Looking Backward 12.8.2016
25 Years Ago
December 5, 1991
It’s not too unusual for local officials to receive letters of inquiry from persons thinking of moving to this area. But the letter received recently by Ava Mayor bud Norman was not like the others. This letter came from a 28-year-old man in Bulgaria who expressed a desire to move to Ava, Missouri, for the sake of his 4-year-old son. The family lives in Rousse, the fourth largest town in Bulgaria. For the past nine years, the letter says, the town has been poisoned with chlorine and chloric derivatives. Every day people wake up in the night. They can’t breathe and they cough because of the sharp smell. He goes on to say, “My son is constantly ill. I don’t want (him) to suffer because he (was) born in such a country. I know it is my duty to do something to save him and to provide him more healthy life.” … The mayor says he has no idea how this man even knows that Ava exists, but he does plan to write him and attempt to learn more about the individual.
Daisy Turner celebrated her 90th birthday Nov. 26 in the home of her daughter, Edythe Applegate.
This area narrowly missed a major ice storm last week as freezing rain clung to everything except the ground itself. But the ground was warm enough to prevent freezing on most roads in the area.
Nuel and Vada Mackey of Souder will celebrate their 50th wed-ding anniversary with a reception Dec. 8 at the American Legion, Ava from 2 to 5 p.m. Nuel Mackey and Vada Hale were married December 10, 1941 at Brixey, Mo. by Roy Harris.
STAR –– Leonard and Jean Dau-gherty were visitors of Billy and Frieda Fletcher Wednesday even-ing.
50 Years Ago
December 1, 1966
The Ava High School Bears opened their basketball season with a victory Tuesday night by edging Forsyth, 55-54 at Forsyth.
Commander Willard L. Pueppke was reelected to his post with the American Legion here at a recent meeting. Other officers are William L. Autry, first vice commander; Clarence Hutchison, second vice commander; John Dickison, adju-tant; Heron Smith, finance officer; L. E. Reynolds, Jr., chaplain; Charles Howe, historian; Frank Givans, sergeant-at-arms; Harry Stafford, welfare; Ray Parsley, Americanism; W.A. Spurrier, service officer.
- J. Thompson observed his 87th birthday Tuesday, Nov. 29. An early birthday dinner celebrating the event was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight J. Thompson.
SANTA ANA, Calif. –– Marine Private First Class Richard C. Halstead, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Halstead of Route 3, Ava, is a member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron head marine Aircraft Wing at the Marine Corps Station here.
Mr. and Mrs. Everett Posey of Ava announce the engagement of their daughter, Joyce Ann, to Pfc, Bill Roberts, son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Roberts of Brown Branch. Miss Posey is a senior at Ava High School. Pfc. Roberts is a 1964 grad-uate of Bradleyville High School. Wedding plans are set upon his return from Viet Nam.
SPRINGFIELD –– Among the Southwest Missouri State College students who made all A’s during either the spring semester or sum-mer term is a student from Ava. She is Roberta Hagaman, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Hagaman, Rt. 1. Miss Hagaman is a sophomore physics major at SMS.
Want to make your teenage daughter feel grown up? Give her her own phone bill …. You know the best way to break up a crowd? Take up a collection. …. Your money does go further these days. In fact, a lot of it winds up in outer space.
A large family group enjoyed a holiday dinner on Thanksgiving Day given in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Monger and children, Rick, Doug, David, Trudy and Becky, in west Ava. Including the host and family, 43 members of Mr. and Mrs. Monger’s families attended the turkey dinner.
WASOLA – Many relatives and friends attended the golden anniver-sary Sunday of Mr. and Mrs. Arch Frazier here.
BASHER –– We welcome our new neighbors to this community, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Hall, Billy and Jean, who have returned from Washington.
STAR –– Richard McFarlin went to Kansas City Monday for his physical examination for the Army.
Richards Bros. – The Friendly Store – Van Camp tuna, 2 cans 39¢; regular Bold detergent, box, 27¢; giant size Cheer, 69¢; Hunt’s tomato catsup, extra-large, 2-26 oz. bottles, 69¢; 3 lb. can Folger’s coffee, $1.99; elbow macaroni, 2-lb. bag, 39¢.
75 Years Ago
December 4, 1941
Tentative draft of an ordinance regulating the recently completed sewer system in Ava was worked out by the city council at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night.
November 1941, Forest Service records here show was warmer and not so wet as was November 1940.
Students of Ava High School are enjoying a two-day vacation while members of the faculty are in St. Louis attending the annual state teachers meeting. Several faculty members who were delegates to the meeting left Tuesday evening for the city. This group included Superintendent C.W. Parker, Miss Colleen Armantrout, Miss Zela Wilkerson, Miss Vernice Stecker and Miss Jean Alderman.
According to L. L. Hyberger, manager of the local properties of the Missouri Electric Power Co., a substantial reduction in rates affect-ing both residence and commercial lighting and power, is to become effective immediately.
Lee Thurman, justice of the peace for Walls Township, was injured early Tuesday morning when he fell off a barn at his house at Girdner. He fell to the ground and a log fell on his chest. It was believed here that three or four ribs were broken and he might have sustained internal injuries. He was taken to a hospital in Springfield.
C.E. Letsinger, who lives north of Ava on a mail route out of Mansfield, and H.E. Norman of Couch were elected to three year terms on the board of directors of the West Plains Production Credit Association at the annual meeting of the association’s stockholders Wed-nesday last week.
Marriage Licenses –– Jake Bruffett, Thornfield, and Helen Duckworth, Toledo.
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Spurlock announce the birth of a five and a half-pound baby girl, born Thurs-day, Nov. 27. She has been named Glenda Sue. Mrs. Spurlock before her marriage was Miss Juanita Cameron.
STAR – Star building committee thanks the Methodist Church of Ava for the windows given by them to be used in their church.
BLACK OAK –– John Dobbins is digging a basement for Jack Spurlock.
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Springs are the proud parents of a baby daughter who made her arrival Friday.
SWEDEN –– Rev. Archie Halford preached a very interesting sermon at Elliott Sunday night. Brother Halford preached the same sermon that he preached 29 years ago which was the first sermon he ever preached.
JEFFERSON CITY –– The quarterly report of the Missouri State Highway Patrol (for July, August and September), recently published, notes a 47% increase in the number of arrests made for drunken driving offenses over the previous quarter.
Franklin Lichty and a college friend, Bill Weldon, left Sunday for Lawrence, Kansas, after spending their Thanksgiving holiday vacation in Ava visiting Franklin’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Lichty, in their home on Marvin Street. Both boys are students in the Kansas University at Lawrence.
100 Years Ago
December 7, 1916
Dr. W. Miller of the Missouri Association for the Relief and Control of Tuberculosis at the State Teachers’ Association meeting at St. Louis last week, made the statement that the schools and the editors of Missouri were showing the world the way to eradicate tuberculosis. They are making Missouri the “show you” state, he said.
Representatives of the Scraw Oil Company of Tulsa, Okla., who have been looking over the country here for mineral prospects, recently leased 40 acres of land about 11 miles south of here; and last week signed a contract with J.J. Thomp-son to drill four holes each 200 feet deep, on the prospect. Twenty acres were leased from Jim Burton and 20 acres from the Widow Maddox.
- H. Pettit and V.R. Wilson have secured the agency for the Maxwell automobile for Douglas and Ozark counties and have already ordered two car loads, one of which we understand has already been sold. The new firm will be known as the Ava Motor Car Co. and will be located in the post office building.
Headline says, “Edison too busy to go to his own party.” But he is never too busy to go to the Democrat party for free trade in certain commodities used by him in manufacturing his patent-protecting articles.
The Royal Daughters of the General Baptist Sunday School were entertained at the home of Miss Thelma Spurlock, one-mile north of town Sunday afternoon. A very pleasant time was spent and delicious refreshments were served to: Misses Vivian Morrison; Elda Norman; Myrtle Singleton, Margarett Miller, Eva Morris, Bessie Barnes, Lily Hicks, Ethel Bristol, Bessie Bristol, Ruby Morris, Maggie Letrell, and their teacher, Miss Gladys Miller.
The Home Bakery is selling six loaves of bread for 25 cents.
Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Curnutt and three daughters, Lela, Myrtle and Helen, and Cole Coffeen motored to Denlow last Thursday and spent Thanksgiving with Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Curnutt.
Herbert Meeker started clerking in the post office in Ava this week.
The new high school building in Ava is beginning to show up fine. The brick work is almost completed.
HILO –– Two automobiles were in Hilo one-day last week. This is something strange to seen on the streets of Hilo.
125 Years Ago
December 3, 1891
Gold has been discovered in the Indian Territory. Gold is thought to have been discovered in Ulster County, New York.
The grain blockade is every-where, increasing in intensity.
A coal famine is threatened in portions of Kansas and Nebraska.
The general revenue fund of the Arkansas State Treasury has been exhausted.
Arizona’s claims for statehood will be pushed in the coming session of Congress.
The new law providing a bounty of 2¢ for each English sparrow killed has just gone into effect in Illinois.
The hiding place of the booty obtained by the McCoy gang of express robbers has been revealed by one of the gang.
The Bowie County, Arkansas, grand jury has indicted 49 merchants for violating the Sabbath.
H.J. Dean, alleged correspondent of the Kansas City Sun at Dallas, Texas, was tarred and feathered by masked men.
Mrs. W.S. Taylor of Kansas City discovered her husband who ran away four months ago, in Cleveland, Ohio, running a peanut stand.
On the account of the prevalence of diphtheria at Clarksville, Iowa, all the schools of the city have been closed until January 1, and all public meetings forbidden.
It will surprise a good many people to learn that the United States surpasses free trade England in national wealth. The gross wealth of England now amounts to about $40,000,000,000. The national wealth of this country is at least $71,000,000,000.
The Glendale train robbery resulted in a loss of nearly $75,000 to the Adams Express Company, but this does not affect the grand rush of trade at the general merchandise establishment of W.J. Turner, who always has on hand one of the most complete stocks of goods in Ava.
At last Monday’s meeting of our city council, J.J. Bell was appointed City Collector, and W.F. Reynolds, City Treasurer.
There are several “Blind Tigers” about town, which defy law and profits by violation.
Miss Milla Harper, who is teaching the Pleasant Ridge school in Cast Township, met with quite a serious accident recently. She was returning home from a literary meeting after dark, in company with a lady friend, lost the road and fell off a bluff. Miss Harper received several painful bruises but was not seriously injured.
The fellow who is always in deep water is usually shallow himself.
Men are the builders of their own destiny, and more especially of the destiny of their children.
Eighteen hundred pounds of gold are used every year for filling teeth in this country. It is worth over half a million dollars, and is lost as effectually as if it were dropped into the ocean.
