O’Fallon Woman’s Club oversees Memorial Corner honoring veterans
The Veterans Day Parade is a wonderful tradition in Downtown O’Fallon. If you have the day off, you certainly should come and see it at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11. As it makes its way up Lincoln Ave., the parade passes another great tradition honoring veterans — Memorial Corner at First and Lincoln.
The corner dates back to May 16, 1933 when the “Pioneer Club of the Forty-Niners” erected a 60-foot cast iron flag pole at that location “dedicated to the memory of the Civil War veterans and the Grand Army of the Republic.” The area was then known as Woman’s Club Park and the corner has since been faithfully overseen by the O’Fallon Woman’s Club, albeit with a newer flag pole. Today, the corner is dedicated to all veterans, especially those who died in the service of our country.
75 years ago, Nov. 13, 1941.
O’Fallon had the first touch of winter’s blast with a cold driving wind and swirling snow flurries early Friday morning. The snow, however, melted as it struck the ground. During the night the temperature dropped to 30 degrees and on Sunday morning there was a second snowfall of more than an inch with intermittent flurries during the day.
With the continued rains prior to the sub-freezing temperatures and snow, many farmers here have little hope of sowing their wheat crop. Estimates are about only half the usual wheat has been seeded. Pioneer retired farmers declare they have never witnessed similar conditions before.
50 years ago, Nov 10, 1966.
The Aeronautical Charts and Information Center Rifle Team (ACIC) was defeated by the O’Fallon Gun Club in all four positions, prone, sit, kneel and standing as well as in the aggregate score of 1890 to 1814. The five high shooters for O’Fallon were as follows: Jerry Bunge 383, Ralph Keck 381, Ken Carson 379, Darv Lehmann 374 and Al Taylor 373. The O’Fallon range is at Oberbeck Feed Co.
This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 10:24 AM with the headline "O’Fallon Woman’s Club oversees Memorial Corner honoring veterans."