Looking Backward
25 years ago
Douglas County Presiding Commissioner J.G. Heinlein said this week that preliminary studies are being made and that the county courthouse will eventually be equipped with an elevator.
The 60th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps will be celebrated in Ava on Friday, Oct. 8, as CCC Company 1733 gathers for its fifth annual reunion. The CCC was one of several programs included in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal.” Around 100 former CCC “boys” and their wives are expected to attend the reunion here on Oct. 8.
An 81-yard kickoff return by Junior Lyndy Ary gave Thayer its only score here last Friday night and its only real offensive threat as the Ava Bears walked away with a 12-6 win.
Theo McCall scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 7 hole at the Ava Country Club golf course Monday afternoon. The ace was witnessed by J.D. Morrison, Zane Gray and Lee Allen.
A large group of family and friends honored Ella Stith with a surprise birthday party Saturday, Sept. 18, at Ava Full Gospel church in celebration of her 85th birthday anniversary.
Janice’s Beauty Shop is moving next to Dr. Mason’s office (by Ava Drug) Tuesday, Sept. 28.
The children and grandchildren of Harley Wayne (Dock) and Vivian Shannon will host a reception in honor of the couple’s 65th wedding anniversary on Sept. 26.
Theta Porter returned to her home in Squires after a visit in Connecticut with her daughter and family.
Ava’s 7th and 8th grade volleyball teams traveled to Willow Springs Monday night and chalked up two in the victory column.
RED BUD VILLAGE –– We welcome our new resident, Edna Frye. Hope she will be as happy to be here as the rest of us are.
A pancake and sausage breakfast held last Saturday at the Ava Community Center generated over $800 for Ava Senior Citizens activities.
Wednesday was the first day of autumn, according to the calendar, and a few trees are already beginning to take on the look of fall.
50 years ago
Don Cockrum, 47, of near Squires in Ozark County, was listed in satisfactory condition last Friday in St. John’s Hospital where he is receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. Cockrum suffered the wound last Friday when he was allegedly shot by Flain Loftis, 53, Wasola, with a 30.06 rifle. Ozark County Sheriff Herman Pierce said Cockrum who reportedly was trespassing on Loftis’ property and threatening him when the shot was fired. Loftis, charged with felonious assault, is free on bond, Pierce said.
Republican presidential nominee Richard M. Nixon will come to Missouri’s 7th Congressional District, Thursday, Sept. 19 for a major rally at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield.
Despite the yearly ups and downs connected with agriculture, farming continues to be big business in Douglas County. The figures for Douglas County show that local farmers had a gross income in the past year of 38,039,000.
Work on the Ava Municipal Airport is beginning to show some progress with the runway roughed out and the adjoining land cleared. The project is scheduled for completion this fall.
Ladies Bowling League Winners –– first place team, June Harley, Glenda Sanders, Gladys Davis, Sydney Jenkins; second place team, Sharon Long, Betty Irby, Pat Miller and Judy Davis.
A group of Avans including Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Givans, Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Spurrier, Mrs. Tavner Hailey and Mr. and Mrs. Wesley King, attended a meeting of the World War I Organization and Auxiliary Barracks 1293, held in Mountain Grove, Saturday.
Dogwood Trails Girl Scout Council will dedicate its new 220 acre camp, Finbrooke, located at Rogersville on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 2:30 p.m. The Congressman from the Seventh District will make the dedication address.
LITTLE CREEK –– Lige Degase visited Mr. and Mrs. Dorsie Roberts Sunday.
Mrs. Cleo Cooper entertained with a regular meeting of the Wednesday Evening Bridge Club on Sept. 4 in her home at 620 NW 5th Avenue. Attending the early fall meeting were Mrs. Vernon Jackson, Mrs. Cloine Pettit, Mrs. Harlan House, Mrs. Vestil Taylor, Mrs. Burnam Cummins, Mrs. Clinton Maloney and Mrs. Dale Russell.
Mrs. Ralph Kerr attended the Missouri State Democratic Convention held in Jefferson City Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Ava Hardware Co. – Hotpoint value, space-saving 14.8 freezer, $199; Hotpoint washer with all-porcelain finish, $159; Remington shotgun, model 110, $139.95..
Mrs. Rodney Alms (Marilyn Kester) returned to the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Kester, in Ava Monday evening after spending one week in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she met her husband, Spec. Rodney F. Alms.
75 years ago
Lack of ammunition with which to kill hawks was just a handicap to be overcome by Mr. and Mrs. Claude Hartin, who live on a farm southeast of Ava. Mrs. Hartin, in Ava Tuesday, says traps will do the job. “I tried to get ammunition,” she said, “and couldn’t get any. I studied and studied what to do about them. They bother my chickens all the time. Finally I said to Claude and Jess Bragg, who live on our place. “Let’s set some traps on that ladder leaning up against that haystack.” We set some steel traps, one on each upright of the ladder. We set them Friday. We caught one hawk Sunday, another Monday and another this morning. She had with her the hawk caught Tuesday morning.
Paul Omer Barker, Ava, Missouri, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. I. Barkr, is among the 300 men assigned to the V-12 Navy college training unit at Beren College, Berea, Kentucky.
Mr. and Mrs. Levi Krider celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Friday, Sept. 3 and on that day they had with them four of their five children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her maiden name was Miss Frances Mackey.
Old timers are predicting an early frost on the basis of the fact that fawns began losing their spots in July, according to Edgar Allen, wildlife conservation agent, Van Buren, Mo.
PLEASANT GREEN –– A surprise birthday dinner was given for Neal Stillings Sunday. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Bertie Pettit and son, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Deaver and family, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Brazeal and family, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McCullough, Delmar Brazeal, Mrs. Stillings, GlennaDean and Lorna Moxley.
Lawrence Thompson is spending a few days of his furlough with his sister, Mrs. Ida Wallen.
STAR –– Private Charley Albert arrived here Sunday from Fairfield, Ohio to spend a 15-day furlough with his wife and other relatives.
CAMP KOHLER –– Private Ted Hylton has been promoted to the grade of technician fifth grade, according to an announcement by Colonel Harry E. Storms, commanding officer. Hylton, a resident of Ava is the son of Mrs. Fannie Elizabeth Hylton, of Route 2, Ava.
Civilians will have to forego turkey until Uncle Sam fills an order for ten million pounds of turkeys for overseas shipment to the armed forces. The turkey buying ban was made to assure holiday turkey dinners for all members of overseas fighting forces.
Members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, after having taken the oath as members of the Women’s Army Corps, became eligible for national service life insurance and the free mail privilege. A member of the WAC who is married to a service man is eligible to receive the usual family allowance for soldiers’ wives.
100 Years Ago
The case against Jno. W. McDaniel who was charged with the murder of his uncle, Joseph Walker, took up the greater part of the time Tuesday and Wednesday. The case was turned over to the jury Wednesday afternoon and after a short deliberation, a verdict of not guilty was returned. McDaniel was tried once previously and was convicted of manslaughter, punishment being fixed at $500 fine. A motion for new trial was granted by the court, and the case came up again at this term.
The Herald is late this week and compelled to go to press leaving out several news items, owing to trouble at the electric light plant. We must have electricity in order to set type on our typesettng machine. The light plant was temporarily put out of business by lightning on Wednesday night, and was not in running order until late Thursday afternoon.
Fourteen were killed and about 40 others seriously injured in a head on collision of a freight train and a troop train near Marshfield, Mo., on Tuesday of this week. Of the killed, eleven were soldiers, and practically all of the injured were soldiers. The collision happened at 7:30 o’clock in the evening as the two trains were making a curve one mile east of Marshfield.
Miss Nellie Haskins and Mr. S.A. McHolland of Ava were quietly married at the home of the brides parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Haskins of Ava on Saturday evening of last week. The ceremony was performed by Howard Hitchcock. Only immediate relatives were present.
We will pay a straight salary of $35 per week for man with rig to introduce Eureka Egg producer. Six months contract. Eureka Mfg. Co. East St. Louis, Ill.
The East Ava Canning Co., Howard Hitchcock & Sons, has packed so far this season in excess of one quarter million cans of tomatoes. Last Saturday this company received from its country canners more than 10,000 filled cans and besides these their Ava factory put up more than 5,500 cans.
S. H. Charles, retired farmer of West Plain, was attacked by an elephant with the Cole Bros. Circus which visited that city recently. Charles passed along the sidewalk just outside the ball park and just across the fence from where two large elephants were feeding. One of the animals reached out his huge trunk and caught Charles and pulled him against the barbed wire fence encircling the park, before the frightened man succeeded in breaking away from the beasts embrace. His hands were cut on the barbed wire and his back injured from the tight squeeze of the animal.
Word comes from Paris that member of the Brazilian Medical Mission were arriving in France and are receiving a warm welcome from French officials and citizens. This advanced guard announces that the Brazilian troops will be along shortly, ready to aid in the war against the Hun and help to make the country safe for democracy.
ROOSEVELT NEWS – Wedding bells were heard in this vicinity last Saturday night when Mr. Clarence Dunaway and Miss Ada Thompson were quietly married at the home of the bride.
125 Years ago
BRECKINRIDGE, Mo. –– Dedmond Burke, residing in the south part of town, has for years past been extremely vicious toward his family, beating them and often withholding even life’s necessities from them. Two weeks ago he drove his wife and little boy from the house, threatening to kill them if they ever entered the house again. Mrs. Burke went to Kansas City where she has a married daughter living. Yesterday morning about 4 o’clock Mr. J.B. Peck and J.T. Alexander, who live near Burke’s home, were awakened by screams of some person as if in trouble, which was followed by heavy groups gradually dying away, but hushed and no words. At daylight an examination was made, when he was found in his bed entirely lifeless without any clothes on but neatly covered with a quilt. The back door had been broken open and tacked to the window, printed with a lead pencil on a piece of card board, was the notice: Three days to leave or worse – Ku Klux Klan. Upon examination of the body no bruises were found, but a piece of flour sack was tied about the neck and had been twisted tightly, showing that death resulted from strangulation.
Yesterday was the hottest day that Nevada, Mo. has experienced for 15 years. In the hottest part of the day the mercury stood 106º in the shade. What crops are still green are being literally burned up.
The number of prizes received and premiums awarded at the world’s fair to Missouri cattle exhibitors outranks all other states.
The “oldest inhabitant” of Mexico, Mo. tells of a frost which fell 59 years ago this month and killed all the crops in Missouri.
Wild hogs infest the jungles around Cameron, Mo. Recently a 400 pound porker chased a man on a pony upwards of a quarter of a mile. They seem to hanker after human flesh like the man-eating tigers of India.
Born to the wife of W.H. Wilson of Jackson Township, triplets, two boys and one girl. The boys died but the girl and mother are doing well.
W. F. and J. A. G. Reynolds returned from their trip to the Cherokee strip on Tuesday and report that W. W. Clark, Horace Curnutt and A. B. Herd went about the same time and all secured good claims and will probably remain in the new territory for some time.
A man by the name of F. F. Thomson was in the city last night on his way to South America on foot. If the root killer doesn’t get him before he gets there, and he makes it in 365 days, going back to Virginia where he started from last April, he will make a present of $1,000. He is not to spend a cent and walk all the way, getting ‘hand outs’ for his meals.
Ran Bean, who was pardoned out of the pen about a year ago was arrested on Saturday night by Sheriff Hancock on a charge of horse stealing.
