 or 65 days in the county jail. Bohnhoff only had to pay $15.45 or spend 15 days in jail.

The situation with Roman Pung, 43, of Pung Motor Sales in Alma appeared to be coming to a conclusion. Pung had been in the county jail for several months over the issuing of a dishonored check for $2,550 to Sgainaw Finance Corporation for false pretenses in a car deal with the Sun Motor Company in Detroit. A settlement sounded imminent between Pung and his creditors. Two Seville residents, Gilford McQueen, 52, and Mary Simpkins, 33, were brought for trial for illegal cohabitation without a jury and were found guilty. Queen was sentenced to three months in the county jail while Simpkins received two years’ probation.

The guardian case for Miss Henrietta Kirby of Arcada Township was resolved, with a guardian appointed to her estate. Kirby, age 92 and in failing mental health, was in a controversy over her $20,000 estate, until Probate Judge Roy Matthews of Shiawassee County ruled that her nephew should be in charge. Family members were concerned that Kirby was involved with others who obtained a deed for the farm while living with Kirby in 1938.

A daylight thief snuck in and stole $12 from Jennie Schiff’s apartment on State Street in Alma. Within a two-hour span on a Monday afternoon, the thief crept into her house, found a key to an unlocked drawer, and lifted the money. While Chief Willert was optimistic that he would soon find the villain, Alma residents were urged to lock their doors when they were not home. Kenneth Gross, 19, of Ithaca, was bound over for trial in circuit court as the driver of a car that instantly killed a four-year-old boy, Clarence Quibell, Jr., of Ithaca, on May 17. Gross was let out on a $1,000 bond. Abuse of relief checks also made court news. Marion Offill, a deaf mute, 24, of both Gratiot and Isabella counties, was arrested for forgery of a federal relief check for $20.72, which belonged to her father-in-law. Another check was also stolen, and both a federal agent and local postal authorities identified the culprit. Other sordid court news involved Earl Evans, 33, of Riverdale, who was arrested in downtown Alma with indecent exposure. A truck driver, Evans, was held on a $1,000 bond and jailed after he failed to appear in court. A 14-year-old Forest Hill girl said she was a victim of statutory rape by John Ward, 41, of Houghton Lake. Ward also posted a $ 1,000 bond, defaulted, and was held in the county jail.

And So We Do Not Forget

The St. Louis Kroger Store held its second anniversary sale. Mr. Boyd, the manager, started his job in St. Louis on June 10, 1937, and would soon join the “Old Timer’s Club” after 10 years of employment with Krogers…The Rathbone Indians began a new softball season and played on their new field east of Rathbone. The Indians turned on the lights to play that evening on what was considered one of the best fields in the area…Buy a pair of Boys Smart Wing Tip Oxfords for $1.98 at Penney’s in Alma…Fresh sliced pork liver, 2 pounds for 25 cents at Barrone’s Market in Ithaca…Clarence Muscott was featured in “Gratiot Men at Work” on the front page of the Gratiot County Herald. Muscott and his two sons, Edward and Dean, operated the Ithaca Dairy, which he began in 1926…The village of Ashley received $328.13 in weight and gas tax money from the county. Perrinton was next with $272.30…Ithaca rural mail recipients were urged to improve their mailboxes during Rural Mailbox Improvement Week. Protect your mail, put your name on your box, and have it visible to carriers.

Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Brown of Emerson Township were surprised by guests to celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary. A potluck supper with two cakes was provided, along with Chinese checkers and a late-night mock wedding. The Browns received numerous gifts, including a scatter rug from their son and wife, Elton and Marguerite Brown…Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart all starred in “Philadelphia Story,” playing at the Ideal Theatre in Ithaca. Admission was 15 and 10 cents per customer…The Kennett School received a splendid set of encyclopedias for winning a county-wide contest. Kennett School was located in District No.7, Hamilton Township. Mrs. Mae Horn was the teacher…A fire lasting four hours caused $10,000 in damage on one Sunday morning at the Alma Trailer Company. The fire took out the boiler room, destroyed the roof and smoke stack, and ruined parts of the brick building. The building was formerly used by the Republic Truck Company…Fred E. Guild, Jr., who attended the Lewis School in Newark Township, had perfect attendance beginning in kindergarten through the eighth grade. County School Commissioner Donald L. Baker believed that Guild was the only 8th-grade student in the county with perfect attendance this school year. Miss Elvera Teachman was his teacher at the Lewis School…The Ithaca Chamber of Commerce, Ithaca Public Schools, and the Village of Ithaca all joined together to purchase new outdoor bleacher seats to hold 550 spectators for baseball and track meets.

Buy a new Kalamazoo furnace from W. J. Moote in Alma. Only $64.80 cash with three years to pay (and nothing down)…A new flagpole made of Cyprus timber with a 10-inch butt and a 3-inch top graced the yard of Glenn R. Miner at 603 State Street in Alma. The pole was cut near the town of Vanderbilt and brought to Alma by truck…The Ithaca Baptist Church planned an “America Back to God Crusade” in Ithaca to run for one week in May. The America Back to God Quartet planned to sing each night…The Chisholm Funeral Home Chapel opened in Breckenridge, seating 200 people with overflow for another 100 if needed. Mr. Ralph Chisholm was the owner…A total of 36 people completed the American Red Cross Standard First Aid course sponsored by the St. Louis Community Council. Darrel Mildstead, area WPA project supervisor, acted as instructor…Fulton School graduated a class of 60 seniors at the Perrinton Community Hall on May 21…Brauher and Purdy sold Pontiac “Torpedo” Sixes and Eights at their dealership located on East Center Street in Ithaca…A Decoration Day service was planned for Payne Cemetery south of Middleton on May 30. The program included music from the Carson City High School band, prayer, reading, an address, and a concert…Eat good food at the Meteor Café in St. Louis, including strawberry shortcake…Phyllis Amspoker was announced as valedictorian and Fern Sharp as Salutatorian at Ashley High School…The cost of tuition at Breckenridge schools for the 1940-1941 school year was $11.72 per student…Bert Hicks and Son in Alma reminded those going on a picnic on Memorial Day that they could get one pound of Monarch Coffee for 25 cents; club steaks at 29 cents a pound; and fresh California lemons, 6 for 15 cents…Carpentry students at St. Louis High School completed a 16×20 garage on the Glen Worden farm after working only on Saturdays. Arthur Stinson, high school shop instructor, directed the project as part of the national defense training course.

Knapp’s Bakery in St. Louis had pies and cakes for Mother’s Day…Maurine Stovall of Alma was honored by being admitted to the Michigan Photographers Society at the Anderson Studio in Saginaw. The group only admitted based on distinctive service in the field, then by vote of membership…Philip Morton, a student at Alma’s Republic School, was honored as school patrol captain by the Automobile Club of Michigan. He received a free trip to Washington…Efforts to begin an Alma Softball Association kicked off with a membership drive to form teams, sign membership cards, and display window placards in Alma stores. Harry Flansburg was trying hard to get men to sign up. Flansburg was the newly elected president of the Alma Softball Association… Over in St.Louis, softball season began under the lights with Frank Curtiss as president. Younger players would be scarce as a result of the draft…Recently appointed chief of police, Earl Willert, sold his Mirror Barber Shop at 212 East Superior Street in Alma to Donald Ellsworth. The two worked together cutting hair for the previous eight years…The Michigan State Homeopathic Society honored Dr. F.C. Thornburgh in Grand Rapids. Thornburg was a member of the association for 28 years.

St. Louis schools mirrored the efforts of Alma and Ithaca schools in attracting students from rural areas by providing transportation. At the moment, St. Louis had only two buses to carry out the work…Clifford Dickens, manager of the St. Louis D&C Store, planned to leave for Lansing to manage a new $85,000 store located in the northern part of the city. The promotion meant that he and his family planned to leave the city in early June…Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, and Bob Hope starred in “The Road to Zanzibar” at the Strand Theatre. News, cartoon, and movie for 10 and 20 cents…Charles Barrone, who had been in the meat business for 40 years, told Gratiot County Herald readers that “If a man doesn’t like the business he is in, he better quit, for he will never make a success of himself.” Barrone was one of the month’s features on “Gratiot Men at Their Work”… Eleven high school bands and 600 musicians appeared in Ithaca for an open-air concert in late May for the tenth annual band festival…The Middleton Methodist Church held a Mother and Daughter banquet sponsored by the Women’s Society of Christian Service. Approximately 70 people attended. Earl Lucas presided over the kitchen duties…A total of 37 seniors graduated from Breckenridge High School in the Class of 1941.

Champion Ithaca Bowlers made the news in Ithaca. Florence Arnold captained the women’s team and Bernard Cummings led the men…School boards across the county are preparing for the annual school census to be held on May 12…Virginia Rose and Barbara Marolf (valedictorian and salutatorian) led the Riverdale senior class at graduation…The North Star Bearcats prepared to defend their 1940 title as Gratiot County baseball champions. They started off their season with a 6-3 win over St. John’s…Jean Cooper, a 1941 Fulton High School graduate, received a scholarship to attend Central State Teachers College in Mt. Pleasant. Cooper served as class president and participated in basketball and dramatics. Applicants only had a 20 percent chance of being awarded the scholarship, so the Cooper family was excited…Visit Willie’s Hamburg Shop in Ithaca, located on North Pine Street. The business just moved to larger quarters to accommodate its growing clientele…The Gratiot County Road Commission received a fleet of five new trucks with low bids from Greening Oil Company in Breckenridge, Kernen’s Garage and McCormick-Deering in Ithaca…Leslie Reeves of Ithaca was the proprietor of Oldsmobile and Case Farm Machinery Sales and Service in Ithaca. Reeves started working with an anvil and forge when he was 16 years old…The Fulton School eighth grade graduated 43 students. The program took place in the Middleton gymnasium…Beebe Furniture and Undertaking Company offered 18th-century dining suites starting at $44.50. Free delivery to customers…Caris (Dick) Brown received a life membership in the Knights of Pythias in Ithaca. Brown received recognition for 50 years of continuous service.

The freshly painted white building with the large “Roc” bird drew in the cars to this St. Louis business. Started as the Rowley gas station in 1929, the name changed to Rowley and Church in 1935…Laurel Hastings, 12, of St. Louis, received a skull fracture after being hit with a thrown baseball bat. He was taken to Smith Memorial Hospital in a dazed state and in fair condition…Maps, ferry schedules, and other tourist information awaited drivers at the new information booth in St. Louis. The green shingled, white-painted building featured three signs to draw the attention of drivers passing through the town, with the largest reading, “St. Louis Welcomes You – Information and Police.” At least 14 drivers stopped in the first few days to gather information or ask questions, according to Police Chief Ed Barnes…Other “Gratiot Men at Work” featured on the front pages of the Gratiot County Herald included P.C.Wilson, retail businessman for 19 years in Ithaca, along with C.G. Larry, proprietor of Larry Hardware, also of the same village.

And finally, for the first time in Gratiot County’s history, Memorial Day took place without a single remaining member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Jasper Norton, Gratiot’s last link to the Civil War, passed during the winter in Elm Hall. There were now no living veterans of that time to thank or think about.

And that was Depression and War in Gratiot County during May 1941.

Copyright 2026 James M. Goodspeed