25 Years Ago
May 15, 1986
Members of the Ava High School graduating class of 1926 gathered for their 60th anniversary at the Alumni Banquet here Saturday night. Class members are Naida Childress, Thelma Heard, Margaret Miller, Dorothy Haynes, Beulah Creech, Wilda Chandler, Fred Stewart and Willie Freeman. 300 attended the banquet Saturday night.
Adams Construction Company of West Plains submitted the low bid of $460,954 for the building of four new elementary classrooms and a new high school library and home economics facility, and Adams bid was accepted by the Ava R-1 Board of Education.
The Ava High School Echo and Docomo staffs sent their papers and individual entries to the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association for judging. There were 1,090 individual newspaper entries and 510 individual yearbook entries from all areas of Missouri. The Echo received first honors over the categories of news reporting, opinion writing, feature writing, photography, sports, and advertising. In individual newspaper entries in feature writing Toby Sallee received a first; Lael Streight a third, and Shelly McKnight an honorable mention.
Rev. and Mrs. Walter Wray, Caulfield, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary May 25. Fannie Duggins and Walter Wray were married on June 21, 1936 in the home of Rev. Charlie McCoullough at Isabella, Mo.
Wanda Lou Hunt Bautts, soprano, will present a concert in Ava on Saturday evening May 24 at 7:30 in the Ava United Methodist Church. Jack Floyd, Ava High School vocal music director will be the pianist.
Justin Gentry Cox celebrated his sixth birthday Tuesday evening May 6 with a host of friends at the Ice Cream Parlor in Ava. Cake and ice cream were served to the following: Amanda Barnes, DeAun Gray, Timmy Barcus, Landon and Lindsay Snelson, Jeremy and Bridget Loftin, Melony and Malinda Vonallmen, Melody Tate, Brandon Reed, Derek and Tyler McGill and Tyler Loftin.
50 Years Ago
May 11, 1961
At least two tornadoes, heavy rainfall, lightning and strong winds plagued the Ava area over the past weekend, just as storms raged over nearly the entire mid- and southwest sections of the nation. A total of 5.61 inches of rain fell here from last Thursday through Monday. A small tornado struck the farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Audie Surguine, one mile west of Smallett, at about 4 a.m. Monday, and another struck the Leo Nelson home, about one-half mile south of the Ava city limits, at about 2:15 Monday afternoon.
About 60 stockholders attended the annual meeting of the Ava Industrial Development Corporation held last Thursday night in the Legion Hall. The board of 12 men held an organization meeting Friday night and J.E. Curry was elected president; Claud Gaulding, vice president; Herman Davis, treasurer, and Marcus Homan, secretary. Ralph Kerr, presiding at the meeting, reported that Rawlings Manufacturing Co. now has 100 employees at the Ava plant, and he said that company officials stated that this figure would be up to 200 by the last of June.
Two polio booster clinics will be held within the next week to offer a polio booster immunization to every child in the county.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Watson returned to their home in Ava Saturday, April 29, after concluding a vacation visit in California with members of her family.
Dr. and Mrs. Howard Curry entertained at a meeting of the Ava Pitch Club Wednesday evening at their home on Ozark Street. Attending were 12 members, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jarrett, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Maloney, Mr. and Mrs. Harlan House, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Cloine Pettit, and playing with the group were Basil Spurlock and Russell Klineline.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Camp of Route 1, Ava, have selected the name James Lawrence for their eight-pound son born at 1:06 o’clock Wednesday morning, April 26, at St. John’s Hospital.
New Frontier Opportunity Days! at Davis Bros. Tire Company continues through Sat., May 13. Free register to win an Appleby All-Aluminum 12-ft Car Top Boat. Nothing to buy – no obligation. Free coffee. Free doughnuts. Free balloons. Prizes awarded at 4 p.m.
ALMARTHA –– Russell Walker of Wichita, Kan., was here last week. He will teach in Gainesville school next year and will move to his farm here in August. It is known as the Jim Bennett farm or D.P. Wade farm.
SWEDEN –– Everett Irby of Ava has purchased the one time Jim Vaughn farm off Highway 14 on the Vera Cruz road.
BROWN BRANCH –– Heavy rains were preceded by frost Wednesday morning. Mrs. Jess Siler saved her beans by covering them. Paul and Opal David’s beans froze, while across the creek west, beans in Ralph McPherson’s garden were unhurt. J.G. Lewis sprinkled his beans with cold water and saved them.
75 Years Ago
May 14, 1936
Ray Harlin Mackey, 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Durward Mackey of Rome, has a predilection for getting into medicine. Early this morning he crawled up to a mantel in his home and got a bottle of strychnine sulphate. He was found later with the deadly poison smeared over his face and mouth. There was some of it also on the face of his 2-year-old brother, Franklin Delano, who was playing with him. The boys were rushed to Ava where they were given treatment at the offices of Drs. J.L. and M.C. Gentry. Both were reported doing fine late this morning. Mr. Mackey had gotten the poison to use on dogs that have been bothering his sheep.
Diplomas will be awarded to 175 eighth grade graduates here Friday afternoon at exercises to be held in the high school auditorium. The class this year is smaller than usual. Students of the Ava High School who might be interested in attending the School of the Ozarks are requested to see Dr. John Crockett, who will deliver the eighth grade graduation address here Friday afternoon.
Most of us like to have a man say what he thinks, as long as he doesn’t say it about us.
Free talking pictures, Big Pictures featuring Famous race drivers, dare-devil stunts and comedy and thrills. Bring the family, invite your friends, it’s all free. Shipman Motor Co., May 20, 8:30 p.m.
CROSS ROADS –– Mr. and Mrs. Russell Myers and family spent Monday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Hailey, with Mrs. Myer’s father, Joe Hailey. Mrs. Myers remained with him Monday night.
Mrs. Mary Norman has as guests Monday Mr. and Mrs. Emmet Norman and son, Jimmy, Miss Edith McPherson, Mrs. C.H. Daily and daughter, Helen Jean, Mrs. Glenn Norman and Miss Ellen Harnden.
GOODVILLE –– Arthur McLean’s 500 baby chicks he received from the leghorn Farm at Foster, Mo., a week or so ago, are doing fine.
Mrs. Jim Cardin has a nice bunch of white Wyandotte chicks she purchased at the Mtn. Grove hatchery.
Edwin Cash and Dora Storey, both of Dora, were married in Ava Saturday evening by Justice C.H. Ross.
Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Spurlock and son, Basil, and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Spurlock and daughter, Wilma, were guests at a Mother’s Day dinner Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Spurlock.
Mansfield Theatre, Sat., May 16 Bargain Nite –– Murder Under the Big Top! Chan faces death as you shudder and chill! “Charlie Chan at the Circus” with Warner Oland, Keye Luke. See Chan’s 12 children help him solve this baffling crime! Also, Charley Chan Comedy and 7th chapter of “Mystery Mountain”.
100 Years Ago
May 25, 1911
At a meeting of some of the citizens and business men of Ava in the Court house, last Friday night, May 19th, it was unanimously decided to celebrate the Glorious 4th in Ava this year. You liberty lovers, who do not fully realize how it is that we enjoy the greatest and best country in the world and how it is that we came by the liberty we enjoy, let us come together once more and celebrate that sacred day on which the instrument was signed, which guarantees to every man “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Let us consecrate, commemorate and keep fresh in our memories this sacred day.
The Ava Telephone Company has put in a pay station in the Carter Hotel, which will be a great convenience to the traveling public.
The City Council has just finished the concrete culvert on the street south of the square leading from the east side of the square. This makes four concrete culverts which have been built in Ava the past six months. These are good substantial improvements of which the City is justly proud.
There is movement on foot to have a county fair in Ava some time this fall – probably in October. Our farmer friends should keep this in mind and save some of their choicest stuff, and rub up their colts, calves, hogs and poultry a little. There will likely be some excellent prizes on all classes of stock, poultry and produce. Mr. farmer keep this in mind, we will be able to give more about this in a later issue.
NORMAL NEWS –– Smallpox and hot weather has failed to scare away the fifty and more faithful students from their school work. We are doing better work and more of it now than a month ago, and expect the improvement to June 23.
County Superintendent John Levan left for Springfield last Saturday where he will attend school this summer. John expects to make his five-year state certificate this summer. John is a great expounder of education and he practices what he preaches.
Burdett’s barn on the old Burdett farm on Cowskin burned last Sunday night with its content, which consisted of about 1,000 bushels of corn, several tons of hay; one good horse, wagon, buggies, harness and all farming machinery, except one cultivator which was in the field. The loss is estimated at about $2,000.00 with no insurance. The origin of the fire is not known.
Twice in the past two weeks it has come to our attention that some worthless cur has bitten some child, not serious, but the next time might be serious. Many of our neighboring cities are passing ordinances requiring the marshal to shoot all dogs found on the streets without a muzzle. We believe this kind of an ordinance would be a good thing in our City.
DOGWOOD DOINGS –– Roy Cook and family are very pleasantly located in their new house.
BRUSHY KNOB –– Our post office has been much improved in looks by the addition of a nice new front with letter boxes.
