Columns

  On Feb. 11, 1861, president-elect Abraham Lincoln left Springfield for Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. On the same day,  Jefferson Davis left his home in Vicksburg, Miss., for Montgomery, Ala., to accept the presidency of the Confederate states.
For this reason, Feb. 11 has been chosen as the start of the sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War. Many states have formed official commissions, and Illinois, for its part, is making an attempt to get into the  Guinness Book of World Records.  

15 Years Ago

1996 – At its annual banquet, the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce presented Abe Awards to Paul Zeman and “Beeb” and Billye Staff.
Raymond and Betty Reiss of St. Peter celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

20 Years Ago

1991 – Hundreds of people attended a patriotic rally Saturday night in the South Central High School gym in Farina in support of local servicemen in the Middle East.
If approved, Vandalia was to receive $75,000 in federal funds for work on Coles Street.

In last week’s Mystery Banks Photo were: Danny Rubin, Tim Schaal, Keith Ehrat and Susan Williams.
Identifying them were: Don and Emily Ehrat, Marian Rubin, Charles and Iris Kruenegel, and Sherry Courson.
This week’s Scrambler:  eht amn hwo sedo otn dera odgo skobo sha on tagnavade revo eth nam how nac ton dare meht.
Can you unscramble it? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374, by 5 p.m. next Monday.

“The friends and acquaintances of the family are invited to attend…a funeral…”
In the days before mass communication through radio, newspapers and telephone, hand-delivered funeral cards notified people of a death and upcoming funeral.
These cards were printed at the local print shop, and styles varied throughout the years. In the early days, the language was flowery; later it became stark and to the point.