Looking Backward
25 years ago
Chuck and Lee Burrow, of Ava, purchased the Avalon Movie Theater and plan to bring in live shows, both musical and theater-type plays.
Filing for the spring municipal elections opened and there are already 4 candidates. James “Bud” Norman filed for re-election as mayor of Ava; David Brown filed for the mayor role as well. Alderman Gordon Shanks has filed for re-election and Carl Coats has filed as a candidate for alderman.
The City of Ava was late in getting utility bills out this month due to a computer problem.
Gainesville Bancshares, Inc. purchased controlling interest in Douglas County National Bank.
The American Red Cross bloodmobile will make its first visit of the new year to the Ava Community.
Cleo Gipe had Christmas dinner with her son and family, Dale and Gina Yates, Yancy and Chloe in West Plains, Mo.
Virginia Crank celebrated her birthday when her family gathered in the Crank home in Ava. Birthday cake, ice cream and coffee were served.
New Year’s Day Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Bristol of Ava spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. James Bench and had a gift exchange as they were out on the truck and didn’t make it home for Christmas.
The Creative Handcrafters met in the courthouse basement to set the 1995 agenda. The first event will be the Spring Bazaar.
James and Tammy Heath are proud to announce the birth of their son, James Lee Heath, Jr.
The Ava Bears beat the Branson Pirates 65-57 and the Lady Bears pounded Billings 42-16 in the Morrisville Tournament.
The annual New Year’s Day three-man scramble golf tournament was held Sunday. Winners were named in three flights: Championship Flight 1st place: Russ Hunt, Dalton Markin, Fred Bacorn. A Flight 1st place: David Brown, Dave Conrow, Mike McAllister. B Flight 1st Place: Tony Jenkins, C.E. Heckendorn, Wayne Garrett.
Douglas County receives federal emergency fund to supplement emergency food and shelter in the area.
U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs was 59.6 million head in December. This was 3% above December 1993.
R.J. Mednel was honored with a surprise retirement dinner hosted by his family. He recently retired from TransWorld Airlines. R.J. returned to his farm in the Ava area to spend his retirement years.
50 years ago
Wives working outside the home is at an all-time high. In Douglas County an estimated 31.2% of the married women are now employed.
The Ava area was covered with 6 inches of snow on the heels of an ice storm.
Cherry Gin Cloud: 1 1/2 oz. sloe gin, 1oz. premixed bottled fresh egg nog, 1/2oz. cherry brandy (42 proof), 2 Tbsp softened vanilla or cherry vanilla ice cream. Whir with three cubes of ice crushed in blender. Serve in white wine or stemmed whiskey sour glasses.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson McClendon and their children, left Ava to return to their home in Garland, TX, following a short holiday visit in Ava with Mr. MeClendon’s mother, Mrs. Lena McClendon of the Gaulding Apartments.
Mrs. Sophia Posey had all of her children as guests during the Christmas Holidays. Several of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren also visited with her.
Gary W. Trent, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Trent, formerly of Ava, has been promoted to Army Specialist-5 while serving with the 523rd Engineering Company at Vung Tau Vietnam.
The Mound Sunshine Workers met in the home of Mrs. L.L Alllen. The morning work-period was embroidering tea towels and piecing a quilt for the goodwill box.
Mr. and Mrs. Etzel Wood entertained Mr. Wood’s young peoples class. Biblical games were played and gifts were exchanged. Homemade candy, party treats, coffee and punch were served.
Douglas County residents topped the Red Cross Bloodmobile quota with 85 persons donating.
A total of 10 persons will be working in Douglas County to complete the 1970 federal census.
A New Year’s Eve party will be held at the Ava Country Club. All members are encouraged to bring a guest. Entertainment provided by Dale Mansfield’s five-piece band, Nashville recording artists.
An estimated gathering of above 2,000 persons climbed above the Stockton Dam to witness the closing of the dam gates. – Bolivar Herald
A Willow Springs merchant, Henry D. Harrod, marketed a load of tobacco grown on his farm near Hutton Valley for a total of $1,230.78. – West Plains Daily Quill
Clearance Sale at Ava Dept. & Variety Store: 4-oz. Human Hair Wiglets, $4.88 (Reg. $9.99 Value)
Mr. and Mrs. Ira Bray called this week in the homes of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Owen, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Davis, and Mr. and Mrs. Luin Haden.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Hutchison and son of Ava were visiting Christmas evening with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Hutchison, Gary Hutchison of St. Louis spent the weekend there.
J.P. Roy is home from college this week.
School was dismissed for Christmas vacation. The juniors ordered class rings and the seniors their announcements.
Mrs. Henry Lawrence has been sick with the flu.
Mrs. Alice Cunningham of Rome received a telegram from the War Department stating that her husband, Private Dan Cunningham, was missing in action on the western front in Germany.
Fifteen Douglas county men have been called for physical examinations at the local selective office this week.
75 years ago
J. E. Curry, editor of the Douglas County Herald, took his seat in the State Senate. Senator Curry represents Douglas, Ozark, Taney, Stone, Christian, Webster, Dallas and Polk Counties.
Twenty-six Douglas county men reported to Jefferson Barracks for their pre-induction examination. Eighteen men are to report for induction.
PFC Gene A. Wheeler of Ava was promoted to the rank of Corporal.
With this issue, Ray Royce takes over as managing editor of the Herald.
Housewives are urged to destroy all food ration stamps that have been declared invalid. Use of these stamps by consumers, as well as acceptance of them by retailers, is a violation of rationing regulations.
The Ava high school will fly the Minute man Flag for a second month. 91% of the student bought either defense stamps or bonds during the month of December.
Setting a top limit on the number of males who may work for an employer is a possibility in the near future.
Miss LaVerne Seabaugh, daughter of Mt. Vernon and Floyd Brazeal, of Ava, were married at Flint, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Brazeal will make their home in Flint, where they are both engaged in war work.
Miss Maxine Walker, who spent the Christmas holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.W.Walker of Girdner, left Ava for Indianapolis, IN where she is employed at the farm security department.
Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Bond, their daughter, Zula, and their son, Bert, who is home from serving overseas in England and France, visited relatives in Wichita, KS, through the Christmas holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hammond watched the old year out and the new year in with Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Gray.
Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Haden left Smallett enroute to Jefferson City where they will make their home while Mr. Haden is representative from Douglas County.
It might be worse. They don’t take all the cream and nourishment out of milk brag about enriching it with a little chemical called a vitamin.
Sheriff and Mrs. Lincoln Barnes moved from their suburban home to the sheriff’s quarter in the county jail.
Cadet Nurses Peggy love and Wilma Plumb, who spent the New Year’s holidays in Ava, returned to Springfield where they are training in the Baptist hospital.
Eddie Warren, assistant department adjunct of the Missouri State American legion, will speak at the Legion meeting in Ava.
100 Years ago
Twelve barrels of wood alcohol, “doctored” so as to appear as whiskey, prepared in Bronx, NY and sold for $12,000, proven to be a terrible death wave in New England, where it was shipped and distributed. Twenty-eight are dead and many others are seriously ill as a result of this hideous crime.
The Will Burchell store and meat market in the front end of the Herald building was entered by burglars. A shoulder of fresh meat, a sack of flour and a sack of meal were the principal items taken.
Mrs. Cecil Reynold’s room gave a very interesting Christmas program in the school auditorium.
New students entering the high school were: Belle Hargis, Larve Harp, Grace Steelman, Anna Steelman, and Roy Williamson.
Saw mills are becoming numerous throughout the neighborhood. Billie Matney recently purchased one.
Mr. Hanes of Mtn. Grove has just completed a fine concrete cellar for E.E. Ellington.
Rev. A.L. Babb erected a marble monument to the memory of Albert Earls.
The man with a new idea is a crank until it is a success. – Mark Twain
One firm at Monroe City recently rushed 15,000 geese to market. The geese cost $2 each, and while they were being held by the produce firm they consumed 150 bushels of corn a day.
Lettie Wallace entertained the 7th and 8th grades at her home.
The party at Hugh Reids was enjoyed by a large crowd.
Sunday school at Bethany was dismissed until spring on account of bad weather and lack of interest.
At the recent International Live Stock Exposition at Chicago, the University herd of show cattle and hogs won $1300 prize money.
No more Rats or mice, after you use Rat-Snap. It’s a sure rodent killer. Rats killed with Rat-Snap leave no smell. Cats or dogs won’t touch it. Guaranteed.
There will be a music party at Ed McBrides’ New Years night. Everybody invited.
Everybody around Sweden wished Mr. and Mrs. Otis Welton a great success in life as newlyweds.
There will be a New Years dinner at John Thompsons and a New Years party at Mr. Edmonds.
About 100 head of cattle passed through enroute from Gainesville to Rogersville where they will be fed during the winter.
Mr. Rusk painted his house.
Miss Mamie Ellison, about 24 years old, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Ellison died from complication of diseases following an illness of a few weeks.
A Detroit dispatch states that members of the locals of the Automobile, Aircraft and Vehicle Workers of America, who are members of the American Legion, have been ordered to resign from the Legion within 30 days or pay a fine of $100.
A very interesting basketball game was played at the opera house between the high school girls and the town girls. The score was 7 to 6 in favor of the school team.
125 Years ago
Great excitement exists at Stillwater over the burning of the county court house and records. It is openly charged that on or more of the old county officers who will be displaced were responsible for the fire to cover up crookedness for the past 5 years.
Green Barker, a wealthy farmer, slashed Will Slattery with a knife. Worry over the affair caused Barker’s mother to become violently insane and she died.
John Smith and his bride of a week were found in bed dead, asphyxiated by gas. It is presumed they failed to turn off the gas properly upon retiring.
Senator Martin visited the White House yesterday with two actresses. President Cleveland gave each of his visitors a rose, a photograph of himself and his autograph.
At a meeting of the college presidents of Indian, it was decided to forbid intercollegiate football.
Sterling Ballew of Columbus, MO committed suicide by taking two ounces of laudanum because Farmer Elli’s daughter refused to marry him.
Leo Green was to have married Mae Patton at Roanoke, MO, but did not appear. John Key took his place. A.G. Cowdy and Mis Maggie Patton, a sister of Miss Me, accompanied the couple and, to the surprise of their friends, were also married.
Highwaymen along the Hennepin canal are now operating in the garb of women.
Two New York women celebrated Christmas by giving birth to babies – one in a telegraph office and the other on the steps of Dr. Talmage’s residence.
George W. Babcock, a boy of 14, is the champion milker of Platte county.
One third of the cases on the January docket of the Audrain circuit court are divorce cases.
Small quantities of buttermilk given every 15 minutes is said to be an excellent remedy for diphtheria.
If you have made any good resolutions for the year 1895, stick to ‘em.
There was a surprise party at Mr. F Harts and everybody reports a good time.
Postmaster Schnelle of Golden City, MO, has resigned to become manager of a threshing machine company.
Dominick McCaffrey, the once well know professional boxer, was locked up in New York on a $3 fine for being drunk. He could not pay the fine.
Roy Hightshoe died from the effects of an overdose of medicine administered by his parents.
A call was issued for a mass meeting of this place for the purpose of securing food and supplies to be sent to the destitute districts in Nebraska.
The St. Joseph, Mo, Commercial bank, which failed recently, will begin paying its depositors in full next week. The only losers will be the stockholders.
In Philadelphia six horses and two mules were killed by coming in contact with deadly electric light wires which were blown down by a storm.
Postmaster J.S. Jobe of Bennetstown, Ky, aged 50, eloped with Miss Bettie Carter, aged 20 year.
