The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-03
FORMER RESIDENT HAS
ACHIEVED FAME
George A. Cooper Presented
With Fine Gold Watch; He
Saved Child's Life

Vernon Center, May 26.-Mr. and
Mrs. Than Award and youngest
daughter Elizabeth motored up from
Mankato Tuesday, spending the al
ternoon with their parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. A c. Wilbur. All are sorry to
note that Mrs. Wilbur's health is
quite poor. keeping her quite close
ly confined to her bone.
Mrs. Frank Schwan is in Mime
apoli sattended the jubilee meeting
of the Baptist Woman's Foreign
Missionary society, which opened
Tuesday for a three days session.
]. H. Thompson of Mankato was a
business visitor in the village the
first of the week.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis Brown and
daughter Florence and Mrs. Emma
Brown were shoppers in kato yes
terday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Wilbur and
family motored to South Amboy
Sunday where they spent the day
with their son in law and daughter,
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Schwartz.
Mrs. Randolph, who has been en-
Toying few days visit with her
son anu IdIully III ANOIlu NSIhOu, lcll
yesterday for her home in Madelia.
The following clipping from a
Grand Forks paper will be Of in
terest to Vernon people, inasmuch
that George Arlo Cooper was born
and passed his boyhood days on a
farm two miles north Of the village.
His mother. Mrs. Hattie Cooper lives
in Mankato; Mike Cooper, Grand
Gently that his brother, George A
ID Cooper, formerly of Grand Forks and
now of South Bend, Indiana, had
been presented with a gold watch
for saving the life of a diver whose
helmet had become pnscrewed while
he was searching for body in In:
dian lake. M Cooper came to Grand
Forks about 1901 and while here at
high school in this city. He was at
one time in the employ of George
Wilder who at that time was pro-
preitor of "a biscuit manufacturing
concern. Mr.. Cooper was born in
Vernon Center, Mimi, remaining in
the state until 1916 when he went to
South Bend entering Y. NJ: c.. A.
four years he entered physical
training school at Springfield where
he won nine monograms for athletic
events and finished at the head of
his class in studies. AS an after
math of the life saving incident citi
zens Of South Bend have started
Cooper Memorial fund which will be
held in trust so that each year a
suitable recognition for heroism in
lifesaving will be made. There will
be three awards each year, the hon
ors to be contested for boys in diff
ferent classes of the Y NJ. C. A"
T. D. and Miss Ella Hays last
week received cards, announcing the
marriage Of their nephew. William
10 a young lady of that city. The
wedding is a elimination of a pretty
romance, which began before the
World war. and before Mr.. Morgan
joined the colors and saw actual
service across the ocean. William
frequently spent his summer vaca-
tions during his boyhood and early
on the farm and has many friends
among the younger set who will
hear of his marriage with pleasure.
Among the Vernonites. who mo-
tored to Mankato Monday evening
to hear Florence Macbeth in con-
cert with the Orpheus club at the
Mankato theatre, were Mr.. and Mrs.
Mrs. E. T. Champlin, Mr.. and Mrs.
r. c. Champlin, Mr.. and Mrs. F. Les
lie Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Kraus
and daughter Dora. Accompanying
the Kraus party were Mrs. V. c.
Armstrong and the Misses Lowell end
Scherer of Anboy high school &c
ulty. The program was par excel
demure. uneffected, Florence Mac:
beth with her glorious voice and
her quaint personality, sang herself
into the hearts of her audience more
closely II that be possible than she
did at her last appearance two years
ago. l.....a r
The Garden City school boys came
TO Vernon Center last Saturday af-
ternoon and crossed bats with the
school ball team here. Vernon boys
came out second best. Next time
you come the results will be differ
emit.
Today Mrs. Frank received a let
ter from her daughter, Mrs. Helen
Lundstrum of Lewiston, Idaho, in
cident that her son Billie figured in,
in which he suffered the loss of his
right thumb in rather a peculiar man
ner He had just got to school and
was in the balcony of the gymnasium
when someone called to come down
and help move a piano. He swung
over the rail to drop down eight or
Ten Ie6J, Wnen the SeCIlOu Vi iron
rail gave way and crashed down, his
whole hurt seemed TO come on his
right thumb. which was so badly
mangled there was no bone left to
bfild on He was taken to the hos
pital where the thumb was removed
and the lad made as comfortable as
possible 1t Is expected that the
wound will heal rapidly and that
RiIlie will soon get accustomed to
the loss of his thumb. Friends Of
Mrs. Lundstrum in this, ner old home
town. will be sorry to hear of the
accident.
The ladies OF the Methodist Aid
society of Garden City entertained
the Methodist ladies or this place in
q most ENJOYABLE manner Tuesday
afternoon The little church where
the affair was held. had been con-
verified into commodious reception
room by the placing of a large rug
in the center and replacing some OF
the church chairs with rockers. d.
vans. touches. etc. Large bowls of
fragrant flowers were placed in
stends about the room. Across the
end of the church was a long table
on which was placed viands for de-
1icious banquet which was served