Looking Backward
25 years ago
Local authorities are perplexed –– if not downright embarrassed – by a series of break-ins that occurred sometime between midnight and daybreak last Thursday morning. Some nine different business buildings were entered by the burglar or burglars. Those businesses that reported break-ins on Thursday include Lost Wages Bar, West Washington Avenue; Dairy Queen, just off NW 12th Avenue; Heath & Son Feed & Supply, NW 3rd Street; Benny’s Restaurant, North Jefferson; MFA Agri-Service, SE 2nd Street; Cooper Lumber, NW 12th Avenue; Callaway Oil Company, located in rear of Ava Mini Mart on North Jefferson; Ragan-Thieme Funeral Home, SE 3rd Avenue; Posey Building Center, NW 12th Avenue.
A team of students from Ava High School took second place in the SCA Math-Science Relays at Salem recently. Ava students participating in the Relays included Linton Rentfro, Heather Sweeney, Dreama Etenburn, Julie Aborn, Ricky Harper, Jason Smith, Phillip Gressman, Mike Madden and Aaron Corum.
LaVern Norman of Ava says she didn’t win Mrs. Missouri over the weekend at Cape Girardeau, but she did come back home a winner. She received a trophy and the Community Service Award, and a rhinestone tiara.
Basil and Betty Spurlock spent Sunday in Branson for their anniversary. They ate lunch at the McGuffy Restaurant and attended a Bobby Vinton Show.
A bit of international excitement came to Ava and Theta’s Cafe at Squires, Saturday, April 30, when the three brothers of Mrs. Leslie (Gladys) Long arrived from Australia to help celebrate her birthday. This was the first time they had been together in over 20 years.
First place winner in the Ava Women’s Bowling Association Tournament held in March was the Wood Implement team. Wood Implement team members are Pauline Knisell, Connie Bacorn, Brenda Smith, Donna Alcorn and Genie Davis.
50 years ago
Three local juveniles were apprehended Thursday night, April 17, by Conservation Agent Robert Cook on Hunter Road opposite Crystal Lake Fisheries. Cook said the juveniles had in their possession rainbow trout valued at $16 and two commercial fish nets which they said were taken from the hatchery.
Russell Agee, 24, a native of Mountain Grove, has been named manager of Carp’s Department Store here replacing Paul Coldiron who accepted a postion as manager of the Carp’s store in El Dorado Springs.
James E. Denney, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Denney, Rt. 1, Ava, has been promoted to master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.
After opening their past two television seasons with trips to England, the Clampett famly of “Beverly Hillbillies” fame is scheduled to premiere the 1969-70 season with a visit to the “Capital of the Ozarks” Silver Dollar City,. Filming for the episodes for October presentation begins Tuesday, May 13, and continues through Friday, May 18, at the mountaintop settlement of 28 permanent residents.
Officers for the 1969 Ladies’ Golf Association season are Betty Haught, chairman; Wilma Klineline, co-chairman; Jean Cody, secretary; Dorothy Maloney, treasurer; Doris Prince, historian.
Mr. and Mrs. Oda Snelson of Ava celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary and Mr. Snelson’s 85 birthday Sunday, April 20, at an open house in their home.
Mrs. Pauline Krider, manager of the Ava Farmers Exchange, has been authorized by the Missouri Farmer Association to sell MFA bonds and securities. Mrs. Krider recently attended a school in Columbia where she received special instruction on MFA investment opportunities.
WASOLA – The Stanley Twittys are building a home on 95 Highway.
Jerri Farris won first place in the SCA Science Fair’s zoology division with her project “Laboratory Techniques for Chromosomal Studies.” Judges at the SCA science fair awarded student scientists Hilde Haden and Joyce Clinkingbeard first place in physics. Their project was entitled “Monomolecular Layers and the Avagadro Number in the Calculation of Molecular Size.”
Mr. and Mrs. Van Upchurch who have been residing at the Lethco apartments in Ava, completed a move, last week, to their new home located on Northeast 5th Street. The new residence is one of two new homes recently built on lots at either side of the Gilbert Huffman Apartments, the former home of the Mac Brooks family.
Janet Sue Phillips, 21, daughter of Mrs. Althea Hampton, Ava, left April 9 to begin training at the Excelsior Springs Women’s Job Corps Center, according to the Springfield office of Women in Community Service.
Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we’ll show you a man who never does anything.
75 years ago
The Mount Zion Bible School was declared to be a body corporate and politic by Circuit Judge Tom R. Moore in an adjourned term of circuit court here Monday. The Bible school had made application to the court to incorporate in the April term, and the case was reset with a number of others for hearing on May 1.
CHICAGO –– Sewell Avery, multi-millionnaire board chairman of Montgomery Ward and Co., was ejected bodily from his plant office last week after he refused to turn over to the government the books of Montgomery Ward and Company. Seizure by the government of Montgomery Ward’s Chicago properties may become one of the political issues of the year.
The Rev. Guy Howard of Gainesville, known as the walking preacher of the Ozarks, who has become nationally known through his work with the people of the Ozarks, through his interesting personality and his ability as a speaker, made two appearance in Ava Friday. He is pastor of a Gainesville church and walks to surrounding communities to preach during the week and visit people who live in the backwoods where cars can’t go.
County Agent Clyde Clubb, cooperating with Ozark County agent, and with the county courts of Douglas and Ozark counties is working on a plan for the eradication of wolves in this section of the state. Under the plan of cooperation, it is hoped to get a government wolf trapper at work in this section within the next few weeks, not later than July 1.
Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Herrell announce the birth of a 7 1/2 pound daughter Thursday morning, April 27. The little one has been named Linda Lou.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Daugherty received word this week that their son, Howard Daugherty who is serving with the U.S. Army Air Corps in Washington, D.C. has been promoted from private first class to corporal.
The four high ranking seniors in the 1944 graduation class of Ava High School were announced Wednesday morning. They are, first, Miss Donna McKinney; second, Pauline Adams of Cross Roads; third, Doris Swearengin, of Elkhead; and fourth, Leonard Heard of Brushyknob.
Miss Alma Anderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Anderson of near Ava and Basil Spurlock, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Spurlock of Ava, were married at 8 o’clock Saturday evening in the home of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. McJimsey, with Mr. McJimsey reading the single ring ceremony.
If the people sacrifice to buy bonds, haven’t they a right to demand that the government stop wasting the money?
CROSS ROADS –– Sergeant Glenn E. Harnden returned to Fort Leonard Wood Friday night after spending ten days here with his wife and new baby in the Homer Hailey home.
100 Years Ago
Miss Edith Marshall has been secured by the Board of Education for the Department of Education in the Ava High School. Miss Marshall comes to us recommended as one of the best teachers in Missouri. She is a graduate of the Normal School at Springfield, Mo., and has spent a year in the Missouri University.
Honors for himself and for his school were won by Etcyl Guthrie at Springfield Friday night, April 25, when he delivered his oration “Woodrow Wilson” in competition with other high schools of Class A in south Missouri. The medal for first place which Mr. Guthrie won was of gold while that for second place which was won by Stanley Clay of Joplin was silver. Mr. Clay’s oration was on “The League of Nations.”
H.S. Wilson and M.C. Reynolds agents for Ford cars have bought the O.H.D. and Crumley garages and wwill consolidate the two. The Reynolds building just north of the post office is being remodeled and will be used as a sales room while the garage business will be conducted in the basement.
Hundreds of veterans of Chateauu-Thierry, Champagne, Loraine and the Argonne are re-enlisting in response to the call for 50,000 volunteers to take the places in Europe of returning A.F.F. Soldiers. Forty percent of those who are rejoining the colors say they like France.
The revenue measure putting a tax on all soft drinks goes into effect today. All soda fountains and merchants serving soft drinks of any kind are required to collect the tax. Five cent drinks are now six cents, ten cent drinks are eleven cents, and fifteen cent drinks are seventeen cents.
Byngwood Place in the northeast part of the city was sold this week to Henry Burke of south of Norwood. The Byngs have advertised their household goods for public sale on Saturday, May 10, and will depart soon for Springfield where Mr. Byng is employed with the Cartwright Crediting Co.
At a special election held in Hartville on Monday of last week bonds to build a $30,000 school house were voted according to the Hartville Republican. It is believed that much of the brick and material on the school grounds left from the recent fire can be used in the construction of the new building.
RICHVILLE –– Scholars who took the 8th grade examination are Lawrence Biggs, Harold Bayless, Lorena Lawson, Opal Pease, Blanche McMurtrey, and Eva Lindesmith.
BEAVER –– We had a heaavy frost April 25, which killed the fruit on the low land but that up on the hills seems to be all right.
125 Years ago
Recent heavy rains have nearly ruined and rendered the county roads almost impassable. The mail hack from Mansfield was two hours late on Tuesday, the cause was high water in Bryant.
The small pox scare in Atchison, Kansas, is assuming serious proportions. There are now about 30 cases in the city, mostly confined to the colored districts. So far but one death has been reported.
The wife of Patrick Mulstay of New York City gave birth to three boys recently, their combined weight being 35 pounds. The babies have all survived and are bright and vigorous.
Rusty pistols, knives beads, coins and other relics and curios have been unearthed on Bush Prairie, near Olympia, Wash., where many Indians of early days were laid in their last resting place.
Somebody credits Missouri with 763 log school houses.
Butler, Missouri, is taking every precaution against hydrophobia.
The best talker in Aurora is said to be a magpie from Colorado.
Lafayette County is the oldest coal producing county in the state.
A plain, unadorned drunk may be committed in Jefferson City for $1 and costs.
In the last nine months, 38,400 visitors have registered at the Sedalia Public Library.
There are 30 or 40 Confederate soldiers buried in the Odd Fellows’ Cemetery of Neosho.
Three religious organizations worship in one church in Cabool, and there is a continuous flow of harmony all the year round.
Southern Missouri gets its lumber from the Ozark Country, and at prices to encourage the people to have good and comfortable homes.
The biggest temperature known in Springfield in ten years was 102 degrees, the lowest 17 degrees below zero, and that for one day.
J.M. Curnutt made a trip to Mansfield on Monday and report that he was caught in a heavy hail storm on the road between Mansfield and Ava.
The young folks enjoyed a surprise party at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Singleton last Friday night.
Hutch Buchanan, who has been studying law in the office of Kice & Burkhead for the past two years, made an application for admission to the bar, and successfully passed examination at the West Plains Circuit Court last week. He was highly complimented by Judge Evans and the members of the bar present at the examination.
