"Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“The Junction City Pilot Club – Sixty Years of Friendship and Service”
Sue Penn shared that the roots of Junction City Pilot Club are firmly embedded in their motto- Friendship and Service. In April 1961, the Topeka Pilot Club held the first organizational dinner in Junction City to determine interest for a local club. On September 16, 1961, the Junction City Pilot Club observed its Charter Night. Twenty-four willing business women signed the charter - Irene Rogers, Grace Acker, Nadine Wilson, Doris Paulson, Lavern Allen, Virginia Fiddler, Evelyn Hiett, Ruth Wells, Ione Ware, Lee Bunker, Marjorie Seitz, Vi Peterson, Aileen Hackett, Elizabeth Decker, Blanche Walker, Lois York, Leora Brown, Doris Taylor, Mona Kessinger, Mary Lou Noland, Margaret Parker, Lois Thompson, Marie Muse and Marguerite Ratts.
The Lamer Hotel hosted the seventy-five people in attendance, including Pilot International President Virginia Anderson, Topeka Pilots, and local officials. Irene Rogers was installed as the first President. Irene later recounted she had said no several times before accepting the position of President.
In the early years, the club struggled to survive financially, but with the dedicated work of its members, and the support of the community, the club pushed on and began the annual Smorgasbord in May 1963. Long time members told stories of the year they ran out of food and had to refund money for tickets. Smorgasbord became a Mother’s Day week tradition for many as did the foods served. The club put together a recipe book including ham loaf and the many salads. From net profits of a few hundred dollars the first year, to over $2,000, the Smorgasbord has been the most successful of many major fundraisers through its continuous 49 years. These proceeds supported the service projects of the club.
Some of the club projects have included the addition of an elevator at the Geary County Historical Society Museum, which provides access to the entire building; furnished a room at the Geary Community Hospital; tied yellow ribbons on the trees in City Park in support of our troops; rang bells for the Salvation Army; provided lunches for Habitat for Humanity workers and adopted grandparents at the nursing homes. The Club has also hosted the community civic club luncheon at the Country Club to kick off the Salvation Army Christmas Red Kettle program; worked to make the US-77 and K-57 intersection safer; gave scholarships to a JCHS seniors for higher education; fitted helmets to young children and presented the BrainMinders puppet show giving ways to play safe and be safe in a car and at home; refreshed equipment at the Glessner Playground at South Park; redid two rooms at the Open Door making them handicapped accessible; provided software for Early Childhood Education; funded the Stars Camp, which is held every summer at Rock Springs 4-H Ranch, by Pawnee Mental Health Services and provided funds for a handicapped accessible counter at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.
The Junction City Pilot Club appreciates the community’s continued support of their activities as they strive to Do More, Care More, Be More.
“Hometown Hero Had An Effect On Many”
Gaylynn Childs, retired Executive Director of the Geary County Historical Society, wrote some of the following in a 1990 article for the “Daily Union” newspaper.
“Dan LaShelle’s father, Ralph LaShelle, was the proprietor of one of the community’s well-known businesses, the LaShelle Shoe Store.” LaShelle’s not only sold shoes, but also boots. The boots were the Dehner Boots referred to in a previous article in this space. Dehner Boots were supplied to the Cavalry officers and soldiers stationed at Fort Riley and all over the world.
Dan was born in 1919 and had an older brother, Bob, and a younger sister, Lois. Dan’s classmates at Junction City High School recalled he was shy and quiet. Dan’s real love in high school was athletics. He lettered in both football and track and ranked at the top of his class scholastically when he graduated in 1937.
Following high school graduation, Dan went to Kansas University and graduated in 1941. He was selected to receive a regular Army commission, because of his ROTC and scholastic record.
With the outbreak of WW II, Dan was assigned to the 1st Infantry of the 6th Division and was posted to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before being ordered overseas in 1943.
In May 1943, Dan married his college sweetheart, Anna Jane Hoffman of Enterprise, Kansas. It was after only a few months of marriage that the newlyweds were parted never to see each other again.
In the Pacific, Dan, now Captain LaShelle, took part in three bloody campaigns in New Guinea before going ashore in the third wave of the 6th Division in the landing at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. On January 25, 1945, Dan LaShelle was wounded while trying to rescue one of his soldiers and three days later died from his wounds.” (It was stated in a previous article in this space that Dan was killed during the Bataan Death March and is being corrected here).
Dan was admired and respected by the American soldiers with whom he served. However, it was not just the American soldiers whose lives were influenced by Dan LaShelle. A Filipino officer, Demosthenes “Tony” Gabioma, who was assigned as a liaison to Dan’s unit, wrote a letter to Anna Jane several months after Dan’s death. Tony wrote that he and Dan had many conversations at night about Kansas, Dan’s family and Kansas University. Dan had visited Tony’s family home just the day before Dan was wounded. Tony told of the visit he had with Dan in the hospital the day before Dan died. Tony promised to “find out where Dan was to be buried so Tony’s family could visit, tend the grave and make floral offerings as a tribute to their friendship. Tony kept his vow and throughout his life, maintained contact with the LaShelle family. In the 1960s Tony was finally able to realize his ambition to visit Kansas and the community which had produced Dan LaShelle.