By By Dr. Bill Stewart, A Look Back
July 23, 1959-Tommy Partlow has been elected president of the new Falkville Teenager Club sponsored by American Legion Post 121. James Dutton is vice-president and Angie Thomason the secretary-treasurer.
July 23, 1959-Famed football Coach Jim Tatum, who followed present Alabama Coach Bear Bryant at Maryland, died tonight of a virus infection. He was only 46.
July 24, 1959-Lloyd Logan, commander-elect; B. M. Shull, outgoing commander; Sam Friedman and Gene Eason, vice-commanders; Thomas E. McCutcheon, adjutant; and James Hopper, sergeant-at-arms, are currently in Birmingham attending the American Legion state convention.
July 25, 1959-Joan Hall, 20, of Decatur was the winner of the Morgan County Maid of Cotton contest held at today’s Hartselle meeting of the Farm Bureau. Runners up were Martha Lynn Roberts, also 20, of Hartselle and Jo Anne Elliott, 18, Decatur.
July 25, 1959-Bob Cain finished up a highly successful two-week engagement at Carmichael’s Supper Club in Homewood tonight.
July 26, 1959-An outstanding Hartselle young man, Craig Rausa, 19, died instantly late this afternoon in a tragic car accident. Craig, unaware that the four-lane highway on which he was traveling had two lanes closed due to construction, crashed into a tractor trailer truck as he was trying to pass the car directly in front of him. Craig was a student at UA.
July 26, 1959-Funeral services were held this afternoon at Missionary Baptist Church (Campground) for Sim Orr. Mr. Orr, who passed away at home Monday, is survived by his wife, Mrs. Beulah Orr and a sister, Mrs. Effie Roebuck of Danville.
July 26, 1959-Mrs. S. E. Stewart Jr. has returned from visiting her daughter, Martha, in California.
July 26, 1959-James Gray of Falkville won first place in the hydroplane boat category in today’s Athens Jaycees boat races on Elk River.
July 26, 1959-An “every member canvass” started at Hartselle Methodist Church today. Rev. Warren Hamby is minister of the church. More than 100 church members are working in the canvass, which is being directed by Jack W. Hoffhaus.
July 26, 1959-Mrs. Y. A. McCall and Mary Frances McCall hosted a reunion of the McCall family today. Other Hartselle attendees included Mr. and Mrs. Kelso Haynes and Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm King and daughters.
July 27, 1959- Virgil Bailey is finishing up three new homes in his subdivision. The final cost of his projects is expected to be $21,500.
July 27, 1959-Joe Roberts is currently serving as a member of the Morgan County grand jury empanelled this morning by Judge James Bloodworth. Roberts and his colleagues will be examining four instances of homicide occurring since the June grand jury concluded its work.
July 28, 1959—Morgan County Superintendent of Education Lester Wooten is out of the office this week, participating in an educational administration seminar at Peabody College in Nashville.
July 29, 1959-Funeral services for accident victim Craig Rausa were conducted this afternoon at Bethlehem Baptist Church, five miles east of Hartselle. Officiating were Rev. Junior Hill and C. L. Carden. Burial was at Mt. Zion cemetery in Cullman County.
July 29, 1959-People who have been watching practice for the north-south high school football game (August 6) say one of the definite standouts is Excel’s 195-pound end Lee Roy Jordan. Jordan was on the All-Pine Belt conference team two years in a row.
July 29, 1959-The former husband of a Big Bob Gibson Bar-BQ waitress was indicted today for her killing in the restaurant parking lot.
Former Morgan County Solicitor Ralph Slate was appointed by Judge James Bloodworth to represent the defendant.