March 28
100 Years ago – 1925
Friends and relatives of Dr. and Mrs. Morton E. Hundley heard news of the couple. The couple had left the week before on a trip to the Bermudas Islands to be away for several weeks, for the improvement of Dr. Hundley’s health. Several passengers of the ship took ill, and the ship’s medical crew could not help them. An article in the Greensboro News recounted that the lives of two persons were saved by major operations he conducted. Dr. Hundley and another doctor, along with two trained nurses, all passengers, helped the ship’s doctor to remove a ruptured gall bladder in a café lounge which was cleared out and turned into an operating room.
75 years ago – 1950
The Martinsville Community Theater presented the detective thriller “Laura” in the local high school auditorium. The lead roles were performed by Beverly Baker and Ton Stewart, with supporting roles by Bog Rogers, Gracie Bowles, Forrest Thompson, Kermit Keever, Berryl Belleza and Seymore Rosenberg. Tickets cost $1.50.
W.R. Broaddus Jr. and other spokesmen from the Kiwanis Club spoke before City Council offering their help in any manner possible to endure that a highway bypass around Martinsville be built.
Critz postmistress Mrs. Charles E. Marion, 59, died. She had served as postmistress since 1914, was active in Hope Baptist Church and was considered a prominent citizen. Her daughter was Mrs. John Fulcher of Martinsville.
50 years ago – 1975
Former West Piedmont Planning District employee Barbara Beck, 29, filed suit in Martinsville Circuit Court against the WPPD and its executive director, Walker E. Mather. She said she was owed $8,068 in salary because she was fired in violation of her 1-year contract. Her year’s salary would have been $11,000. Mather had said she was fired for insubordination. He resigned the night before she filed suit, but said he may come back to that job.
25 years ago - 2000
Forest Park Country Club had a new golf course which complied with USGA standards. Chris Spence was the designer.
More than 7 tons of food was donated to the Salvation Army and United Way in food drives to help local unemployed people. Local schools donated 7,678 items they had collected, and the United Way collected items from 31 families.
Stanley Furniture Co. formally dedicated a 300,000-square-foot plant in the Bowles Industrial Park. The $15 million plant was to be used to make office furniture.