Historical Happenings Compiled by Helen Reiland and Mike Holtorf

The Mazeppa Journal, Publisher- Louie Phillips Aug. 28, 1942

On the Side: At last- yes sir believe it or not, the Mazeppa street lighting system has come into its own. People who visit New York say that Mazeppa is now better lighted than the great metropolis.

Majerus-Heaney Wedding: Miss Elizabeth Heaney, daughter of William J. Heaney became the bride of Quentin James Majerus son of Mr. and Mrs. John B Majerus of Bellechester.

In the Service: Private Vincent Tri, who is located in Hawaii, sends the following interesting letter: I am O.K. and feeling fine and I am getting a real Hawaiian sun tan. Some of the boys are really nice and brown, I weigh better than 190 pounds now, and I gained over 30 pounds in six months and had to get an entirely different set of clothes. I had to laugh because the supply sergeant started cussing me and asked why I didn’t get them big enough in the first place. I just got the address the other night of Corp. Lloyd Oelkers. He is only about nine miles from me. It will be nice to see a soldier from Mazeppa. Well the boys are giving it to the Japs over at the Solomons and I hope they fix ‘em once and for all. I got paid last Friday. A private gets $50 base pay and 20 per cent for overseas, which makes $60 per month. Sure a lot of difference from $21 a month. I just looked in the corner and saw a lizard and there are a lot of them around with big spiders. Some of the boys are under quarantine for over two months because some of the boys had yellow jaundice. Well, I guess I will spray the house and get all the mosquitoes chased out and hit the hay. I hope everything is still OK up there, and keep buying those bonds and stamps so we can keep ‘em flying. Sincerely yours, Vincent Tri ***Vincent Tri – KIA- April 27th, 1945

Catholic Church Festival Sunday: In 1855 a little hamlet was founded by Joseph Ford, which was named Mazeppa from a poem by Byron, which was a favorite poem of Ira D. Seeley, who gave the hamlet the present name. There were a few scattered Catholic families at the early date who were visited occasionally by pioneer priests, who administrated to the little flock in private homes. It was in the humble home of Peter Clemens that services were generally conducted. The flock grew in numbers as the years went on. In 1871 a little band of Catholic men came together and erected a church edifice. Money was scarce and times were hard and members were few in undertaking such a huge and heroic task. On Sunday St. Peter and Paul Church will celebrate the 76th year of its organization in Mazeppa. It will be a Home Coming Day for the parish and large crowds are expected to visit the scenes of their childhood and meet their relatives and friends of early days. A chicken dinner will be served, beginning at 11:30 and there will be plenty of games and fun for everyone. In the evening a movie will be presented on the church grounds under the sponsorship of the Conservation of Wild Game and Fish Life Society.

Horse Drowns in Water Tank: An unusual accident happened on the John Prigge farm Friday when one of his horses drowned in a galvanized water tank. How a horse could perish in a small tank has the owner and neighbors puzzled. They say that in all their years of farming they never heard of such a thing and that this is a “conspicuous first.” It is believed that the horse had a stroke or heart failure, which might be as the animal was 24 years old. If so, its timing was perfect, as it had bent down to drink and could not emerge from the water, exactly as if it had drowned. Neighbors were summoned to lift the horse out of the tank.

Auction: Saturday, September 5- L.J. Musty/ Peoples State Bank of Mazeppa, clerk- Lunch served by Ladies Aid. Clarence Lund, instructor in science at local high school resigns. He is the fourth teacher to do so in a few weeks. A line will have to be formed soon for the purpose. Mr. Lund is called to military service.

First Aid Training Starts Sept. 2.

KILLED TWICE: Last week the Journal mentioned how Ben Maas killed a mole at the John Weber home. Left lying there, Mr. Weber states the next person who went in the garden took a stab at it with a knife and not until the Journal came out learned that it had already been dispatched.


SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS