Looking Backward
25 Years Ago
The Ava Area Chamber of Commerce is resuming its Welcome Basket project to welcome new residents to the Ava community. Evelyn Yeoman will head up the project and asks that you give her a call if you are new in the community, or if you know someone who has recently moved here.
Effie Kitts ate with the Heinleins Sunday. The Heinleins also went to Squires Saturday.
Russell Hunt, administrator of the Bradleyville R-1 Schools for the past 12 years, retired from the system. Succeeding Hunt as superintendent will be Lonnie Leatherman, a former principal under Hunt.
Rick Chaffee mowed Minnie Terry’s yard late Thursday evening.
The Insect Club in downtown Washington, D.C., has suffered a setback. Gone from the menu are crispy cricket-burgers, mealworm won tons and pizzas with cricket toppings. The chef who created these culinary delights left.
Resurrection was one of several groups performing at the annual Independence Day Celebration at Squires. Members of the group are Dave Wilson, Joyce Wilson and Jack Clemans.
The Lirley family gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Lirley to celebrate James’ birthday with homemade ice cream and cake. Other visitors were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Adams, Irene Swearengin, Stanley and Willene Adams.
Rex and Marty Johnson and their granddaughter, Carissa, invited Dan, Wanda, Trisha, Frank and Steven Johnson to go to Silver Dollar City with them. They had lots of fun.
Earnest and Lela Johnson celebrated their 62nd anniversary.
Citizens Bank celebrated its 90th anniversary with a free barbecue and musical entertainment at the drive-in facility in Ava.
An old time Eslick Family Reunion was held at the Eslick Century Farm near Marshfield and hosted by Lloyd and Janet Eslick. Those in attendance were descendants of David S. Eslick, Ezekiel Eslick, and Sarah Ann Eslick Marler, three of the 16 children of early settlers Artis I., and Celia McBride Eslick.
Jackie Harlan, Modena Pitts, Maxine Curtis and her daughter Barbara, from Seattle, visited Bessie and Charles Kellogg and Georgia Norman. They were former Thimble Club members.
Keith and Melantha (Williams) Wedemeyer, Ava, announce the birth of a son, Justin Alan. He joins other children Johanna, Cameron and Christina.
Jonathan Blakey has completed the Summer Pals gifted program at Drury College. The students studied weather. Jonathan is the son of Karen Blakey and is a student at Plainview School.
50 Years Ago
Two suspects were booked for allegedly stealing a 1970 Ford pickup from Frankie Walker of the Campbell City Service Stations, and abandoning the vehicle in a lime quarry near Ava.
The disappointment of poor quality remains long after the joy of the cheap price is forgotten.
Clifford Garner of Aurora called on Carrie Murphy Friday.
At a recent meeting of Rainbow Girls Grand Assembly, Miss Lisa Dye, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dye of Ava, was appointed grand alternate drill leader for the State of Missouri.
The owner of old Joe Selvidge place, Mrs. Gus Kleinfeld, from Moclip, WA, was here last week looking at her property, her first trip to this area.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Cline, whose mother, Mrs. Dolly Cline, lives in Ava, recently returned from a tour to Majorca. They left St. Louis with a group of Shriners and arrived at Palma, Majorca, where they were greeted with a Bar-B-Q party and horse show.
Toni Ann Jenkins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Jenkins, Pamela Evans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Joe Evans, and Gayle Sheree Norman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James P. Norman, attended the 17th annual baton twirling camp in Monett.
Members of the Richards Brothers Little League team in Ava’s Summer Baseball Program are Gary Emrick, Kevin Hodges, Jimmy Hathcock, Melvin Bricker, Christopher Brendson and James Hathcock, Timmy Haggard, Robbie Greathouse, Jiey Welker, Johnny Mill, Jimmy Yates and Skip Berry. Managers of the team are Lester Jenkins and Jim Yates.
Souder Tate, son of Mrs. Sue Tate of Springfield and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Don Souder of Ava, recently completed two weeks of baseball training at the Mickey Owen baseball school.
Nolajean Schuenemann attended the annual Missouri 4-H Counselors Camp Retreat at Clover Point on the Lake of the Ozarks. The annual event included lectures, discussions, skits, recreational games and swimming in the lake.
Boredom is what sets in 72 hours after school is out for the summer.
Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Haden were in Springfield last week for a check-up with their doctor.
Lige Degase, Roscoe Ehrhardt, and Gary Burton attended the fox hunt at Ava.
Kim and Karen Taber, Katrice, Jamie and Robyn Frye, and Vickie Delp attended Bible school at Camp Piland last week.
Those who gathered at Joe Taber’s for a cutting contest and work out with their horses were Darrel George and son, David, Herman and Sally Prock and son, Mike, Russell and Catherine Lathrop, Don and Jean Blackerby and son, Carter, and some visiting friends and Clell Osborn from Springfield.
75 Years Ago
Ava defeated Harrison, Arkansas 2 to 0 in a forth of July baseball game at Harrison. Bob Scribner pitched a no hit game for Ava, striking out seventeen batters.
C.H. Hibbard was installed as president of the Ava Lions Club for the coming year in a ladies night meeting Friday night.
A son, who has been named James Arnold, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Isham at their home here.
Nicholas R. Naugie, 31, of Ava, Missouri, has been advancd to fireman first class, USNR, aboard a ship on which he has seen action from the Mariannas to Okinawa.
The Helping Hand Club of Sandy community met at the home of Mrs. Lon Hodges. The lesson was on training children to be honest and truthful. The leader was Mrs. Luther Pellham.
Mr. Ross has sold his farm to Jesse Cornelison.
Ava Canning Factory will pay 55 cents Gallon for Blackberries. Delivered at Factory in Ava, starting Thurs., July 5.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wallace received word that their son, Seaman 1-c Lester Wallace, has landed at San Francisco, California.
Mrs. Bessie Gray and daughter, Dee Ann, are home from the asparagus harvest in Illinois.
Helen Eslinger, employed in Kansas City, left last week after a visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Eslinger.
Corporal Jesse Graham arrived in Ava after spending three years in the European area. The corporal was to have a thirty day furlough to visit with his wife and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Graham. Saturday he became ill and was rushed to O’Reilly General Hospital in Springfield and underwent an emergency appendectomy.
Private John Barrett, who had been a prisoner of war in Germany, arrived in Ava and visited with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. A.W. Barrett.
NOTICE – I am still taking orders for monuments and grave stones. E.A. Hunsaker, Ava, Mo.
Mr. and Mrs. Landon Gaulding are spending their annual vacation in Hot Springs and are house guests of her brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Nat Dean. The Gauldings started on this vacation visit Saturday evening and will be away from Ava for two weeks.
Miss Myrle Lee Smith who is enrolled for the summer term at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar spent the weekend in Sweden and visited with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith and family.
Mrs. Charles Coats, Jr., left Ava enroute to Killeen, Texas where she plans to make home while her husband is stationed at the nearby Army base, Camp Hood. Mrs. Coats has been making her home in Ava with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Perle Davis since Private Coats was inducted into the service.
100 Years Ago
The Ava Electric Light Company has announced that the plant will again be in operation by Friday night of this week.
Mrs. Myrtle Swegart, formerly Miss Myrtle Shipaugh of this city, died at Trinidad, Colorado, Monday from that most dreaded disease, consumption.
H.S. Wilson, Charley Judd and Elzy Frost returned from a trip to St. Louis with three new Fords for the Reynolds Wilson Agency.
Word has just been received that the Interstate Doctors, licensed by the State of Missouri, will visit Ava and will receive patients at the Ava Hotel.
Misses Jessie and Mary Wheat attended church at Willow Springs Sunday night.
Misses Erma Sloan, Elnora Johnson, Messrs. Alfred and Linsey Johnson and Henry Turner were Sunday callers at the home of John Haven’s Sunday.
Mr. Edd Hines is going to Kansas to work in the harvest fields.
Mr. Jack Cooper of Burkburnett, Texas, and Miss Lena Brixey of Ava, Mo., were quietly united in marriage at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G.W.Day, by Rev. Smith. The young couple left on the “Oil Special” at 6 o’clock for Burkburnett, Texas, where they will make their future home. Mr. Cooper is assistant engineer in the oil fields at the place.
A teaspoonful of Herbine will produce a copious and purifying bowel movement, improve appetite, restore mental activity and a fine feeling of vigor and cheerfulness. Price 60c. Sold by Norman-Gentry Drug Co.
Marriage licenses were issued from the Recorder’s office this week to Ila Upshaw and Opal Williams, both of Denlow.
J.H. McMurtrey who has a position in Springfield at present was here for the Fourth of July celebration.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Calhoun of Norwood motored to Ava Monday, returning the same day.
Fred Gates who has been attending the Southwest Teachers College in Springfield, and who has been elected Supt. of Schools at Nixa, Mo., for next year, was here the first of the week.
Judge Fred Stewart returned from Rochester, Minn., where he had been to consult with Mayo Brothers, physicians, regarding his health. Judge Steward is afflicted with high blood pressure, and was given valuable information during his visit.
Send your son and daughter to the Springfield Business College for practical education. You cannot make a better investment. A situation at a good salary is guaranteed. Write J.A. Taylor for particulars.
T.E. Glass and son, Arthur, have bought the Douglas County Journal and have taken charge of the paper. The citizens of Ava and Douglas county will be well pleased with the change.
W.P. Johnson of Oswego was in the city Monday displaying a sample of oats from his farm measuring four feet and eight inches. The oats were well headed, and are of the Texas Red medium early variety. Mr. Johnson expects to have other and better exhibits for the fair in Ava this fall.
125 Years Ago
Sherman McGinnis was bitten by a rattlesnake while pulling weeds near Westboro.
Young demonstrators of anatomy at Nevada practice on the cadavers of dogs.
During a heavy thunderstorm, lightning struck the rear end of a Baptist church, which was well filled. It inflicted considerable damage and severely shocked the congregation. The horse shed adjoining the church also received a heavy shock, and Aravel Randall, a young farmer, and two horses were instantly killed.
Minnie Lynch, the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy saloon-keeper, committed suicide today because she has failed to pass the final examination at the Town of Lake High school.
The Herald is informed Dr. Gentry and W.C. Darrow have bought an interest in the Ava drug Store with Dr. J.H. Murray.
The governor has appointed Jesse W. Henry, of Jefferson City, state game and fish warden for a period of two years.
Mr. Asbury BurkHead is tickling the Brown Branchers with a delightful Fourth of July oration Today.
While Judge Evans was holding that special term of court in this place, last week, there was a little child of his lying at death’s door.
The chinch bug eats the farmer’s grain, the bee moth spoils his honey, the bedbug fills him full of pain, the humbug scoops his money.
Ava’s neighbor, Ash Grove, suffered from quite a destructive fire Saturday night last. The Dmore hotel was burned and Myer’s shoe shop. The fire caught from a lamp in the last named place.
Hurrah! for the Fourth of July, how it causes our hearts to swell with patriotism, while visions of fire crackers, ice cream and everything nice dance before our eyes! – Black Jack.
W.H. Johnston is on the sick list. Dr. Burns is in attendance. Bilious fever is his ailment.
Isaac Wilson’s pension has been cut down to eight dollars per month.
The following Marriage Licenses have been issued by Recorder Spurlock: John Lakey to Matilda J. Dobbs, both of Ava; L.P Kendall to Lizzin Rotbrock, both of Mansfield, Charles O’Niel to Nancy L. Price, both of Dora.
Fourth of July Program: Beginning at 9:30 in the morning, the races will take place around the square under the superintendency of A.P. Miller, J.A.G. Reynolds and J.W. Singleton. First will be the foot races around the square. Free for all with prizes. After the races will be the Calathumpian parade and the procession will form on the southwest corner of the public square, headed by the Ava Cornet band and Calathumpians, and march to the picnic grounds. On arriving at the ground there will be music by the band and choir and reading the Declaration of Independence.
