A Look Back in Time: Future Academy Award Nominee Lana Turner Visits Twin Cities to Advocate Buying Bonds for War Effort

Jun. 10—Preparations were completed on Thursday, June 11, 1942, for the arrival of famed actress Lana Turner in Chehalis and Centralia. Turner, who would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination for best actress in a leading role in 1958 and later receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was scheduled to arrive near Chehalis around 11:45 a.m. the next day as part of a bond selling tour through the Pacific Northwest to raise funds for the war effort.

Turner, who The Chronicle described as "one of the nation's most beautiful war bond saleswomen," was expected to bring in "capacity crowds" at her rallies in the Twin Cities.

"With a state patrol escort, the party will enter Chehalis at noon and go directly to the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Boistfort Street, where a special program will be presented, the feature being the appearance of Miss Turner," The Chronicle reported.

According to The Chronicle, the event was to be moved to the St. Helens Theater nearby should weather interfere with holding the event outdoors.

After the rally in Chehalis, Turner was scheduled to arrive in Centralia for a similar rally at 12:30 p.m. in "the city park."

A large reception committee was scheduled to meet the "winsome beauty," including Centralia mayor and Lewis County bond sales chairman Ray W. Sprague, E.R. Newgard, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Chehalis, and bond chairman George Thompson.

According to Thompson and his Centralia counterpart, Jack McNiven, the purpose of the rallies was to "increase interest in the need for bond purchasing, and sell bonds and stamps."

June 11, 1932

—The Centralia School Board announced the hiring of six teachers by Centralia High School. Among the six teachers hired was Margaret Stitt, who was hired as an English teacher. Stitt had previously been the home economics teacher at the school before she was let go due to the fiscal shortfalls the district was facing during the Great Depression. Stitt was offered the English teaching position after it opened.

—Josephine Mindun, a 16-year-old from Pe Ell, was hospitalized after she fell from the running board of a car and fractured her skull. The hospital had stated her recovery was doubtful. On the morning of June 11, she was in a "semi-conscious condition" and her relatives had not been located.

—Friends and neighbors testified in Chehalis on behalf of T.H. Ramsaur, 69, of Centralia, who had been accused of murdering a woman named Opal Brink in Centralia. The testifiers sought to support Ramsaur's insanity plea. According to The Chronicle, most of the testifiers said Ramsaur's "physical and mental condition underwent a decided change in the last year and a half." During that time, Ramsaur had fallen in love with Brink.

—Chehalis resident N.C. Sorenson reported the theft of 74 Rhode Island Red chickens to Lewis County Sheriff J.A. Blankenship. Of the stolen chickens, 24 were fryers and 50 were "old hens."

—The Lewis County Commissioners were reported to have voted on June 10 to order the establishment of a state "highway-to-Mineral" road. The Chronicle referred to the road as a "farm-to-market" project. Construction was to begin July 1.

—The weather for the approaching week was expected to be fair weather with "occasional thunderstorms." Fog was also expected in some areas.

—The temperature was reported as hitting a record high for the season. The temperature was recorded at 90 degrees at Centralia City Hall on June 10, with partly cloudy weather forecasted for June 11.

June 11, 1942

—A Centralia family suffered the unfortunate luck of being in two car accidents, neither of which were their fault. Shortly before 4:30 p.m. on June 9, an Army truck skidded on wet pavement into the Kaiser family's car at the intersection of Tower Avenue and Chestnut Street. George Kaiser, "Mrs. Kaiser" and their 14-month-old daughter Judy were taken to the hospital for bruises. After a short stay at the hospital, the family got in a taxi to return to their home. On the way, a motorcycle skidded into the taxi at the intersection of Summa and Gold streets.

—The Washington state Supreme Court voted to allow Nora Hudson, mother of Patricia Hudson, 11, to stop the amputation of her daughter's "enlarged, deformed left arm." Hudson wanted to give her daughter the chance to determine whether she would have the arm amputated at an older age because of fears it could lead to her daughter's death. According to hospital attendants, the daughter had wanted the amputation at the time.

—A joint Twin Cities Flag Day was scheduled to be staged the upcoming Sunday in Centralia. The event was to take place in "the city park" and was to be led by the Centralia and Chehalis Elks' lodges. A parade was to be held at 2:30 p.m. that included Spanish-American War veterans, Boy and Girl Scouts and members of the American Legion.

—A five-room furnished house was listed for rent in Centralia at the cost of $12 a month.

—James Junkin, of Chehalis, was preparing to move to Virginia for training to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Junkin was slated to receive an elementary teaching certificate from Western Washington College that Friday prior to leaving.

—A group of 11 "young men" were sworn into the U.S. Navy the preceding Sunday at the Chehalis Civic Center. It was the largest group in the state to be sworn in on "Avenge Pearl Harbor Day" outside of Seattle.

—George Englet, 82, of Winlock, passed away at a local hospital the previous morning. He was survived by his daughter, "Mrs. George Hansen," three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

June 11, 1952

—Several Chehalis churches were set to hold Sunday services with an assortment of different sermons. Rev. Stanley Logan planned to deliver a sermon titled "What Is Right with the Church" at First Methodist Church. Rev. J. C. Tourtellot was to deliver a sermon titled "In Remembrance of Me" at Westminster Presbyterian Church. "When a Church Prays" was the name of the sermon to be delivered by Rev. Carl Johnson at First Christian Church.

—The Chehalis Chamber of Commerce was scheduled to enter the Portland Rose Show parade. The float was to be joined by the Chehalis Elks' lodge "drum and bugle corps" who would be wearing their "snappy uniforms." "Chehalis expects to get some fine publicity by entering a float again this year," The Chronicle wrote.

—Shortly after noon on June 10, many Twin City residents watched what turned out to be a "drifting weather balloon." The balloon, made of plastic, apparently reflected the sun's light and was visible for "a considerable period of time." Chehalis city commissioners were apparently in a meeting when they saw the balloon and began watching what they perceived as a "shiny light" before deciding it was reflected light from a window or the Baw Faw peak lookout station.

—Frank Miller, of Chehalis, was elected president of the local chapter of the American Red Cross. Miller was scheduled to take office on July 1, taking over for William Lee, also of Chehalis. The meeting was attended by 12 people.

—The Chehalis Chamber of Commerce voted to favor Initiative 187 as a way of supporting the local dairy industry. The initiative dealt with the "coloring and marketing of butter substitutes."

—Eddie Parnell, 19, was arrested by Lewis County Sheriff's Office deputies after someone complained about reckless driving. According to the complaint, Parnell, an Alpha resident, was driving in "a reckless manner" east of Onalaska. Parnell was scheduled to face trial in Chehalis justice court on the upcoming Tuesday.

—Marilyn Miller, 9, won first place in a talent competition the preceding Friday in Tacoma. Miller, identified as the daughter of "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Miller," of Chehalis, was scheduled to go to Hollywood the upcoming August for "screen and television tests. Miller was a third grader at Cascade School in Chehalis who had previously won the Chehalis Kiwanis talent show. For the competition, Miller performed an acrobatic dance.

----A Look Back in Time is published in every Saturday edition of The Chronicle. It is compiled with materials from the Lewis County Historical Museum. Learn more about the museum online at https://www.lewiscountymuseum.org/. To submit historical news items and photographs to The Chronicle, email news@chronline.com, call 360-736-3311 or visit The Chronicle at 321 N. Pearl St. in Centralia.