Looking Backwards
25 years ago
The Ava R-1 Board of Education, in a closed session following the regular meeting, approved the employment of 3 staff members and voted to extend the Christmas vacation to include January 2.
Professional Hair Techniques recently opened in a new location next door to Ava Drug Co.
Last week, 45 law enforcement officers from more than a dozen different agencies, including the U.S. Marshall’s Service, began serving arrest warrants on numerous suspects for the sale and distribution of controlled substances and other felony charges.
Brad Siler took first place in the recent spelling bee at Ava Middle School. Brooke Fish placed second and Tracy Stout placed third.
The Chitter Chatters had their Christmas party at Triangle’s Cafe. They had fun opening their gifts. Mary Coonts received a beautiful crystal cake plate.
Ralph Calhoun, former plant manager at Emerson Electric, was hired to serve as Douglas County’s director of economic development. The purpose of the position is “to improve the quality of life in Douglas County,” Calhoun said.
Seth Schroeder, age 2, and his sister Delaine Schroeder, 8 months old, took home awards in the Springfield Baby Pageant and Diaper Derby. Seth won the first place trophy and the Dimpled Darlings trophy in his Beauty Division. Delaine won “Princess” second place trophy in her age division.
Bob Jefferson, administrator of Meadowbrook Manor, said the class of CNAs that recently graduated were the best class the local nursing home ever had. The CNAs in the class were Patricia Landrigan, Barbara Courtois, June Hitchcock, Kathy Hitchcock, Heather Wilson, Sherlin Miller, and Marsha Blanton.
Sue’s Cafe served a buffet-style Christmas dinner with turkey, ham and all the trimmings for employees and family members of Heath and Son Feed and Supply, Dairy Queen, Meadowbrook Manor, the Mansfield Building Supply, City of Ava and Ava Fox Trotters.
This month’s Middle School students of the month included Jordan Wendler, Jeff Breshears, Lindsay Pitts, Joey Baker, and Tara Lafferty.
The Grand Roller Rink will be open for a New Year’s Eve Lock-In Party.
Andy and Debbie Williams will host a very special golf tournament in Branson benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network.
A bottle of bubbly and a cup of eggnog are two of the favorites of the holiday season. But if you have had too much to drink at a holiday party, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. Don’t ruin the party by driving drunk. – A public service announcement from your Missouri State Highway Patrol.
50 years ago
A 50-year-old resident of the Zions Order, Inc. was killed instantly Monday afternoon while operating a bulldozer inside a garage.
“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens will be presented by the fourth grade class at Ava elementary school.
Lynnette Clark and Nikki Clark went horseback riding Sunday afternoon. They called on Diane Coonts.
All vehicles left abandoned on the city streets will be towed to the city garage and owners will be charged for the towing.
Joseph Fleetwood, three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Fleetwood of Ava, received candy and a gift from Santa after telling him what he would like for Christmas.
Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Doran were in Ozark Monday for a check-up with their doctor.
Don Burch of Bado downed a 26-point deer, and he has the pictures to prove it.
Carp’s Department store in West Plains is going out of business after 10 years.
Arley Evans had surgery to remove a piece of wood from his eye. The stitches were removed today and he is doing fine.
The Theodosia Hills Development Association purchased a 7-passenger Sky-wagon to transport guests between Springfield and Theodosia.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Daughtry and son, Mike, visited over the weekend with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Mitchell.
Beef in the daily diet of aging patients in a nursing home was found to have a beneficial effect. Experiments showed the “irritability factor” reduced 86.3% when beef was added to the diets on a daily basis.
The White Oak Grove Club held its monthly meeting in the home of Mrs. Fred Martens with the nine members and their families present.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Turton hosted their annual Christmas dinner party and gift exchange for employees of the Rexall Drug Company in Ava.
Members attending the Ava Art Group Christmas meeting were Mesdames Charles Cagle, Ben Callaway, Bill Davis, Zane Gray, Harold Hutchison, Virgil Kester, Ralph Kerr, Bill Pettit, Howard Pettit, Vestil Taylor, Bertrand Larsen and Wallace Williams.
Miss Marsha Lietch accompanied the Do-Ra-Me Music Club to the School of the Ozarks at Point Lookout, MO.
Donna and Tommy Hale, children of Mr. and Mrs. Cleo Hale, marched in the Branson parade.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Beason are the proud parents of a baby boy, John Harvey.
Mrs. Elmer Freeman and grandson Bryan Massey were guests in the Darrel Hutchison home from Friday until Sunday. They baby-sat with Darren Jo while the Hutchisons were Christmas shopping in Springfield.
75 years ago
Douglas county was reported over the top in its sixth war bond drive, with subscriptions up to that time totaling more than $117,000. The county’s quota was $105,000.
Missouri’s fifteen electoral votes were cast for President Roosevelt for a fourth term and for Vice President-elect Harry S. Truman. C.S. Neiman of Ava was one of the fifteen electors.
Dr. R.B. Stanton will arrive in Ava Friday from Davenport, Iowa where he has spent the past four months taking a post graduate course at the Palmer School of Chiropractic.
Workmen are busy installing a new boiler at the Douglas County Cheese Factory.
With this week’s issue, the Herald starts a new volume – number 59. A total of 143,311 copies of the Herald were printed during the past year for an average of 2,756 per issue.
Fifteen Douglas county men have been called for physical exams at the local selective service office. They are: Jesse Hicks, James Ferrell, Bernard Clement, Lloyd Miller, Floyd Saltenburger, Robert Turner, Bernal Ingram, Lester Sanders, Roy Thompson, Tommy Thorp, Clarence Blakey, Melvin Osborn, Elmer Graham, Gene Andrews, and Cecil Teal.
Ration Reminder: A-13 coupons in new ration book good for four gallons of gasoline through Dec. 21. A-14 coupons good for 4 gallons beginning on Dec. 22.
As no man can love two masters, so no woman can love possessions and a man who can’t provide many.
Mrs. Pauline Ferguson held a birthday party in her home in compliment to her son, Bobby Gene, who was celebrating his tenth birthday anniversary.
Petty Officer William E. Luttrell left Ava for San Pedro, CA after spending 21 days here with his wife and baby.
Miss Florence Nowack, who is studying in Graceland College in Iowa arrived in Ava and will remain here during the Christmas holidays as a guest of Miss Lucille Love and her mother, Mrs. R.L. Love.
Norman Alcorn suffered a sprained ankle when he slipped on ice.
We hate long books. If a man can’t tell all he knows about any subject in 400 pages, he is using unnecessary words.
Lieutenant Carl C. Harnden was recently presented the bronze star, or medal of honor, posthumously, as he was killed in action in France last summer.
The Ava basketball squad broke even in two out of town games. They defeated Mtn. Grove 50 to 22 and lost to Marshfield by a score of 43 to 34.
Mrs. Boone Norman Jr., who has been in Great Lakes, IL where her husband is taking a course in a naval hospital, came to Ava Tuesday for her son, David, who has been staying with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Norman. She and David left this morning for Great Lakes.
100 Years Ago
The vocational agriculture class was excused Monday and Tuesday afternoons to attend the tractor demonstration.
Some of the high school girls seem very unhappy this week. Guess their best gentleman friend has gone on the basketball tour.
The young people of the M.E. church were entertained at the J.H. Sell home. The object of the affair being to pop corn for the M.E. Christmas tree.
Chas. Judd drove the Adams car to Kansas City Monday.
A trunk full of booze was broken at the Springfield depot and strong men are said to have wept when they saw its alcoholic contents trickling over the trunk.
Fire at the Home Bakery on the north side of the Ava square threatened several business houses on that side. Quick action on the part of a small bucket brigade averted a disastrous burn-out.
Sixteen skunks out of one den, which brought a total of $67, was a record made by William Poston of Edina.
F.D. Mooney sold the Mansfield Hotel at Mansfield, MO, to John N. Prior Jr. of Hartville.
C.P. Anderson sawed wood for some of his neighbors on South Ave. and Main St.
Little Rose Hodges is lame and unable to come to school.
Dear Santa: I have put off riting to you till I kno you have give all your little presents away, but I don’t care for very much anyway. I just want a little chick a dee dee book and a little doll. -Opha Lucile Strong
There was not preaching at Star last Sunday because the preacher was ill.
S.H. Freeman and family of Olathe motored to Ava and are guests of Mayor and Mrs. Jos. B. Thompson.
Notice to Hunters and Trappers: The 1919 hunting license expires Dec. 31st. You must have your 1920 hunting license before you can dispose of furs after Dec. 31st.
Clinton Smith, twelve years old, has gone 4 years to his home school without being absent a day, and has received a prize each year for good attendance.
Raymond Pettyjohn had a serious accident recently when his revolver went off, resulting in the loss of a finger from his left hand.
Clarence Hutchison entered the 8th grade last week.
R.T. Bridwell sold the Bridwell Canning Factory of this city to R.C. Hall of Marshfield.
Roy Ellison has been baling about 20 tons of alfalfa and timothy hay.
Rev. T.F. Evans is conducting revival meetings at Goodhope.
A.J. Grabeel and family left a few days ago for California where they expect to spend the winter.
J. Davidson has just returned home from a business visit to Illinois.
And again, the world failed to come to an end.
125 Years ago
Andy Bowen, the lightweight champion of the South, died on Saturday from the punishment received in his fight with George Lavigne of Saginaw, MI, before the Auditorium Athletic Club.
The next Missouri House of Representatives will be made up as follows: 26 farmers, 21 lawyers, 9 physicians, 4 merchants, 1 banker, 5 preachers, 4 editors, 2 teachers, 1 carpenter, 1 jeweler, 5 stock dealers, 1 railway agent, 1 nurserymen, 1 liveryman, 1 cotton ginner, 1 miller, and 1 unknown.
Platte county has produced an apple that looks like an owl.
A delivery wagon horse was killed by lightning while in the line of his duty in Pierce City.
The druggists of Madison have entered into a mutual agreement to sell no liquor except on physicians’ prescriptions.
A lady in Columbus has to bring suit against her husband as county treasurer to reduce the taxation on some of her property.
The railroad of the United States is 31,000 miles longer than those of all the rest of the world put together. Germany has 27,421 miles, France 24,014 and Spain only 6,769.
The diphtheria is abating in Jefferson City.
A 500-pound bear was recently killed in Pemiscot county.
Wild geese are gobbling up the wheat fields of Mississippi county.
The ministerial alliance of Harrisonville has organized a reading club.
The anti-horse thief society of Chillicothe gave its annual banquet.
An old distillery in Columbia is to be converted into a laundry and tobacco warehouse.
Since 1830 there has not been a term of circuit court in Clark county without a trial for murder or assault with intent to kill.
John Reid Napton of Marshall, who is only 11 years old, shot, on Thanksgiving day, a wild goose and carried it a long distance to his home.
When the burglars break into the bank of New Franklin they will wake up the whole town, such are the “alarming” arrangements.
Word comes from New Zealand that the well known novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson, died suddenly from apoplexy.
Singleton House, Martin Singleton, Prop. – Good Sample Rooms, with tables always ready, for the accommodation of Commercial men.
The islands of the New Hebrides group are experiencing fire, earthquakes and volcanic disturbances. On the island of Ambrym an entire village of natives was carried into the sea, the loss of life estimated at 60-75 men, women and children.
Eugene V. Debs and all the directors of the American Railway union, accused of contempt of court in violating the strike injunction last summer, were declared “Guilty as Charged.”
Mrs. Flora Frankenstine, once cook for Napoleon Bonaparte, died at Detroit, MI, aged 108 years.
Cole Younger, one of the Jesse James gang, who has been in Minnesota prison for 17 years of a sentenced life imprisonment, will be a free man on January 1. The governor thinks Younger has been an obedient prisoner and has served enough time.
Special invitation to Ladies to come see my Grand Display of Millinery Goods. Produce taken in Exchange. – Mrs. H.S.Wilson
