1939 news from Saginaw, Gatchelville and Wrightsville
What was going on in York County 75 years ago? If your family was at all known to the newspaper stringer for your area, they probably showed up on the local news pages. The events might seem trivial to us today, but the reporters give us a glimpse into the lives of our forerunners—who they knew and what they did.
Here are a few items from around the county, as reported in the October 13, 1939 York Dispatch:
“SAGINAW, Oct. 13—Luther Mohr, Hanover visited Mr. and Mrs. George Horner, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Krebs and children Barry, Gerald, Linda Lou and Warren, Mt. Wolf; Mr. and Mrs. Purless Gingerich, Manchester; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Horner and children, William and Gladys; Mrs. John Leader and children, Nancy and Joan; and Lester Brenner visited Mr. and Mrs. Russel Reneberger.
C.C. Kohr and children, Gertrude and Edwin, and Hubert Elvery were guests of the latter’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Elvery, McConnellsburg on Sunday.”
Some of you might remember participating in pageants at church. They weren’t anything like beauty pageants, but little plays or shows with songs. I remember participating in Children’s Day pageants at New Harmony Presbyterian Church at the Brogue when I was a child. Crepe paper costumes turned little children into flowers and the like. Remember crepe paper? If you got it wet the bright colors stained your clothes.
“GATCHELVILLE, Oct. 13.—A sacred pageant, ‘Lest We Forget,’ will be presented in the Prospect Methodist Church Sunday evening at 7:45 o’clock.
The cast of characters is as follows: ‘Miss Helpful,’ Nellie Druck; ‘Anne,’ Marie Dunlap; ‘Margaret,’ Verna Gray; ‘Dorothy,’ Ethel Gray; ‘May,’ Leona Jamison; ‘Florence,’ Lavia Jamison; and ‘Elsie,’ Ruth Kimmons.”
Here are more travelers, none venturing too far:
“WRIGHTSVILLE, Oct. 13.—Pauline and Ruth Young, South Second Street, were dinner guests on Wednesday evening at the home of their cousin, Evelyn Gerfin, Columbia.
Mrs. Paul Kinard and daughter, Darlene, and Miss Lucy Kinard motored to Dallastown, Wednesday, where they spent the day as guests of the former’s brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Dougherty.
Charles Kline, of Ardmore, was a guest over the weekend at the home of his mother, Mrs. Annie Kline, Hellam Street.”
I’m willing to bet that these visits involved rolling out food, perhaps a full Pennsylvania Dutch meal, or at least substantial snacks. How about some homemade pies and cakes? Homemade ice cream, anyone?
