Looking Backward 3.9.2017
25 Years Ago
March 5, 1992
Less than 36 hours after a Douglas County stockman’s cattle were stolen last week, a Christian County man was arrested and charged with the theft.
Country Oaks Restaurant, locat-ed on North Jefferson Street just off the Ava square, is open under new ownership and management. In addition, owner Yvonne Restivo takes pride in an Italian specialty which includes various pasta dishes and submarine sandwiches.
The high purity level of cocaine found in Southeast Missouri has the Missouri State Highway Patrol alarmed. Members of the Patrol have recently seized cocaine in the Southeast Missouri that is four to eight times purer than normally found in that area.
Newly elected officers of the Ava PTA were announced following the meeting Tuesday night. They are Judy Denney, treasurer; Lisa McAllister, secretary; Cheryl Beason, vice president; and Jane Masten, president for 1992-93.
DRURY –– Monday was the 90th birthday of Bertha Hicks, wife of the late Oliver Hicks. Among those visiting her on Monday were Katie Hicks Riley, Katie’s daughter, Vicki Riley Stout and granddaughter, Tina Stout Boyd.
Janessa Hall, a psychology major from Bradleyville, is among the 139 students and one honorary member inducted into the Missouri Southern State College Chapter of Phi Eta Sigma during ceremonies held Feb. 24 in Joplin.
This year March came in like a lamb. I hope it continues that way. Some of you will remember March 1960 and the deep snows we had then. Snow covered the ground almost the whole month.
50 Years Ago
March 2, 1967
Missouri collected $75,796,403 in personal and $16,221,683.04 in corporation state income taxes in 1966 on 1965 income, according to a report this week from Thomas A. David, state director of revenue. This represents an increase of $10,958.047.03 for individuals and $3,026,372.76 for corporations over the previous year.
The Missouri Senate has approved Gov. Warren E. Hearnes’ appointment of Dr. Taylor Woods of Ava as a member of the Veterinary Medical Board.
Two young Douglas County men were fined in Springfield magistrate court for violations involving intox-icants.
The Ava Country Club Ladies Golf Association held its first board meeting for the year at the club house Wednesday. The following officers were elected for the year: Aileene Barnes, chairman; Kathleen Jackson, co-chairman; Carleen Crain, past chairman; Delores Lethco, secretary; Mrs. Marvin Barnes, treasurer; Mrs. V.A. Shull, Jr., historian. Committee chairmen are Mrs. Clinton Maloney, Mrs. Lou Prince, Mrs. Harlan House, Mrs. Don Haught, Mrs. Boone Norman, Jr.; Mrs. Lawrence Haynes, and Mrs. Ralph Turley.
A-1C and Mrs. Donald H. Mathes left last Sunday for Fleming, Colo., where Mrs. Mathes will stay with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Lambert, while Airman Mathes completes a tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force in Bangkok, Thailand
A birthday supper given Saturday evening Feb. 23 in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bretney Sims and daughters, Sherry and Katie, 414 SW 3rd Avenue, honored Mrs. Sims’ father, Lee Thurman of 308 N. Jefferson, who was celebrating an anniversary of his birthday.
When Noah took his famous trip, his wife did the packing. That’s why he had two of everything.
LITTLE BEAVER –– Chester Shortt spent Sunday night with Glenn Peebles.
VICTORY –– Due to the slick roads there was no school at Dora Monday.
A group of Ava women, who are members of Xi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary society for women teachers, attended a regular meeting of the chapter held in Cabool Saturday, Feb. 18. The eight Ava members attending were Mrs. Clyde Bell, Mrs. Emmett Norman, Mrs. Gladys Long, Mrs. Wilborn Dewhirst, Mrs. Roy Dean, Mrs. Wardie Williamson, Mrs. John Bressie and Miss Una Ellison.
Lou Prince, superintendent of the Rawlings Manufacturing Company here, has been named general chairman for the Capital Fund Drive Campaign in Douglas County for development of Camp Finbrooke, a newly developed Girl Scout camp. Other members of the committee are Bryan Leeper, C.K. Shollenberer, Vance Moore, Clinton Maloney and Charles Cagle. The camp site is located on the Finley River in Christian County near the geographic center of the 24 counties of the council.
75 Years Ago
March 5, 1942
Six hundred and seventy-four persons have registered with the Douglas County Defense Council for defense work or training and registration still is being conducted in rural districts, it is announced by Claude H. Hibbard, council chair. In addition, 470 men have been enrolled in aircraft warning service, making a total of 1,144 enrolled in civilian defense in this county.
A shortage of farm laborers is already showing up in Douglas County according to a report of a new “Farm Labor Committee,” organized by Willard S. Rutsburg, county agent, to study the farmers labor needs. According to the committee, farmers cannot compete with the industrial wage scale and as a result, men who otherwise would be available are taking jobs elsewhere. Young men are also being called into the Army.
A daughter was born Tuesday morning here to Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Viles. She has been named Linda Fay. Mrs. Viles’ sister, Mrs. Elbert Crumley of Hammond, came to Ava Sunday and will make an extended visit in the Viles home on Jefferson Street.
- Stanley Ginn, State Highway Patrol superintendent, has announ-ced that plans have been made to form an auxiliary high patrol to augment the regular force for the civilian defense effort. Approxi-mately six hundred volunteers will be selected from civilian defense registrants, and from the rolls of the American Legion.
The farm power question has rather suddenly taken an unusual importance, and with the many problems of material and transport-tation involved, farmers with enough horses and mules to do their work, find themselves particularly fortunate.
March was again ushered in by the proverbial lion, and a covering of snow on the ground.
ROCKBRIDGE –– Ed Parson is preparing to build a house on his place which he bought from Virgil Stout.
P.M. Brown traded sawmills with the proprietor of the Pierson Ranch of Evans last week.
ROBERTSON –– Harry Hart was a caller Sunday morning in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Alcorn.
WEST LIBERTY –– George Heatherly has purchased a late model Chevrolet sedan. Harve Heatherly and Victory Worley returned to work with him at Neosho Monday morning.
- TABOR –– The F.L. Haden children have been having the mumps and chicken pox. Miss Lenore Haden is convalescing in her home here from an operation for appendicitis performed at McFarland Hospital at Rolla, Feb. 22.
ROY –– Herman Ellison spent a short leave from Army duties visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ellison, last week.
100 Years Ago
March 8, 1917
Four prisoners who broke jail last Thursday in Springfield came to Ava in an automobile and stopped long enough to get gasoline for their captured car, and then proceeded on their journey to the places where they were captured. The prisoners were J.M. Lee, Roy Modest, Joe Hill and “Red” O’Daniel. Roy Modest was caught by a posse at the home of a farmer five miles south of Norwood at 6:30 o’clock Friday night. Hill and Lee were caught while they slept, they had taken refuge in the house. Red O’Daniel was captured one mile southeast of Dora, Ozark County, by Henry Tetrick and E.C. Grisham, farmers, Sunday morning, and was brought to Ava Monday by Sheriff Wm. Miller.
There will be no war if the birth of more girls than boys is any indication of peace. Not more than two weeks ago we chronicled the birth of twin girls at the home of Collector and Mrs. J. Herbert Sell, but Mr. and Mrs. John Blair of Arno have established a new record. On March 1, they became the surprised parents of quadruplets, all girls and living, an occurrence that very rarely happens. Each one weighed about six pounds.
William Turville, a wealthy farmer and landowner of Hanna City, was seriously wounded today when a giant eagle attacked him as he was crossing a field. The farmer fought the eagle for over an hour with a club. Turville broke the bird’s wing with a club and finally clubbed it to death. The bird measured 9 feet from tip to tip of wings, four feet 2 inches from head to tail, and weighed 65 pounds.
The wife of a minister in West Virginia has been married three times. Her maiden name was Partridge, her first husband was named Robins, her second husband, Sparrow, and the present, Quail. There are now two young Robins, one Sparrow, and three Quails in the family. One grandfather was a Swan and another a Jay, but he is dead now and a bird of Paradise. They live on Hawk Avenue, Eaglesville, Canary Island, and the fellow who wrote this is a Lyre and a relative of the family.
The National Capital has been voted “dry.” Prohibition is to be a reality in Washington next fall, when the existing liquor licenses expire.
Corbin Blair has resigned his position as assistant cashier of the citizens Bank and will go to Ken-tucky for a stay of several weeks. Benjamin Thompson has been elected to fill the vacancy.
Mose Hodge has bought a Maxwell motor car for service on the mail route between Ava and Mansfield. The morning mail now arrives in Ava at about 8:30 o’clock. The afternoon mail is still transported in a hack.
125 Years Ago
March 10, 1892
More towns are being added to the list of applicants for the location of the State University. Indepen-dence offers to donate forty acres of ground and rebuild the State University accounting to the State’s own plans, without expenses to the State, and to give a bond of $1,000,000 for faithful perfor-mance.
Guatemala is threatening to invade Salvador.
Colored men are engaged in a scheme to build a huge cotton mill at Chicago.
About 400 Negroes are preparing to leave Pine Bluff, Ark., fearing a race war.
White Caps whipped two men and a woman in Graves County, Kentucky.
Louis Herbert died in Camden after having subsisted four years on a diet of skimmed milk.
Judge Shackelford decides that beer cannot be sold in Indian coun-try, and so instructed the grand jury at Ardmore, I.T.
Long Tom Davis was in town last week looking about two inches taller than usual, rumor says he won the race at the Huffman track.
Mansfield Mo. is to have a new firm in the general merchandise business. Messrs. Gaskell and Freeman having purchased the stock of Wm. Spence will continue the business at the old stand.
- L. Creech, formerly of Ken-tucky, now a resident of Rome, Douglas County, has been appoint-ed county surveyor of this count to complete the unexpired term of J.J. Belt, who recently resigned and moved to Texas. He is now ready to engage in the duties of his office.
Collector Norman’s books failed to balance for the regular March settlement, and the court adjourned on Wednesday until April to give him time to discover the mistake in his accounts. Through some error the amount of cash on hand did not appear sufficient to meet the balances due from the collector to the county and leave the commission due him.
Wearing wigs and dyeing whiskers never deceives anybody but the people who do it.
The man who has no business of his own to attend to always goes to bed tired.
People who never think of anybody but themselves are always little, no matter how big they feel.
If churches were built without back seats it would be hard work to get a back slider into one.
MARRIAGE LICENSES –– T. J. Lethco, Margaret F. Bear, of Roy; W.F. Denny, Melos Harley, Arno; Jacob G. Backer, Mary B. Watson, Seymour.
- W. Johnson, of Buchanan Township, reports the organization of a Republican Club, in his town-ship, of over 49 members.
Mr. Hammons, from northern Kansas, is stopping in Ava for the purpose of investigating the merits of Douglas County as a stock raising county.
