Looking Backward 5.24.2012
25 Years Ago
May 21, 1987
The Missouri 3A District 12-baseball tournament is under way in Ava this week, and the Ava Bears are among the teams that advanced through the first round.
The Missouri School and College Relations Committee awards certificates of recognition to students of high scholastic promise who rank in the top 15 percent of the senior class. Awards presented this year went to Naomi Watkins, LuCinda Bishop, Tina Plake, Daniel Rees, Kenneth Beaty, Steven McKnight, Carrie Sleep, James Sparks, Jeannie Shrable, Tracy Murphy, Geoffrey Sparnicht, William Goss, Rebecca French, Vicki Thomas and Patricia Morphew.
Judy Davis has been named manager of the Ava Municipal Pool for the 1987 season, and June 1 has been set as tentative opening date for the pool Other pool personnel will include Debbie Mooney, assistant manager; full time lifeguards Mike Adams, Chris Calmer and Tracy Murphy; and part-time lifeguards Melissa Davis, Mary Mooney and Scott Silvey.
The children of Will and Clara Havens honored their mother on her 80th birthday Monday.
Anne Lynn Sallee and Dr. Scott Charles Mason were married Saturday, May 16.
Debbie Mooney participated in commencement exercises May 9 at Benedictine College, Atchison, Kan. Mooney, cum laude, was awarded a bachelor or arts degree in elementary & special education.
Doris Homeister caught a 10 lb. 12 oz. walleye March 19 in Beaver Creek below the Kissee Mills public use area. The fish measured 30 ¼ inches in length.
50 Years Ago
May 17, 1962
Two business firms were burglarized Saturday night but losses were comparatively light. The break-ins were at the Jenkins Service Station in south Ava on Highway 76, and at the Lee Floyd Pool Hall just south of the square.
A setter bird dog, believed to have possibly been ill with rabies, was killed Monday by City Policeman Clifford Cunningham and Deputy Sheriff Chancy Sherman. Cunningham said the dog belonged to Elroy Nash. Nash had noticed the dog being sick Saturday and had penned it up, but it had escaped from the pen. The dog was shot just northwest of the city limits near the L.D. Jenkins property on Highway 14.
Mrs. G.B. Wilson, a much-younger appearing longtime Ava resident, happily observed her 92nd birthday at her home here last Saturday. A group of friends brought flowers and a cake, decorated with 92 candles, to her home to celebrate the occasion. Widow of the late G.B. Wilson, an Ava attorney, she has lived here since 1914 when the couple was married in Florida. She was born in 1870 near St. Joseph.
Two Ava High School teachers were employed by the board of education at a meeting last Thursday night. Employed were Mrs. Faye (Davis) Case, to teach special education in high school; and Mrs. Norma (Herrell) Horner, who will teach world history.
Ava R-1 Board of Education has authorized Supt. O.T. Tallent and Dewey Bilyeu, elementary principal to proceed with plans to start a kindergarten during the next school year.
Cleo Comments … Fishing, as well as other sports must be taught, the know-how just doesn’t come naturally and a father who loves the sport will surely want his son to love it too and will not begrudge the little time and patience necessary to give him some instruction. Another father who has found that companionship with sons can be fun is Bob McFarland and that is one Dad who will never lack for fishing buddies – has 10 sons and 1 daughter. J.E. Curry and sons Howard and James, get in on this father-son act also. They all went turkey hunting together and we found them celebrating Howard’s turkey with a thermos of black coffee.
Miss Marsha Wallace, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dick Wallace, celebrated her eleventh birthday Monday, May 4, at an afternoon party given at the family home on Valley Street from 4 until 6 o’clock. Guests present to help celebrate the occasion were Misses Sherry Plaster, Sandra Riggs, Susie Kottmeier, Linda Lawrence, Debbie Ferguson, Marla Kay Collins, Anita Rippee and Judy Byerley, Mike Morris, Danny Silvey, Ricky Monger, Doug Alderman, Lyle Davis and Arliss Stillings.
The new queen of the Key Club is Miss Judy Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mont Johnson, of McClurg. The new queen, a sophomore, succeeds Miss Barbara Pitts, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pitts.
75 Years Ago
May 20, 1937
Announcement that a new cheese factory being constructed just outside the city limits on the north side of town would start operation the first of next week was made Wednesday by the owner, D.J. Bender. Construction of the factory was started the first of last week. It is located just west of the Nelson canning company, alongside the old Ozark Southern railroad right-of-way, on a lot measuring 82 by 400 feet leased from George Johnson.
Two cars collided on Highway 14 at the Yates produce Monday evening resulting in some damage to the cars but injuring no one. The cars were a model T Ford pickup driven by Warren Robertson, son of Mr. and Mrs. T.M. Robertson, and a V-8 Ford driven by Earl Osborn.
Chalmer Dickison, a member of the 1937 graduating class of Ava High School, received honorable mention in the final assembly period presented Monday morning in the school auditorium. Dickison, who lives at Richville in the southeast part of the county has made a record during his four years of high school of having ridden and walked the greatest distance to seek his high school education. In the four years he has ridden 44,640 miles and has walked 3,600. The riding distance is equal to a ride completely around the world and three quarters of the way around again. The walking distance is equal to a hike from New York to California and 600 miles back toward Missouri.
Audra Hunsaker, valedictorian, and Beulah Davis, salutatorian of this year’s graduating class, will make addresses at the Ava High School Commencement exercises this evening. Harold T. Lincoln, Springfield attorney will address the graduates. Fifty-eight graduates will receive diplomas.
Today’s issue of the Herald is “set” on a new composing machine. This machine, called the Intertype, is of the latest design, as used by large newspapers throughout the world. The new machine replaces an Intertype-composing machine that has been in use in the Herald office the past twenty years. The old machine was purchased in January 1917.
An unusually large egg, normal except for size, was brought to the Herald office Tuesday morning by Archie Bell of Ava, Route 4. The egg weighed over three ounces and measured six and a half inches by seven and a half inches in circumference the short way and long way. The egg was laid by a yearling White Rock hen on Mr. Bell’s farm two and a half miles south of Ava.
BRUSHYKNOB –– Miss Ilene Freeman and Weston Elliott were married Saturday evening at the home of Rev. Windsor.
Mrs. Murley Grabeel entertained a group of children Friday afternoon honoring her small daughter, Louanna Mae, who was celebrating her sixth birthday anniversary. A pink and white ice cream course was served to the following guests: Mollie Sue Banta, Phyllis Dianne Gentry, Patsy Ann Fawcett, Carolyn Joslyn, Iris Ann Lachmund, Catherine Reynolds, Sammye Lee Royce, James Coday, Bobbie Crain, Larry Belt and Bobby Ralph Burris.
100 Years Ago
May 23, 1912
Commencement Week –– The Debating contest will be held at the Wilson Opera House Tuesday evening May 28th. The question is resolved that the State should have the recall of public officers including judges. The affirmative speakers are Vivian Snow, Elmer Curry and Ershel Campbell; the negative, Sherman Brown, Amanda Mitchell and Claud Parks, a gold medal to the winner. On Wednesday evening six girls will declaim for a gold medal. Those who are entered in the contest are Laura Riggs, Maud Carrick, Gusta Bradshaw, Perl Lee, Edna Garr and Lilla Mankin.
On Friday evening the 31st is the graduating program. Three boys and three girls make up the membership of the class. They are Ershel Campbell, Amanda Mitchell, Elmer Curry, Gusta Bradshaw, John Robertson and Laura Riggs.
Marriage Licenses were issued this week from the Recorder’s office in Ava to R.N. Phillips, of Abadyl to Alta Johnson of Goodhope.
W.A. Walker of just east of town has bought two acres of land adjoining their place on the north. They will use it for pasture for their stock.
For the first time in 20 years a saloon license has been granted in Stillings, Mo., across the river from Leavenworth. Stillings is the home of about 20 wholesalers and an immense supply of liquor is stored there, but it was supposed to be impossible to obtain enough signers to get a saloon license from the county court. The joints in Leavenworth are out of business and the Platte county saloon will do a big business. There is some talk now of incorporating the town and electing a mayor and council.
We paid 27 cents for all the cream brought to us Tuesday. Others paid from 23 to 24 ½ cents. We pay cash on delivery at all times and guarantee the highest price. Timberlake & Burnet.
Miss Lulu Deathridge, who has been at Garland Kansas, came to Ava last Saturday, and will spend a month or so visiting with relatives and friends in and south of town.
A light frost is recorded on the lowlands around Ava last Thursday night but no damage was done to vegetation.
Refugees are camped on the levee in one of the towns near New Orleans. They were forced from their homes by the rush of backwaters, and are waiting for tugs to take them to safety
The early home of Mark Twain was presented to the city of Hannibal by George A. Mahan and wife before several thousand Hannibal people and scores of out-of-town visitors.
125 Years Ago
April 28, 1887
HAWS ON KNOBBERS. On Saturday night next before the sitting of the last term of the Circuit Court of this Douglas County on Monday, some person or persons placed upon my barnyard gate a notice as follows: “Mr. Haws, you are hereby notified to go to the circuit court and acknowledge that you are guilty of the crime that you are under bond for. If you don’t we will be around and treat you in a much worse manner than the law. This means business.” I am happy to inform the gentleman who wrote and carried said notice, that such an order will never be obeyed. While it is a fact, not to be denied by wise men, that a hundred can whip or kill one, it has been done. Not long since only thirty brave men went at night and murdered Green and Eden of Christian County, and succeeded further in wounding one sick woman. Brave warriors, indeed. Coercion is a poor law and proves nothing. You’ll never succeed, gentlemen. Your efforts will be failures. It’s understood that I have never been noted for bravery nor fighting nor talking about either. But in this I mean all I say and I’ll make you think so if you come. Respectfully, S.G. Haws.
NEVADA, Mo. –– A cyclone which originated in Kansas swept over the northeast part of this county last night between 8 and 9 o’clock. There were four persons killed outright and several so dangerously wounded that they will probably die.
A little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Payne has been somewhat indisposed for a few days this week with catarrhal fever.
If the boys of Ava had the proper amount of vim they would organize a ball club.
An article will be found on first page headed “Haws on Knobbers” Should any person feel like answering it the columns of the Herald are open. All we require is a signature at the bottom.
The continued rains are making vegetation boom but some farmers are beginning to wish they would let up so they can finish planting corn.
MANSFIELD ITEMS –– The public square is ornamented with a tent occupied by a barber. Our city Dads have queer ideas as to ornaments.
A sharp crack of the whip caused the lead mule of the stage to bring that vehicle around the corner of First and Main at about the usual hour last Friday morning, safe and sound and roll it into the public square. Among those on board was Capt. Pennington just returned from his visit in Tennessee. Save being jogged out of some ten pounds of flesh the Capt. Is hale and hearty as ever. He reports having a very pleasant trip but says he is glad to be at home again and that Missouri possesses many sterling advantages over Tenn., in his estimation.
