The Museum Minute

Courtesy of the Bates County Museum 802 Elks Drive, Butler Mo 64730 (660) 679-0134

Herrman’s Historical Happenings week of February 1

1847 Peter M. Papin deeds a plot of land to Bates Co for the courthouse, Papinville.

1871 Mr. Winchester House & G.F. Riffle engage in a fist & knife fight on the Butler square. Mr. House is fined $2.50 by Squire Sackett.

1934 Frank Cox & J.B. Walton organize the Missouri Farm Loan Company, Butler.

1934 The Adrian city council, in an economy drive, orders all but 11 street lights in the business district to be turned off.

1943 Today is “can day” in Butler. All householders are to put tin cans at the curb to be collected for the war effort (8 tons are collected).

1960 TV clown Whizzo performs to a packed elementary school auditorium, Butler.

1973 The Bates County Headliner newspaper buys and consolidates the Bates Co Democrat. Charles Thomure publisher, C.A. Moore Jr. the editor.

1974 The B&L Glass Company opens their new location in the former Coca-Cola building at 216 N. Main in Butler.

What's Up by LeRoy Cook

Who's at fault? 

The Fliars Club launched into blustery skies last Saturday morning, finding a sparse crowd on the ramp at Paola’s Miami County airport. The winds were kicking up to 25 knots, discouraging a lot of participants with rough air below 4000 feet.

‘Twas an interesting week, weatherwise. There was fog some mornings, low clouds might be encountered for a few miles, then clear, warm weather blew in as the weekend started, then switched  around to an Arctic blast to start the new week. Be prepared for anything this time of year.

Transient traffic included an Army Guard UH60 Black Hawk helicopter, two visits by Piper Archer trainers, a Cessna Centurion and a Cessna Skyhawk. Local flyers were Jeremie Platt in his Grumman Tiger, Jon Laughlin in his Piper Cherokee 180C and me logging night landings in a Cessna 150.

The controversy over the crashes of new Boeing 737 Max airliners won’t go away. The investigators looking into the Ethiopian Airlines accident of two years ago have concluded that the airplane’s angle of attack sensors “iced up” and exonerated the crew, but the in-country s accident board is being challenged by Boeing and our own NTSB, since it happened on a clear warm day and instrumentation wasn’t an issue. Many times foreign agencies have to favor their countrymen’s interests over the facts.

A sad case of a ramp worker at an airline being pulled into an idling jet engine made the news last week. She had been warned numerous times to wait for shutdown, signaled by the anticollision light going off, before approaching the parked aircraft, but was too eager and got killed. Working around running aircraft is dangerous and requires serious safety measures.

More flight hazards reported last week: A Cessna Skyhawk hit a drone on approach in Toronto, being flown without authorization by the local police. Fortunately, it bounced off the cowling this time and the ‘Hawk landed okay. And a Long Beach man was arrested after a year of amusing himself by shining a laser pointer at airliners going in and out of the nearby airport. Such stunts can blind a pilot at just the wrong time.

Our weekly brainteaser wanted to know the significance of the tick marks along lines of latitude on a sectional chart, showing each 1/60th of a degree. Each minute of latitude equals one nautical mile, about 6080 feet in length.  For next time, who does the Charles Taylor Award for long-time airplane mechanics honor in history? Hint: look up the Wright Brothers. You can send your answers to kochhaus1@gmail.com.

Obituary - David Lee Harber

David Lee Harber, age 91, of Belton, Missouri, passed away on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at home surrounded by loving family.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 3, 2023 at Cullen Funeral Home, 612 W. Foxwood Dr. Raymore, Missouri 64083. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 12:00 p.m. David will then be laid to rest at Belton Cemetery.

David was born in Viola, Arkansas on May 22, 1931 to Earl James Harber and Bertha Bell (Stephens) Harber. Growing up, David’s parents taught him how to be a hard worker at an early age including farming, carpentry, and mechanical work. David met the love of his life, Norma, at a very young age. Finally on May 16, 1952 they were joined in marriage. This was the same year that David joined the United States Army and honorably served his country during the Korean war. Following David’s time in the military he went to work at Bendix in the receiving department and retired after 37 years. In life, David was a man of Christian faith and very much enjoyed the fellowship that came along with that. David would also enjoy a banana split from Dairy Queen with Norma and would occasionally enjoy watching basketball and baseball.

David was preceded in death by his wife, Norma Rosetta Harber; parents, Earl and Bertha Harber; daughter, Lela Paulette Harber; two sisters, Rosemary Cotter and Jacquita Newberry; and brother, Frank Harber.

He is survived by his son, Joe Harber; brother, Russell Harber (Helen); two grandchildren, Joshua Harber and Jessica Harber; and three great grandchildren, Julian Harber, Forrest Harber (Jackie), and Thomas Harber.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Belton Church of Christ, 103 Myron Ave., Belton, MO 64012 or New Horizons Church of Nazarene Attn: Boy Scout Troop 1160, 17200 Chesnut Dr. Belton, MO 64012 or to the family c/o Joshua Harber.

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278

2023 Hume Hornets Homecoming Candidates:

2023 Hume Hornets Homecoming Candidates :Left to Right:

Freshman: Khloe Hubbard & Nicholas Coker
Sophomores: Caylee Hough & Nate Harris
Juniors: Brecklen Morrison & Andrew Wepener
Seniors: Ariana Franklin & Shawn Cumming

Obituary - Paula K. Kohler

Paula K. Kohler, 71, of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, passed away Saturday, January 28, 2023 at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas. 

Funeral services will be held 11:00am Saturday, February 4, 2023 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville, MO. 

Burial in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville. The family will receive friends 9:30-11:00am Saturday at the funeral home. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. A complete obituary will be posted when it becomes available.

Obituary - Coleen Gayle Smith

Coleen Gayle Smith, 65, Nevada, MO passed away on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at her home in Nevada. Coleen was born May 18, 1957 in Quincy, IL to Coy and Lona (Sweet) Derenburger.

Coleen had a gypsy soul, she loved to rock out to “old school” music, and loved playing board games with family, especially Yahtzee, Cribbage, and Farkle and loved going to casinos. She always lit the room with her spunky personality and was quick to crack a joke and quick with comebacks. There was never a dull moment!

Survivors include, one son, Paul Shearer, Nevada; one daughter, Tara (Smith) Jackson (Justin), Raymore, MO; a step-daughter, Krista Davis, Grandview, MO; six grandchildren, Mariah Shearer, Gage Shearer (Lacy), Sianna Shearer, Joana Shearer, Greyson Shearer and Payton Shearer; four great-grandchildren; and a Soul-Sister, D’Ann Essex. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sons, Gene Shearer, and Scott Shearer.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.

2023 Butler FFA Parents and Friends Chili Supper

 

Cass County Deputy Benezette Receives Life Saving Award

Congratulations are in order for Cass County Deputy Benezette who has recently received the Life Saving Award from the Cass County Sheriffs Office Sheriff’s Office. On Saturday, October 29, 2022 at approximately 1040 hours, Dispatch broadcasted that they received a report of a rollover motor vehicle accident in the area of State Route D and East 203rd Street in rural Belton, Missouri. Dispatch also broadcasted that the reporting party stated that water was coming into the vehicle and the occupants were still inside the vehicle.

 
Deputy J. Benezette #613 was on his way home from conducting an extra duty assignment at the Sheriff's Office and heard dispatch broadcast the call for service. Deputy Benezette informed dispatch that he was the closest unit to the scene and informed dispatch that he would be responding.

 
Upon Deputy Benezette's arrival at approximately 1042 hours, he found that the motor vehicle accident was involving two vehicles. Deputy Benezette observed that one of the vehicles involved, a silver Ford truck, was overturned in the ditch on the northeast corner of the intersection at State Route D and East 203rd Street. Deputy Benezette found the occupants of the vehicle, David P. Miller and Desiree J. Miller were trapped inside the vehicle. 

Deputy Benezette discovered that Mrs. Miller was buckled in her seat, unable to get the seatbelt unbuckled and struggling to keep her head out of the water that was coming into the cab of the vehicle. 

Deputy Benezette was able to cut Mrs. Miller out of her seatbelt and safely got her out of the vehicle as well. Due to Deputy Benezette's quick actions he was able to get both Mr. Miller and Mrs. Miller out of the vehicle and prevented Mrs. Miller from possibly drowning before EMS (Emergency Medical Services) arrived on scene several minutes later.

 
Deputy Benezette's actions show his dedication to duty under the most extreme circumstances, were in keeping with the Sheriff's Office mission statement and reflect distinct credit upon himself, as well as the Cass County Sheriff's Office.