Looking Backward 6.7.2012
25 Years Ago
June 4, 1987
The Ava Patchwork Players will present the old-time melodrama “True, Blue and Trusted” Saturday June 6 in the old Star Theatre building, across the street west of the Community Center.
Marvin Petty, Route 2, Ava, has been appointed to the State Milk Board by Gov. John Ashcroft.
Two Ava High School baseball players have been named to the District 12 all district baseball team for 1987. Senior outfielder Trampus Taylor and junior pitcher Ron Wallace represent Ava on the all-district squad.
Chester Riley, Drury, was recently honored by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department for having completed 40 years of service.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald W. Nall will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on Sunday afternoon, June 7 at the First Southern Baptist Church fellowship hall, Ava. Jerry and Pat Uhlmann Nall were married June 2, 1962 in West Plains, Mo. by the Rev. Oscar Cunningham and Bill Anderson in the First Southern Baptist Church.
Johnny Mullins, humble Springfield school janitor who came to national recognition a few years ago as a songwriter, was in Ava last week on behalf of the book about his life, which will soon be available locally. Mullins, 63, has written hundreds of songs and has over 80 recorded. But it was “Blue Kentucky Girl” that brought him the recognition many feel was long overdue.
FOIL & CLARK –– Mr. and Mrs. Philip Brown visited with Mr. and Mrs. Glen Gambill Thursday.
Happy 45th Wedding Anniversary to Grandpa and Grandma Loftin.
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Shine will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary Saturday, June 6.
50 Years Ago
May 31, 1962
Miss Elloree Nancy Burdett, county office clerk for the Farmers Home Administration in Ava, was the recipient of a Superior Service Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The use of seat belts by a group of small girls who had spent an afternoon at the Springfield zoo prevented possible serious injury Monday afternoon when a car in which they were riding was involved in a collision. Mrs. Frieda Gray, an Ava elementary school teacher had taken the group of girls to visit the zoo and was starting to the Burge-Protestant Hospital to visit a patient, when the accident occurred. Accompanying Mrs. Gray were Kathy Gray, 10, of Perry Mo.; Linda Sue Phipps, 8; Zora Gray, 8; Julia Cox, 8; Debora McGill, 9, and Sandra Sue Kottmeier, 9, all of Ava. The girls were using seat belts which Mrs. Gray had had installed in her car about two weeks ago.
The Douglas County Dairy Council has announced that applications are now being received from candidates for the Dairy Day Queen contest to be held on Tuesday, June 19, it is reported by Russell Heath, chairman of the Dairy Day queen committee.
Mrs. C.L. Harley, wife of Ava optometrist Cecil Harley, presented awards to Miss Janice Marie Uhlmann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Uhlmann of Drury, and Miss Sharon Sims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bretney Sims, Wednesday of last week at the Ava School, for their essays on traffic safety.
Dewey Bilyeu was awarded a life membership in the Missouri Congress of Parents and Teachers by the Ava R-1 chapter of P.T.A. at their last meeting. Bilyeu, elementary school supervisor here for six years, was presented the honor award – the first ever given here – for “his devotion to the work of the Parent–Teachers Assn.”
Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Jennings, who reside on Norman Street, observed their 57th wedding anniversary May 4.
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Jenkins and daughter, Toni Ann, retuned to their home in Ava Saturday morning following a three weeks vacation tour in the western states.
An Ava softball team, sponsored by the Ava Hardware Co., has entered a five-team league at Norwood and won its opener Monday night, 12-5, defeating one of the two Norwood entries. Team members are Howard Ridenour, 1b; Allen Welker, cf; Buster Singleton, lf; Don Langford, rf; Perry Pool, ss; Jerry Pool, 2b; Fred Bacorn, c; Larry Phillips, 3b; Bob Ferguson, p; Jerry Jackson, 3b; and Lonnie Krider, of.
Owen Drive-In, Seymour, 4-day showing, Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith, and Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap.
Cleo Cooper, of Ava, and Don Tripp, Mansfield, won top individual honors in the Lions League at the Mansfield Bowl for second half play. Cooper was awarded a trophy for high 30 frames, 653, and Tripp, with 257 for high 10.
75 Years Ago
June 3, 1937
H.H. Bowden, of Prior, saw the county seat of the county in which he has lived for fifty-six years for the first time Monday. Mr. Bowden is 60-years old, and came to Douglas County when he was 4 years old. He has visited two or three state capitols, but never until Monday, had he visited Ava. He came to town Monday at the invitation of a neighbor, A.A. Wood, also of Prior. He viewed the new county courthouse and visited business houses around the square while in town.
Four Douglas County farmers, accompanied by County Agent A.T. Goodding, visited the Missouri College of Agriculture experiment field at Cuba Wednesday of last week. Those making the trip were C.E. Letsinger, Emory Letsinger, Harry Kutter and Ramey Smith.
22-Year-Old Turtle – Carved Shell – Found. A land turtle with the date “1915” and the initials “G.E.M.” carved on his shell was found Tuesday by Mrs. C.J. Mankin in the garden at her home, just east of the city. The initials were identified as those of Gem Mercer who formerly lived on a neighboring place.
Wallis Simpson has her divorce and is the bride of the duke of Windsor who, to possess her, gave up the throne of perhaps the greatest empire in the world today. After all there is no sacrifice too great for true happiness. It is not only worth the throne of England but the throne of the entire world, if holding such an honor were possible. After all it is a small mind that is filled and fed with honors alone.
Miss Wanda Burdett, Miss Nona Smith, Miss Vernice Stecker, Miss Audra Hunsaker, Paul Hayes, C.H. Hibbard and Flody Curnutt left during the weekend to enter the Springfield Teachers College for the summer.
The world’s favorite fun-makers are out west – they dance and sing, and hunt for gold, but find only trouble! Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in “Way Out West”. It’s their latest full-length feature and crammed with hilarity and excitement! Also news and comedy. 10 – 26¢
Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Norman, Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Curry and son James, and Mrs. G. R. Curry were in Boonville Thursday night and Friday and attended the commence-ment exercises of the Kemper Military School. On Friday they were accompanied home by Ruskin Norman and Howard Curry who had been students in Kemper during the past school year.
WHITES CREEK –– Archie Spurlock received scratches and bruises and Vernon Ray a badly cut hand when their car left the road and turned over a few miles east of Ava Saturday night.
ARNO –– Miss Beulah Gentry went to Springfield Sunday to enter Teachers College for the summer term.
BLACK OAK –– Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Davis and family, Effie D. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Davis attended the 54th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Davis Sunday.
100 Years Ago
June 6, 1912
The total population of the world is now estimated at 1,700,000,000. This is based upon the most recent censuses, which all civilized countries now take, with a careful estimate of the number of inhabitants of uncivilized lands. The proportion of the sexes is known for 1,038,000,000 of these, the ratio being 1,000 males to 990 females. The highest proportion of women is found in Uganda, where there are 1,467 to every 1,000 men. The lowest proportion is in Alaska and the Malay States, where there are, in the former, 391, and in the latter 389 women to every 1,000 men.
The Alumni Banquet was held at the Wilson Opera Saturday night, with eighteen members of the association, six new members, four associate members, and thirty eight invited guests present. The banquet was a four cause one, and was one of the most elaborate in the history of their meetings. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows Irlee Curry, president; Ethel Sell, secretary, and Elmer Curry treasurer. The membership of the association now totals 76 and of this membership the following were present: Belle Quigley, Ola Sell, Ethel Sell, Rufus Wood, Roy Dunn, Roy Wagner, Irlee Curry, Albert Dobyns, Emmett Yeoman, John Levan, Mrs. Ira Davis, Hannah Lefler, Grace Grasham, Elaine Neiman, Mrs. Mary Smith, Oscar Bradshaw, Burney Kay and Mrs. Ada Martin.
Marriage Licenses: J.P. Henderson of Buckhart to Lucreta Hunt, of Bertha; Samuel Essary to Rettie Cornett, both of Rome; Sturm H. Kyle of Hammond, to Edna Piland, of Thornfield.
A Natatorium or bathing pool is a new thing for Ava, on which excavation work has already been commenced. Oliver B. Davis is building the pool on his place just north of town. The basin will be 40×110 feet, and will have a depth of from one to seven feet. The bottom of the pool will be of white sand, and the walls of cement. In the pool will be a section 20×20 feet, twelve inches deep, another section 20×20 three feet deep, another 20×40 four feet deep and one 40×70 seven feet deep. At this natatorium will be four dressing rooms, two waiting rooms, two rooms for shower baths, and one room for sun-baths and ample bathing suits for bathers of all sizes. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” therefore this bathing pool will be a great thing for the people of Ava and vicinity. Aside from the great pleasure of swimming, one can realize a great benefit in health from an occasional plunge and shower bath.
Elmer Curry has taken a position as foreman in the Herald office. Elmer is a careful printer and his work proves satisfactory every day in the week.
125 Years Ago
May 19, 1887
A good story is told of ex-Congressman Fyan, of Marshfield, while he was Judge of the 13th judicial district. It was several years ago and Douglas County then belonged to that district. Court was in session and the judge (Judge Fyan) was frequently noticed coming out of the prosecuting attorney’s office. One morning, toward the close of the session, he was met coming from the above named place by a prominent attorney of our town when the following dialogue took place. Said the Judge: “Mr. K., have you examined the prosecuting attorney’s library?” Mr. K. had not. “Examine it carefully,” said the Judge. “It suits me better than anything I have struck in Missouri.” Mr. K. went into the office where he found the library. If consisted of two volumes of the Revised Statutes furnished by the county. They were sitting on a shelf and between the two sat a small brown jug. It was bourbon and it is needless to say Mr. K. agreed with the Judge. It was the best in South Missouri.
Fifty years ago two-fifths of the public school teachers in Massachusetts were men; now about one-tenth are men. The average wages of men then were $25.44 per month, and women $11.38; now men average $111.23 and women $43.97.
The grocers in Tennessee are up in arms at the law passed at the last session of the legislature putting a coal-oil tax on dealers. The effect, it is claimed, will be to drive the grocers out of the market, leaving the field to the Standard Oil Company, which can raise the price high enough to pay the tax.
A paper devoted to mechanical affairs says a fortune is awaiting the inventor of a lamp or lantern that can be fastened to the front or dashboard of a wagon or the breast of the horse that draws it.
“Papa, who is that man with the torn coat and patched trousers?” “That my boy is a poor, unfortunate taxpayer.” “And who is that gentleman with the broad-cloth suit and new silk hat?” “Don’t talk so loud – that is one of the leading boodlers.”
Judge Kice has disposed of his city residence to Prosecuting Att’y Waters. Consideration $250.
We are told seven hundred is the amount raised for the courthouse. There is no doubt about Ava having a courthouse. That Douglas County is badly in need of a courthouse no one can deny. The next question that will arise is where to put the new building. A few think it should go on the site of the old courthouse, but we believe the majority is in favor of having it in the center of the public square.
Kice and Payne have located their office in the Irvin King building on the southeast corner of the public square. The new firm is prepared to promptly attend to all business entrusted to it’s care.
The road commissioner of this district has warned all able-bodied men to come out and work the roads.
Lewis Hampton is prepared to do all kinds of black-smithing. Give him a call.
