BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

When Coffeyville resident Ursula Turner was visiting the home of her sister in Allendorf, Germany, several years ago, she stumbled across a small box containing decades-old mementoes from her parents.
That’s strange, Turner thought, believing she had known of every detail and seen every item from the days when she was a child growing up in Germany during World War II.

After shaking years of dust from the small box, Turner discovered a journal written by her mother, Erna Winter, in the mid-1940s — a period when she alone tried to raise two small children while Ursula’s father, Karl Winter, was a German prisoner of war in France in the later years of the conflict.

And, underneath the journal was a stack of letters — all with the bold “Return to Sender” stamp affixed squarely on the envelopes — neatly placed and tucked away as if no one had ever bothered to read them.
They were letters from her mother to her father — and letters from her imprisoned father to her mother. And, most of the letters never reached their destination until after the war had concluded and Europe was in the midst of rebuilding.

What Turner found were heart-wrenching words pouring from the soul of a separated family. And, those letters offered the only glimpse of hope that the husband and wife would someday be reunited, even while war-torn Europe attempted to rebuild itself from its bombed-out ruins.
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Four Coffeyville Police Department officers were honored at the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP) at the association’s annual awards banquet in Hutchinson, Kan., on May 24.

Awarded the Gold Award, which goes to an officer who shows uncommon valor in the line of duty were Lt. Herman Colbert, Sgt. Darin Daily, Det. Sgt. Kwin Bromley and Master Patrol Officer Craig Males for their actions in the Feb. 17, 2009, response to an armed robbery at the Bank of America branch at Eighth and Buckeye streets.
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One of Caney’s most revered events, the Memorial Day Service, will take place at 11 a.m., Monday, May 31, at the Veterans Memorial Park across the street from Sunnyside Cemetery. The event is annually sponsored by the American Legion Post and Auxiliary along with a host of volunteers. Dale McBride is the program director and emcee.

Daniel Roberson, Olathe, Kan., past Kansas American Legion Commander, will be the featured speaker. Mike Bush, pastor of Open Door Fellowship, Caney, will give the opening and closing prayers and the Caney Community Choir, under the direction of Edie Vernon, will sing patriotic songs. Boy Scout Troop 3 will have part in the opening flag raising. The playing of “TAPS” will be given by Dan Vernon.

The memorial wreaths will be laid on the veterans’ monument by Sara Shively, Gold Star Mother, escorted by Past Caney Legion Commander Jerry Kitchens; Terri Wilson of the American Legion Auxiliary and Becky Wheatley of the Blue Star Mothers Chapter of Southeast Kansas, both escorted by Caney Post Commander Kelly Stacey.

The Avenue of Flags will be placed at Veterans Memorial Park at 5 p.m., Sunday, May 30, and McBride said that volunteers are always welcome to help with the raising of the flags. They will be removed from the park at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 31, and again volunteers are welcomed to help.
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A Caney native is returning to the music stage of his hometown on Friday night, May 28, to unveil a new recording.

Jared Daniels of the Jared Daniels Band will bring his blend of country, rock n’ roll and honky tonk sounds to Short Creek for a CD Release Party at 8 p.m., Friday, May 28, in front of a crowd that is expected to be filled to the rafters with local natives returning for high school reunions.
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BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

A Cherryvale High School senior who graduated from the school on May 15 has filed a lawsuit against USD 447 and former CHS head football coach Chris Endress.
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