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Looking Backward 8.10.2016

25 Years Ago

August 8, 1991

A brief but powerful summer storm unleashed its fury on the Ava area last Sunday afternoon, bringing heavy rain to the immediate Ava area, but also causing extensive damage in some areas.

Colonel C.E. Fisher, superin-tendent of the Missouri Highway patrol, today stated that troopers have been instructed to be extra alert for compliance of the seat belt law and take appropriate action.

Lena Pierce, Ava, who retired this spring after 50 years as a teacher and elementary principal in the Ava and Plainview school districts of Douglas County, was honored this week in Jefferson City as a “Pioneer in Education.” She is one of six Missourians who were to be recognized for outstanding contributions to public education.

The team of Steve Maggard and Lem Berry took first place in the J. Anne Buddy Bass Tournament held from 4 p.m. till midnight on Saturday, Aug. 3.  Maggard and Berry claimed the title with total weight of 13.8 lbs.

The spring semester Dean’s List has been announced at Drury College.  Named to the honor list is Steven B. McKnight, of Ava.

JEFFERSON CITY –– Rumor has it that the Missouri Department, under cover of darkness, is dropping rattlers out of helicopters onto unsuspecting residents of Callaway County – and Howell County, and Barry County, and… the list goes on.  The truth, according to Dept. officials, is that the Department isn’t –– never has.  And it isn’t stocking rattlers anywhere –– never has.  “I’ve been hearing this cock-and-bull story for at least seven years,” said Commission Herpetologist Tom Johnson.

BLACK OAK – Happy birthday was sung to Betty Satterfield and Glen Frye.

50 Years Ago

 August 4, 1966

The closest contest for a county office was between incumbent Circuit Clerk Virgil Kester and Ralph Gentry which ended with Gentry holding a 33-vote margin prior to the absentee count. Gentry carried 19 of the rural precincts with Kester leading in the two city boxes and three of the rural precincts. The absentee vote count this week could throw the race in any direction.  County Collector Willard Pueppke rolled up the highest number of single votes with a total of 2,204 –– a margin of 1,565 over his opponent Fred Spurlock.

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Silvey and son, who have been occupying property on NW 3rd Street, just north of the First General Baptist Church, moved early this week to the Norman Baker property at 502 NE 9th Avenue. Last year, Silvey accepted a teaching position in the Ava school system.

The Ava Community Nursing Home and Convalescent Center which held open house on April 3 and began admitting residents at that time now has 33 patients residing in the home.

Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Melton (Betty Lisby) of Springfield announce the birth of a 7-pound, 11-ounce daughter, Elizabeth Sue, at 4:40 a.m. Saturday, July 30, at St. John’s Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Buell McCallister of south Ava, have selected the name, Lisa Jane, for their daughter born at 3:46 o’clock Monday afternoon, July 23, in Burge Hospital in Springfield. The wee one weighed 4 pounds, 9 ounces at the time of her birth.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Parsley, 612 NE 2nd Avenue, entertained with a regular meeting of the Ava Pitch Club at their home Thursday night, July 8.  Members attending were Mr. and Mrs. Harlan House, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Maloney, Mr. and Mrs. Cloine Pettit, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Alderman, and Mrs. Burnam Cummins, and playing as a guest was Olen Deckard.

GENTRYVILLE –– Robin Stout, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Stout, had the misfortune of falling from a slide at the Dora school Friday and breaking her arm.  Jimmy Stout has been staying this past week in the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Parker of Mtn. Grove.

WASOLA –– Obed Clayton will report for Naval duty at Great Lakes Tuesday.

Captain and Mrs. Paul Sagerser have just concluded an 18-day visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Sagerser of Elkhead.  They left Friday, July 29, enroute to the Sandal Military Base, Albuquerque, NM, where the Captain, a member of the 173rd Airborne Division, Ordinance Department, will begin special training in a school of nuclear weapons.

STAR –– Richard McFarlin returned to School of the Ozarks after spending the weekend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert McFarlin.

75 Years Ago

August 7, 1941

Lyle Mallernee, son of H. J. Mallernee of Coldspring, was bruised but not seriously injured last Saturday night when he flopped over in an automobile on Highway 5 about a mile from town after going to sleep at the wheel. The young man was coming toward Ava alone and dozed off on a turn southeast of the Willis Mitchell home. He awoke to find himself in the ditch on the right hand side of the road.  The car apparently hit an obstruction, and flipped over end for end and then rolled over sideways, coming to a stop right side up.  Mallernee walked to town.

Mr. and Mrs. Ira Wilbanks, Jr., and small daughter arrived in Ava last Thursday and have established their home in the Coffman cottage on Maple street.  Mr. Wilbanks has been made manager of the local Wilbanks store.

Arthur Thompson, former merchant of the Spring Creek store south of Ava, has purchased the Silvey Service Station on the southwest corner of the square. Mr. Silvey is now operating his other station, Highway Service Station, which is located on Highway 5 across from the Reed-Harlin Grocer Company.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Spurlock are now operating the Duck Inn Café which is owned by Mr. Spurlock’s brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Spurlock. The Spurlocks took possession of the café last week and will continue with the business while the Roscoe Spurlocks are enjoying an extended vacation.

The birthday of Carleen Lethco, small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lethco, was celebrated Tuesday afternoon with a party.  Guests were Wanda Lou Sallee, Ola Sue Souder, Annavee Thomas, Norman Propp, Lorene Propp, Patsy Baker, Martha Jo Lethco and Fred Lethco, Jr. The group played games and enjoyed refreshments of birthday cake and ice cream.

Mr. and Mrs. Homer Harley left Sunday morning for Grand Lake, Colorado, where they will spend two weeks vacation. While away the Harleys’ small son, Larry, and Mrs. Mildred Hardcastle, who is employed in the Harley home, will spend one week as guests of Mrs. Harley’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Burdett, and the other week they will visit Mr. Harley’s brother and his family, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Harley and son, Jerry Lee.

BIRTHS –– To Mr. and Mrs. Hurse Smith a girl, Sandra Sue, June 30, Ava.   To Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Almon Hargis a boy, Larry Marvin, July 5, Walls Township, Squires.  To Mr. and Mrs. Edd Phipps a girl, Audra Fay, July 15, Springcreek Township, Squires.

Oral Atteberry was too late to get in on the big bass contest but he brought one home one night this week that was 21 inches long and that beat four pounds in weight. It, as the feller says, was a beauty. Oral showed it to us the next day.

100 Years Ago

August 10, 1916

The $15,400 for the erection of the Ava High School building has been turned over to the school board and is now in a Kansas City Bank.  The plans for the building have been completed and the architect, Mr. Reed, is making a final estimate of the cost of materials and labor. As soon as this is done the board will be ready to receive bids for contract to erect the building.

The Honorable County Court in session this week has authorized a well to be drilled in the southwest corner of the court square, and the Bige Walker drill started yesterday morning. The county pays for drilling the hole, and the city of Ava is to pay all other expenses –– pump, curbing, etc.

The summer session of the University of Missouri has just closed with the greatest enrollment it has ever had, 1,314 students. This is an exact 200 increase over the enrollment of last year, the greatest until that time, and an increase of 1274 since the first summer session in 1805.

The total Republican vote in Douglas County at the August Primary was 2119, Democratic 175, Socialist 24, Progressive 1.  The total vote cast in the county by all parties was 2320, the heaviest primary vote ever polled in the county.

The Post Office Department closed the fiscal year ending June 30, 1915, with a deficit of $11,297,861, which the Democratic Postmaster General promptly attributed to the European War.  Just what connection the European War has with the tremendous increase in the cost of operating our post office department, we are unable to see, but the European War is a convenient excuse for all short-comings of the present administration.

Messrs. Cecil Reynolds, and David Votaw and Misses Bessie Inman and Vivian Snow spent Sunday on Beaver.

East Ava Canning Company is now ready to can tomatoes.  We pay 40¢ per hundred pounds delivered at our factory in the west part of town by the picnic grounds.

Tommy Robertson installed a Red Jacket pump for C.M. Kerr of just south of town Tuesday.

In order to accommodate those attending the Barnum & Bailey Circus in Springfield, the K.C.O. & S. Ry. will run a special train Sunday morning the 13th meeting Frisco 103 out of Springfield.

STONY POINT SCRATCHING –– The prevalent complaint, dry weather, high prices, hard times.

F.M. Morgan and family have moved to Ava where Mr. Morgan and wife take charge of the Hailey Hotel, which they purchased, A.J. Heriford having been charge.

125 Years Ago

August 13, 1891

LIMA, Ohio–One of the boldest bank robberies ever perpetrated in this section of country occurred this morning at Columbus Grove, a town of about 2,000 people, 12 miles north of here.  Cashier T.J. Maple had just opened the Exchange Bank of which his father is proprietor, and laid out about $2,000 near the cashier’s window.  About 8:30 a man appeared at the door with a revolver in each.  He immediately began shooting, Cashier Maple was struck twice, once in the arm and once in the right side.  As he fell to the floor an old farmer, William Vandermark, age 60, entered the door, having come to get his money for some hogs he had just sole.  The robber turned and shot him through and through. The desperado grabbed $1,200 in greenbacks, shoved it in the pockets of his sack coat and darted out the door shouting: “I’m a second Jesse James.”

It is stated that Bulgaria is making great preparations for war.

Mississippi Valley lumbermen have purchased 1,000,000 acres of land in Oregon for timber, farms and ranches. The price is not known.

Never Too Late to Learn –– History amply proves the truth of this trite saying.  You can probably call to mind from reading instances of men and women, gray with years, who took up some special line of study and mastered it.  Socrates, at an extreme old age, learned to play musical instru-ments.  Cato, at 80-years of age, learned to speak the Greek language.  Plutarch, when between 70 and 80, commenced the study of Latin.  Boccaccio was 35 years of age when he began his studies in light literature, yet he become one of the greatest masters of Tuscan dialect.

Missouri is the most populous state west of the Mississippi, and is nearly as big as all of New England.

The Carthage street car line and franchise has been sold to Jerry Guinsey, of Pierce City, the estimated value of the franchise and property being in the neighborhood of $100,000.  Mr. Guinsey will change the mule power now in use to electricity, and will make an electric road of it as soon as possible.  When this is done the car line will be connected with the electric to be operated between Carthage, Carterville, Webb City and Joplin.

The frame of the new school house is nearly complete. The contractor Mr. S.S. Kirkham is a thoroughly competent mechanic and seems to be doing good honest work on the job, and will complete the work in a manner creditable to our city.

Ava has good prospects for two livery stables. Mart Singleton has purchased several new rigs and will erect a new stable this fall.  James Martin has purchased a lot from James Raily in the East part of town and will commence erecting a livery stable 36 x 60 feet at once.

Cabool College (for both sexes) opens Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1891.  Tuition for session of 12 weeks, $10.00; board complete, $2.25 to $2.75 per week; Rooms for self-boarding, cheap.  For full particulars address the President E. McCully M.S., Cabool, Texas County, Missouri.