50 years ago
April 9, 1975
— MILL STREET CHURCH GROWING
The Mill Street Church of Christ has begun an addition project that will more than double the present space. Building committee co-chair-men Charles Whisman and Quentin Epperly are in charge of the 32×85 addition which will include a full basement. The exterior will be of brick to match the existing church building.
— CONOCO SERVICE CHANGES HANDS
Grande Tire Co. of Pierce City, has purchased Bill’s Conoco Service of Cassville from Bill Long. The new ownership assumed operation this week. Included in the new firm are Junior Avondet, Leo Costly and Jack McCaffery of Monett. The new owners will feature tire sales and continue service operations. Grande operates wholesale routes in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Long has not announced future plans but will remain in Cassville.
— MONETT POSTAL POST TO AREA NATIVE
The appointment of Billy J. Edwards as postmaster at Monett was announced Thursday by Clarence B. Gels, regional postmaster general of the Central Postal Service Region. Edwards has been an employe of the Monett Post Office since 1949, and had been serving as foreman of mails. Edwards was born August 31, 1924, at Purdy. He started in the U. S. Postal Service in 1948 at Kansas City. He was among the Edwards family boys who played baseball with the Exeter Aces. He graduated from public school at Exeter and attended Monett Junior College and Southwest Missouri State University at Springfield. He served in the U. S. Army from April 1943 to March 1946. He and Mrs. Edwards live in Monett. They are the parents of two sons. He replaces John Hunt, longtime Monett insurance executive and postmaster, who retired.
— CORPS SESSION COVERS RESERVOIR SHORELINE
In a quickie meeting, announced only last week, the Army Corps of Engineers is hosting a public session at the School of the Ozarks today (Wednesday), concerning shore line situations on Table Rock Lake. Officially, the session is to explain in detail the Lakeshore Manage-Plan, which primarily involves private floating facilities and the survey of the government take line around the reservoir. Senators Stuart Symington and Thomas Eagleton and Congressman Gene Taylor advised area media of the session last week. This notice and Engineer releases were too late for publication. The congressional people said 53% of the 754 miles of shoreline have already been surveyed in a lengthy program by the engineers. Although not stated in the announcements, the current subject will undoubtedly become a part of hearing set April 22 at 10 a.m. during meetings set by the Corps at Shell Knob.
40 years ago
April 10, 1985
— CHANGE OF CITY COMMAND
Cassville changed mayors Tuesday night, with outgoing chief executive Bill LeCompte making a statement before turning reigns over to Rolland Meador. Each made a statement concerning the office. Portions are as follows: LeCompte, “Eighteen years has been a long time, but I have enjoyed almost every bit of it.” Acknowledging he might have difficulty finishing the statement due to emotions, LeCompte said, “I could not have done anything in the city without the help of employees, past and present aldermen. I think government’s function is to guide and lead, like it or not some things just have to be done.” The outgoing mayor said, “a good trained police force, top water, sewer and street department, are among Cassville’s big assets.” He closed thanking his family for their understanding and support over the tenure of office. Meador, who presented plaques to outgoing aldermen John Miller and Allen Stubblefield for their service, said, “The mayor deserves more than plaque.” LeCompte had left council chambers prior to the presentation. The mayor acknowledged “Our town is economically sound and town is in good order. It’s now our duty to strive to do our best to make it better.” Admonishing the council, “You will be asked by individuals for special interests, but “we were elected to act for the people, so I would ask you to act on your own. I don’t want to see a divided town.”
— FOREST SERVICE IN TRADE FOR AREA LAND
The U.S. Forest Service has announced a proposed trade in two plots of land in the Cassville district of Mark Twain National Forest. The program is an ongoing one by the Service in exchanging lands under jurisdiction of the government for private holdings to better incorporate forest lands. In one exchange, the Forest Service would receive 40 acres addition for 40 acres of private land in the Garner Hollow area north of Hailey. This exchange is proposed between Mr. and Mrs. Gail Purves of Tulsa, Oklahoma and the government agency. Also proposed is the Forest Service receiving 80 acres addition for 23 acres of private land in the east fork area of Rock Creek. This exchange is proposed with Mr. and Mrs. J.T. McFarlin of Salina, Oklahoma. Chuck Miner of the Cassville district, said the exchange policy was adopted several years ago by the Forest Service to better serve a forest area. Equal value is a criteria of the exchange program. Legal advertisements in this week’s Democrat provide for valid objections in the exchange being made, within 15 days of May 1.
— NESBITT OPENS AUTO SHOP
Jim Nesbitt of Cassville has opened an automobile body shop repair business at Seventh and Mill Streets in Cassville. Nesbitt, formerly associated with Gary Norris Ford-Mercury, began his operations last week.
— WARREN SKELTON FINDS OKLAHOMA BALLOON
A balloon released from the Westside Elementary School, Claremore, Oklahoma recently was found by Warren Skelton as he was feeding his cattle. Skelton wrote to the class to let them know of his find and later received letters from each first grader and their teacher thanking him for his efforts and sending him an article that had been published in their local paper. The article stated that the students had heard from people in Exeter, Mount Vernon, Southwest City, Neosho and Vienna in Missouri. In all, 600 helium- filled balloons were released.
30 years ago
March 29, 1995
— EMPIRE ELECTRIC AFTER POWER RATE HIKE
About 110,000 homeowners and businesses in southwest Missouri could see a 5.3 percent rate hike on their electric bills if the state approves a request by Empire District Electric Company. The Missouri PublicServiceCommission has 11 months to decide on the proposal which would add an average of $2.74 a month to residential bills, accounting for 85 percent of the utility’s customers. This proposal comes seven months after a rate hike of $3.70 a month for the typical residential customer’s bill of 750-kilowatt hours a month. But that won’t diminish the chance for approval of this increase, PSC spokesman Kevin Kelly said.
— COOL TEMPS SLOW BLOOMING PLANTS
Budding Dogwood trees aren’t expected to feel any damage from a drop in temperatures that will be around the Barry County Ozarks for a few days. Weather fronts that spawned thunder storms Sunday, also brought obvious lower temperature readings to the area. Chuck Miner of the U. S. Forest Service said the Dogwood display in the woods of the area, although they were at least two weeks ahead of normal sched-ules, won’t be affected by the cool down. Light frost that visited areas the first of the week were not the type that would harm planted vegetables, according to gardeners of the area. Miner said the lower temperatures would have little bearing on the quality of the Dogwood show. “Plants that are already blooming probably won’t turn as extremely white until a few days of warm sunlight hit them, noted. Weekend temperatures are supposed to return to the 50 degree range. Orchards of the area report peaches have gone through the blooming stage and areas of concentration were not affected by what frost that might be around. Vollenweider Orchards said apples, about three weeks ahead of their season, would not experience problems at the expected levels of cool weather. Growers expect little problems with this cool snap, which might actually be a good situation in applying a slowdown of processes that might feel cooler temperatures that might arrive on into first phases of spring.
— LOCAL NAMES SPRINGFIELD ELEPHANT
Linda Williams of Cassville is one of three submitting a name for a baby elephant at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield. She proposed Asha, which has been accepted. The choice came because she has an acquaintance in India who bears that name. In that country the name means hope.
— WRITER PUBLISHED
An Exeter seventh grader, India Brown, has been selected for an article published in the April issue of High School Writer. The Minnesota based publication noted her article, a true story, stressed the use of seat belts in vehicles to avoid injuries or death. The daughter of Penny Hilburn of Exeter and Bill Brown of Cassville will be recognized by the publication for her efforts.
— THE PUBLISHER IS GONE
Born March 3, 1899, in Cassville, Kathryn Ray Mitchell passed away Saturday, March 25. The publisher of the Cassville Democrat was a resident of Barry County Care Center at the time of her death. Funeral services will be Thursday, 1:30 p.m. at the First Christian Church in Cassville. Pastor Bert Ward of Mt. Branson Christian Church in Branson will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery under the direction of Fohn Funeral Home. The third generation publisher of The Democrat had lived virtually all of her life in Cassville. She was born at the Ray home, Eighth and Townsend Streets, a daughter of the late Charley and Jennie Ray. She was a great granddaughter of Littleberry Mason, an early settler in this area. Except for brief periods residing in Joplin, Kansas City and St. Louis, she lived with her family in Springfield for three years in the mid-1940s. In 1946, when her late husband Leonard J. Mitchell passed away, she returned to Cassville to make her home and after a short period, rejoined the staff of the Cassville Democrat in the bookkeeping department. Her brothers, Means Ray and John Ray were editors of the newspaper. After the death of her mother in 1945, she became publisher of the newspaper in 1946, a post she held until her passing. She always held to strong political beliefs as carried in the banner of the publication. A charter member of the First Christian Church, she often reflected on events as a girl in Cassville when she made ice cream cones in fund raising projects to build the church at Seventh and Gravel that is now owned by the Lutheran congregation. Her interest in the church remained constant throughout her life. She was a factor in decisions to build the congregation’s present facility on West First Street even though it meant leaving her original church building. She was not a joiner of organizations, instead devoting her life to the family newspaper, her church and her family. In 1953 she was joined in the newspaper by her only son, the present editor, upon his return from four years service in the U.S. Navy. At that time the two began acquiring family interests in the newspaper, reaching the fourth generation of the Ray family being involved in the publication. The two brothers, and three sisters, Bessie Robinson, Missie Pearl and Bland White, preceded her in death. Widowed over 49 years ago, she turned to her three main interests instead of becoming associated with other organizations. A constant element of support for Cassville and community, her interests in Cassville led The Democrat to acquire family property and construct a new home for the newspaper in 1962. It was with her support and encouragement that later modernization and changes in the paper were accomplished. Her career with the newspaper began as a girl setting type by hand in the days of letterpress sheet-fed printing where each letter of a page was picked out of a type drawer by hand. She attended the Cassville schools and was among the most senior of those remaining associated with a business in Cassville. In the administration of her publisher’s duties, she encouraged constant support for civic efforts and accomplishments in Cassville, often commenting that these efforts “helped the entire community.” In addition to her son, Bob Mitchell, she is survived by her daughter-in-law Sue Brown Mitchell; two grandchildren, Bruce Ray Mitchell of Colorado Springs, Co., and Shelley D. Bartkoski of Overland Park, Ks.; and four great grandchildren. Several nieces and nephews also survive. A eulogy prepared by the grandchildren will be presented in the service by the grandson. Visitation is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday at Fohn’s. A memorial has been established at First Christian Church to accomplish a project at the church in her memory. The grandchildren will establish a project and complete same with the cooperation of church officials. Memorials can be sent either to the church or funeral home. Limited organizational involvements include American Legion Auxiliary and participation in Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Development Corp. stock activities.
