25 Years Ago
May 29, 1986
The Ava High School Bears defeated Mtn. Grove, 8-5, at Mtn. Grove last Thursday afternoon to claim the District 12 championship title in Missouri 3A baseball. The Bears will be hosting Jefferson City Helias this afternoon at the Ava High School athletic complex in the first round of state play.
Kevin VanDyne of Springfield was the first place winner of the Poke Salat Days 10K Fun Run, sponsored in Ava last Saturday by Jean’s Healthway. Sybill Kizer was the first female to finish the 10K Fun Run. Sybill is a former Ava resident, now living in Houston.
Ozark Family Vision Center, We’re Moving To The Square in Ava! You’re invited to an open house Saturday, May 31, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. to view our new facilities.
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Davis of Ava will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception at First Southern Baptist Church in Ava Sunday, June 8.
Buffy Brooks was honored with her sixth birthday party on Saturday, May 24. Those attending were Jessica and Sarah Ross, Andrew Stewart, Heath Roberts, Patsy Stewart, Uncle Den and Aunt Reanee Roberts, Grandpa and Grandma Brooks. The group enjoyed punch, ice cream and a Winnie The Pooh cake baked and decorated by Mrs. Lula Mae Denny.
High school art students among those who won awards at the Alpha Rho Tau art festival in April are Laura Powers, Bob Bruffett, Angela Fleetwood, Rachel Ross, Shelly McKnight and Kristy Potter.
Theresa Bishop, a 1986 graduate of Ava High School, will receive a $750 scholarship from the Shelter Insurance Foundation.
50 Years Ago
May 25, 1961
Ninety young men and women members of the 1981 senior class of Ava R-1 High School, will receive diplomas tomorrow evening during the 71st anniversary of AHS graduating classes. It is not known definitely whether there have been graduation classes every year, up to 1904, but the first was in 1890. The AHS Alumni Association was organized in 1904.
The sun is supposed to shine in this area for a few days, according to weather reports, but already near record rainfall has been received here during May. The total through May 23 was 10.32 inches, according to records kept at the Ava Ranger’s office of the U.S. Forest Service.
Clyde Bell was elected president of the Ava Lions Club at an evening dinner meeting last Friday, with Max Decker, Paul Pitts and Lawrence Plaster named as first, second and third vice presidents.
Herman Beaven of Norwood announces the engagement of his daughter, Nola Fae, to Jerry Pool, son of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Pool of Ava. Mr. Pool, also a graduate of Ava High School, recently completed a tour of duty with the United States Army in Germany and is now associated in business with his father in Ava.
ALMARTHA –– They are now working on the road coming through Almartha that has been talked about so long.
AVALON THEATRE, Sun., Mon., “Oceans 11”, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr. Wholesale holdups! Hilarious comedy melodrama! Two days only!
A woman among the women who object to being the brunt of “women drivers” jokes asked us if a woman was driving the bulldozer which last week struck a car which had been parked by a woman driver on the roadway of the new highway construction. . . . No comment.
The Ava High School Key Club Congratulates Hesterlee’s for sponsoring the ‘61 Key Club Queen Miss Barbara Pitts.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Tidwell, residing about 12 miles east of Ava on Highway 14, will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on Sunday, May 28.
PLEASANT GREEN –– Mr. and Mrs. John Pamperien visited their daughter and family, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Smith of Springfield, Sunday.
Armour Star Canned ham, 3 lbs, $2.39; Armour Star thick sliced bacon, 2 lbs, 95¢; VanCamp tuna, 2 cans, 35¢; Snider’s Catsup, large 20 oz. bottle, 19¢; Velveeta cheese, 2 lbs, 75¢. No limit to what you buy, lots of convenient parking, open week days to 7 p.m. Farmers Super Market.
GENTRYVILLE –– Wedding bells have been ringing in this community for Sherman Berry and Ruby Stephens.
Mr. and Mrs. Bentley Miller (Mary Potter) of Vera Cruz, announce the birth of a 6-pound, 11-ounce son at 10:53 o’clock Monday night, May 1, in the Elms Clinic of Mtn. Grove. The baby has been named Bobby Joe.
75 Years Ago
May 28, 1936
Dr. V.C. Bartlett, veterinarian living in eastern Douglas County, made bond the first of this week in the justice of the peace court of E. Smith of the Field’s store community near Roosevelt, for his appearance to face charges of felonious assault for the alleged shooting of Harry Laswell, young saw mill operator of the Dripping Springs district, six miles north of West Plains. Laswell was injured Saturday afternoon, when Bartlett was said to have fired on him with a shotgun. Eight number six shot were taken from Laswell’s right side, being scattered from his shoulder to his foot, it was reported. The trouble arose, it was said, over a contract Laswell and his father, James Laswell, had made to saw some timber on Bartlett’s farm.
A bumper crop of strawberries was grown on one stem by Mrs. W.R. Clinkingbeard, and the oddity was displayed Saturday and the first of this week in the window of the Clinkingbeard Furniture Co. The freak was a twelve-in-one strawberry, with twelve berries growing from one stem.
Damage estimated to run into hundreds of dollars resulted from the breaking of the semicircular dam impounding the waters of Crystal Lake, six miles east of Ava, early Thursday morning. The break occurred when an attendant at the lake went to sleep and failed to wake up in time to open flood gates to release the water in the lake fed by a large spring. Hunter creek overflowed and flooded lowlands in the vicinity and many fish were left stranded in the dry bed of the ten-acre lake. E.H. Euler of near Mansfield, who owns the lake resort, had lately installed there an ice manufacturing plant, which had been in operation only two days. Mr. Euler plans to rebuild.
Several Ava citizens have formed a class and are taking flying lessons from the Springfield flying school of instruction each Tuesday. The following are members of the class: Wm. Brooks, H.T. Shipman, Hobart Hensey, Oral Atteberry, Dr. M.C. Gentry and Wallace Hartley.
Bobby Givans, 8-year-old son of County Clerk and Mrs. W.F. Givans, escaped with bruises on his left leg, left hand and forehead Saturday afternoon when he was struck by a car on the northwest corner of the square. Bobby and a friend were crossing the street from the Citizens Bank corner to the Hartley Grocery corner when Bobby was struck by the car, said to have been a Chevrolet coupe containing a boy and a girl coming from the north. The bumper knocked the boy out of the car’s path. The car did not stop.
The newspaper reports keep our mind concerned and speculative with affairs abroad. Germany, under the present regime seems to be headed for various brands of trouble, and the least of which is financial. Word has gone out to banks and big insurance companies in London, they are advised not to extend fresh credits and to recall their money from Germany.
Playing a little sea-sprite, darling Shirley Temple dances, sings and plays her way through her new 20th Century picture, “Captain January.”
100 Years Ago
June 8, 1911
Last Friday morning there was some little excitement and comment among the citizens when they arrived at their places of business around the square, and noticed on the Court House lawn, eleven dead “soldiers.” In a short time several sympathizers and old-time friends gathered around them and wept most bitterly because they were not at the killing. Funeral services were held and the pall bearers immediately removed the remains to their last resting place, and they were laid to rest in a back alley beside many “comrades” who have gone this way before them.
The smallpox situation at the University has cleared up. No new cases have been reported for two weeks, and the old cases in the town and vicinity will be discharged this week. Per the authority of the University physician in announcing that it is entirely safe for students to attend the summer session of the University.
Thomas Sloan contemplates starting an independent hack line from Cross Roads to Chadwick after his present contract with Old Field expires June 30. He will leave Cross Roads at 7 a.m. and arrive at Chadwick at 12:00; leave Chadwick at 1 p.m. and arrive at Cross Roads at 6 p.m. This will be quite an improvement and accommodation to the traveling public.
Great explosion! at Clapp’s Place. A pop bottle exploded and killed three flies. We now have no flies, but keep a supply of fresh Springfield bread, ice cream, cold drinks, and fruits.
F.S. Timberlake of St. Louis closed up the deal last week for Joe Garrison’s property in the southeast part of town, consideration $2,000. He will probably take charge sometime this summer or fall. Mr. Garrison has bought the Harry Miller old place on Casto creek, of Wm. M. Miller. Consideration $2,000.
It is reported that a bunch of fellows from Mansfield were down on Bryant Creek near Vera Cruz last week, and proceeded to throw a little dynamite in the creek occasionally. Now boys, Prosecuting Attorney Stewart, assisted by a few law abiding citizens of that neighborhood, is camping on your trail, and you had better go a little easy with that kind of work.
Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Wilson are the proud parents of a fine baby girl, which made its arrival Wednesday, May 21.
The K.C.O. & S Ry. excursion to Cedar Gap, which was advertised last week, did not come off, owing to the fact that the engine was out of commission. However, there was a few of the citizens who secured teams and drove up.
C.G. Voigt has just received a new soda fountain and will soon be serving ice cream sodas and all kinds of soft drinks. He is preparing to give a big opening next Saturday
BREEZES FROM CROSS ROADS –– Cross Roads is still growing. Mr. Harris is getting lumber sawed to put up a blacksmith shop at this place. Let the good work go on.
DOGWOOD DOINGS –– Farmers are all feeling discouraged on account of the continued drought.
SEDAN ITEMS –– Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Uhlman are the proud parents of a fine baby boy.
