Looking Backwards
25 Years Ago
Voting in the annual city and school elections this April will take on a new dimension. The traditional paper ballot with squares to mark will be replaced with a punch-card ballot.
Gordon Dye, Cindy Smith, Paula Ousley joined Bessie Kellogg and son, Tommy, to celebrate Charles Kellogg’s 91st birthday.
The Past Matrons & Patrons Club of the 46th District, O.E.S., met in the Mtn. Grove Masonic Temple dining room.
Tootie and Tylene Coonts and Taylor Lee spent Sunday with Donnie, Darlene and Rocky Coonts.
Shawn Swerengin’s sixth grade basketball team won first place at Mtn. Grove.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Riley went to Seymour to visit Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Sanders on Saturday.
Fonzo Frye flew to Jacksonville, Florida, last weekend to watch his son, Bill, race.
Ava School Board renewed the contracts of all school principals: Dean Watson, elementary school; Jess Blevins, middle school; Phil Cook, high school; and Rex Sawyer, assistant high school principal.
Mrs. Shirley Piland called on Mr. and Mrs. Jim Nooncaster. She took an apple pie. Mrs. Lola Mather was there also
Mr. Keith Gimlin left for Florida where he will be trained one week as a lifeguard instructor, as he is now manager of White Water.
Ricky and Barbara (Lafferty) Ross announce the birth of their twins, Russell Dale and Rachelle Ann. They were welcomed by two brothers, Nicholas and Justin, and a sister, Tanisha.
The Ava High School Choir will be singing at Black Oak General Baptist Church.
The Cooley family reunion will be held at the McElldo Community Building in Mtn. Grove. A pot luck dinner will be enjoyed at noon.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James G. Jenkins, son of James W. and Sharon S. Jenkins, of Ava, is halfway through a six-month overseas deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The period between February and May is fire season in Missouri. Anytime you can kick up dust on a gravel road during that time you can have a wildfire.
Wayne and Sue Hartgraves had several friends over recently for a music party and everyone enjoyed Wayne’s vegetable soup and Sue’s pies.
Mrs. Esther Wrinkle visited a while with her sister, Irene Dooms of Ava, and attended the flower reading of George Proctor.
50 Years Ago
Ava High School will host the annual SCA mathematics and science fair in March.
Miss Connie Milligan, daughter or Mr. and Mrs. Bert Milligan of Seymour, became the bride of Larry L. Burnett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Burnett of Ava.
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Huffman announce the birth of a son, Shain Alan. Paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Huffman of Ava. Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Warren Snearly, also of Ava.
The boys of Scout Troop 168 extend thanks to local merchants for allowing them to use their windows to erect displays in recognition of Scout Week.
The House Shoe Store in Ava, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Harlan House, which has recently been enlarged to include a women’s and children’s department, will hold an official opening Saturday.
Continental Auto Supply opened here this week in the former Eslick building located a block north of the public square on Highway 5.
The Roy Boosters 4-H Club had a meeting and a Valentine party, with Phillip Woods, president, presiding.
Better to quote those who are wise than to be original and stupid.
Ava High School’s varsity cagers racked up their sixth win of the season with a non-conference victory over Hollister, 47-41.
The Cross Roads W.P.F.A. met at the M.F.A club room in Ava for an all-day meeting. Hostesses were Mrs. Carl Joslin, Mrs. Dorothy Tedder, and Mrs. Glen Norman.
Staff Sergeant Herman L. Hesterlee received the Army Commendation Medal in recognition of outstanding duty performance at previous duty stations. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Dalton Hesterlee of Ava.
The Ava school lunch menu for Thursday: Wieners and beans, lettuce salad, pineapple pudding, hot roll, butter, jelly and milk.
Mrs. Jean Snow hosted the Retired Service Wives Club for their monthly meeting. Those present were Mesdames Betty Holleman, Marie Garrison, Shirley Foster, Frances Wyant, and Margaret Williams.
The State Highway Patrol reported that only two Missouri counties came through 1969 without recording a traffic death – Gentry and Know Counties.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hutchison, of Madison, Wisc., left for a three week’s tour of South America. Mr. Hutchison, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hutchison, of Ava, is a travel agent in Madison.
Delmer Coffey was at Ava, Monday, getting parts for his tractor.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Cox kept their three grandchildren Sunday while their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Beason attended the funeral of Claude Gaulding.
There’s just no dinner better than a nice, juicy turkey with some good gravy and a little cranberry goo and stuffing…except, maybe if the turkey is illegally killed and there’s a conservation agent sitting outside the house watching.
Members of the Ava Rainbow girls will be conducting a house-to-house canvass for the Heart Fund drive.
75 Years Ago
Staff Sergeant Chester W. Hartley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Hartley of Ava is currently assigned to the AAF Redistribution Station No. 4 at Santa Ana Army Air Base.
The Ava High Bears, ceded as one of the two top teams in the Cabool regional basketball tournament, will meet Thayer there tonight.
The Harry Martin home was sold last week to Mr. and Mrs. Will Hale. Their daughter, Mrs. Denzil Barnes and her two children will make it their home.
A revival meeting is starting at the Mound Fundamental Baptist Church all week with evangelist Rev. Albert Pringle of Lebanon.
Mrs. Pauline Johnson named her new son, Jacky Lee. He was born Feb. 14.
The Bryant extension club met at the home of Mrs. Christian. Twelve members and three visitors were present. Valentines were exchanged.
Willlard Smith is home on furlough. He has been overseas two years and was wounded once while in Germany.
Miss Georgia Plumb, who is serving as an aviation machinist’s mate second class in the U.S. Navy at Dallas, Texas, will leave Ava today to return to her base after spending 12 days here with her mother and brother.
Mrs. William Aelem entertained with a surprise birthday dinner honoring Mr. Aelem, Mrs. Mattie Thompson and Donna Lea Wilhite, all of whom were celebrating birthdays on that day.
Staff Sergeant and Mrs. Charles Phillips, Jr., of Detroit, Michigan came to Ava last week and will remain in the family home this week.
Mrs. J.B. Cummins entertained the members of the Le Bon Vivant club. The group played five rounds of auction bridge.
Playing at the Avalon – Million Dollar Kid, Hail to the Rangers, and Christmas Holiday (with Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin).
Fred Baumgardner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Baumgardner underwent an appendectomy at St. Margaret’s hospital in Kansas City. Bobby Gene Ferguson, who had gone to Kansas City to be with Freddie, was taken ill and rushed to the same hospital where an emergency appendectomy was performed.
A revival started at Roy Union Church by Rev. John Hathcock. Everybody invited.
Harold Joe Dobbins is Absent from school this week on account of measles.
The WCTU met at the home of Mary Oliver for their regular monthly session.
Miss Jo Anna Wallen had the misfortune of breaking her leg last Wednesday.
The Mildrew Matthews Circle met with Mrs. Doyne Warren for an afternoon study.
The National Education Association reports that 280,000 teachers have abandoned the profession since Pearl Harbor.
100 Years Ago
There will be a double header basketball game at the Opera House between the Ava and Mansfield boys’ teams and the Ava and Mansfield girl’s teams.
The Governors of the various states that have not yet ratified the Federal suffrage Amendment will receive telegrams demanding immediate consideration and prompt action by the legislatures.
Harry Berger, 18 year old son of Mrs. Maud Berger, died following a short illness caused by influenza followed by pneumonia.
Chas. H. Grace, deputy federal income tax collector of Kansas City, will be in Ava to assist parties subject to the federal income tax in making out their returns.
The Promological Society of America awarded Stark Bros. the Wilder Medal, the most prized honor in the horticultural world for their discovery and culture of their Golden Delicious Apple.
Last week Hitchcock Factory Co. shipped out about $200 worth of brooms.
J. H. Smith of Sergeant was picked up in Cabool for running his car without 1920 license plates on it. It cost Mr. Smith $32.60.
Tina Hedrick, who confessed that she attempted to kill her 4 month old baby by throwing it from the window of a train as she neared her home, will be tried for murder.
Matt Brown of Buckhart was in Rockbridge last week having blacksmith work done.
The stork visited the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Spurlock last week and left them a fine baby boy.
Guy Bridges and Will Robinson are buying hogs in our vicinity this week.
Strayed–one small light roan yearling heifer; mostly red head and neck;. under half crop in the right ear, and a smooth crop off the left. Will pay for any information. T.D. Tooley, Vanzant Mo.
The well drillers are now at Mr. Fingers drilling a well.
Charley Walker was taken to Ava to receive medical treatment for articular rheumatism.
C.H. Norman has been over on Cowskin plastering a house for Sam Hart.
J.L.B. Harnden returned to his home in Ava last week from his visit to Washington D.C.
The announcement of J.E. Nevils, candidate for re-election to the Legislature, appeared in the Herald this week.
Notice – Anyone guilty of throwing anything in ditches along public roads that will obstruct the road or cause the water to damage the road bed is subject to a fine. – H.M. Fry, Overseer Dist. 22.
All married persons with an income of $2,000 during 1919, and single persons with an in come of $1,000 or more must file state income tax returns as well as federal tax returns.
Rev. and Mrs. Geo. Pease and children were entertained at dinner at the W.F. Reynolds home.
Two hundred and fifty women students of the State University are on record opposed to all styles of dancing which could be considered objectionable.
125 Years Ago
Fort Scott, Kansas saloons and gambling houses have been closed.
Frank Evans stabbed Ed Martin to the heart over a trivial matter.
The grand jury presented indictments against Benjamin Norton, president of the Atlantic Railway Co, and Superintendent Daniel J. Quinn, charging them with a violation of the ten-hour law in exacting overtime of employees.
Hannibal has a moccasin factory which employs 103 hands.
The Ladies’ reading circle of Boonville is studying the “Taming of the Shrew.”
Ice water is still plentiful in the Goodhope area.
Jack Willson will move his saw mill down south of Buckhart, in the near future.
W.M. Fisher lost a very valuable horse the other day. Mr. Fisher is a poor man and is not able to stand the loss.
Land buyers are a still flocking into Douglas county.
The Thornfield Normal will give an entertainment on Washington’s Birthday.
Miller & Co are painting the front of their new store building. Mr. Gettings is doing the work.
We are having considerable trouble in getting our broken press fixed, and it may be two weeks before we can again issue our usual sized paper.
Matthew Chamberlain who had been confined in the county jail for non-payment of a fine for disturbing the peace, was discharged.
While Mrs. J.A. Payne was trying to do something to stop the bleeding on her husband’s hand, her dress caught fire and she came very near being serious if not fatally burned.
James Crisp, who shot John Pruett, his 19 year old cousin, is finally to be hung at Marshfield, Webster county.
Thomas Sell, of Ava, passed through town on his way to Springfield to attend business college.
Sam S. McMahan has been appointed postmaster to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Wm. McMahan.
The Douglas Co. Normal will begin the second session, with an able faculty of five members. The first session gained 60 per cent over the enrollment of last year, which speaks for itself.
The Methodists of Liberty have grown tired of ancient frame and will worship in the near future in modern brick.
Mrs. Morris, living about 12 miles west of Ava, is lying very sick.
A.A. Inman, brother of county clerk Inman, has been appointed Justice of the Peace for Richland township.
Most people can not afford to experiment. They want immediate relief. That’s why they use One Minute Cough Cure.
J.A. Hylton is a candidate for school commissioner subject to the action of the voters at the annual school meeting.
Ballard Wilson was found frozen to death on the farm of his son. Wilson, who is about 90 years old, has been living with his son B.E. Wilson. He had the habit of going out of the house and wandering about the farm until some one found him and took him back.