Looking Backwards
25 Years Ago
Jarrett Dougherty of Ava accepted a position playing drums with Barbara Fairchild’s band in Branson for the 1995 season.
Weston State, 9, a Webelos Scout, earned a second place ribbon for his age division and a third place medal during the championship round at the Pinewood Derby.
Jessie Purtle and Tonya and Dave Titus enjoyed lunch at the Highway House Cafe.
Bradleyville student Andrew Bilyk, son of Brenda Berberich and Peter Bilyk, won second place in the 7th grade division of the Reeds Spring Spelling Bee.
Bradley Chaney, son of Kathleen and Roger Chaney, took first place in the 3rd grade division.
Bobby and Trish (Wagoner) Loveland, Ava, announce the birth of a son, Jacob Aaron.
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Potter, Kristy, Kelly, Kerry Potter, Jeff Wasson and Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Moore drove to Ava after church and had lunch at the Village Inn.
Wildfire has burned many acres this spring due to people setting fire and allowing it to escape.
Congratulations to the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Owns. Chris is the grandson of Roy and Glenda Lee.
Richard Potter caught two large spoonbills on the James River near Galena. Potter said the fish averaged 25 pounds each.
There will be something new during Poke Salat Days this year. The Chamber of Commerce, along with Bill and Peg McLerran, will be sponsoring a clogging contest.
The Tate and Tetrick reunion will be Sunday at the Community Center. Doors will open at 10am. Lunch served at 12.
The Ozark Mountain Players received a grant of $5282.59 from Wal-mart toward the construction of a permanent outdoor community theater.
January Students of the Month at Ava Middle School are: Tabitha McFarlin, 6th grade; Kim Harvill, 5th grade, Lindsay Snelson, 7th grade; J.J Harley, 8th grade. LeAnn O’Dell is Athlete of the month.
Mrs. Bessie Hall babysat her great-grandsons Jesse and Stephen while their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Johnson, were at work.
Some of the school board members and administrators walked through the elementary and middle school buildings, as well as the new middle school gymnasium and the new high school classroom addition that are currently under construction.
50 Years Ago
Army Specialist Four Daniel M. Holt, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Holt, Ava, was assigned as a motion picture photographer with the 1st Signal Brigade in Vietnam.
Willard Coonts, operator of a general store in Evans, has been charged with felonious assault in connection with a stabbing at Hutch’s Country Club Tavern near here.
Joseph D. Hamby, son of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Hamby, Smallet, was recently promoted to Army Specialist Five. He has been in the Army for two years.
Donnie D. Strong, 22, North Kansas City, Mo, charged for improper parking; fined $1 and costs.
Mr. Daryle E. McCarthy, a graduate of Mt. Zion Bible School, won an all-expense trip to the Middle East and Palestine for a winning essay on “Lenin, a False Prophet.”
Stretch pants and bell bottoms reduced to $1.88 at Big Oak Bargain Centers, Ava, Mansfield.
Missouri set a new attendance record at the four state parks on opening day of trout fishing with 10,116 daily tag sales. The previous record was 9,104 set in 1969.
Mr. and Mrs. Zook and family returned to their former home after buying the Raymond Smith farm, formerly the Pat Sagerser farm. Mr. and Mrs. Smith moved down east of Ava.
Spring officially arrives tomorrow, but “Old Man Winter” made his presence known to all of the Ozarks by dumping over a foot of snow on Douglas County while other areas received as much as two feet.
John Olson visited with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Olson at their home west of Ava. John is a senior student at the University of Missouri-Rolla and is a member of Eta Kappa Nu and Scafford and Blade fraternities. He is also chairman of the judicial board at Thomas Jefferson Resident Hall where he lives.
Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Lakey of Ava announce the birth of a baby daughter, Janell Iris.
A birthday party was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Elliott for their daughter, Gayle, who was celebrating her 12th birthday. Attending the party were Mr. and Mrs. Larry Case and family of Sparta, Mrs. Reva Case, Alice Coats, and Becky Fitzgerald.
Frank Bray of Goodhope, known to friends and neighbors as Uncle Frank, was 90 years old when he walked across his neighbor’s fields to the home of his son, Clarence, who was celebrating his 62nd birthday.
Dwain Moore of Ava has been named manager of Town and Country Super Market in Gainesville. Moore was previously manager of Ava Town and Country market.
Mrs. Harold Hutchison entertained the Ava Art Group of SMMA in her home. During the business meeting, officers were elected: Mrs. Harold Hutchison, president; Mrs. Robert Crain, secretary; Mrs. Bill Davis, treasurer.
People who count their blessings are usually too busy to number their misfortunes.
75 Years Ago
Douglas county is lagging in the drive for funds for the Red Cross War Fund. With a quota of $6,800 to be met, 55 school districts have reported a total of $5,165.85.
The Ava Junior High cagers defeated Rogersville, 29 to 18 at Marshfield to take first place in the Altitude League Junior High tournament.
Hurse Smith called a meeting of all persons interested in organizing a softball league for Ava during the summer months.
Roy E. Nokes, 22, son of Mrs. Mabel Herndon, Seymour, MO, has been promoted from staff sergeant to technical sergeant.
The Bryant extension club met at the home of Mrs. Albert Wallace. Fourteen members were present, and after business was disposed of, refreshments were served.
Restaurants not customarily open 24 hours a day are to close at midnight under the war mobilization curfew request.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Walker of Dogwood received word that their son, Staff Sergeant Doyle Walker, arrived safely in France. Sergeant Walker is serving with the 343rd Infantry.
Dick Stephens is convalescing in the Ozark’s Osteopathic hospital in Springfield after undergoing an appendectomy there last week.
Ensign Paul Barker, who left Ava after a short leave, returned to the east coast, expecting to be sent immediately to a combat theater.
When in Mountain Grove, eat at the New Rainbow Cafe, south side of the square.
Corporal and Mrs. Kay Yeoman left Ava to return to Harvard, NE where the corporal is stationed at a B-29 airbase. The Yeomans came to Ava to be with the corporal’s brother, Lieutenant Charles Yeoman, who was on furlough from overseas duty with the Army Air Corps.
Miss Una Ellison spent the weekend in St. Louis as a guest of her friends, Mr. and Mrs. O.W. Woods. The highlight of Miss Ellison’s weekend was seeing the showing of the Ice Capades of 1945.
A family reunion was held in the Emmitt Jennings home when all of their sons were at home together, the first time in nearly 11 years.
Virgil Ellis, an Aviation Radio Man in the U.S. Navy, arrived in Ava to spend his leave with his mother. Accompanying him to Ava was his fiance, Miss Darlene Summers of St. Louis.
The regular 4-H Club meeting was held at the home of the leader, Mrs. Woodrow Gray.
Several attended the dinner at Bakersfield in honor of the teacher and pupils. Elsie Shannon closed a very successful term of school.
Bill Simpson of the U.S. Navy left last week. While here he was married to Miss Fern Richardson.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rebmann sold their farm and have bought another farm three miles east of Mountain Grove.
100 Years Ago
Eight thousand dollars in gold coin and a large sum of paper money was dug from the ruins of a jewelry store at Platte City, owned by L.W. Recht, which burned on Christmas. Recht distrusted banks and hid his money in the store.
County Clerk E.C. Bunch has received the first shipment of service medals for Douglas county men who participated in the world war. These beautiful bronze medals are gifts from the State of Missouri to Missouri heroes.
Judging from the amount of feed being hauled out of Ava daily to be consumed by cattle and other live stock, the farmers will welcome an early spring this year.
The Willard Literary Society has elected the following officers: Pres., Thelma Spurlock; Vice-Pres., Charles Frost; Sec., Opal Fletcher; Asst.-Sec., Doyne Burdett; Atty., Joe Nevils; Sgt. at Arms, Charles McFarlin; Pianist, Doyne Burdett.
Arrangements are being made for the repair of the track for the spring track work. We have high hopes of a winning team.
Ava is to have a new rural route, according to information received by postmaster T.H.E. Mathis of Ava from the postal department. The new route will cover a distance of 27 miles.
The 1920 crop from a six acre strawberry field in the Ozarks was recently sold for $2100.
The bodies of about 50,000 of the American dead in France will be returned to the United States, while between 20,000 and 25,000 will remain permanently interred overseas.
The following have authorized us to announce their candidacy for various offices: For Representative in the Legislature – J.E. Nevils, Ava Mo; For State Senator 19th District – Dr. Guy B. Mitchell, Branson, Mo; For Prosecuting Attorney – Lz Banta, Ava Mo.
Irby’s have completed their well at Joe Finger’s and are now drilling at A. Gardner’s.
R.B. McCullough has installed a phone in his residence, and has been getting acquainted with his neighbors.
Henry Burke is again on the streets after a six week siege of the flu.
The Ava Lodge Modern Woodmen took in a class of 13 new members last week.
Miss Ella Smith who is employed as clerk in the Reynolds store spent the week end with his parents and other relatives near Sweden.
Arthur Brown of Noble and Blufford Luna of Rockbridge, Ozark Co., were in Ava this week buying feed for their cattle.
Gorman Dye, son of Mrs. Kirk of this city, and who has been employed at the Harvey Houses in Springfield for several months, is visiting Ava this week. He says he is going to join the navy within a few days.
Judge Scherer has bought more goats. The Judge evidently doesn’t like to cut sprouts.
Nelson is distributing tomato seed almost daily. He will bring seed to every country canner and to each one of our growers in plenty of time for planting – Howard Hitchcock & Sons.
125 Years Ago
Mrs. Prettyman of Holden attended supper the other night, and not only found an oyster in her soup, but a pearl in her oyster valued at $75. She has sent it East to be set.
The Pastime Athletic Club of Hannibal has disbanded on account of noninterest by the members in athletics.
The Irondale Farming and Mining Company’s office was entered and the safe blown open. Four thousand dollars in funds were taken.
There are 75 postmasterships to be filled by President Cleveland on his return from his duck-shooting trip.
In the Gilbert murder trial at St. Charles, Mo., Frank Williams was sentenced to 48 years in the pen.
Mayor Truex, of West Plains, has issued a proclamation establishing a quarantine against the cities of St. Louis, Hot Springs, and other places in this state and Arkansas as are effected with small pox.
The docket for the coming term of the circuit court contains 37 criminal cases, 57 civil and 3 ex-parte proceedings. Most of the criminal cases are of not much importance, being principally misdemeanors. Besides these there are over 225 tax suits.
Representative Crosby challenged Representative South to fight a duel in the Arkansas House.
Silver has been discovered by a Mr. Hill on his farm near Holden, and it is believed to exist in paying quantities.
Etta Hancock of Columbia secured a verdict of $3,500 against Dr. James S. Blackwell for libel.
A new schoolhouse has been completed at Houston, and is a thing of beauty.
They are giving carpet rag-tacking parties at Bloomfield.
Charlesville public schools closed two months earlier than usual this year on account of no money being in the treasury with which to pay expenses.
Bills of Congress will hereafter be engrossed by printing instead of manuscript.
Mrs. Mollie Carruthers, who poisoned three of her children near Paris, Tex., is starving herself to death.
Matt Blunt was killed and John Grace injured by an explosion of dynamite in a mine at Aurora, Mo.
Today, Sunday, for the first time in the history of Sedalia, every one of the 30 saloons in this city was closed, front, side and rear doors, being securely locked against the regular and irregular customers. The saloonkeepers held a meeting and entered an agreement to close at midnight on Saturday and to remain closed until 5am Monday.
