25 Years Ago
March 27, 1986
Ava FFA parliamentary team won first place in Area 8 competition at Fair Grove on March 19 to advance to the Southwest District competition in Springfield on April 8. Members of the team are Stacie Baker, Lynn Lambert, Sandra LaVelle, Jeannie Shrable, Jeff Alcorn, Doug Lansdown, Rick Lansdown, and Troyce Stamper.
Missouri will be getting 66 more river otters in a three-way trade (Missouri gets the animals from Kentucky which buys them from Louisiana). The otters will be stocked at two sites on the Cuivre River, and one on the South Fabius River, in northeastern Missouri. The Department of Conservation has been in a river otter restoration program for several years, with good indications the animals are spreading and reproducing.
Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Prock of Wasola celebrated their 60th anniversary March 23.
Brooke Ellen Fish, daughter of Danny and Kellie Fish of Ava, celebrated her fifth birthday, which was March 18. A party was given March 16 at her home which was decorated with bunches of balloons.
Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Blackerby will celebrate their 54 wedding anniversary April 2. Fannie Belle and Laurens Blackerby were married April 2, 1932 in Sheridan, Arkansas.
HAPPY HILL –– Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wallace visited Mr. and Mrs. Steve Sherman, Christy and Steven awhile Sunday afternoon. Monte was spending the weekend with his father.
SQUIRES –– Edythe DeArmon said she remembered riding back and forth in a Model T between Missouri and Arizona as a child. I remember my brother in law telling of a trip he took with his grandparents through the Black Hills, when he was small. The car had a gravity flow fuel system, so they backed up the hills.
50 Years Ago
March 23, 1961
A new high school building was voted Wednesday last week for the Gainesville school district after six previous unsuccessful attempts. A substantial margin of approval was given by voters in the Gainesville district for the $238,000 bond issue, 722 for the bonds and 264 against, or 73% favoring the issue.
The deer kill in Douglas County during the seven-day season of 1960 totaled 323, according to information received this week by Douglas County Conservation Agent Robert Cook.
There will be contests for mayor and aldermen in the City of Ava at the annual election to be held Tuesday, April 4, but three women have filed for the office of city collector. Candidates for city collector are Mrs. Sherman (Velta Heatherley) Denney, Mrs. Ruie Nielsen, and Mrs. Juanita Ewing. The present collector, Mrs. Opal Campbell, did not file for re-election.
Miss Correne Beason, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Beason of Route 4, Ava, was elected 1961-62 president of the Ava High School chapter of Future Homemakers of America at a regular meeting of the organization held Wednesday afternoon, March 13, in the clothing room of the home economics department.
Mrs. Billie Joe Evans entertained in her home with a pink and blue shower in honor of Mrs. Lawrence Ward Monday afternoon.
Fishing Time Bargains, Revelation minnow bucket, $1.98; Zebco Reels, Zebco’s Best, No. 33, $9.44; No. 11, $7.88; Zee Bee $4.44; rod & reel set, $4.95. Western Auto.
It is easy to accept another man’s opinion when you are about to ask him for a favor.
Policeman Clifford Cunningham and Amos Turner had a chase at speeds up to 90 miles per hour at about midnight Saturday when they sighted a 1957 Ford traveling north on old Highway 5 at high speed. They caught and stopped Kenneth Keith, 21, of Mansfield, who later entered a plea of guilty to careless and reckless driving and was fined $5.00 with costs of $10.
Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Walker, of Ava, who have operated cafes in Ava, Oregon and other Ozarks cities, have bought Ray’s Cafe in Mansfield and began operation of the business March 10. The cafe was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Ray Seaton.
WAGNER –– We have had a variety of spring and winter weather the past week and this Monday morning is a drizzle, cold, dreary, morning that seeps right into your bones.
Hubert Menzies, Route 3, Ava, has just completed a five-week Missouri Farmers Association employees school in Columbia. Faculty for the intensive short course was recruited from the Missouri College of Agriculture and from management of various MFA agencies.
WASOLA –– Hermie Miller is having a well drilled at his house on Highway 5.
SWEDEN –– Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Cunningham (Glenda Cook) are the parents of a daughter born March 10 at the Gainesville Clinic.
75 Years Ago
March 27, 1936
Four persons were killed, a score were injured and eighty were homeless following a tornado which tore through Webster, Laclede and Camden counties Monday afternoon. The tornado apparently formed near Marshfield where it did little damage.
A Plymouth coupe stored at the Shipman Motor Co. garage Monday night showed the effects of having been caught in a hailstorm near Strafford that day — the same day a violent tornado swept through Webster, Laclede and Camden counties. The top and sides of the car were dented where hailstones had struck, as if someone had been striking it with a hammer. The cloth covering of the top had been pierced in several places and the back glass had been broken. The motorist said some of the hailstones were large as hen eggs, and the force of a strong wind made their striking force greater.
District High School Orators to Compete Here Tomorrow Night –– At least five of the eight counties in the new seventeenth American Legion district will be represented in the legion – sponored high school oratorical contest to be held here Friday evening at 7:30 o’clock. Those counties are Greene, Howell, Douglas, Stone and Christian. High school student representing Douglas County is James Curry.
FREE COFFEE Demonstration, For every visitor to our store on Saturday, Mar. 28, we will serve a cup of PAR Coffee absolutely free. Wilbank’s Grocery, N.E. Corner Square.
Work started this week on the site for the two warehouses to be built as part of the Beaver Creek Ranger District administration buildings. Ground for the two buildings, the first that will be constructed was being leveled by John Dobbins, working with a team. The site is located on the east side of Highway 5 at the city limits south of town.
C.E. Norman closed a deal early last week to purchase the building now occupied by the Norman-Gentry Drug Company. The purchase was made from G.B. Wilson, who built the building two years ago, especially for the drug company.
Edwin Judd left Sunday evening for Memphis, Tenn., after spending a week in Ava with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. Judd. Edwin is attending school in Memphis and was enjoying a mid-term vacation.
Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Spurlock moved Friday to their suburban home just north of Ava. Mr. and Mrs. Spurlock have spent the past four years in town in an apartment adjoining Thelma’s Beauty Shoppe.
GIRDNER –– Jimmy Herman and Ross Irby spent Saturday and Sunday at the home of their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Porter.
The businessmen cooperated in bringing to Ava a free performance, George New, Jr., and his puppets in a play entitled “Mrs. Punch Buys a Home.” This unusual exhibition was presented March 18, 2 o’clock in the high school auditorium. It was brought here in the interest of the community, and presented typical home town characters.
100 Years Ago
March 30, 1911
With direct information that the Ozark Power & Water Company has been financed to the extent of half a million dollars by the Union Trust Company of St. Louis, it was announced here today that work will begin at once on the mammoth dam which will be built across White River for the purpose of generating cheap electric power for Hollister, Branson, Forsyth and other southwest Missouri towns and cities.
Rupert Singleton left the first of the week for Twin Falls Idaho where he will join the League team in that city and will occupy the pitchers box in a base ball team during the coming summers. We believe “Soup” will make good. He is about the best pitcher that ever struck this nic-o’ the woods.
Clark & Curry: We wish to state to the public that we have sold our grocery store to I.W. Sullivan and that all our standing debts, bills and accounts are assumed and payable by Mr. Sullivan and all outstanding accounts for groceries are payable to us. It will be expected that we settle up our indebtness and in order to do so we will ask prompt payment of those that have accounts with us.
E.J. Garrett, of Springfield, has bought Billie Pettit’s farm, southwest of town. Mr. Pettit will move back to his place in Ava.
A letter received last week from J.H. Martin, who is at Mt. Vernon, Wash., by his son “Darbin”, of this city, states that he is getting along alright but that he never knew what a good country Douglas County was until he got away from it. He says ‘for God Sakes send me the Herald’. He says they expect to return home some time this fall.
STONY POINT –– Jas. Devault presented a petition to be annexed to Stony Point district at the coming annual school meeting. He is now in Glendale district.
BRUSHY KNOB –– Pug Singleton has rented his farm to the Colony people and has moved his family to Ava.
Marriage Licenses: Fred Hanne to Viana O’Neal, both of Denlow. Henry Gideon of Olathe, to Lillie Vinson, of Ava. Frank Hartin to Edith Games, both of Ava. Loda Ellison of Granada to Norva Hunt of Arden. E.A. Baker to Lina Sullivan, both of Ava. C. Hampton to Mollie Lethco, both of Arden. Albert Webster of Bertha to Belle Dobbs of Blanche. Arthur Hopper to Lillie Woods both of Norwood. Fred Wagner of Dogwood to Minnie Hammons of Seymour.
I have located here with my family to help Ava and Douglas Co. grow and in the way of opening up a first class bakery, confectionery and lunch room; in the G.W. Johnson building south side of Courthouse square. With the assistance of an expert baker, I am prepared to furnish you fresh bread, pies, and cakes, hot from the oven every day. I can serve you a hot or cold lunch including coffee or milk. I take this opportunity of inviting the public to make me a call and inspect my kitchen and bake shop. I will assure you, I will do my best to give you prompt and courteous treatment. “Cleanness” my motto. Respectfully yours, C.G. Voigt.
