Looking Backward
25 years ago
Receiving all-conference recognition in football were Jason Burton, Terry Robets, Casey Johnson, Brad Adams, Daniel Brown, Brandon Ellison, Cassey Owens, Josh Strong, James McCoy, Tim Meyer, Toby Graham, and Michael Harvill.
Girls receiving all-conference recognition in volleyball were Heather Roberson, Laura Strong and DeAun Gray.
Ava’s Coach Larry Silvey was named SCA Coach of the Year for the second year in a row after taking his Bears to the state quarterfinals.
Mary Shrable, Parents as Teachers coordinator for Ava Public Schools, was invited to participate in the Conference on the Young Years Planning Committee, which will be held at Lake of the Ozarks. Ava School Superintendent, Maynard Wallace, said it speaks well of the school system to have a staff member invited to participate as a presenter at a meeting such as this.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department took second place in the Great Ava Shoot-out. Team members included Jerry Connors, Rick Miller, Bill Roberts, Reggie Bray, Reggie Johnson, Eddie Horn, Sheriff Roldan Turner and Tim Stanton.
The Rev. Rodger Sutherland of Ozark, killed a black bear on a recent hunt at Hudson Bay. Saskatchewan, Canada. The bear weighed approximately 300 pounds.
Dustin Breshears killed a 9-point buck on Monday. This was Dustin’s first deer kill.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Beason served an early Thanksgiving dinner to the following family members: Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Cox, Mrs. Mary Cox, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Willis and Brandon, Mrs. Greg Chamberlin and children and John Beason.
Janet Aricou was named Volunteer of the Month at Ava Elementary School.
Susie Nelson celebrated her 109th birthday with her family.
The children of Hilltop Learning Center enjoyed going to Romance to the farm of Gary and Kelly Cunningham. There they got to pet a tame turkey who thought he was one of the kids. The trip ended with a wiener and marshmallow roast.
50 years ago
A new city well is being drilled by Clark & Clark Drilling Co. to serve the Ava industrial park. When completed the well will be 1,000 feet deep. It is near the water tower adjoining the A.G. Spalding Bros. Manufacturing Co.
The Ava Business and Professional Women’s Club met for their annual Thanksgiving dinner. A turkey dinner was served from a T-shaped table covered in alternate cloths of tan and brown. A large turkey encircled with an arrangement of gourds, miniature pumpkins and colored leaves centered the table and a central runner of the autumn adornments extended at intervals down the length of the table.
Student teaching assignments for the fall semester at Southwest Missouri State College have been announced. Miss Marjorie Robertson, Miss Connie Prock, and Mrs. Dorothy Williams have been given assignments in the Ava school. All three will be working in senior high school.
Captain James C. Gaston piloted one of the F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bombers used in a recent air-flight strike in Vietnam.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Sanders and daughters, Donna and Gayle, entertained supper guests in their home on Wednesday last week.
Paul Leonard Hart, a recent graduate from Ava High School, is among the 115 enrollees at the Electronics Institute, Kansas City. Each student will receive 65 weeks of intensive training in radio, television, mobile communications, radar, industrial electronics and commercial communications broadcasting.
George Long of Ava bagged a six-point buck in the southwest part of Douglas County. Long made the kill on a 30-yard shot.
Many a farm wife has depended on the “egg money” for her personal spending. Mrs. Aubrey Howerton raises pigs and keeps the “pig money” for her personal funds. Mrs. Howerton crosses a Hampshire boar with Yorkshire sows. Lester Burgin, manager of the Tel-O-Auction barn of the Missouri Farmers Association at Taneyville is high in his praise of Mrs. Howerton’s pigs. “They are meaty type pigs – the kind feeders like.”
The Retail Merchants Committee of the Chamber of Commerce is making plans for an extensive Christmas promotion which will include free movies, free candy, Santa on the square, band performances and hundred of free gifts to are citizens. The local newspaper containing the special section for “Santa’s Treasure Hunt” will be mailed to approximately 6,000 residents in the Ava trade area.
The Ava High Varsity Bears will travel to West Plains for a game with the undefeated Zizzers. The Zizzers are 9-0 for the season. The Bears are 4-3-1.
Dr. T. H. Woods, local veterinarian, attended the 45th Annual Conference for Veterinarians at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Subjects covered during the two day conference included canine disorders, fracture and plating problems in small animals, and equine medicine.
The dismissal of Merle Eugene Parker’s suit against the operators of a carnival in Ava was upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court. Parker’s suit, charging that a gambling game at the county fair had damaged the city’s welfare and moral tone, had testified a damage suit against three men who allegedly operated the game. His suit was dismissed by the Circuit Judge of Douglas County. Parker did not ask return of the $29 he said he lost in the game.
75 years ago
A health clinic is to be held with the Ava schools. Vaccinations will be administered for diphtheria and for small pox, at the nominal cost of 25 cents for one or for both, and will be available to anyone, whether in school or not.
Applications for rations should be submitted by mail rather than taking them in person to the rationing board.
A number of Ava school faculty members will leave Ava to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with relatives and friends.
Miss Lois Parker spent Monday night and Tuesday in Ozark and was a house guest in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hartley and family. Miss Parker timed her visit to Ozark in order that she might be there for the Ava-Ozark basketball game Tuesday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. S.W. Grimes received a cablegram Friday from their daughter, Miss Lucille, who recently left the Untied States to become a USO director in Hawaii. Miss Grimes had sailed from San Francisco early in November with thirty other USO workers. The cablegram read, “Honolulu wonderful. Love, Lucille.”
Motorists who use gasoline illegally to travel to winter resorts face the loss of their mileage rations. Persons who are planning a seasonal trip for a definite period of time are not making a bona fide change of residence and special rations may not be granted for such trips.
Ava is soon to have a new store, to be known as the “Corner Store” it was announced here this week. It will occupy the old Peoples Bank building on the southwest corner of the square and will be owned by Dr. E. V. Holestine, former Ava dentist, now a resident of St. Louis.
Corporal Cooper, a mail and post exchange clerk, has been overseas for thirteen months, serving in North Africa as well as in Italy. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Cooper of Ava. Assigned to a depot repair squadron, he is a member of the air depot’s baseball team at an advanced air base.
Unofficial returns from the nineteenth state senatorial district in Tuesday’s election, with five precincts missing, gave J. E. Curry, republican of Ava, 28,693 votes to 9,588 for E. B. Julian, democrat, of Webster County.
Mrs. Max Bushman of Dallas, Texas arrive in Ava Wednesday and is remaining here for a two weeks vacation visit with her mother, Mrs. Leota Gentry and family who live just west of town. Private Bushman who is station at Fort Leonard Wood, came to Ava Friday to join his wife and remained here until Sunday evening. While here Private and Mrs. Bushman visited in the Gentry home and also with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Bushman and family.
100 Years Ago
Those entering school Monday were: Fae Barger, fifth grade; Kenneth Frazier, 7th grade; and Florence Goodnight, 8th grade.
The city tax books are now in the hands of the city collector, and anyone desiring to pay their taxes will find the collector at the Jones Photograph gallery, southeast corner of the square.
Passenger fare over the Ozarks and Southern Ry. between Ava and Mansfield has been reduced to sixty-five cents for a one-way ticket. The rate was reduced from eighty-six cents and is now in effect.
Mrs. Billie Matney of Larrisa fell dead while doing housework at her home between two and three o’clock Wednesday afternoon.
Prayer meeting at Star last Sunday night was well attended. Since it comes only once each week and so few help out, can’t we attend more regularly? Let’s try to come, take part in the singing, and encourage by filling up the vacant seats at least.
Surgeons agree that in the case of cuts, burns, bruises and wounds, the first treatment is most important. When an efficient antiseptic is applied promptly, there is no danger of infection and the wounds begin to heal immediately.
The Willow Springs creamery is now producing buttermilk in powdered form, and their capacity will be 1,500,000 pounds of buttermilk a year. The powdered buttermilk will be shipped in 100 pound sacks to that place where it will be prepared in smaller packages and placed on the market.
Paul B. Finley was seriously injured by an infuriated bull one day last week. The animal, a two year old Holstein butted Finley down and proceeded to pummel him. Mrs. W. H. Baugh, a nearby neighbor, hearing the calls of Finley, arrived on the scene in time to drive the bull away with a pitchfork and save Finley’s life.
The subject for the Epworth League for next Sunday evening is “How we practice Thanksgiving.”
Reverend A. D. Hall will preach at the M. E. Church Sunday evening.He is an able speaker and you will miss a treat if you fail to come. Quarterly conference will be held after the morning service. All friends and members invited – officers especially urged to come.
Secretary of the Treasury Glass has sent out an appeal to the 20,000,000 school boys and girls of the country, urging them to continue the habit of earning and saving money and investing it in government securities.
A man came through our vicinity last week buying hounds. He purchased two from Harry Clark and one from Zim Sims. We understand he paid an average price of $32 for them. We claim this is pretty good but Zim and Harry seem very lonely these past few days without their hunting dogs, and we rather think they will be getting more soon for since furs are so valuable at present, everyone seems to enjoy the profitable hunting season.
Guy Rippee son of Mr. and Mrs. Samp Rippee of Larissa departed recently for Columbia, MO, to enter the vocational department of the State University. Guy received a serious flesh wound while in army service in France which entitles him to free schooling offered by the government. In addition to having all expenses paid by the government, he will receive $80 per month while attending the University.
125 Years ago
As a run-away team, attached to a heavy wagon, was about to dash into a buggy containing a lady Amos Walter, a laborer, jumped in front of the team and turned them so as to save the lady’s life, but was himself hurt so badly he will die.
Mrs. Blanche Walker of Mexico utterly lost her hearing when she was 6 year old, but has never ceased to talk and greatly enjoys “seeing” conversation.
Born, to Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Kingecade, four miles Southwest of Ava, on Saturday, Nov 24, a 10 pound girl. Dr. Landers officiated.
The box supper Friday night drew out a large crowd. A short but spicy literary program was rendered, interspersed with excellent vocal and instrumental music. Every box prepared for the occasion was sold. Mrs. Rebekah Robertson carried off the cake awarded to the handsomest lady, and the ugly man’s cake was won by John Squires. Everyone seemed to enjoy the occasion hugely. Net proceeds $11.90.
We are all much pleased with the change in the Herald.
The tendency of late years toward making of Thanksgiving day a date for sporting events has not met with the approval of church people. The football players are pointed out as the particular offenders. A year ago the practice was vigorously denounced from many pulpits on account of the large number of fatalities which resulted. Six persons lost their lives during the football games of last Thanksgiving day. So vigorous was the denunciation of the press and pulpit that the rules of the game have since undergone a sharp revision.
An old soldier started out from Douglas County to meet the pension board, but when he got to Bryant both he and his horse gave out, and Doc McKaskey, out of the kindness of his heart, hitched up his hack and brought the old veteran the rest of the way.
Remember the teachers meeting next Saturday. A pleasant and profitable time is expected.
Mr. Haymaker and family, and Mr. Berry and family, both of Neosha County, Kansas, arrived here last Friday. They expect to buy farms in this neighborhood and make permanent citizens of this county. They came from the same county in Kansas as the editor hereof did. We have known them for 15 years or more and know them to be first class people whom we can cheerfully recommend to the good people of this county.
Riggs & Silvey passed through Ava last Monday with 162 head of hogs. They bought them in Thornfield and were driving them to Mansfield to ship to Kansas City.
When a peacock spreads its feathers it forgets it has black feet.
Thanksgiving is a legal holiday in the United States. It is set apart as a day upon which all the people may join in returning thanks to Almighty God for the blessings of the year. All the states do not join with the national government in the thanksgiving. Some states in the south and west, though recognizing the day in spirit, set apart for observance, some other day than that designated in the presidential proclamation.
The duty of other people is always clear to us.
