25 Years Ago
April 24, 1986
Honor graduates of Ava High School for 1986 are Shana Stillings, valedictorian and Theresa Bishop, salutatorian. Other members of the top 10 percent of the graduating class are: Shelly McKnight, Paul Miller, Lisa Wood, Amy Prince, Eva Boehm, Nancy Martin, Kristi Reeves, Trisha Sparnicht and Debbi Roy.
Nash Country Feeds of rural Ava will assume the operation of Kresse Bros. Feed in Ava, effective May 1, and will continue to maintain operations at two locations. Ronnie and Mary Nash have operated Nash Country Feeds at their farm west of Ava since 1981 and will continue the grinding and mixing operation there.
After more than 18 years with the Forest Service at the Ava Ranger District Office, Stella Sanders support service specialist, has retired effective April 3. Prior to her government service, Stella owned and operated a restaurant near the Ava Schools which many alumni may recall as the “School Inn”. After selling the business, Stella worked in the Douglas County Courthouse as deputy circuit clerk and recorder of deed with Virgil Kester.
Joan Follis is among 117 southwest Missouri State University students who has been assigned to second-block teaching duties for the spring semester.
Jewell Judd was presented the award for Volunteer Service at the April meeting of the Retired Teachers Association.
WASOLA –– Mr. and Merle Prock of Arnett, Okla., visited Mr. and Mrs. Frank Snelson. Frank already got a turkey.
Debbie Mooney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Mooney, Route 1, Ava, Mo. has been chosen to be a cheerleader for the fall 1986-87 season at Benedictine College.
Vanessa Delp was honored by a birthday party Sunday afternoon, April 20, at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Randal Delp.
50 Years Ago
April 20, 1961
The state championship tournament of the Babe Ruth Baseball Leagues of Missouri will be held in Ava on July 29 and 30, it was announced officially yesterday by State Director Gene Sigman. Ted Sallee, chairman of the Ava Babe Ruth League, was named as state tournament director. Babe Ruth leagues are for boys ages, 13, 14, and 15.
C.D. Carrens, who has served as principal of Ava High School for the past three years, tendered his resignation to the R-1 board of education yesterday after accepting a similar position in the Doniphan, Mo., school system. Carrens came to Ava from Van Buren where he served as superintendent of schools.
The sun shone brightly Tuesday for the first time in ages, it seemed, and its glow was present again Wednesday to give farmers and gardeners an opportunity to start planting delayed seed. Moisture was recorded on three days during the past week to bring the month’s rainfall total to 2.18 inches.
The annual stockholders meeting of the Ava Industrial Corporation has been called for Thursday, May 4, and will be held at the American Legion Hall starting at 7 o’clock. Board members who terms expire at this time are: C.E. Gaulding, Ralph Kerr, R.L. Kottmeier and E.L. Yeoman. Holdover members of the board are: Fred O. Lethco, Ramey Smith, E.H. Cooper, Cecil Harley, Ovle House and J.E. Curry.
Winners of the first “Yard of the Month Beatification Contest” being conducted by the Ava Federated Garden Club were Mr. and Mrs. Herman Mullen. Honorable mention for April went to the yards of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Norman, Mr. and Mrs. San Heard and Mr. and Mrs. Ovle House.
Missouri has always been a hunters paradise: quail, deer, squirrels, rabbits –– you name it, you can find it in Missouri. But now we’re getting word that Missouri hunters may soon be treated to that most exciting of all quarries, the big cats!
This week is the 42nd anniversary of the Ava Hardware Co. “The House of Quality Goods” Our watchwords: courtesy and appreciation. Our aim: service.
Mr. and Mrs. O.K. Welton were guests Sunday at a noon dinner in the home of their daughter, Mrs. C.M. Letsinger, Mr. Letsinger and Nita Nadine. The Weltons were celebrating their wedding anniversary and Mrs. Welton was also celebrating her birthday.
The marriage of Mrs. Virginia Lawson Warden of Ava, and Earl Uhlmann, of Drury, was solemnized Saturday, April 8.
Two Ava High School seniors, David Pitts, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Pitts of Ava, and Lowell Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Johnson of Route 4, have been selected by the State Future Farmers of America Foundation to receive the coveted degree of State Farmer, the highest award given by the state association.
75 Years Ago
April 23, 1936
More than 200 students from rural schools in Douglas County are expected to compete at the Ava High School building Saturday for county honors in contests being conducted by County Superintendent C.H. Hibbard. The meet will determine county champions in various phases of scholarship, art, declamation, signing and athletics.
Members of Superintendent Ray Hailey’s losing team of Chamber of Commerce membership campaigners donned little white caps, white shirts and pants and served Harry Martin’s winning team and all new members with a “crow” banquet in the high school gymnasium last Thursday night. It was estimated that about 190 persons were present. The banquet was in celebration of the close of the membership campaign, and fulfilled an agreement made when the campaign was launched that the losers should treat the winners.
Ava’s loveliest girl will be selected as “Miss Ava” in a beauty pageant to be held at the high school auditorium next Wednesday evening starting at 7:30 o’clock. The beauty pageant is conducted under the auspices of the Missouri State Fair, and the girl selected as “Miss Ava” will be permitted to compete for the official title of “Miss Missouri 1936” in a state pageant to be held at the state fair in August. A “Kiddies Revue” also will be held to select “Little Miss Ava.”
Completion of the 2,500 cubic yards of rock and dirt for the basement of Douglas County’s new courthouse is expected next week, according to Philip Weeks, timekeeper. Monday, 2,400 yards had been removed, leaving only 100 yards yet to be taken out. The street on the north side of the courthouse site will be closed from the post office corner one block east and sand and gravel used in construction work will be stacked on it.
Carless O. Brown, formerly of Douglas County and educated in the Ava schools, recently opened law offices in South Tacoma, Wash. Mr. Brown is the son of the late Rev. Matt Brown, a Douglas County minister.
Five Douglas County boys entered the Willow Springs CCC camp number 1739 Tuesday. The boys are Edward Cook, Harvey Holt and Raymond Wheeler, of Ava; Elmer Plumb of Squires and Henry Burtchett of Willow Springs.
Testing of Douglas County cattle for Bang’s disease by state veterinarians was completed Saturday after 161 herds had undergone tests since March 10.
ARNO –– Mr. and Mrs. T.P. Haden have a new radio.
BRYANT –– Mrs. Mary Wallace, Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Odle and son, John, spent the day last Sunday at the Voyne Odle home.
We’re told that everything is done for a purpose so we suppose that this alternate hot and cold season, frying us one day and freezing us the next, has a meaning all its own.
100 Years Ago
April 27, 1911
Rural graduation is one of the greatest results of County Supervision. It marks the end of the course of the rural schools and the beginning of the course of the high schools. It is a definite end toward which the student has a great desire to direct his energies. After years of patient toil, he will graduate from this 8th grade course and when he is assembled with his fellow graduates in a class of County graduation, he receives new incentives to do better work in the future than he has done in the past, new desires are created in him and he will set his aims higher and strive harder to reach them. On Sunday, May 7, the class will take an outing on the new railroad and the baccalaureate sermon will be preached at Bryant by Rev. G.R. Curry. Dinner will be served on the ground. Excursion rates will be given and provisions made for everybody to go who wishes to do so. A general good time is expected.
The witchcraft of 200 years ago is now called malignant animal magnetism, and it is the same old article.
Congress will leave the matter of intervention in Mexico in the hands of President Taft. A poll of the two bodies clearly indicates that there is no disposition to interfere with the president in the matter; but instead to allow him a free hand.
Marion Barnes has bought the Frank Hayes property, the old restaurant stand, just west of the Citizens Bank, and is improving it by putting in a concrete sidewalk and will soon put in a good building.
My wife, Amanda M. Hartley, has left me without cause, and I will not be responsible for any debts she may contract after this date. April 25, 1911. F.M. Hartley.
D.H. Carter, of this town, who received from the State Game Warden, five female and two male Russian Pheasants, which he turned loose on his farm one mile south of town, reports the birds still there, two nests found, one hen setting.
We are told that Russia has hurled another ultimatum at China. If the czar keeps on he won’t have any ultimatums left.
The population of Ava according to the report of the Census Department is 713. These are the official figures compiled from the 1910 enumeration and include only those people actually living within the corporate limits of the town.
Judge Davis added four more of Ava’s young people to the married list last Saturday evening. They are: Mr. Jay Carson and Mrs. Lula Holt, Miss Bertha Jackson and Mr. Orville Lytle. All of them are excellent young people capable of making good homes and worthy citizens.
NOTICE –– Complaint has been made to me that in certain portions of this county, hogs that have contagious diseases are permitted by the owner to run at large thereby causing the spread of these diseases throughout the neighborhood. The law requires that hogs having such diseases must be kept up by the owners and if such hogs die, the carcasses of same must be buried or burned. All persons having hogs sick with any disease must restrain them from running at large or subject themselves to prosecution under section 4868 R.S. 1800. Fred Stewart, Prosecuting Attorney.
