Looking Backwards
25 Years Ago
Daylight Saving Time Returns. Turn your clocks FORWARD one hour this Sunday.
Raymond and Carrie Sellers and grandchildren, Ron and Leslie Sellers, McCarthy of St. Louis went fishing. Their cookout turned out better than their fishing. They didn’t catch any fish.
On the 27th anniversary of the death of former member, Captain George Lakey, Mt. Tabor Church members erected a new steeple on the church.
Beulah Gentry, who for many years has served as society editor for the Douglas County Herald, announced this week that she is retiring.
Ava Women’s Chamber plans an Easter egg hunt.
A dual birthday party was given at the Squires Fire House. The two celebrating birthdays were Julia Spurlock, who turned 1 year old, and her daddy, Randy Spurlock.
Lana Frye was honored with a baby shower at the country home of her friend, Tracy Smart, in Mtn. Grove.
The next meeting of Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees will feature a director of Arkansas Nature Conservancy speaking about their conservation program.
Linda & Archie Furgeson and Darrel & Beverly Kirk announce the birth of a grandson, Ryan Gene. The parents, Randall and Lynell Kirk, and sister Alyssa Diane, welcomed him home.
Douglas County officials Kathleen Potter, treasurer, Evelyn Cantwell, public administrator, and Tommy Roberts, circuit clerk/recorder, attended a day-long ethics seminar for elected and appointed officials sponsored by Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon.
A host of family and friends gathered in the Goodhope General Baptist sanctuary for Bro. Mike Freeman’s ordination service.
This month, Bill Frye took third place at Bulls Gap, TN, first place at Kingsport, TN, and first place at Gadsden, AL. Saturday, the West Plains Speedway will hold the MLRA Special race.
The Ava High School track team opened with a strong home meet, finishing 3rd behind Cabool and West Plains in an eight-team meet.
Plainview is now hooked up to the state wide Internet Program on the Technology Acquisition Grant computer. The school can receive E-Mail from all over the world. Tim Jenkins has been trained in Internet.
Cindy A. Calhoun has been awarded a Missouri Southern State College Regents’ Scholarship.
50 Years Ago
Members of the Board of Education met with Jack Hood, of Hood-Rich, architects for the proposed addition to the junior high and senior high schools.
Students from the Ava schools will present a talent show in the Ava High School gym under sponsorship of the Ava PTA.
Dinner guests in the Jack Brasheres home to help Jack celebrate his birthday were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Brasheres and family, Mr. and Mrs. Mack Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Miller and baby, and Mr. and Mrs. Tom Giffin.
Ava’s new city water well is half completed since drilling began early this month.
The Rebekah Sunbeam Club met in the home of Mrs. Jerry Calvin for a pot luck supper. She was assisted by Mrs. Elbert Luna.
Mrs. Marie Garrison was hostess to the Retired Service Wives Club. Those present were Mesdames Frances Wyant, Virginia Boyce, Margaret Williams and Shirley Foster.
Mr. Leonard Hagerman recently purchased a 240 acre farm from Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Gunnels west of Ava.
Mr. and Mrs. James McCleskey of Royal Oak, MI, have been visiting Mr. and Mrs. Orville Bushong, Dorothy and Faye this week.
A new flower shop, Vera’s Flowers, owned an operated by Mrs. Vera Rose and John S. Robinson. It will occupy the building that formerly housed the maples Cafe on North Jefferson.
A Rainbow Girls bake sale and shoe shine will be held Saturday on the square.
A strange coincidence in the Mansfield hospital was the fact two ladies occupying the same room, had the names: Day and Knight.
Mrs. Lee Russell received for her birthday a beautiful potted honeysuckle, which was covered with blooms.
Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Roberts and son Kirk, and Mr. and Mrs. Dee Haden were Sunday night supper guests of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Haden.
Clyde Bruner, Ava, is among 1981 enrolled for the spring trimester at Oklahoma State Tech.
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Lee Baker announce the birth of a baby girl, Gayle Lynn. Mrs. Baker is the former Pauletta Walker.
Boy Scouts of Troop 168 spent last weekend camping at the Boy Scout Camp Arrowhead, at Marshfield. They planted 500 short leaf pine and black walnut trees as part of the conservation day. Scouts participating were: Doyle Cox, Ronnie Cox, Junior Fleetwood, Rickey Ross, Douglas Watson, Robert Lindley, Allen Dye, Ronnie Dye, Steve McGarry, Dewayne Stephens, Jeff Farris, Gary Prince, Ronnie Allen, Rickey marting, Leslie Heriford, Kris Norman, David Gardenhire, Patrick Lane, and Randy Heriford.
Nine out of ten forest fires are caused by people.
The RoyRoyals Extension Club met in the home of Mrs. Jerry Hawkins. The meeting was called to order by the secretary, Mrs. Tom Cunningham, with four people present.
75 Years Ago
The Bank of Hammond, in Ozark county, was robbed by a lone masked man, who tied the assistant cashier, Paul Johnson, with bailing wire and walked out of the bank with an estimated $3,900 in silver and currency.
The Ava grade school cagers and a team composed of freshmen and sophomores took first place in their respective brackets in the annual Job tournament at Forsyth.
Private George E. Roy, of the 30th Infantry Division, who has been taking part in the campaign in Germany, and Private Hershel Miller, of the same division, were promoted from private to private first class.
The sale of the Douglas County Cheese Factory to Frank Baker, of Herman, Mo, was announced by Mr. and Mrs. D.J. Bender, who have operated the factory for the past three years.
More than two hundred students of the Ava schools will be in Seymour to take part in the Altitude League spring music festival.
Master Technical Sergeant Fred Harris of the United States Marines, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bud Harris of Ava, was killed in action during the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Only two men from Douglas County, Roy Albert Harnden and Cleon William Barner, will report Friday to Jefferson Barracks for induction into the armed forces.
Sergeant Vernon V. Coble, paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Division, a prisoner in Stalag 3C, Germany, has been released from the prison.
Mrs. John Holt entertained a large group of children in her home on Maple street in compliment to her son, Donnie, who was celebrating his 12 birthday anniversary.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cross of Licking came to Ava to attend the wedding of her daughter, Miss Darlene, and Aviation Radioman Virgil Ellis.
Mr. and Mrs. Norris Johnson and two sons entertained a family group in their country home in compliment to Mrs. Johnson’s mother, Mrs. Pearl Elliot, who was celebrating her birthday anniversary.
A bill is pending in the House that would set up a bonus plan for war veterans based on a payment of $10 a month for each month of service, with a maximum of $750 for any individual.
Ration Reminder for Meats and Fats: Red stamps Q5, R5, S5 expire March 31.
Men Wanted: A large food processor in Indiana needs workers for packing food for the Army. All men from 18 to 60 may apply. Good wages and overtime. No experience required.
Mrs. Pauline Klineline returned to Wichita, KS, where she is employed in the Beech Aircraft Company, after a visit in Ava with her husband’s mother, Mrs. Lillian Klineline.
Once again, it is time for the Easter Bunny. Greet him with a new hair do. – Jo Holt Beauty Shop
Those graduating this year from Peavine school are Miss Louise Cole, Voyne Hall, Lena Burgin, A.D. Fuller, Vernita Hall, Juanita Hall, Junior Burgin and Elnora Maitland.
100 Years Ago
Mr. Arney and the boys of the agriculture class just completed a splendid glass covered hot bed, located on the east side of the campus.
Airplanes are being used by the American government to chase smugglers through the skies, this action necessary on account of attempts to bring liquor from Canada to the United States by airplane.
The “23,000 New Millionaires” who made their fortunes out of the war may have to pay, in additional taxes, the $2,000,000,000 needed by the Government for the soldiers’ bonus, and also the $1,000,000,000 required to clear up the floating Treasury deficit.
In a boxing match at the opera house, Kid Sroufe of Houston was defeated by Bob Riley, local champion, in the third round.
Elbert Boyer and Raymond Fowler, who went from Mansfield to Sapulpa, Okla., on the promise of high wages write home that they were deceived and have to work for poor wages.
Although Missouri is the 18th state in area, it is first in number of poultry and annual sales of poultry products.
Mr. and S.A. Russell received word from their daughter, Delpha, who is attending high school at Ava, that she had taken teacher’s examination and expects to teach next fall.
Church at Blanche is dismissed on account of small pox.
The Washington state legislature ratified the proposed suffrage amendment to the federal constitution this week, being the 35th state to ratify. Ratification by one more state is required to give the women of the nation the privilege of voting for President and Vice-President at the coming election.
J.B. Harris and family and I.R. Strong of Holdenville, Okla., motored to Ava last week on a business mission and visit to friend. Mr. Strong was formerly in the mercantile business in Ava.
R.L. Story has sold his residence property in the northeast part of the city to Mrs. Kitty Kyle. The stock of goods and store building belonging to Mrs. Kyle was acquired by Mr. Story in the deal.
Mrs. W.F. Reynolds and daughter Ruth were shopping in Springfield this week.
George Walker, Iva Graham, Carrie Denney and Little Peter Shindler visited Huckleberry school.
A Marriage License was issued to Joshie W. Mears, Denlow, and Matilda Elam, Cold Springs.
Mrs. Will Deckard was killed by a freight train at Mansfield, her attention was being attracted by another train when she was struck.
Henry Burke resigned his school at Peavine last week in favor of Miss Myrtle McDonald. On account of the prolonged siege of the flu he feared to tackle school for a while yet.
Mr. A. Gobble and Lute Anderson accompanied by Dora Riley motored To Blanche.
The birthday party given at the W.K.P. Lee home in honor of their son, George, was well attended.
125 Years Ago
Chariton County has a girl 25 years old who chews tobacco like an old-timer.
Moberly Mo has a Democratic organization known as the Rabbit Foot Club.
Under the direction of the Board of Health the pupils in the public schools at Gallatin are being vaccinated.
While absent from home the residence of John Combs was burglarized. Three diamond rings and a gold watch were stolen.
Roy Daniels, 12, of Westboro can preach a sermon on almost Biblical subject.
William Moore partook of a hearty dinner and as he arose fell to the floor dead from heart disease.
In Louisville barber shop is employed a little boy to keep the flies off the patrons of the place in summer and act as general utility man in the winter.
Miss Hattie Morgan, from near Mansfield, is at present making her home with Mr. and Mrs. Ben J. Smith.
The first circus this season struck the town yesterday. They will entertain the crowd this afternoon and evening.
Constable Hailey and deputy took prisoners two men who are charged with pilfering and burning a house belonging to a Mr. Burgess.
Hon. Norman A. Mosley, congressman from this district, was married at Dexter to Miss Effie Smith.
The supper and concert given by the Ava Cornet Band was largely attended.
Ames Row is contemplating a trip to north Missouri in the near future. Judging from his appearance some girl must have “sacked” him, as he seems to be out of his head.
Cooking by electricity is being demonstrated in England and is surely one of the probabilities of the near future.
People are bothering Mr. Kipling by requesting for the pen with which he wrote the jungle stories. And it may have been a typewriter.
The bill prohibiting the sale of oleomargarine or imitation butter under other than it’s true guise was passed.
Senator Mott’s bill to prevent the docking of horses’ tails was passed.
House bill requiring trolley wires of street railways to be strung 22 feet above railroad crossings passed.
House bill making eight hours a legal day’s work for corporations. Lost.
Carrie Pollard scaled the St. Elizabeth Hospital wall at Lafayette, Ind., and escaped from the nuns.
Mrs. Henrietta Gray was held as accessory to the death of her babe, which was found in a well at Kirkwood, Ill.
President Cleveland and family will spend the summer at Gray Gables.
St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated at Washington and other places.
