January 23, 1969

25 years ago

Another winter storm moved into the Ozarks Tuesday, leaving behind a layer of freezing rain and sleet that forced the cancellation of schools on Wednesday.  

In a news release submitted to the Herald this week, Figgle International Inc. confirmed it has retained the investment banking firm of Dillon, Read & Co., Inc. to explore available options regarding the disposition of all or a portion of Figgle’s Rawlings Sporting Goods division.  

Mary L. Willis is a recent graduate of SMSU.  She obtained an associate of science degree in medical office procedures and is now a full time employee of Kuenzel Chiropractic in Springfield. 

The children of Bob and Dorothy Siler hosted a family dinner on Feb. 5 for their parents’ 40th anniversary at the home of Dorothy’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Johnson. 

Shorty Robertson was treated to breakfast by James E. Jones on January 29 for a very special occasion – his 91st birthday. 

Kathleen Cordray and Vern Deatherage were married Jan. 28 in Mtn. Home, Ark., with Judge John Crain officiating. Parents of the bride are Kim and Muriel Cordray, Kansas City, Mo. The groom is the son of Bernard and Nora Deatherage, Ava. The couple reside in Ava. 

The Rev. Will Havens, Ava, recently received the Editor’s Choice Award from the National Library of Poetry for his poem entitled “Be Careful of Thoughts and Words.” 

On Jan. 27, Peggy Adkisson and Norman and Norma Duckworth flew to Phoenix, Ariz., where they were met by Julia Petefish who took them to their home in Camp Verde. They did lots of sightseeing of different valleys and mountains. 

Mrs. Shelly Coble is Skyline School’s Volunteer of the Month. 

FOX CREEK –– Gertrude Dobbs babysat on Friday with her little great-granddaughter, Samantha Dobbs. 

MT. TABOR –– Van Hall was in Springfield for his eye appointment Wednesday and got a real good report on his eye surgery and is back driving and going to the station every morning.  

January 30, 1969

50 years ago

Larry Johnson, 28, a native of Ava, has been named manager of the Town and Country Supermarket by Wayne and Millard Gott, owners. Former manager Jim Thurman has resigned.  A 1957 graduate of Ava High School, Mr. Johnson has been in the grocery business for the past nine years working as a butcher for three years, store manager four years, and supervisor of the five Williams Supermarket tores for two years. 

Mica Ann Eickhoff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Eickhoff, Route 2, Ava, has been named 1969 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow for Ava High School here because she achieved the highest score in a homemaking knowledge and attitude test which she took along with other senior class girls in her school Dec. 3, 

Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Dickison of Ava observed their 55th wedding anniversary Jan. 25 at their home here. The couple was married Jan. 25, 1914 at Richville where they lived until moving to Ava, three years ago. 

Over two and a half inches of rain during the past 12 hours has caused swollen streams over the county, closing several routes because of flooded low water crossings. 

Miss Rita Heath was installed as Worthy Advisor of the local Order of the Rainbow Girls at the bi-weekly meeting on January 4 at 7 p.m. Vocalist Miss Marge Robertson sang, “Born Free” and “I Believe.” 

We know a gal who is looking for something old for her wedding day –– and she says he must have a lot of money. 

WASOLA –– Hazel Snelson and Doris Pinckney made a trip to West Plains Saturday where Junior Snelson and Donnie and Ronnie Pinckney have enrolled in SMS. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hobart Gentry entertained in their home at 317 NW 7th Street Sunday, Jan. 28, when Mr. and Mr.s W. A. Spurrier were their guests to help Mr. Gentry celebrate his birthday at a birthday dinner served at noon. 

Governor Warren Hearnes, Lieutenant Governor William Morris, former Governor Orville Faubus of Arkansas, Attorney General John Danforth, Congressman Durward Hall, and Major General A.P. Rollins of Fort Leonard Wood, will be featured guests at a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to be held 1 -5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1, at KMTC, Channel 27, 3000 East Cherry Street.  the dedication and open house of Springfield’s newest television station comes  four months after the sign-on, Oct. 2.  A large number of area dignitaries are expected for the ceremony, as well as ABC personalities and executives from the ABC-TV network in New York. 

There are relatively few truly bad kids, but the number of delinquent parents is considerable.  

One candidate filed this week for the position of alderman in the north ward, still leaving a vacancy in the south ward, reports Mrs. Girlie Taylor, City Clerk. Seeking his third term is incumbent Lawrence Haynes.

75 years ago

Strong squadrons of Navy Coronado seaplanes blasted Wake Island Sunday night, and earlier that day seven raids were made by Army and Navy planes on the Marshall Islands, opening an attack on Japan’s easternmost island possessions. 

14 Combat Vehicles, 4 Guns and 120 Men are Coming from Fort Wood as Battery C of the 755th Field Artillery Battalion from Fort Leonard Wood will be in Ava next Tuesday, Feb. 8, with full field equipment to aid in Ava’s bond rally here that day. 

Sale of Ray’s Auto Shop to the Douglas County Motor Company was announced Monday of this week, and the newly formed company, under the management of Earnie Privett, took charge of the business on that day. Mr. Privett until recently operated the Privett Produce here, which he sold to Charley Ousley and Willis Holt. 

Mr. and Mrs. Norris Johnson announce the birth of a son, John Elmer, Sunday, Jan. 30. This is the second son of the Johnsons and he was named for his two grandfathers, John for Mrs. Johnson’s father, the late John Elliott, and Elmer for Mr. Johnson’s father, G.E. Johnson. 

Last Thursday Miss Marjorie Cline entertained a group of girls at a slumber party in her home on Florence Street. The guests were Myrtle Haynes, Peggy Love, Donna Silvey, Sybil Sell and Wilma Plumb. 

Sunday evening Mr. and Mrs. Louis Brown and two children, Betty Jo and Junior, entertained at dinner in their home on Jefferson Street. The dinner was held in compliment to the Brown’s son-in-law, Cloin Pettit, who left Wednesday morning for Jefferson Barracks to report for duty in the armed forces.  Covers were laid for the honoree and Mrs. Pettit, Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Pettit, Mr. and Mrs. Peck Jenkins and son and the Brown family. 

Pettit Theatres at the Star… “Northern Pursuit,” with Errol Flynn and Julie Bishop in a very exciting Wartime Spy Drama. This drama is founded on a wartime spy story, you will find it one of the most intensely interesting stories ever seen. 

ROCKBRIDGE –– Lee Evans has bought a tract of pine timber from G.W. Leck and is preparing to cut it in the near future. 

It is not unusual  nowadays for smash-hit movies to have their world premiers in some isolated Army or Navy outpost. “Stage Door Canteen” and “This is the Army” were seen by thousands of servicemen beyond the fringes of civilization before they were released in any first-run theater in this country. 

The Liquor Industry of Missouri will buy “Bonds and More Bonds” Let’s all back the attack.  Do your part to sink the Axis.

Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Webo of Kansas City who recently bought the Vanzant store have moved there.  Mr. and Mrs. Webo lived on this same farm several years ago. Pt Wilbur will continue to operate the store. 

100 Years Ago

The Holestine-Burdett dry good store was burglarized on last Sunday night, $75 in silver and currency disappeared from the safe, and $5 in silver from one of the cash drawers. The safe contained many checks and notes and valuable papers including two small government Liberty Bonds, but those were not taken. The safe was closed but the combination lock was not thrown when the store was closed Saturday night. It is not known how entrance to the building was gained.  It is believed that the burglars entered the building while Mr. Burdett was upstairs and hid in await his departure. 

Hartville High School will be represented at the Wilson Opera House with both a girls and boys basketball team on Friday and Saturday nights of this week to compete against the teams of the Ava High School. 

Marriage Licenses… Ryan Woods, Coldspring and Martha A. Wilson, Vera Cruz;  Dewey P. Smith, Hebron, and Rettie L. Levan, Hebron;  A.J. Chamberlain, Larissa and Lilia A. Ballard, Larissa. 

Mountain Grove has applied to Congress through Rep. Rubey for an appropriation of $60,000 for a post office in that city. 

Mr. and Mrs. Samp Rippee of Larissa received word Tuesday that their son Bruce had landed at Hoboken, J.J. from oversea service in the Army. 

Clifford Reynolds, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J.A.G. Reynolds of Ava became a partner in the Story-Justice Hardware Co. of Ava this week, having bought the stock owned by Richard Justice. 

Hunters are going to have a merry time if they undertake to get by without licenses this year. Will C. Lohmeyer, deputy game and fish warden was in this vicinity again this week, and states that he is going to make frequent visits to this county during the entire year. 

The Herald celebrates another birthday with this issue. You will note that this number is Vol. 33, Number 1. 

Jobe Swain, prosperous farmer living on Cowskin Creek, west of Ava, bought the Robt. Blair farm known as the Creech farm below Arno this week.  Consideration $9300. 

W. A. Croslin and family of four miles south from Ava moved this week into the Jno. D. Lovan residence property in the north west part of the city.  Mr. Croslin having recently purchased this property. 

Mose Hodge received a new Dodge Commercial Car last week for service on the Mansfield-Ava mail line. 

TIGRIS –– The mill at Tigris was running again last week, so now we’ll have meal for a while. 

125 Years ago

A cut from seventy cents to fifty cents a ton caused 2,000 Ohio River coal miners to strike. 

It is believed that rats conveyed poison to the canned grapes which poisoned the Hayman family at Barstow. 

A company ha been formed in Paris, France, with $560,000 capital, for the purpose of starting the largest vineyards in the United States in Howell County, Missouri. 

Near Norwoodville, Sevier County, Arkansas, Frank Park was called to his door and shot dead by S. S. Sims, a moonshiner.  Investigation of the murder led to the discovery and exposure of an oath-bound gang of moonshiners. 

In St. Joseph, many ladies take off their hats in the theater. 

Missouri has 28 counties that produce lead and zinc ore. 

Drury College, Springfield, claims the second largest library in the state. 

The “good roads” movement has struck Springfield in the shape of new sidewalks. 

Not a divorce suite was filed in Worth County, Missouri, last year. Worth is little, but she’s good. 

Cedar Gap has a ghost which, angels and ministers of grace defend, plays on the piano. 

Under the new law, road overseers are to be appointed at the February term of the county court. 

The sheriffs of the state want a law passed to have all executions take place inside the walls of the penitentiary in Jefferson City. 

Missouri is the eighth state in assessed valuation, only New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, California, Michigan and Indiana being ahead of it. 

Monday was pension day and the streets of Ava were crowded with old soldiers here for the purpose of getting their pension vouchers filed. 

King & Burkhead have received the material for their new office building, southwest of the square and expect to have it ready for occupancy by circuit court in March. 

S. Kirkham has taken the contract to remodel the Miller building on the west side and will put in a new glass front and brick walls. 

F.H. Farnsworth will attend the Circuit Court at Ozark County which convenes next Monday to prosecute the case of State of Missouri vs Jones charged with felonious assault on George Johnson of Spring Creek Township. 

BRYANT CREEK –– The Vera Cruz School is doing nicely, and with the exception of a few chaotic disturbing agitators, the parents and pupils are well pleased with the present teacher, Joe Sell and many are desirous of recruiting his services for another term. 

About the toughest thing that can happen to a man is to go contrary to his wife’s wishes and then fail. 

The man of note is one who never pays his debts. 

Man’s system is like a town, it must be well-drained. 

The neighbor’s bull dog may teach a man to lead a chased [chaste] life. 

Strip off all masks and there is hardly a man who would know his next door neighbor. 

There is a good deal of difference between “a flea in the ear” and a “bee in the bonnet.”