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Looking Backward 8.4.2016

25 Years Ago

August 1, 1991

The Babe Ruth District 4, 13-year-old baseball team took second place in the Missouri State Playoffs last weekend.  The local team lost to Mineral Area Baseball Assn.  The boys traveled to Desloge on July 23 and played through July 28.  Coach Rory Boeddeker commented that he was extremely proud of the way in which the boys represented the local area.

Shannon Watterson, an agri-business major at MidAmerica Nazarene College, Olathe, Kans., did well in the South Central Missouri Holstein district show held at Houston, Mo., June 29.  He led out six Holsteins, placing first in four classes and second in the other two, plus winning first with produce of dam, daughter-dam, best three females, best dairy herd, best breeder’s herd, best bred and owned, premier breeder, as well as grand champion cow.

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Graham celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 21 with a host of relatives and friends.  Jess Graham and Lola Wright were married July 19, 1941.

RED BUD VILLAGE –– Nellie Norman, Evelyn Sell, Stella Brown, Ann Dowell, Ruth Evans, Margret Sparnicht, Alice Van Houden, Albert and Doris Elliott, and Earl and Mildred Watson were callers in the Haven’s home over the past week.

The Ava Swim Team traveled to Fort Leonard Wood last Saturday for what was scheduled as the district meet.  But with more than 10 of Ava’s more than 40 swimmers participating, the team fell to fifth place, their worst finish of the summer.

Mr. and Mrs. Norman L. Shelton recently observed their 40th wedding anniversary. They were married on July 9, 1951.  Norman is a native of Missouri and was raised around Squires.

50 Years Ago

 July 28, 1966

A two-way radio system has been installed by the City of Ava in its vehicles, bring the city law enforcement up to date, and speeding up activities of the city’s utility departments.  A base station was installed in the office of City Clerk Girlie Taylor at the city hall, with mobile radio units in the police car and the city utilities electrical truck.

Vic Musich, forest technician, with the Ava Ranger District has accepted a position with the U.S. Job Corps at Poplar Bluff, it was announced this week by Charles Howe, district ranger.

Grand opening of Ava’s new Montgomery Ward Catalog Sales Agency located on the north side of the square is being held today through Saturday. The business was opened by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Wood of Ava.

A 40 percent tax increase on cattle in Douglas County, imposed by the state tax commission, has been rescinded, and the assessment has been placed back to that originally submitted by the county assessor, it was announced this week by Paul Hesterly, clerk of the Douglas County Court.

Airman Gary Ellison, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Ellison of Route 2, Ava, is training as a munitions specialist in a School of Munitions and Weapons Maintenance at Lowery Air Force Base near Denver, Colo.

Three young men from Ava were among the eight Navy Boots who left Springfield bus depot Monday, July 18, to begin recruit days at the Great Lake, Ill., naval training station. The local men, Eddie Straws, son of Mrs. Mae Tibbitts, Route 3; Larry Burnett, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Burnett, NW 7th Avenue, Ava; and William Cook, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Cook of Route 1, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in march this year.

Mr. and Mrs. Russell Robertson entertained with a dinner Sunday at their home, 303 SE 4th Avenue in honor of her father, C.H. Taber, who is celebrating his 91st birthday.

WASOLA –– The children here that attended the youth camp were Vivian Sievert, Betty Lou Daniel, Janis and Linda Hagler.

FOIL and CLARK –– Mr. and Mrs. Butch Degase and son, Rocky, are visiting in Colorado with Mrs. Degase’s parents and the Degase boys’ sister and family, Anzlee Degase.

BREEDEN –– Mr. and Mrs. Adrain Owens and children are visiting Mrs. Owen’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Austin Wright and Gerald.

Thirteen members and one advisor of the Ava Chapter, Future Farmers of America, recently attended the FFA Leadership training camp on the Lake of the Ozarks. Those attending were: Rick Dye, Dean Thurman, David Dooms, Frank Potter, Frank Allen Twitty, Steve Williams, Lowell Strong, John Morrison, Billy Jenkins, Randy Huff, Ronnie Duckworth, Mark Lawler, Charles  Davis, and Joe Pierce, advisor.

75 Years Ago

July 31, 1941

An accident that might have had much more serious consequen-ces occurred at 11:30 o’clock Monday morning when a milk truck overturned just north of the turn on Highway 76 at the Arthur Singleton place, just south of town.  The truck was driven by George Lemmon, who operates the store at Goodhope and also drives a milk route for the Bender Cheese Factory.  Lemmon was driving into Ava with a load of more than 40 cans of milk and with five passengers.    Mr. Lemmon said his brakes gave way after he rounded the turn, and the weight on the back of the large flatbed truck made the machine whip around so that he could not straighten it out in the road. The truck went into the ditch for a short distance before the driver could attempt to get back on the roadway. In trying to regain the roadway the truck turned over, stopping bottom side up.

Does it seem hot to you?  It is hot.  Eleven days during July the thermometer at the Forest Service ranger station here hit 90 degrees or more.  The hottest day was July 22, when the mercury hit 98 degrees, according to Irwin Olson, Forest Service fire guard. It has been hotter and also wetter than last July.

A female wolf caught Friday night near Huckleberry school was displayed in Ava Saturday by eight men who caught the wolf Friday night near Huckleberry School on the Hilo Ridge some 20 miles southeast of Ava.  The men were Bill Graham, Cornie Grote, Harry Vinson, Yuel and Buel Scott, Charlie and Elmer Graham and Floyd Latham, all living in the neighbor-hood of Sweden.

Five men, described as from 20 to 40 years old are charged with felonious assault as the result of throwing watermelon rinds at an automobile on Highway 76 Satur-day afternoon, and one of the occu-pants of the car is said to be in danger of losing an eye that cut by flying glass from the windshield which is said to have been broken by the melon rinds. The five men are Wyman Cornett, Virgil Bass and Leon Lewis of near Rome, Bill Jones of Ozark County and Frank Pierce of Taney county.

  1. M. Swick weighed in a bass weighing three pounds and four ounces on the Ferguson Drug Store bass contest Wednesday night after returning from a trip to Bryant Creek. That is the biggest bass turned in on the contest, which closes this week. Voyne Clinkingbeard, who has held top position in the contest with a bass weighing three pounds and half an ounce now is in second place, and Burl Kirder has third place with a bass of two pounds and a half.  Others in the fishing party were Mrs. Swick and her mother, Mrs. Susie Walker, Howard Curry, Mrs. J.E. Curry and Lyle Clinkingbeard.

The State Highway Department last week started work on Route 5 from Ava to Gainesville.  When the highway is completed it promises to be one of the most enjoyable drives in this section of the state.

100 Years Ago

August 3, 1916

During the light electric storm that visited the Whites Creek section of Douglas County six miles southeast of Ava Monday, Virgil Ealom, 14-year-old son of Mrs. T.F. Morrow was killed by lightning, and two other boys, Ike Turner and Lloyd Singleton were badly stunned.  The three boys had been swimming in Whites Creek near the Frank Spurlock place when the storm came up, and were standing under a small walnut tree, dressing, when lightning struck the tree.  The Ealom boy fell into the water and the other two lay unconscious on the bank. The fact that the two boys on the bank have recovered, leads some to believe the Ealom boy was drowned.

Seventy-six bottles of boot-legged whiskey was captured by Howell County officials last week and burned on the court square in West Plains on Tuesday. The supply belonged to Grant Sexton, a convicted bootlegger.

Nathan Johnson, Homer John-son, Hobart Collins, and Johnny Gilbert were brought to Ava last week from the east end of the county and lodged in jail to serve a sentence of 17 days for disturbing the peace.

Jailer Spurlock has prisoners out on the road running west through the Mose Silvey place picking rock and working the road this week.

Crops are in very bad condition.  Unless rain falls soon no corn can be raised in many places.

FOX CREEK NEWS –– The women of this neighborhood are rejoicing that the primary is over.  It isn’t right for the women to be bothered with the candidates when they are not allowed to vote.

  1. R. Clinkingbeard has sold his farm on Cowskin to W.R. Edwards of Arkansas.

Uncle Jesse Hartley of near Marshfield celebrated his 105th birthday Sunday, July 16.  A family reunion was held and more than 1000 people attended.  Some of Uncle Jesse’s fifth generation have reached the age of 16 years. He has four children living, the youngest of whom is 74 years old.

Thos. Loftin of Sweden passed through Ava last Friday on the way home from Diggins and Seymour. Mr. Loftin has secured a position as brakeman on the Frisco.

125 Years Ago

August 6, 1891

The Schooner Michigan, while unloading coal at the Erie Street Wharf, Chicago, broke in two with a loud report.  Coal had been taken out from amid ships leaving heavy weights in both bow and stern.

“Cat bites,” said Dr. Gilbier, of the Pasteur Institution, “are much more common in Paris than they are here. Since I have been in this country I have treated only two persons who I had reason to believe were bitten by mad cats.  In Paris mad cats are almost as common as mad dogs.”

The Spurlock Jewelry Establish-ment has the nicest set of clocks ever in Ava.

The Ava Cemetery, north of town, is in great need of improve-ment and several parties interested propose to have the necessary work done Saturday, August 12.  All who are interested in improvement of the cemetery are especially requested to be on the grounds early in the morning with feed for men and teams, and tools for a full day’s work.  Don’t fail to be on hand early in the morning.

Lightning from a clear sky struck a Helena, Montana, woman the other day and traced on her an almost perfect representation of a small branch of a tree.  The figures of the leaves were nearly perfect. She was not hurt in the least.

The saloon question, which has greatly agitated Centralia for several weeks past, was settled today by the City Council granting a city saloon license, and an open saloon is in full operation now.

Sympathizing Friend: “I feel very bad for you.  It seems so sad that your poor husband should have to go to prison.” The Afflicted: “Oh! It isn’t so much that. But it is so mortifying you know to have the jury bring him in guilty of murder in the second degree!  Poor John always prided himself on being first in whatever he undertook.”

How strange it is that most men would rather be flattered for possessing what they have not, than to be justly praised for having what they possess.

Donald Kennedy of Roxbury, Mass., says, “Kennedy’s Medical Discovery cures horrid old sores, deep seated ulcers of 40 years standing, inward tumors, and every disease of the skin, except Thunder Humor, and Cancer that has taken root.  Price $1.50. Sold by every druggist in the U.S. and Canada.

“She seems a very clever woman.”  “Oh, she is! I had an hour conversation with her yesterday and didn’t have a chance to say a word.”

A movement has been inaugur-ated at Kansas City for the organi-zation of a novel military company intended to one of the military features of the World’s Fair.  The company is to be called Co. A First Regiment, United Blue and Gray.  It is to be composed of 50 ex-Union and 50 ex-Confederate soldiers, the former uniformed in blue and the latter in gray.  The company is now nearly full.