Looking Backward
25 Years Ago
Graduates of the first Douglas County EXCEL Class, a three-month leadership development course, are: Oren Alcorn, Donna Alcorn, Marie Bristol, Judy Ross, Bobbie Vinson, Stanley Solomon, Donna Hall, Tim Stanton, Jerry Adam, Junior Fleetwood, Ralph Calhoun, Dennis Uhles, Stephen Lyons, Greg Watkins, Reggie Johnson, Jamie Loge and John Sutton.
Students can move into the new high school classroom addition.
Honor graduates at Plainview R-8 School are (left) Dustin Mitchell, valedictorian, and Brenda Willard, salutatorian.
Star Workers Club met in the home of Martha Stillings. The club voted to give $50 to the D.O.W. Camp for children.
Karen and Nicole Robertson spent a day in Silver Dollar City.
Thirty youth and adults enjoyed a pizza party at Brushyknob Church in spite of the inclement weather.
Kendall and Tammie Call proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Allison MaKalea.
Larry Maggard, Trisha and Willene Adams went to Pansy to get watercress.
Pinky Zirkle stopped by and visited with Beulah Creech and Bonnie Phipps.
A birthday diner and celebration was held in the home of Jack and Peggy Armstrong honoring her brother, Mac Mitchell.
The Ava Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for a group to serve spoke salat at this year’s Poke Salat Days event.
The Ava Golf Team are district champions and are headed to state. Members of the golf team are Sean Sweeney, Josh Flemming, Brendan Cooper, Josh Barnum, Justin Cox and Jeremy Loftin.
Turkey hunters checked 300 gobblers at check station in Douglas County during the 1995 spring firearms turkey season.
Dalene Mallernee, of Norwood, competed in the barrel racing event at the Martha Josey Easter Championship Clinic.
Marge Norman has filled the display case at the Douglas County Public Library with part of her cup and saucer collection.
Satan, like all fisherman, baits his hook according to the appetite of the fish.
Airman First Class Rustin A. Ryan called Sunday to check on his grandparents.
Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Caudill are driving a different car.
The election for the Silver Haired Legislature candidate for the House District #3 Douglas, Ozark and Taney County is Nancy Bolen.
Wishing all mothers a happy Mother’s Day and may your children be blessed.
50 Years Ago
Jerry Wood, 29, a native of Ava and owner and operator of Jerry’s Texaco Station here, this week purchased the OTASCO store from Mrs. Max Linder, who plans to retire.
Winners in the fishing derby held at the Country Club, in the one year to five year age group are: Scott Fleetwood, first place; Barton Howe, second place.
Jack Cox was transferred by Ava Ambulance Service to St. John’s Hospital.
Colleen Lakey cleaned house for Zelma Lakey.
Debbie Dent was elected president of a newly organized 4-H club at Vanzant.
Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Hays attended the bi-monthly meeting of District 5 of the Missouri State Chiropractor’s Association.
Albert Reese and Sherman Paul drove to Pensacola, Florida for a sightseeing trip before farm work becomes pressing.
Mrs. Vestal Taylor entertained four friends from Mexico, Missouri. Each year the ladies tour the Ozarks when the dogwood is in bloom.
Ethel Stillings, Dale Thomas and Elma Wiles mopped the Breedon church house.
The civic clubs of Branson are in the process of buying a tornado and civil defense warning system for Branson.
Willow Springs smoker who want to kick the habit will have their chance under a five-day plan to be conducted by the local Lions Club.
Miss Sherry Sims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bretney Sims, Ava, will graduate from the School of the Ozarks with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music.
John Brown was a lucky recipient of a mushroom that weighed 4 lbs and measured 26 1/2 inches around. It was found by Mrs. Naida Hartley and Mrs. Goldene Hart.
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Davis visited with Mr. and Mrs. Carl Johnson and attended the family reunion. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had all their nine children and their families home for the first time in several years.
Two Springtime goose hunters near here forgot two things – first that there is no spring goose season and second to watch out for the conservation agent.
Pfc. Robert D. Spindler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elton Johnston of Ava, began special forces training with the Green Berets at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Mrs. Zona Singleton and Miss Odie Surguine of Ava visited with Mrs. Maude Switzer.
Three students in food science and nutrition were presented $250 Armour Food Science Awards at the annual Ag Club Banquet at the University of Missouri, Columbia. They were Charles Brown, Osceola; Tim Moloney, Licking; and Jim Bolte, Ava.
Four nurses from Chastain’s of Ava attended instruction on Stroke and Its Aftermath at Drury College. Those attending from Ava were Mrs. Ruth Gipe, director of nurses, Mrs. Lavern Halstead, Mrs. Helen Welch and Mrs. Janice Gorman.
Hurry is a symptom of unorganized, unplanned, haphazard living.
75 Years Ago
More than a thousand persons stood with heads bowed in the high school gymnasium here as a chorus of adolescent voices led in the singing of the National Anthem as Ava paid tribute to the soldiers of the nation, and gave up their thanks to God for the end of hostilities with Germany.
Miss Ollie Ray Bloomer will leave Ava at the close of the current year to accept a position as English teacher in the Center Public Schools in Kansas City.
Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Silvey of Ava received word that their grandson, PFC Weldon Thompson, has been promoted to staff sergeant.
Rev. F.W.A. Bosch, pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian church of Springfield, will deliver the baccalaureate address to the graduating class of Ava High School.
Sergeant Boyd Horner, formerly of Rome, Missouri and several buddies tossed a hand grenade into a likely looking pool of water and took to camp enough fish to feed their entire company.
Construction of a concrete slab across Caney creek at Brown Branch will start within the next few days.
Fifty-six members of the senior class of Ava High School were in Springfield last week and had their pictures made at the may photo shop.
Rev. Rich of near Norwood who has been employed to paint the Brushyknob church, plans to do the work this week.
Decoration Day services will be held at the Turkey Creek cemetery. A basket dinner will be served during the noon hour.
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Rogers entertained Sunday with a luncheon party in honor of their daughter, Norma Jean, who was celebrating her eighth birthday.
Mrs. Carl Henley entertained the members of the Thimble club in her home. Mrs. Henley displayed her collection of salt and pepper shakers which consists of more than two hundred sets.
The monthly meeting of the Helping Hand club of Robertson community was held at the home of Mrs. Russell Warnky. The afternoon was spent in reupholstering a chair for Mrs. Goldie Ferrell.
Private Harold P. Swearengin, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.K. Swearengin, has won the right to wear the “Boots and Wings” of the United States Army Paratroops.
Mr. and Mrs. Everett Posey were entertained with a music party at their home. More than thirty friends and neighbors were present. The evening was spent listening to instrumental music and singing.
Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Haden were charivaried at the home of Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Haden at Smallett. Mr. Haden was ordered to roll his bride out onto the front porch in a wheelbarrow and dump her out. He carried out the orders to the delight of the spectators.
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Nall announce the birth of a ten-pound son, James Elliott. The Nalls are former Ava residents.
100 Years Ago
Gilbert M. Hall, convicted murderer of Old Man Elliot, near Cabool, was taken to the State penitentiary last week to begin a life sentence.
A marriage license was issued to S.W. Fox, Cedar Gap, and Oma Pruitt, Seymour.
Miss Elda Norman, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. R.M. Norman, carried away the individual honors in the annual Inter-Society debate contest of the Ava High School. Miss Norman was awarded a medal.
During the past two weeks we have sold $600.00 worth of brooms and $252.21 worth of fertilizer. – Howard Hitchcock & Sons.
Miss Cleo Souder died after a two-year illness with tuberculosis. Interment was made in the Souder Cemetery.
Wm. Byerley is suffering a relapse of measles.
Earnest Landers purchased a new cream separator.
Otis Sparks and Alfred Dennis left to search for work.
Ethel Kirkman and Blanche McMurtrey will leave to attend the sumer term of school at Ava.
Miss Ina McMurtrey will enter the Springfield Business College for a complete business course.
When your breath is bad, appetite poor, and you feel blue and discouraged, you need Herbine. One or two doses will set you right. It is a great system purifier. Price 60c. Sold by Norman-Gentry Drug Co.
John Haley planted cotton this week.
Oscar Hale made a business trip to West Plains.
The Ava ice plant is undergoing repairs this week preparatory to starting operation shortly.
G.W. Burchell, merchant of this city, lost a fine Holstein cow, killed by lightening at the King farm just west of the city.
A very interesting program was given in assembly of last week by the children of the second grade, Miss Lilla Mankin teacher. The program was much enjoyed by all.
E.B. Lefler of Mtn. Grove was in the city the first of this week.
County court will hear the claims of petitioners for a new road down Prairie Creek to Arno this week. It is claimed that the proposed new road is a necessity, as the route now in use is all but impassable.
Douglas County has 42 silos.
The class roll of Ava High School students receiving their diplomas are Hattie Harnden, Mrs. Mona Waters, Mrs. Ada Miller, Bruce Rippee, McKinley Heard, Bertha Chapman, Myrtle Jackson, Blanche Story, Agnes Stahl and Mrs. Nora Morgan.
Lawrence Biggs happened to such bad luck as to get the tongue broken out of his buggy.
Twenty-three more medals for Douglas county ex-service men have been received by County Clerk E.C. Bunch for distribution.
The thirteen-year locusts are due to appear in this country the latter part of next month. Locusts of this region do very little damage, but similar kinds in certain European countries are very destructive.
125 Years Ago
Mrs. Lavinia Kerr of Paris is 85 years old, yet she pieced and made with her own hands a quilt for the ex-Confederate Home at Higginsville.
Miss Beattle of Sikeston was elected School Commissioner of Scott County.
Henry Everhart of Georgetown fell into a pit of burning charcoal and severely scorched his arms and legs.
Mrs. Alexander Majors and her daughter have applied for admission into the Jackson County Poor House. Only a few years ago Mrs.Majors was rich, her husband being a senior partner in the famous firm of Brighton, Major, Russell & Waddell.
W.F. Guion, a young man living near Clinton, died from the effects of a kick in the stomach, administered by a young filly.
A mummified Indian woman and her baby created some curiosity in Hannibal.
Master Harry Perry, the 14-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. O.C. Perry of Clarence, who disappeared in March, turned up last week. He had traveled, mostly on foot, as far as Hannibal in search of adventure.
Greene County expects a large crop of apples, pears and plums.
The Milan Public School Library has 700 volumes.
Every business structure except a restaurant and a depot in the village of Sand Lake, MI, was destroyed by fire yesterday.
The animal known all over the west as the “California lion,” is recognized in other parts of the world as the puma, catamount, cougar or panther. It is nothing more than a large cat.
J.C. Byrd and wife visited their relatives near Thornfield last Sunday.
Dr. Henry Miller has had a neat drug sign painted over his drug store . Mr. Dry was the artist.
No marriage licenses issued this week, so reports Recorder Spurlock. We suppose it’s too hot to get married.
An excellent program is being arranged for commencement. There will be no graduates this year, but a large class will finish the first year’s course. Those completing the course in rhetoric will give public finals at the Normal.
A traveling dentist came to Ava last week and was going to pull all the old teeth in the country and fix up new sets for all who needed them. But, before he go things in shape he got badly out of shape himself by imbibing too much “tanglefoot.”
Many a man whose yacht costs $10,000 a year is too poor to rent a pew in church.
A review show that 6 per cent of bills introduced got through the last Congress.
The Cabinet’s photographs have been taken.
No Missourian has formally applied for the office made vacant by the death of Colonel Mansur.
It is reported that a horse meat packing establishment has been set up in Oregon.
