25 Years Ago
June 5, 1986
Jefferson City Helias scored a run in the bottom of the seventh here last Thursday evening to defeat the Ava Bears and advance in the Missouri 3A high school state baseball playoffs. Ava’s loss to Helias ended somewhat of a Cinderella season for the Bears that finished at 12-8.
A fire at a south Ava residence Tuesday evening has been ruled arson by an investigator with the state fire marshal’s office. Bob Durham, chief of the Ava Volunteer Fire Dept. said the house is owned by Eukal Gardner and was apparently vacant.
Douglas County received one of the 18 new OATS Dodge vans which arrived in Missouri during the month of May. The new vans replaced older units that were more than four years and had traveled more than 100,000 miles.
Congressman Gene Taylor announced Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service is going forward with a plan for a new postal facility in Ava.
Mary Ann Givans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Givans, Ava, recently graduated from William Jewell College in Liberty, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in public administration.
Travis, Tracy and Amie Garrison found a weather instrument on the J.R. Garrison farm near Dogwood Friday morning. The instrument has been mailed to the National Weather Service as directed on the label.
Bill Frye Wins the Street Stocks at I-44 Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Doyl Sell of Ava, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Friday June 6.
The last Cub Scout Pack meeting for the season was opened with authentic Indian chants and music, and highlighted with Herb Sanders giving a talk on Indians in the surrounding areas.
50 Years Ago
June 1, 1961
An election can hardly get closer than the one held in the Ava R-1 school district June 28, 1958, but a fourth election held last Thursday for the same purpose – the issuance of bonds for construction of a new high school building – ended with the proposal just 12 votes short of the required two-thirds majority. The 1958 election margin was two votes.
Michael Allen Gentry, son of Dr. and Mrs. Marvin Gentry of Ava, was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology in commencement exercises at Southern Methodist University May 29. Gentry is now attending medical school at the University of Missouri.
Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Sanders, and Mr. and Mrs. Leo Litwiller, won the championship of the Mixed Foursome bowling league at the Mansfield Bowl Monday night last week. The Sanders-Litwiller team was sponsored by Buss Reynolds Insurers.
Tiny Bailey, owned by the Flying 8 Ranch of Ava, won first place in a quarter-mile race at the Missouri Royal Quarter Horse Show held Saturday and Sunday in Sedalia.
A family-neighborhood get-together held Thursday evening in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Perry Posey, and sons, Roger and David, in south Ava honored Mr. Posey, who was celebrating his birthday.
“Beatnik Night” will be sponsored Saturday, June 3, by the Ava Teentown organization, and all teenagers are invited to attend, according to Mary Martha Hutchison, president of the youth group. All participants will be urged to dress, act and talk like beatniks. The special event will start at 8 p.m. in the basement of the Legion Hall.
LONGVIEW –– Mr. and Mrs. Albert Webster and Helene Cerley made a trip to Mtn. Grove Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles McCallister and daughter, Sarah, of Bolivar returned home Monday morning following a weekend vacation in Ava. Mr. McCallister, who is football coach at Bolivar High School and conducts the city’s park program during the summer vacation months, will be completing work for his master’s degree at Drury College during the summer session.
Mr. and Mrs. G.R. Prock entertained several members of their family as guest in their home on Park Avenue during the weekend.
A former Ava man, Tom Degase of Kansas City, has recently been appointed manager of a new store, “The Burlington Trading Post”, located at 1728 Wornall Road in greater Kansas City. Degase and his wife, the former Norene Robertson of Ava, formerly lived in Ava and were for a time both employed in a local grocery store owned and operated by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Degase.
Miss Hazel Duckworth, teacher of the intermediate class of the Mt. Tabor Sunday School, entertained with a wiener roast as a special honor to three members of her class who were being graduated from the Ava High School and were making plans to leave the community. The honorees were Miss Charlotte Applegate, Miss Lena Fae Hodges, and Miss Linda Herrell.
75 Years Ago
June 4, 1936
Two damage suits were filed in circuit court here Monday by E.H. Euler, owner of Crystal Lake, six and a half miles east of town, alleging that damages are due him on two counts as a result of a break that occurred in the dam two week ago and that he is also entitled to damages because of insufficient and defective material in an ice plant he recently purchased.
The Ava Hatchery lost between 1200 and 1500 newly hatched baby chicks by suffocation Sunday afternoon when electrically operated machinery driving a forced draft ventilation system in the brooder was stopped by power being cut off. The loss was estimated by Lloyd Smith, manager of the hatchery, at about $100. Power was shut off for several minutes because of a tree branch on the line between here and Mansfield.
Work on Douglas County’s new courthouse was resumed Monday after a two-weeks suspension of construction. L.W. Weeks, contractor, proceeded with the work after receiving tentative approval of plans calling for nine concrete piers in a new foundation design.
Missouri farmers are now receiving around three times the prices for hogs that were being paid four years ago in May and chicken prices are nearly 50 pct. more according to the United States Division of Crop and Livestock estimates. Prices were currently reported by farmers of Douglas County averaging $8.55 per 100 pounds for hogs May 1936; for 1935 average was $7.
Mrs. H.L. Osborne presented a group of piano pupils in a recital Thursday evening in the auditorium of the M.E. Church. The following students were in the piano recital: Paul Tillman, Dorothy Staley, Edwin Hailey, Mary Lou Northrup, Joe Lee Banta, Betty Jane Tillman, Royce Kline Waters, Anna Rae Banta, Gladys Hale, Louise Reynolds, Mary Yeoman and Marjorie Reynolds.
Airplanes are now able to hold to their course by means of the radio beam. Radio beams are invisible electric beams heard through the pilot’s head phone. By a series of signals. the pilot can tell when he gets off the course. The signals are so designed that the pilot can tell whether he is to the right or left of the course, and when he is directly on it. The projectors which project these beams are located 200 miles apart. They are 340 of such stations operated by the Federal Department of Commerce along the 22,000 miles of lighted airways.
The extent to which the powers of Europe have submitted to the effrontery of Hitler and the arrogance of Mussolini, indicates the attitude of these nations toward another war. The actions of both Hitler and Mussolini indicate that these two have guessed the situation pretty accurately.
A group of younger folks of Ava enjoyed a picnic supper and outing at Hunter Spring east of Ava Saturday evening. In the group were Miss Audra Hunsaker, Miss Wanda Burdett, Miss Charlotte Haynes, and Messr. Ted Gray, Clifford Robertson and Charles Brown.
100 Years Ago
June 15, 1911
The James Bill provides that New Jersey dealers may sell liquor in municipalities other than their own without obtaining another license.
Don’t know who is to blame for this blamed controversy between the railroad men and those interested therein. But we do know that the citizens of Ava – the innocent party – are the ones suffering the penalty. What the people of Ava want is service and their mail on time, and they don’t care a “darn” who runs it.
The Declamatory contest at the Wilson Opera Sat. June 3rd, given by the Douglas County Normal was very interesting. The medal was won by Miss Ada Dunn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Dunn of this city.
R.F. Jenkins has bought another house keeping outfit and has moved into his property in the southeast part of town.
The Hobert-Lee Tie Co., who are buying ties on the Ava yards, have sold out to the Western Tie & Timber Co. H.E. Bash remains manager of the yards at this place.
And we still have no rain. The oats and hay crop is practically a failure. Wheat is pretty good though the acreage is small. Garden vegetables are almost a failure. The berry crop is damaged some. But with a good rain within two or three weeks, we will yet have plenty of fruit and corn.
The contest closed Saturday June 10, 11 p.m. The winners were as follows: Most popular married lady, fancy decorated cake, Mrs. Vivian Reynolds. Most popular young lady, box of Vassar Chocolates, Miss Cora King. Most popular man, one case soda pop, Mr. Hobart Upchurch. It was very interesting and enjoyed by all. I appreciate the attendance. You are always welcome. C.G. Voigt.
We notice that the city of Cabool has voted bonds to the amount of $9,0000 to be used in building a water works system. Ava needs a water works system but she may suffer several severe burnouts and thousands of dollars more worth of property before she wakes up to a realization of her real needs.
We have a good joke on a farmer living not far from town. He had been having considerable trouble getting his eldest son out of bed in the morning. A few mornings ago he called several times and got no reply. He then stepped cautiously up the stairs while it was yet very dark in the house and went in the boy’s room. he pulled down the covers and administered a violent, old-fashioned spanking. Returning to the kitchen he informed his wife of what he had done. “Well that settles it,” she said., “We’ll have to get a new hired girl. Willie didn’t come home last night and I told the girl she might occupy his room.”
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Dyer have leased the Perrman property on West Front Street and have gone to housekeeping. Mr. Dyer states that he will engage in some kind of business in Mtn. Grove.
HEBRON –– Lee Tooley and family took a flying trip to Vanzant last week.
