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Looking Backward

25 years ago

The Ava Post Office announces that 24-hour box lobby service will be available, beginning Friday, Jan. 28. 

Wanda Williams, of Ava, board member of the Missouri Office on Aging, presented a $2,000 check to Bonnie Evans last week to go toward the purchase of a new van for the Ava Senior Citizens meal program.  

Louisa Cutbirth and Jeanie Potter recently opened the Curling Iron on the south side of the Ava square in the same building with Joe’s Barber Shop. 

Jessie Miller is the new owner of the Corner Pocket Pool Hall on East Washington Avenue.  

The Ava varsity cheerleaders won the cheerleading trophy at the Seymour Tournament on Saturday night, Jan. 15. Squad members are Shawna Snelson, Holly Dry, Kelly King, Tory Rutledge, Tiffany Brown, Pam Freeman and Hillary Vick. 

The Ava seventh grade boys ended the 1993-94 basketball season with a first place win in the Cabool 7th Grade Tournament.  Ava finished the season with a 7-5 record and won six of the last eight.  Team members are Coach Doug Summers, Clint Prock, Clay McFarlin, Brett Mitchell, Jason Hesterlee, Randall Dye, Travis Evans, Kenny Prock, Aaron Ray, Justin Stillings, Terrill Ingram, Clay Forrest, Douglas Roberts, J.T. Hesterlee, and Brad Siler. 

Relatives and friends met at the Ava Community Center Friday evening last week to honor Wayne Prock for his birthday with music entertainment. 

Altus Air Force Base –– Air Force Staff Sgt. Preston D. Breshears has been decorated with the Air Force Commendation Medal.  The medal is awarded to those individuals who demonstrated outstanding achievement or meritorious service in the performance of their duties on behalf of Air Force. 

Alvie Dooms and Bob Holt did a program on the fiddle for Plainview students.  

50 years ago

The Ava R-I Board of Education employed a new superintendent replacing Supt. O.T. Tallent who is retiring at the end of the current school year.  Dr. Robert C. Miles, 39, of Fayetteville, Ark., signed a one-year contract Saturday afternoon to become effective on July 1. 

A $250,000 damage suite against the Ava Chamber of Commerce was dismissed here Monday on the first day of court.  The suit had been filed against the organization on Nov. 20 by Merle Parker of Ava.  Parker alleged that he had suffered damage by reason of open flouting of the law, permitting the operation of gambling games at a carnival during fair week sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.  The motion to dismiss was filed for the Chamber by Attorney James Curry. 

The Bronze Star Medal was awarded recently to Chief Petty Officer Harold Jesse Thompson of the United States Navy. Thompson is the son of Wilbur and Louella Reeves Thompson, grandson of J.J. Thompson, nephew of Willis Mitchell, Mrs. Ross Davis, Mrs. Bertha Davis and George Davis, all of Ava. 

Mr. and Mrs. John Hart (Marsha Wallace), 203 SW 6th Avenue, announce the birth of a son at 10:41 Friday morning, January 10, in St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. The baby has been named John Stephen. 

Mrs. Carl Willis and Mrs. Flossie Landers who were both celebrating birthdays on Saturday, Jan. 11, were honored with a surprise birthday dinner party Saturday night, given in the home of the Rev. and Mrs. Willis, north of Ava. 

Three Seymour men were arrested here at 3 a.m. Friday by City Marshall Ezra Henson and Sheriff Troy Hancock and charged with being drunk in the city and littering the streets.  Fined $30 and costs after entering pleas of guilty in police court were Kenneth Bennett and Corbin McMurray. 

Second-seeded Chadwick topped favored Ava 67-60, for the championship of the Seymour Tournament Saturday night.  Team members are Danny Silvey, Doug Monger, Galen Chambers, Boyd Strong, Jim Huffman, Bob Comer, Gary Lafferty, Sam Shipps, Danny Johnson and Alan Horner. 

Mrs. Virgil Kester was hostess to members of Ava Chapter 18 of the PEO Sisterhood when she entertained to her home at 307 NE 5th Avenue, Tuesday night Jan. 7. A dessert course was served to three guests, Mrs. Bob Givans, Mrs. Kenneth Wagener, Mrs. Ralph Kerr, and the following members: Mesdames Charles Cagle, Ben Callaway, Bill Davis, Harold Hutchison, Emmett Norman, Bill Pettit, Vestil Taylor,Wallace Williams, Fred Lethco, Jr., and Virgil Kester. 

BLACK OAK – Norman Alcorn was a dinner guest Sunday of Mr. and Mrs. James Alcorn. 

75 years ago

Trial of the separate maintenance and accounting of property suit brought by Mrs. Addie Davis against her husband, Charley Davis, took the major part of the two days of the adjourned session of circuit court held here Tuesday and Wednesday.  The Davis trial started Tuesday morning and ended Wednesday afternoon.  Mrs. Davis was allowed temporary maintenance of $115 per month beginning January 1, 1944, was allowed $500 attorney fees and $25 attorney expenses. She also is to have use of their Buick car, for which Mr. Davis is to procure a license, the court decreed.  Also she was allowed to use dividends and $90 she has in her possession. The court instructed that records of the Davis store be turned over to the defendant, who also is to have use of trucks.  The balance of their property was impounded in the hands of the circuit clerk to hold until further orders of the court.  

Fire starting from a defective stove pipe resulted in destruction of the John Cox home ten miles southwest of Ava, at about six o’clock Tuesday morning. The blaze destroyed the entire contents of the home, including practically all clothing of members of the family. 

Word has been received that Orville Herbert Ellison has been promoted from corporal to sergeant and also received a good conduct ribbon. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Will Ellison of Roy. 

A Japanese rifle from Guadalcanal, received by G.W. Neer of Rome from his son, Amos R. Neer, who served with the Sea Bees on Guadalcanal, is being displayed in the window of the Herald office. Amos R. Neer, 48, served in the first World War and is a chief shipfitter in the Sea Bees, the Navy construction battalion. 

Lester Eugene Epps, first class private in the air corps, is in the Burma jungle in India, according to word received by his mother, Mrs. Lester Epps of Goodhope. 

Norman Rippee, son of Homer F. Rippee, star route, Ava, was graduated this week from the AAF training command’s flexible gunnery school at Buckingham Field near Fort Myers, Florida. 

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gipson announce the birth of a daughter, Ruth Ann, in the family home on Maple Street on Saturday, Jan. 15. 

Eat at the Talk of the Town Cafe, Plate lunches and short orders, open every day until 9 p.m., one block north of the square on 5.  M.W. Graves, prop.  All popular brands cigarettes by pack or carton.  Even the cook eats here. 

The screen production of Irving Berlin’s “This is the Army,” filmed in technicolor by Warner Brothers, for Army emergency relief, will be shown at the Star Theater here on Thursday evening, it is announced by L.H. Pettit, manager. Admission prices are $2.24 for reserved seats, $1.12 for general admission, including tax. 

ROY –– Homer Ellison sold his farm to Mrs. Lorel Barnes. Mr. Ellison bought Ms. Alice Teal’s farm. Will Ellison sold his farm to Fred Deckard. Corbin Matthews bought some land from Clara Cooksey of California and Henry Hampton. 

100 Years Ago

A 44-ton car load of 1-8-1 fertilizer has been ordered for our 1919 tomato growers.  One hundred pounds of the New Stone tomato seed have been ordered for the canning season. 

The Ava Motor Co. took up headquarters in the new garage building just completed on Main St. this week. The new building furnishes plenty of room for the business, is in a good location, and is a credit to the city. 

Vandiver Upchurch, son of J.H. Upchurch of four miles west of the city arrived last week from overseas, having been discharged from the service.  Vandiver had been in France only a few days when the armistice was signed, and to his regret, did jot get into active service. 

The influenza vaccine perfected by the Public Health Laboratories of the University of Missouri is proving successful, according to reports received from different pasts of Missouri.  The vaccine was perfected during the influenza epidemic at the University last December.  As soon as enough could be made it was sent to prominent physicians in this country for trial.  Reports from these say that the vaccine is a success. 

M.C. Reynolds received a shipment of four new Ford touring cars and a Ford truck this week. 

Ralph Calhoun, embalmer of Norwood, was in Ava last week to attend the trial of Henry Huffman, who was convicted for the murder of Wm. Zerbst.  Dr. Calhoun was a witness at the trial, having embalmed the body of the deceased. 

Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Latsbaugh moved Monday into the C.E. Yeoman residence property in the southwest part of the city. W.A. Croslin who recently bought the property vacated by Mr. and Mrs. Latsbaugh, contemplates moving into the home within the near future from his farm four miles south from town. 

James Coday has resigned as postmaster at Mansfield and an examination is to be held soon to fill the position. 

The post office at Seymour has been declared vacant upon the resignation of the postmaster, and an examination is to be held soon to fill the vacancy. 

Elinor, the eight year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Brown, of Springfield, formerly of Ava, who was reported missing in Springfield, was found about 2:00 o’clock the following morning.  The little daughter had lost her way while returning home from school and at dusk followed the night watchman into the Holland building. The night man paid little attention to her at the time thinking that she knew where she was going. At about two o’clock in the morning he found her sitting by a radiator asleep. He immediately notified police headquarters who notified the parents.  The Browns live at 1240 N. Main Street, nearly a mile from the Holland building.  Elinor is the granddaughter of Dr. J.T. Hailey, of Ava. 

125 Years ago

LEBANON, Mo. –– Wilson Howard, the notorious ex-Kentucky feud leader, died on the scaffold at 9:17 yesterday morning, for the murder of Deaf Mute McMichael, in Maries County. Wils Howard was a leader of the notorious Howard-Turner-Middleton-Gillett vendetta of Kentucky, which has wiped out entire families, and is said to have killed 30 people. He was only 28 years old. 

Senator Jones of Arkansas, a member of the senate finance committee, thinks that there should be an additional tax on beer of a dollar a barrel.  This he holds would yield a revenue of $22,000,000 and would not increase the price per glass to the consumer. It is understood that Senator Voorhees does not think the country would accept with complacency an additional tax on beer and will probably oppose a proposition in that direction. 

A gold nugget weighing 156 ounces has been found at Breckenridge, Col. 

A robbers cave was accidentally discovered under a St. Louis police court building, and much stolen property recovered. 

Larry Kelly, alleged notorious smuggler, is in jail at Tacoma, Wash., charged with serious offenses, chief among which are knocking down and maltreating his wife, an Indian woman, and his two eldest children. This is the first news of Kelly in years. He was a famous opium smuggler. 

Mrs. Jane Evans of Arcadia, Mo. at 70, has the mumps. 

Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska farmers are going to Taney County. 

The state road convention put itself on record as in favor of three-inch tires. 

The federal fish commission has been giving the Current River several thousand fish. 

Irving King of Benton Township was in town on Tuesday night and took aboard so much Tanglefoot whiskey that he was unable to get home, and put up at James Hailey’s corn crib where he was discovered in the morning nearly frozen, his hands, feet, and ears were badly frozen and if he had been discovered later in the morning, he would have been frozen to death. 

Rather sudden and hard on our fine climate to have the thermometer ranging at 17 blow zero. 

In Seymour, our little city was again disturbed on the night of January 10 by some unknown amateur burglar or burglars. They made their entrance to the drug store of Dr. S. White by taking out two window lights in the rear of the tore. After loading themselves with toys and cheap cigars, they left and entered the store of John Freeman & Son by prying open a window in the rear of the house. There they loaded themselves with shirts, neck ties, underwear, clothes and shoes. 

VANZANT –– Considerable sickness in the neighborhood of mumps, and fever, but we trust that all will get well soon. 

If you want your wife to be an angel, treat her like one and see what comes of it.