Looking Backwards
25 years ago
Christmas trees are still useful after the holiday season. They can be “recycled” to improve fish habitat in ponds or turned into natural bird feeders in your back yard.
Pre-Christmas visitors with Joe and Virginia Crank of Ava were Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bell, Nancy Fay Crabb, Mrs. Kenneth Caudill, Mrs. Ina Boston, Mrs. Annette Caudill and Mr. and Mrs. William Cummins, all of Ava.
Smoked Jowls, whole, are only 49 center per pound at Wallace & Owens.
Tony Jenkins, manager of the Douglas County Herald/Herald Publishing Company is retiring from active management. Keith Moore, current news editor, will assume the position of managing editor of the Douglas County Herald and general manager of the Herald Publishing Co., Inc.
There will be a 3-man scramble golf tournament New Year’s Day at the Ava Country Club.
Velma Nelson was named “Turkey of the Year” in a Food Harvest competition at Plainview R-8 School.
Your local food pantry and care center ended the month of December providing food and hygienic supplies to 194 families throughout Douglas County.
Reagan Chamberlain, daughter of Greg and Patty Chamberlain, Ava, won a giant 8-foot Christmas stocking filled with toys that was given away by Douglas County National Bank.
The Country Heritage Spinners and Weavers Guild held their December meeting at the home of Nancy Bolen in Ava.
Janiece L. Fugitt, manager at the McDonald’s restaurant in Ava, has been awarded a “bachelor of hamburgerology” degree from McDonald’s Hamburger University.
The kids of Hilltop Preschool enjoyed a field trip to Springfield to see The Pagemaster. They were also treated to Happy Meals at McDonald’s.
Rawlings Mega Bucks winners for July and August were Wanda Lambert, Junior McSwain, Kent Swearengin, Thelma Clayton, Diana Iott, Eric Duckworth, Bulah Lawson and Daryla Richards.
It was 60 degrees on Christmas Day in Champion.
The third graders at Bradleyville School had a unit on magic in their reading class. They culminated the unit by putting on a magic show for the kindergarten, first and second grades.
The production of acorns, one of the most important foods for wildlife, was spotty in 1994 according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
50 years ago
Members of the First Baptist Church prepared and delivered fruit and candy baskets to shut-ins and senior citizens in the community. Mrs. Bob Appling, Mrs. Cecil Davis Mrs. Don Davis, Mrs. James Wilson, Kathy Davis and Mrs. Howard English assisted other church members in the project.
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Jackson hosted the annual Christmas meeting of the Ava Pitch Club in their home.
Cub Scout Pack 68 sang Christmas carols at Chastain’s of Ava. Scouts present were Joey Cox, Bobby Joe Moore, Tim Sallee, Skip Sallee and Randy Smith.
Twins were born on December 17 to Mr. and Mrs. George Nold of Ava. Renita Faye was born at 2:28 a.m. and Timothy Wayne was born at 2:40 a.m.
Dwight Tetrick hit a cow while driving at night. He appears to be unhurt, but the car is ruined.
Local officers arrested a 19-year-old boy and a juvenile and charged them with burglary at Jerry’s Texaco.
Arthur Allen of Ava, an employee of the Rawlings Manufacturing Company, has begun a course in the company’s foreman training program.
Those attending the old time hog killing at the home of Mr. and Mrs. V.E. Wise were Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Owens, of Ava, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Burton and Herb Gaulding of Gainesville.
Navy Engineman Fireman Jack R. Upton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Doyn W. Upton, Ava, graduated from the river patrol boat training course at the Naval Inshore Operations Training Center in California.
The Clinkingbeard Ambulance Service of Ava made its 300th ambulance trip of the year. Lucky 300 was Earl Potter, who was dismissed from Cox Medical Center and returned home.
John Parker was advised by his doctor to continue wearing his back brace to see if any improvement.
Lawrence Wilson bought a new mobile home and hasn’t set it up yet, but is living in it.
The Ava Junior High Bears kept their unbeaten string in tact by downing Marshfield in all three junior high games. Seventh grade won 42-28; eighth grade won 30-27, and Freshmen won 54-36.
A total of $180.50 was donated to the Douglas County Ministerial Alliance by the owner of Chastain’s Nursing Homes.
The Evans Church had a Christmas tree, gift exchange and treats on Sunday.
I will not be responsible for accidents on my property at 801 NE 8th Ave. – William T. Morrison.
A public hearing is scheduled concerning the location and design of Route RA in Douglas County.
Misses Flossie and Mae Hogan of Springfield visited their sister, Mrs. Janey Johnson, Saturday. The ladies went to Ava and did some shopping.
Members of the Know Your Neighbor Club of the Gentry community met two times this month. The first time was a regular meeting. The second time was for the club’s annual Christmas party.
75 years ago
Ice and sleet cover highways today in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. The highway patrol reports the worst traffic conditions in fourteen years.
The regular January session of circuit court is scheduled to convene on January 8, with a docket of 29 criminal and 27 civil cases.
General Norman T. Kirk, surgeon general of the Army, states “We must have 10,000 more Army nurses.”
The Peavine school was closed for Christmas week on Friday after gifts had been exchanged between the pupils.
A family dinner was given Christmas day at the home of Mrs. Joe Sutherland in Ava. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Paul Haynes, Mr. and Mrs. Delsa Lakey and daughter, Sharon, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Lakey and son, Dane.
For sale: 25 shocks of corn; also several shocks of sargo; 2 milk cans, and one fat hog, at the Bruce Rippee farm, Ava, Rt. 2
First Baptist Church will join all the Baptist churches throughout the Southern Baptist Convention in the United Prayer Week each evening at the church Jan. 1 to 5.
Mr. and Mrs. N.E. Kellogg entertained with a family dinner in their country home. Covers were laid for Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kellogg and son of Ava, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kellogg and family and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kellogg and children all of Springfield, and Miss Bernice Kellogg of Kansas City.
A group of young people gathered in the Roland Haynes home Christmas Eve for a surprise farewell party for Max Haynes who is leaving for the Navy.
Mr. and Mrs. Laymon Stamper of Fresno, California announce the birth of a baby girl. Laymon is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Orvil Stamper of Ava and Mrs. Stamper is the daughter of Mrs. Harry Yandell of Ava.
We wish to express our appreciation for the many gifts and assistance rendered following destruction of our home by fire. – Ira Walls, Jr.
When children have temporary upsets of the stomach and bowels from unwise food combinations, overeating, or over-acidity of the stomach, give them good tasting McGee’s Baby Elixir.
Larry Eugene Garrison, 18-months-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Vasal Garrison of the Goodhope community, died Tuesday from a heart attack.
Funds for payment of pensions and relief will be used up by Dec. 31, and no new funds can be appropriated until the new legislature sets money aside to continue them.
All ration books issued to persons who have since died or joined the armed services should be returned to the local rationing board immediately.
Willis Holt underwent an operation at Springfield Baptist hospital for stomach ulcers. Today he is reported in critical condition.
A new and greatly expanded food rationing program went into effect throughout the country this week. Canned vegetables are back on the list and there are tighter restrictions on sugar and butter.
100 Years Ago
Wade Wheeler in Henry County staged a spectacular deer hunt on his ranch in which 120 deer were slaughtered.
Burglars broke into the office of the Morse Lumber Co. at Thayer and secured more than $1500 in money and $550 in Liberty bonds.
The plant of the Menace Publishing Company at Aurora, an anti-Catholic publication, was destroyed by fire.
Captain Sir John Alcock, the first aviator to make a non-stop airplane flight across the Atlantic, died at Rouen, France as the result of injuries he received when his plane crashed to earth in Normandy.
A world’s record was set by the Moore Shipbuilding Yard by launching six vessels in a single day.
Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Reynolds and small son Lloyd Jr. spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Pettit of just south of town.
Mr. and Mrs. Will Irby of Girdner were Christmas shopping in Ava Monday.
Miss Eula Norman has been employed to assist the Assessor with his books during the next few weeks.
J.T. Singleton Grocery goes on a cash basis, Jan. 1, and by doing so will eliminate the heavy costs attached to a credit system.
Lincoln township failed to hold a stock law election, because the school board of Beaver District, the voting precinct, refuse to dismiss school for the election.
Old “Santa Claus” visited the Ladies’ Benefit Society of the M.E. Church and left two gifts for Mrs. Pease; one a handsome spread and the other a knitted rug.
A Mr. Williams and family from Kansas passed through here in a car. They were looking for a location in this part of the country.
Miss Bessie Highbarger and brother Lawrence arrive this week from Kansas City and are visiting with home folks.
Dewey Mankin, who is taking a course in electrical engineering at Ames, Iowa, is spending the holidays with home folks Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Mankin of East Ave.
The 5th and 6th grades of Mr. Vancil’s room of the Ava Public Schools deserve mention for their efforts in selling Red Cross stamps. Their total sales amounted to $23.00
Ernie Spurlock, who is taking a course in agriculture and veterinary surgery at Ames, Iowa, is spending the holiday vacation with home folks in Ava.
Notice: All persons knowing themselves indebted to us will please call and make settlement by January 1st and save the expense of a collector. – Norman-Gentry Drug Co.
Miss Mae Porter and Miss Cecile Turner are suffering from tonsillitis.
Burney Porter, who recently cut his foot with an ax, is improving very slowly.
The pie supper was put off as Mrs. Homer Henderson had to have her eye operated on.
The music party at Oliver Keys was well attended. There was enough music to make everyone want to dance.
125 Years ago
The Manchester express on the London and Northwestern railroad collided with a baggage train at Chelford. Nineteen persons have been killed and sixty other injured.
Missouri has need of 11,000 school children every year.
Robert Rouse of Paris, Mo shot and mortally wounded his sweetheart, Miss Bettie Hayden. They were to be married next week but had a lovers’ quarrel and the young man became enraged and shot her. Officers are in pursuit.
The Shelbina teachers are forbidden to give or receive presents from their scholars.
The youngest member of the next congress will be Nelson Adophus Mozely of Missouri.
Miss Ella M. Bartlett has accepted the call as pastor of the Universalist society in St. Louis.
A prisoner in the Boone county jail started out with feigning insanity and has become actually insane.
In Howard county a wild beast that whipped all the dogs and scared all the hunters turned out to be Mrs. Pearson’s house cat.
There are 181,368 persons in Missouri over 10 years of age who cannot read and write. The schoolmaster must keep moving around.
Mrs. Martin C. Hurt of Boonville blew a tooth out of her nose and greatly relieved her eyesight, which had been defective for months.
His holiness, Pope Lee XIII, acting on the recommendation of the American archbishops, has placed the orders of the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows and the Sons of Temperance under the ban of the Roman Catholic Church.
Wm. Thomas, of Harverd, Iowa, was in town several days this week. He is a man of considerable wealth and is investing in Douglas county real estate.
A large number of the Masonic fraternity of this city will attend the public installation at Mansfield today.
The practice of having a ladies’ calling day upon the second day of the year is going out of fashion, if indeed has not already gone.
It is no secret among Mr. Edison’s neighbors that the electric bell on his front door won’t work. -– Chicago Tribune
The new $20,000 college building, the finest in the territory of Alva, OK, was burned to the ground. The building had just been completed.
The price of Rembrandts continues to rise steadily in the art markets from year to year.
The recount in the Macon county, MO, contested election cases shows that three Democrats declared defeated were really elected.
Frank Siegler of Uniontown, Ind., burst a blood vessel while laughing and died.
The commerce committee of the house has favorably reported bills for building a railway bridge across the Missouri river near Jefferson City.
A young lady from Lexington is singing in leading church choirs in London.
Howard-Payne college of Fayette has four living wells and six cisterns on its campus.
Christmas passed off very quietly in Ava. No fights nor nothin’, – just a few plain drunks.
