1949, 2000: License plate, gun receipt lead to robbers

25 years ago Nov. 2, 2000 Services were held for Ione Gladys Markham, 88. She grew up on the family farm in Riceville, Iowa. After attending Iowa State Teachers College, she taught in one-room schools. Ione was a Loomis resident for 25 years and was a member of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Placer County Sheriff's detectives had an easy catch of gun-toting burglars. During a burglary and vandalism, the suspects left a telltail trail of evidence, including a sales receipt for the gun used in the crime binge. The CIMBL crew filled 50 bags of trash from Horseshoe Bar Road in Loomis with the help of Lincoln High School students. Among the volunteers were Dana Garret, Angie Denning and Vanessa Cacho. The trio found a check for $1.85 dated 1979 and signed by Keith Cook of Loomis. In a chance encounter, Loomis residents Kathy and Greg Fellers ran into Freda and Jack Morris in Taos, New Mexico. The couples just happened to be booked at the same inn in rooms right next to each other. Debbie Newton's kindergarten class at the new H. Clarke Powers School in Loomis was learning about counting, sorting and classifying by using colorful plastic bugs. Bev Ireland's third-graders were studying optical illusions with spirited discussions. While the Del Oro football team had a good record of 6-2, the Golden Eagles were bombed by the Granite Bay Grizzlies 35-9 behind QB Scotty Williams and 3 TD catches by Nolan de Graff. Loomis 4-H Club members showed their various projects at the Gold County Fair in Auburn. Members included Amy Lombardo, Kate Rundle, Amy Sowers, Matthew Lombardo, Daniel Rundle, Paul Doerner, Paul Rundle, Abigail Loos and Mark Doerner. 50 years ago Oct. 30, 1975 Services were held for Anna Prehn, 72, a native of Germany. She was a 28-year resident of Penryn. Services were conducted for Katy May Brashear, 70, a native of Durant, Oklahoma, and a resident of Penryn for 50 years. Services were held for Elizabeth Catherine "Betty" Sagaser, 58, a native of Montana and a resident of the Loomis Basin for 33 years. She and her husband owned and operated the Loomis News from 1940 to 1972. Rebecca Nielsen was chosen Del Oro High School's winner of the bicentennial seniors scholarship competition. Runners-up were Tammy Craythorn and Irene Fetz. Rebecca would be competing with the other high school winners to become one of two state representatives to the national competition. Susan Harvey of Loomis was named to the Dean's List at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Thomas Bader of Loomis was on the Honor Roll at Oklahoma State Tech, a technical branch of Oklahoma State University. Loomis businessman Nguyen Van Chuc, a Vietnam refugee, was interviewed by Channel 10 TV station. The cameraman was Bob Helems, a Loomis resident. Frank Kageta was general chair for the 35th annual JACL Goodwill Dinner and assisted by Aki Hirota, Betty Roberts and George Hirakawa. Yesteryear by Vivian Rasmussen: The Spanish were among the many groups that came to the area to work in the fruit. In 1907, the first ship left Malaga, Spain, with 30 families signed up to work in the harvest of sugar cane in Hawaii. After their contract was over, the Christopher and Mary Garcia family came to Loomis, as did the family of James and Isabel Morales. A large group settled in Rocklin, as homes were available after the railroad moved from Rocklin to Roseville. 75 years ago August 1949 Funeral services were held for Peter H. Swetzer, 72. Before living in Wheatland, Peter lived in the Loomis District, where the family came in the 1890s. An employee returned after closing time at the Loomis Cafe and frightened two robbery suspects away. Nightwatchman Charles Carter saw the fleeing pair and noted the license number. He and George Nelson of the Rocklin Police Department arrested the men, one from Rocklin. Loomis resident Ernest Warren, Grand Cheminot of the 40 + 8 Voitures, installed officers in different units, including Roseville. The contest for Queen of the Placer County Fair was underway. Contestants and their sponsors included Mary Compton, Shoe Shack; Lenore Jones, Roseville Paint; Marian Davis, Happy Hour Cafe; Ema Jean Brown, Onyx Cafe; Louise Tillett, Tillett Cleaners; Vera Wright, Wright's Cafe; and Betty Gareno, Johnny Walker's Log Cabin. The new location of the Free Methodist Church of Loomis was in the Newell's plant. Turn off Highway 40 at the Placer Fruit Bowl, go about 1/4 mile on the Brace Road, church is on the left. While the Rev. Harry Martynse family was vacationing back east, they saw Burbank plums for sale in Detroit for 8 cents each. They were packed in Loomis bearing the Camel Brand. Georgetown, an historic and once a very rich mining camp, celebrated the Gold Rush Centennial Days. Other famous old gold towns known as the Georgetown Divide included Kelsey, Gold Hill, Garden Valley, Greenwood, Pilot Hill, Volcanoville, Cool, Spanish Dry Diggings, Golden, Paradise and Murders Bar.