25 Years Ago
December 25, 1986
An anonymous panel of judges has selected the winners in the 1986 home decoration contest sponsored this yuletide season by the Ava Area Chamber of Commerce. First place in the contest goes to Mr. and Mrs. Randy Barnes, who will receive a cash prize of $20. The second place home is that of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Guthrie. They will receive $10. The third place home is that of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Williams, and they will receive $5.
Mrs. Hattie Newton celebrated her 100th birthday Tuesday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Tom Johnson, in Ava, where she makes her home.
The ornament contest at Jean’s Healthway brought in scores of beautiful and original ornaments. Everyone started with identical very old and plain ornaments provided by the store. The results are unbelievable. The judging was done by the staff at Jean’s with the assistance of Carolyn Wallace, the art teacher at Ava High. All 81 entries will be on display at the store until Jan. 1 then all the contestants can pick up their ornaments and enjoy them for years to come.
Dr. and Mrs. C.E. Harlan will be married 50 years January 2, 1986. Clifton E. Harlan and Jacqueline Workman were married January 2, 1937 in Ottumwa, Iowa.
BRIXEY –– It has been almost a year since I began writing the news of Brixey. It has been a year of great change. I have had to make the transition from a city person to a country person. Where I lived previously I could get into the car and in five minutes or so be in the midst of a large shopping mall with all kinds of stores. Now I drive around 25 miles to get to a town with only one or two stores. I have had to change from turning up the thermostat to going to the basement and getting a wood fire started. It has meant going from hearing the traffic on a busy interstate highway and nearby railroad track to hearing cows, goats and chickens. However when I lived in town I could not look out my kitchen door and see a forest of stately pine trees. Their beauty when covered with snow is indescribable.
50 Years Ago
December 21, 1961
Four pretty girls, warmly bundled up against the cold weather were caught during an exciting visit with Santa Claus when he visited Ava last Thursday and treated all the children. The girls, all pupils of the Ava R-1 elementary school, are Cindy McGill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cleo McGill of Ava; Shirley King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wendell King of Route 2; Phyllis Harvill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Harvill of Keltner, and Kathy Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Reid, Ava. Some 1500 to 2000 children were on the town square last Thursday to see Santa Claus and receive candy treats handed out by Santa.
Janice Robertson, sophomore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Robertson of Ava, was chosen as the student of the month for November at Ava High School. Miss Robertson, chosen by faculty members from a list of nominees, was selected for her courtesy, tact, initiative, industry, and other traits of character.
Someone got cheated in an exchange of overcoats recently at the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home chapel, says J.W. Reese, president of the Citizens Bank. “I came up with a better coat in the exchange” Reese said. However, he continued “if the person who got my coat in the exchange will bring it to the bank, I’ll be glad to ‘swap’ back.”
Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Bacorn have leased an apartment in the Gaulding apartment building on Marvin Street in Ava, and will be moving to the location this week. Mr. and Mrs. Bacorn (Sue Huff) have been residing in the home of his grandfather, Fred Livingston, in southeast Ava.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Davis (Edna Mae Shuler) of Route 5, Ava, announce the birth of a daughter at the family home Saturday morning, Dec. 9, at 5:55 o’clock. The baby weighed nine pounds at the time of her birth and she has been named Cynthia Mae. Mr. and Mrs. Davis also have three sons.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Elms of the Maples Café in Ava entertained with a dinner party at their trailer home on Thursday evening, Dec. 14, when they had the five members of the Maples Bowlers as their guests. During the dinner Mr. and Mrs. Elms presented a gift to Armae Palmer, the high 30 bowler in the team, and in turn the five bowlers presented a plaque to Mr. and Mrs. Elms to show their appreciation for the sponsorship. Attending with Armae Palmer were the other members of the team, Anita Newton, Faye Tilley, Kay Skyles and Susie Graham.
The Rev. Archie Halford, widely known Freewill Baptist minister, who died Dec. 10, had somewhat of a record in his long ministerial work in the southwest Missouri Ozarks. Rev. Halford began preaching on Nov. 26, 1911, and continued over a span of half a century, during which he traveled 206,681 miles, preached 7,241 sermons, with 777 converts, baptized 352, organized 15 churches, received 486 converts into church work, and conducted 375 funeral services. In addition he worked with 204 preachers, married 112 couples, preached in 11 different counties and three states.
75 Years Ago
December 24, 1936
A wildcat pelt was purchased Thursday of last week in Ozark County by J.W. Silvey, local furbuyer. The pelt measured 44 inches long from tip of the nose to tip of the tail. Hunting dogs treed the cat and it was shot by a son of Mike Warden of near Wasola. It was said the cat weighed twelve pounds.
Mrs. Fred Spurlock found turkey hunting good in her back yard Wednesday morning. She shot an eighteen pound wild gobbler. She not only put to shame a dozen or so men who have tramped the woods in vain efforts to get a turkey this season but she went no further than her own poultry house to do it. Her home is two miles south of Ava on Highway 5. The shot that killed the gobbler was the third shot she had ever fired from a shotgun. Two hours afterward she was having her picture taken with her turkey. Mrs. Spurlock said the turkey would be on the family dinner table Christmas day.
Mr. and Mrs. E.L. Castle announce the birth of an eight and one-half pound son, Billy Eugene, Monday, Dec. 21. Mrs. Castle’s mother, Mrs. Zack Peters, who was a guest in the Castle home Monday, returned to her home in Willow Springs Monday evening.
Quitting Business –– My stock of goods is for sale, and building and fixtures are for rent. Springcreek Store, 4 miles south on Highway 5. Virgil Sellers, Ava.
The reason given by Italy and Japan for their desire to increase their territory is that their population is increasing to a point where the present territory can no longer sustain it. We fail to see in this any valid reason for a nation seizing the territory of another.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Burris announce the birth of a daughter, Ann Arlynne, Wednesday morning, Dec. 23. The young lady weighed 7 ½ lbs. Mrs. Burris’ sister, Mrs. E.E. Glenn of Springfield arrived in Ava Wednesday and will be a guest in the Burris home for several days.
The big hindrance to safety on the highways is that with roads twenty-five percent safer the motorist wants to go fifty percent faster.
MERRITT – Miss Faye Adams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andy Adams, and Ollen Goin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Goin, were united in marriage last Wednesday, Dec. 15 in Ava, the Rev. Silvey officiating.
SWEDEN –– Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Loftin went to St. Louis Wednesday of last week where they purchased a new V-8 Ford car.
ROCKBRIDGE –– A surprise dinner was given at the John Brown home Sunday in honor of Mrs. Emiley Hobbs’ 84th birthday. Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Edwards and daughters, Loretta and Lucille, Mr. and Mrs. Etcyl Souder and two children, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Nance and baby and Mr. and Mrs. P.M. Brown.
100 Years Ago
December 28, 1911
A trainload of dressed turkeys passed through St. Louis for New York. Each of six refrigerator cars in the train carried 25,000 pounds of turkeys. The train left Lebanon traveling on passenger schedule.
Notice To City Tax Payers –– I have my office at Ava Grocery Co’s store, and you can call there and pay city taxes. All city taxes are due, some tax is delinquent and it will be necessary for suit to be brought unless delinquent taxes are paid at once. L.H. Pettit, City Collector.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Martin are the proud parents of a fine baby girl. Harry says it’s the finest girl he ever saw, and that it made its arrival Dec. 22nd, A.D. 1911. He hasn’t worked a lick since; his livery business is in charge of the hired help. He is now begging the child’s mother to let him name it “Ava,” in honor of the wonderful city in which it was born.
The party who took a 38 calibre revolver from Dyer Hdw. Co. last Saturday, Dec. 23, will return to this company at once or their name will be handed to the Prosecuting Attorney with instructions to prosecute. If the same is returned the matter will be dropped. Now don’t deceive yourself by thinking we don’t know who you are and thereby get a trip to the penitentiary. Disinterested parties saw you get it.
We have been pretty reliably informed that the K.C.O. & S. Ry. will have two new engines and two more coaches ere many more moons have passed away.
A letter from “Kid” Barker last week, indicates that he wants to arrange for a wrestling match in the near future, at Ava, between himself and Heiner Mays. Kid seems to have gained considerable reputation as a wrestler, and from what we can learn we believe a match between these two boys would be very interesting, if it was a fair, square wrestle to a finish.
For Rent –– 40 acres farm, 7 miles southwest of Ava, what is known as the Claud Phipps place; well improved and good house, $40 per year. At Hailey Hotel, John Barnhart, Ava, Mo.
To Telephone Patrons: We have some lines with a few phone holders on them who do not pay the regular price of $1.50 cents per year for switch charges, but want to pay 5 cents per message. For the reason that we have been unable to collect for these 5 cent messages, and to know and keep an account of them, and the extra time and trouble caused by them, we will begin Jan. 1st, 1912, to discontinue this 5 cent message service on lines with direct connection with central office. Also we will not call parties who do not pay the regular price of $1.50 per year. Mansfield – Ava, Tel. Co.
PANSY –– Henry Friend and Jonah Letterman have purchased the Merritt mill and will move it near Pansy soon.
You can’t hold the women down; soon, they’ll be invading the realm of high finance. A New York woman has been spending $21,000 yearly on an income of $18,000.
