The Ladies Bible Class of First Southern Baptist Church honored Mabus Weaver on May 24 with a dinner celebrating her 90th birthday.
The group met at Ava Place, where Mabus now resides. Judy Kent opened with prayer. Betty Bunfill, study leader, used the lesson of the qualifications of a righteous woman. Ladies present were Judy Kent, Joyce Baxter, Beverly Corbin, Jewell Brown, Golda Kester, Tiffany Davis, Corrine Ellison, Donna Walker, Betty Bunfill guests Opal Pellham, Beverly Coberly, and the honoree.
After the lesson the ladies moved to the dining room where a delicious lunch was enjoyed. The ladies sang Happy Birthday before the birthday cake was served.
Mabus the youngest of eight children of the family of Charley and Martha Garner, was born May 21, 1921. She attended The Green Valley Elementary School where she received her eighth grade diploma. Playground equipment was limited in those days. Games that were played were softball, dare base and jump the rope. Children are usually resourceful – their rope consisted of a grape vine. Mabus was an excellent rope jumper.
Mabus continued her schooling going to high school at Hartville. There was no bus service in her community; therefore, her freshman year she boarded in town.
A boy in the community had a car and Mabus along with two or three others rode with him during her sophomore year. Later during her junior and senior years she rode a “makeshift bus” made by someone in the community.
When Mabus graduated from high school she passed a county teacher’s examination given by the County Superintendent, Essie Findley. She taught five years in the country schools of Wright County – two years at Oak Grove and three years at Rogers.
World War II interrupted her life. Her sweetheart Verlin Weaver was drafted into the Army in March of 1939. His length of service is etched in her mind, 4 years 7 months and 26 days.
Verlin’s company was called to go overseas; however when the names were called both he and another soldier named Phillips were not called. They did not get on the ship. Verlin later was sent to the Aleutian Islands.
Verlin received a furlough and in 1943 they were married at a minister’s home in Grove Springs, Mo. No big fancy wedding and reception for them, just the minister and witnesses.
Mabus did not follow her husband from one Army base to another. She did, however, go to be with him in Texas and to Fort Lewis, Wash. When she went to Washington she had to cross Puget Sound, 26 miles. She says she would not have gone had she realized she would have to cross The Sound.
After Verlin’s tour of duty they settled down on a farm in Wright County. As a farmer they milked Jersey cows. No electricity was had and the milking was done by hand. Later they were able to get a pipeline attached to the milk parlor and milk was piped to a large holding tank.
They planted a large garden and raised many vegetables which were canned for winter consumption. They also raised baby chicks and the roosters were separated from the rest. When they reached frying size they were butchered and prepared for the freezer. Also hogs and a beef were butchered and placed in the freezer.
Both Mabus and Verlin were very active in their church. Verlin served as the pastor at New Hope, Corinth, Cedar Gap and Elk Creek.
Verlin and Mabus had two children, a son Ron and a daughter Beverly. They shared 43 years of married life. Verlin passed away in 1986. Mabus continued to live on the farm for seven years after his death.
She worked for Ozark Action in Hartville.
The community in which she lived began to change with different families moving into the neighborhood. Mabus decided to move into town.
In 1994 she moved to Ava.
She worked in the office of the recorder of deeds with Tom Roberts and with Evelyn Cantwell in public administration.
She retired in 1999.
In March of 2011 she became a resident of Ava Place. Here she participates in the activities held and has made new friends.
She comes from a very supportive family. Her son Ron and wife Saundra, who make their home in Lee’s Summit; Ron and Saundra’s son Steve and his wife Nancy; their two children, a boy and a girl.
Her daughter Beverly and husband Doran Coberly reside in Ava. They have three children: Jared, Jeff and Jana.
Jared and wife Emily have three boys. Jeff and wife Eve have two children, a boy and a girl. Jana has one child, a boy, named Wyatt, making a total of four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
