Looking Backward
25 Years Ago
Skyline R-2 School will double its classroom space when the addition, which is currently under construction, is completed.
Rex Halcomb and James Orick went fishing early Monday morning. They caught some nice largemouth bass.
Congratulations to Marion Stephenson on her 80th birthday. She had a surprise birthday party, then a motorcycle ride and a helicopter ride in Branson.
Gary and Lori Edwards of Mansfield announce the birth of their daughter, Melissa Leanne. Grandparents are Norman and Doris Harris, Ava, and Charles and Ann Edwards, Mansfield.
Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Lansdown were in Springfield helping their daughter Jill get moved in. Mr. and Mrs. Doug Lansdown also were there to help.
Scott Bloomquist won his first Show-Me 100 at the West Plains Motor Speedway showcase.
Cox Medical Center brought its “Baby Buggy” to Ava last week for exhibit during EMS week.
Wayne Applequist, rural mail carrier out of the Ava Post Office, is retiring after 39 weeks of government service.
Heather Roberson returned from a four-day canoe trip with friends from the Ozark Paddles Club.
The Brown-Burdan Family Reunion was held at the American Legion Hall in Ava.
The Hicks, Cox, Cole Reunion will be held at Dickerson Park Zoo at Springfield.
The annual Dye Reunion was held here Saturday.
The Kelley Reunion, in memory of Harry and Bessie Kelley was held at the Ava Lions Club.
Heath Rodgers is helping Danny Underwood do some fencing.
Geneva Hancock attended the get-together at New Hope Cemetery Memorial Day.
Dean Hughes took his parents Mr. and Mrs. Willard Hughes to Ava for the Sellers reunion.
Athletic Director Larry Silvey presented athletic scholarships to Daniel Brown, Terry Roberts and Brandon Ellison.
Judy Lovan presented the Principal’s Leadership Award to Emily Gressman.
Hellen Blakey presented the Michael Blakey Math Award to Jason Smith.
President’s Awards for Educational Excellence were presented by Supt. Maynard Wallace to Jennifer Corum, Michelle Olson, Kelly Lafferty, Jason Smith, Shalana Fleetwood and Emily Gressman.
Clinkingbeard Memorial Scholarship was presented to Brent Lakey at the FFA Banquet.
Scholarship awards, in memory of Kelly Wray, who would have been a member of the 1995 graduating class, were presented by Darrell and Debbie Wray, to Kelly Lafferty, Jennifer Corum and Missy Givans.
50 Years Ago
The Ava High School auditorium was nearly filled to capacity as 454 persons were served at the annual alumni banquet.
More than 700 persons attended the 58th annual Douglas County May Singing Convention.
Graduation exercises for 113 members of the Ava High School senior class will be held in the high school auditorium tonight.
Three new teachers were offered contracts for the coming year. They are Mrs. Betty Garrison, 29, to teach home economics; Richard Deakins, 23, to teach science; and Eric Spyres, 21, to teach vocal music.
A large crowd gathered on the Ava public square to witness the initiation of the 1970 graduates of Ava High School into the alumni association. Attire ranged from boys wearing women’s bathing suits, riding tricycles and wearing molasses covered feathers to girls in mens bib overalls.
Marvin and David Emerson, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight M. Emerson, of Crystal Lake Fisheries, won third place in the Teenage Division of the 9th Annual Current River Canoe Race.
Mr. and Mrs. Glen Turner and family, and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Rogers and daughter spent one day last week at the lake fishing, swimming, taking pictures and boat riding.
Miss Glenda Gentry and Mrs. Wanda Sexton were hostesses to a surprise party in honor of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Colman Gentry.
The Goodwill Busy Bee Club met in the home of Mrs. Louis Pederson. Mrs. Pederson read a poem, “What Have I Given Today.”
Mayor Fred O. Lethco proclaimed the month of May, 1970, as Senior Citizens Month.
First place winners in the Tuesday afternoon league at Mansfield Bowl were Joan Cooley, Bobbye Ford, Cleta Latimer and Anita Cook, members of the Bank of Mansfield team.
Mr. and Mrs. O.K. Welton and Effie Davis were decorating graves of their loved ones at Turkey Creek Cemetery at Ava.
Jerry Meeks and John Grider helped Frank Giles with his hay last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferley Lambert, Donna Mings and son were shopping in Ava.
Mr. and Mrs. Len Cornelison and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Fulmer helped Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wagler put their turkeys out on range.
A stitch in time is what they took when you lost an hour as Daylight Saving Time came in – and they’ll let it out again in the fall.
Lester Davison went fishing in Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Kramer’s pond. But, as usual, no luck.
75 Years Ago
The Grocers nosed out the Lions 9 to 6 in an overtime softball game at the city park.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Buchanan announce the birth of a daughter, Julianne.
PFC Oscar Delbert Moore has been awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement.
Low on red points? Try frog legs, which are fair game in Missouri, and which are an excellent source of proteins. The Conservation Commission says you may only take 15 per day and have not more than 20 in possession at one time. Your ration ticket is a hunting or fishing permit.
Private Doyle L. Irby of the 17th airborne division in Germany was wounded by a piece of shrapnel, he informed his mother, Mrs. Maggie Naugle of Ava.
Ray B. Friend, son of Mrs. Edna Friend, Ava, is serving as a cook with Company D, 113th Medical Battalion. His work consists of preparing meals and special diets for the wounded troops that are receiving treatment in his unit.
H.J. Deppe, vocational agriculture teacher at Lebanon, was in Ava and this vicinity looking for registered Jersey calves for his students.
A former Ava student, Lieutenant Merle W. Melton, was killed in action in Italy.
Dr. and Mrs. Ben Davis entertained the members of their contract bridge club in their home on Spring Street.
Mrs. R.B. Stanton entertained the members of the Le Bon Vivant bridge club in her home on Spring Street.
Mrs. W. R. Trowbridge entertained the members of her contract bridge club in her home on Benton Avenue.
To encourage 4-H boys and girls to develop skill in preparing and packaging home-raised foods best adapted to freezing, the new national 4-H frozen foods activity has been inaugurated in the club program.
Oval Goins, Arnold Goins, Norman Kyger and Hulet Harvill left for Washington to work.
The Office of Defense Transportation requests all drivers to continue to operate their motor vehicles at reduced speeds as the tire shortage is more critical now than at any time during the war.
A good crowd attended the working at the New Hope cemetery.
Several from the Smallett community attended the May singing at Ava.
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hodges have moved to the Beck place, and Mr. and Mrs. Becker are living temporarily in the Buttram house, waiting for their sons’ return home from the school of the Ozarks.
Thetis Hodges underwent an operation for appendicitis.
Mrs. Onda Wallen received three letters from her husband, Buddy Wallen. He hopes to sail home soon. He was taken prisoner in Germany and recently released.
Purchases of war bonds in Douglas County are mounting toward the county’s quota of $175,000. Mr. O.C. Reynolds, chairman of the county war finance committee, announced that the purchases now total approximately $122,000.
100 Years Ago
Governor Gardener has issued a proclamation calling upon the people of the state to observe the anniversary of Decoration Day. He asks all citizens to refrain from their daily occupations so far as possible and devote at least a part of this day to a suitable observance of commemorating the dead who served their government.
Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Reece attended Commencement exercises at the School of the Ozarks in Taney county last week. They were accompanied by their daughter Miss Ida who was a member of the graduating class.
The Ava Hotel is being repainted and otherwise improved this week.
Wm. Poe left last week for Miami, Okla., to work in the harvest fields this summers.
Miss Jessie Eslick left for Springfield where she will enter Draughon’s Business College.
A fine big boy arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Engle last week.
The Marshall Anderson residence in the west part of the city caught fire in the attic. The blaze was easily extinguished and did but little damage.
Earn Dougherty is building a bungalow on his lots just north of the Opera House.
John Andrews and Earl Shields of Marshfield have entered the Ava High School for the Summer session.
Zack Wells is suffering with a scalded foot as the result of an accident at the engine room of the Murray-Inman Mill.
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Stewart are having their home wired for lights.
Mr. and Mrs. D.R. Votaw entertained at a six o’clock dinner. The guests were Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Reynolds and Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Stewart.
The Strong family went to Seymour to see “The Shepherd of the Hills.”
The last car of tomatoes out of our 1919 pack started from Ava to Kansas City. We now have less than 100 cases yet to sell and these are in rusty cans. Had we sent all of our 1919 pack of tomatoes in 600-case cars we would have had in excess of 30 such car loads. – Howard Hitchcock & Sons.
There has been great excitement at Pomona in Howell county over the report that the Pomona Oil & Gas Company struck oil on the old Cobb farm.
D.F. Luckey, State Veterinarian was summoned to newton county where an outbreak of glanders occurred among several horses. The animals were killed. The disease is fatal to both animals and people.
Missouri schools rank 34th in the United States, with Montana ranking number 1 and South Carolina at the bottom.
Miss Mae Simmons was in Hartville last week on account of the illness of her mother. She returned to her position with the Ava Telephone Company Tuesday of this week.
125 Years Ago
Mrs. Jennie T. Foster is sole owner of the electric light plant at Farmington.
Green county can take a rest. It has no outstanding bonds that can be called for payment before May 1, 1897.
Springfield’s Business Men’s club has matched a membership of ninety, and it is growing rapidly and doing good work.
When smallpox appeared in De Soto, a man named Bourke, who had had the disease, was hired by the city as nurse. He compelled his wife to wash his clothes and she caught the disease from them and died.
Your wife likes Clairette Soap. She says it save time, saves money, and makes overwork unnecessary. Tell your wife about it. Your grocer sells it. Made only by The N.K. Fairbank Company.
The Rev. Anna H. Shaw spoke at the Women’s congress in favor of having women on the police force of large cities.
Mrs. Annabel, who killed her husband and committed suicide, was a Miss Smith of Windsor, Mo.
Forrest fires sprung up in all parts of Upper Michigan peninsula. The woods are unusually dry and the fires spread rapidly. The western portion of Houghton narrowly escaped destruction.
B.T. Landers, M.D., Physician & Surgeon. Chronic Diseases and Gynecology a Specialty. Calls promptly obeyed day or night. Ava, Mo.
The journeymen painters of St. Joseph, Mo, propose to strike unless granted an increase in wages to 37 1/2 cents per hour.
The good people of the north part of Douglas county are going to celebrate the Fourth of July at the Willow Springs school. Hon. E. H. Farnsworth of Ava, J.H. Bridges and F.N. Smallwood are the orators. They are anticipating a good time.
The following deed of transfer has been filed in the recorders office” Wm. A Anderson to Syrus Billingsly, warrantee deed, 160 acres in sec 17 to 26 range 17, consideration, $1,600.
Mr. A. R. Turner was the victim of a bold robbery at Rome, but the robbers failed to get away, and the three of them are now languishing in the Ava jail. The robbers are Ben Trott, John Bristow and his sister Lydia.
Bell & Shinpaugh, Carpenters and Builders. Table Legs, all kinds of Corner Blocks and Beads and odd sized Sash Doors. Store fronts a specialty. Screen work, Scrole and Brackets. Shop West side of Square, Mansfield, Mo.
The following Marriage Licenses have been issued by Recorder Spurlock: Abner C. Abel of Squires, to Millie Harper of Ava; Joseph Blunk to Eliza J. Killion, both of Norwood; and Wallace M. Davis, to Julyna Sweeten, both of Drury, Mo.
