25 Years Ago
June 12, 1986
Emerson Motor Division is celebrating its 10th anniversary at Ava during the week of June 16. “Emerson attributes the success of the Ava plant to the hard work and team effort of all the employees, said Plant Manager Ralph Calhoun.
The Ava Saddle Club will host its second Registered Quarter Horse Show at the Saddle Club Annex just west of Ava this Saturday and Sunday. Bud Mayberry’s Bar BM Rodeo Company will provide livestock for the three-night rodeo.
Camp Joy is an independent fundamental Bible believing camp holding annual summer sessions for the youth of all areas. The session will begin July 7.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Dobbs, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, June 21.
Lance Corporal Scott Wayne Huffman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey Huffman, Ava, is currently home on leave prior to starting 30 days of Recruiters Assistance duty with the Marine Corps Recruiting Sub-station Springfield, Mo.
Mrs. Virgil (Charlene) Kester won the color television that was given away as the grand prize during Casey’s General Store’s grand opening last weekend.
Father’s Day Special! Treat Dad to a Banana Split only $1.25, made with real ice cream, Ice Cream Parlor, Come see us, Bob & Daisy Moore.
The Hemphills of Nashville, Tenn., will be the featured group at the big gospel music festival coming up this Saturday afternoon and evening at Chapel Grove Gospel Music Park east of Ava.
BRIXEY –– Formula for perpetual ignorance: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.
Due to rain and special requests Sack Sale continues, June 12,13,14 Fill your sack with merchandise from our special room only! $5. The first 200 sacks will have 50 free lottery tickets distributed in them. Ava Surplus Store.
50 Years Ago
June 8, 1961
Constructed before the automobile, before the airplane, before the jets, before the discovery of the atom, before the satellite, before man’s flight “into” outer space, but concurrent with the horse and buggy days, this school building is still being used to house a part of the educational facilities of the Ava R-1 school district. It has served its purpose well but just as the farmer has quit the horse-drawn plow and advanced to the tractor, this building has become worn and out-moded. As knowledge has advanced the necessity of giving better educational opportunities to the new generation of children become greater. If bonds are approved for construction of a new high school building, this old building would be demolished and the new building erected on the site.
One small girl, downhearted after the last bond defeat, said “Sometimes it almost makes me cry to think that some people care more about money than the lives and safety of the school children of the district.”
Bill Exline, 40-year-old furniture store and gas transport firm operator, suffered second degree burns over 70 percent of his body from an explosion at his home in Gainesville at about 6:30 Tuesday morning. Exline is a former Ava resident and the son of Mrs. Pearl Exline of Ava.
Sixteen candidates for the Douglas County Dairy Queen contest had been entered up to noon yesterday, with four openings left, according to representatives of the Ava B&PW Club, which is in charge of the event. Queen candidates are: Dianna Johnson, Joan Warden, Frieda Posey, Carolyn Spurlock, Dovie Coonts, Judy Posey, Sue Page, Velma Buchanan, Mary Hightower, Leah Streight, Carol Loftin, Carol Ann Hicks, Sharon Coonts, Ruth Ann Horner, Bonita Menzies, and Nettie Atchison.
Bob House, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan House, celebrated his 12th birthday Friday evening at a patio party given at the family home in south Ava. Guests present to help celebrate the event were Misses Linda Collins, Linda Aull, Carole Burk, Janet Waller, Joyce Posey, Pat Hart, Marilyn Kester, and Janet Frye, and Mike Warden, Howard Hale, Glen Dale Hartley, Jimmy Lawson, John Olson, Otis McFarlin, and the honoree.
Notice Wallace Cafe, south side of square, will be closed June 12-21, for remodeling, and will reopen June 22.
ALMARTHA –– Johnnie and Dwain Murphy got home Thursday from their senior trip and left Sunday for Kansas City to look for a job.
MURRAY –– Mrs. Ruth Brittsman and daughter of Cabool have been visiting for the past week in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Stewart and children of Wasola.
The Rev. Carl Willis, the new pastor of the Assembly of God Church in Ava, preached his opening sermon to his congregation Sunday morning.
75 Years Ago
June 11, 1936
Swift justice was meted out Monday at West Plains to three confessed cattle thieves who were arrested, fingerprinted, and sentenced to the penitentiary in less than half a day after they had sold a stolen cow at the West Plains stock yards. Officers started on the trail of the cattle thieves shortly before noon Monday when J.A. Webster, farmer and stockman of Gentryville went to West Plains in search of a cow that had been stolen from the herd Sunday night. He found the cow at the stockyards.
Joe Sallee, who sold his interests in the Ava Produce Co. two months ago, has purchased the Sallee & Robirds garage and filing station from his father, R.L. Sallee, and his brother-in-law, C.W. Robirds. The garage and service station is located on Jefferson Street just south of the Farmers Exchange.
First arrests of the year for operating motor vehicles in the city limits without city licenses were made Wednesday afternoon by City Marshal Burnan Cummins. Those arrested were three Ava Business men, Marion Miller, R.E. Hunt and Roy Silvey. Mr. Hunt pleaded guilty before Mayor H.H. Platt and was fined $5 and costs. Mr. Miller and Mr. Silvey pleaded not guilty and Mayor Platt scheduled the cases for trial Friday morning at 10 o’clock. “I don’t know how to enforce the city license ordinance unless violators are arrested,” Mayor Platt said. Arrests are usually made earlier in the year than this he pointed out.
Glenn Hooper, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Hooper, and Miss Mildred Spurlock, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Spurlock of this city, were married Saturday evening by the Rev. Ralph Turner, Galloway minister, at the latter’s home at Turner’s Station.
Mr. John Wyeth of St. Joseph was elected Republican national committeewoman from Missouri, winning over Mrs. Victor Remley of Liberty and Mrs. Gladys B. Stewart of Ava.
A gold hunt was staged on the post office corner Monday morning and everybody that passed by stopped to join the search. Mrs. Ingle Nichols, manager of the five and ten cent store had started to the Herald office and just as she was walking across the street to the Post office corner she sneezed. She felt a rock-like object in her mouth and threw it to the ground. “It was a gold filling out of a tooth,” she said. “I realized what it was just as soon as I threw it but it was too late.” She soon had a number of helpers to take part in the search for the gold filling. Unwilling to give up, Mrs. Nichols continued the search for about an hour, and was finally rewarded when a sharp-eyed man spied the bit of gold.
FRY DISTRICT –– Wedding bells rang in our community last Friday for Elmer Plumb and Miss Flora Mae Johnson when they were united in marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Otis Graham announce the birth of a baby girl Sunday, June 7. The infant has been named Lois Charlene.
100 Years Ago
June 22, 1911
Geo. T. Clarke has bought the meat market on the south side of the square of R.E. Bales, and will continue the business at the same stand. Mr. Bales talks of going to Oklahoma or Springfield.
The drought in most parts of the Ozarks was broken last Friday and Saturday by local showers. Thee immediate vicinity of Ava however only received a very light shower. Good rains are reported in most every other vicinity.
Hay sold at $17.00 per ton last Thursday at Mrs. Steffy’s sale. This is due to the short crop of this year.
So completely have flies been exterminated in England that screens are no longer used in the windows and doors. This shows what can be done. A solution of formalin or formaldehyde in water is the best and cheapest exterminator. Put a spoonful of formalin in half a tea cupful of water and expose it in a saucer in your room. Try it once and you will see. Burn pyrethrum powders in a room and sweep out the stupefied flies. Or put twenty drops of carbolic acid on a hot shovel. The vapor is deadly to the pest. Put a drachm of biochromate of potash in half of glass of water and sweeten. Expose a little of the solution on saucers. Sticky fly paper will do the work also.
Geo. T. Clark and Oscar Kester have bought the Burchell butcher shop and will move it to the Southside of the square in the Central office building.
DOGWOOD DOINGS – Arthur McMurry and Miss Esther Painter were married at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. O.A. Painter, June 10. Rev. J.W. Pruett officiating.
BRUSHY KNOB –– Jason Roy will teach our school again the coming term, while Mrs. Carrie Baker goes to Dogwood and Mrs. Lula Lord to St. James.
BREEZES FROM ROME – We are having some very warm weather this season. Mercury registered 108 degrees in the shade June third.
Two boys broke into A.R. Turner’s store, a few nights ago, and secured $3.00 in Mexican money, and $18.00 in U.S. money. They guilty parties have been caught, but nothing has been done yet.
Celebrate In Ava The Glorious 4th. Hon. Jno. E. Swanger will deliver an address. Free ice water, free stock water and plenty of good shade. Pettit’s Steam Merry-go-round will furnish amusement for the children. Free ball game – Business Men vs County Officers. Ball game in afternoon – Ava vs Cedar Gap. Come prepared to spend the day and have a good time.
SMALLETT –– Luin Haden who was operated on last winter for appendicitis, is at work again. He says that he is now enjoying the best of health.
TOPAZ –– Preparations are being made to repaint our school house. Mr. Bittick of Prior will do the work.
SEDAN NEWS –– Farmers are all feeling discouraged on account of dry weather.
