Days Gone By
100 Years Ago, 1923: Extensive improvements, involving thousands of dollars, which will mean a complete change in the motive power, have been commenced at the George C. Hetzel plant, Front and Broomall streets. The contract includes the erection of a new wing to the weave shed and the setting in of 150motors with necessary generators to provide electrical current, and is to be finished by mid-summer.
75 Years Ago, 1948: Firemen from three volunteer companies were forced to stand by helplessly this morning while flames burned a twostory building to the ground near Media. There was no water in the vicinity and before members of Media, South Media and Bortondale companies could connect up to a creek, a halfmile away, a barn that was being used as a dwelling had been destroyed.
50 Years Ago, 1973: Pickets surrounded the Marcus Hook refinery of the Sun Oil Co. today in the second day of a walkout by the 1,750-man Independent Refinery Workers Union. Meanwhile at the Bryton Chemical Co, Trainer, a new private security guard force was on duty behind gates that have been locked following a wildcat strike last Thursday by 115members of Teamsters Local 312, of Chester. 25 Years Ago, 1998: More than 50 years after earning a Bronze Star for her military service during World War II,Katherine “”Kay” Schlegel will finally receive the medal during a ceremony 10:30 a.m. Sunday at St. Alban’s Chapel in Newtown Square. “”Katherine Schlegal served her country with honor and distinction during World War II, yet she has never sought formal recognition for her outstanding service,” said U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon, R-7, who will present Schlegel, 94, with her Bronze Star.
Schlegel served as an Army nurse overseeing94 nurses at an hospital in England. She was nominated for the Bronze Star by her commander, but never received it.
10 Years Ago, 2013: When the Rev. John Kelly arrived at the Vatican to begin his sabbatical in January, there was a Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square. The former Delaware County pastor never dreamed that two months later, a new pope would be standing in the venerable piazza and that he would be distributing Holy Communion at the pontiff’s inaugural Mass. On Tuesday, Kelly, former pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Upper Darby for three and a half years, was among more than 500 members of the clergy who distributed the Eucharist to thousands of people at Pope Francis’ first official Mass as world leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.