Yesterday in Wayland

Friday afternoon news was received by telephone that Ed Sponberg’s house was on fire and help was needed to save the other buildings. All autos on the street were qu8ickly pressed into service and every available man and boy jumped in and were soon at the scene of the fire. Upon arriving at the farm, it was discovered that the summer house standing about ten feet from the dwelling had caught fire and had burned to the ground. The splendid work of those where were first at the fire had evidently prevented the house from catching fire, as no signs of fire could be seen, and all were standing about the burning embers of the summer house discussing the narrow escape of the dwelling. Presently someone noticed smoke coming from the roof of the kitchen, around the chimney and everybody bgot busy again. Allen Wenger had taken a small fire extinguisher with him and he and Mr. Sponberg and Warren Allen ran up stairs hoping it might be possible to extinguish the fire. But when the attic door was opened, admitting the air, the whole interior burst into a fierce blaze and the firefighters were driven downstairs by the heat and smoke. The kitchen was on the south side of the house, and a strong wind from the south drove the blaze directly into the main building and in a very few minutes it was plain that the house could not be saved. Fred Klopfenstein made an effort to save some things from upstairs the but heat and smoke drove him to a window where he was rescued with a ladder. In thirty minutes after the fire was discovered, the roof and walls had fallen in and what had been a nice country home was a smoldering ruin. The farm is owned by Jonathon Conrad. We are informed that the building was partially covered by insurance. Mr. Sponberg also carried a small amount of insurance on household goods.

50 years ago — April, 1973

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ray Roth of Mt. Pleasant are the parents of a seven pound, three ounce son, Shannon Ray, born April 3, 1973 at the Henry County Hospital, Mt. Pleasant. Shannon has a brother, Troy. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. William Fehlberg of South Englis, and Mr. and Mrs. Neal Roth of rural Wayland. Great-grandparents are Mrs. Herman Fehlberg of Wellman, Mrs. Lloyd Troyer of Kalona, and Nick Roth of Wayland.

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Neff have returned to their home in Wayland after spending some period of time in the home of their son, Dale Neff in Hannibal, Missouri.

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Roth, Mr. and Mrs. Royce Roth and family were Sunday dinner guests in the Gordon Watson home at which time the Watson’s son Paul was honored for his 10th birthday.

Mr. and Mrs. Willis Troyer arrived home Saturday evening from Bradenton, Florida. Tuesday through Friday they spent in the Archbold, Ohio area in the Rex Short and Howard Rupp homes. Friday and Saturday, they visited another daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Waliczek in Palatine, Illinois and en route home were supper guests in the Steve Lindell home in Winfield.