September 1997 - Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

September 1997

This series of posts on each Friday during 2015 continues the stories of “The Homeplace Saga” series of family saga, historical fiction families in the area of Oak Springs following the novel “Christmas at the Homeplace.” Here is a peek at ‘Life in Oak Springs,’ and the surrounding valley, in September of 1997.

Oak Creek Outfitters, Inc., announced that float service on the upper Oak Creek at Big Thunder Lodge was now open for business. Completion of all facilities took a little longer than expected, but service all the way down Oak Creek from the Lodge in Dent County to the facilities at the south end of Oak Creek Township are now open (further south, of course). Portage is available around the falls at the Mill, by appointment. Jonathon Offutt, General Manager, offered his thanks to all the parties involved in making this possible.

The wedding of Scott Gates to Rachel Nixon was held at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Clarice McCauley officiating. The church was filled with family and friends. The reception was held at the Homeplace Country Inn Heritage Room in order to accommodate everyone. Following the traditional cutting of the cake, lunch was served to all guests. Music for dancing was provided by the local band, Black Magic.

The Bevins Trust announced the donation of an additional 320-acre-tract of land in the east valley to the McDonald Conservancy. The announcement noted that additional lands would continue to be donated when certain metrics of the Trust and the Conservancy were met. This was just the most recent donation resulting from those metrics being met.

City Manager Jacob Howell reported that city sales tax receipts for the first six months of the year were up 4.5% over the same period in the previous year.

Sullivan End-‘O-the Road Livestock Auction advertised a special auction for Wednesday, September 17, featuring a premium selection of cow-calf stock from several breeders in the area. This is the time to upgrade herds, the ad noted.

Locals:

Heather Gates, a junior at the High School this fall, earned a Blue Ribbon on her FFA Annual Project from the past school year at the FFA State Convention held the end of last month in Kansas City.

The September meeting of the Oak Springs Historical and Genealogical Society was very well attended. Six new members were welcomed. Each had learned of the Society’s program from the exhibit at the Fair in August. The report of the first exhibit was presented with overwhelmingly positive response. A few recommendations for next year were entered into the minutes for the planning committee for the Fair exhibit in 1998.

A notice in the Oak Springs Enterprise thanked those who had ordered “The Founding” book and reminding others of the need to get pre-orders in by the 30th of September.

The Oak Springs Savings Bank reminded everyone that it was not too late to start a Christmas Club Savings Account.

Social Notes:

Scott and Rachel (Nixon) Gates returned from their honeymoon trip to Branson after four days so that each could get back to their respective jobs. They said they had a great trip but were happy to be back home to start their new lives together.

Lori Winslow attended a Residential Real Estate Development workshop in Springfield the first week of September. Karen Winslow accompanied her and they enjoyed visiting some the Springfield sites and restaurants while they were there.

Cop Shop:

Local police arrested two juveniles following the investigation of a fire at the playground in Patton Park, in the southwest part of the city, two weeks earlier. The fire destroyed the wooden swing set as well as the rubber pelts on the ground. An empty container of flammable fluid discovered near the fire was found to have fingerprints of both individuals charged with the crime. Eyewitness reports placed the individuals in the vicinity near the time of the act. The fingerprints confirmed their involvement. When the evidence was presented to them, they both confessed to having set the fire. They claimed to have a grudge against parents of some children who regularly played there. Juvenile court will decide their punishment.

"May everyone have a homeplace, if only in your mind."




Dr. Bill  ;-)

August 1997 - Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

August 1997

This series of posts on each Friday during 2015 continues the stories of “The Homeplace Saga” series of family saga, historical fiction families in the area of Oak Springs following the novel “Christmas at the Homeplace.” Here is a peek at ‘Life in Oak Springs,’ and the surrounding valley, in August of 1997.

Sheep waiting to be judged at the fair

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_show

The 118th Annual Oak Creek Valley Fair was held successfully on the first weekend in August yet again. What started as a one-day event those many years ago has grown to a four-day-event that attracts visitors from surrounding counties and across the four-state region. License plates were seen in the parking lot from 12 different states, as a matter of fact… and, of course, there could have been more over the four days. Held on the fairgrounds south of Patton Pond in the southwest corner of the city, the fair offers township residents an opportunity to show off their animals, crops and projects. The higher ranked entries can be assured of good placement at the upcoming county fair as well as the possibility of being selected for the State Fair.

Pioneer crafts from the 19th Century were a favorite of Fair visitors as they are every year. We all enjoy being reminded of the simpler (but not easier) times of our pioneer ancestors. A new exhibit this year that drew a lot of attention was that of the new Oak Springs Historical and Genealogical Society where a few of the family artifacts identified earlier in the year were on display along with family stories related to the artifacts.

Six different bands and musical groups took turns performing on the two stages set up at each end of the fairgrounds this year. The carnival was set up in the middle of the fairgrounds, as usual.

The Bevins Corporation announced in the Oak Springs Enterprise that Scott Gates, recent graduate of the Farm Operations program at the Ozarks Community College, had been named Assistant Farm Manager. In this role, he will be involved in the planning and direction of all farm related activities under General Manager, Bart Bevins. The Bevins Corporation is primarily involved in row crops, hay and pasture land management, and a large cow-calf operation.

Locals:

Virginia Hollingsworth was moved to the Serenity Nursing Home [http://homeplace.wikispaces.com/serenity] from the Oak Springs Regional Hospital [http://homeplace.wikispaces.com/hospital] where she had been undergoing care following a serious fall she took while gardening at her home in the east valley.

Late in month, Heather Gates, a junior at the local high school, was to present her FFA annual project at the FFA (Future Farmers of America) State Convention in Kansas City. She had received high praise for the project from her teacher and FFA advisor [http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/2015/03/may-1997-life-in-oak-springs-homeplace.html], and all her supporters wished her well at State.

Peter Bevins, Managing Director of the McDonald Conservancy, announced that two more persons had accepted appointment to the Board of Directors of the emerging Land Trust. One was a professor in the Biology Department at the State University and the other was a Regional Director of the Missouri Nature Conservancy organization.

Social Notes:

Dr. Raynor Crimmons welcomed his daughter, Randi, for a two-week visit from her home in the Washington, D.C. area, where she works for the Department of Defense. During the visit, they also spend a long weekend in southeastern Iowa visiting relatives and friends. While in Oak Springs, Randi said she especially enjoyed spending time with Karen, Lori and Matt Winslow with whom she grew up as a youngster in Tucson, Arizona. She added that she also enjoyed meeting and getting to know Matt’s wife, Susan, and their two children, Tyler and Emily.

Peter, Sheila, and Jeremy Bevins enjoyed a week of camping along the Buffalo River in northwestern Arkansas early in the month. It was their first out-of-town vacation since had Jeremy became part of the family last year. [Learn more about this in “Christmas at the Homeplace.”]

[http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Homeplace-William-Leverne-Smith/dp/1493510401/]

Cop Shop:

Local police were investigating a fire at the playground in Patton Park, in the southwest part of the city. It appeared that vandals had set fire to the wooden swing set as well as the rubber pelts on the ground about 9 p.m. last Thursday night. An empty container of flammable fluid was discovered near the fire. As of this reporting, no one had come forward with useful information on who may have set the fire or why.

"May everyone have a homeplace, if only in your mind."




Dr. Bill  ;-)

July 1997 - Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

July 1997

This series of posts on each Friday during 2015 continues the stories of “The Homeplace Saga” series of family saga, historical fiction families in the area of Oak Springs following the novel “Christmas at the Homeplace.” Here is a peek at ‘Life in Oak Springs,’ and the surrounding valley, in July of 1997.

The 4th of July Gala Celebration at the Oak Springs Country Club was a weekend to remember, according to those who attended it this weekend. Good golf, good food, and fun games for the kids were the highlights most often mentioned in the news article.

Scott Gates completed the requirements for the Farm Operations Associates Degree at Ozarks Community College and took part in graduation exercises on Saturday, July 18, at the end of the summer term. A total of 35 persons took part in the graduation exercises and over 250 persons attended the graduation ceremony.

Brian Kirk, President of the Oak Springs Historical and Genealogical Society (Society), reported that members of the community had continued to provide very interesting documents and artifacts from their closets and attics that the review committee had been processing. He noted an interesting sidebar to the review process was that many of the items brought to the attention of the committee were related to others in the community, not necessarily to their own family, of the people providing the materials. Many folks noted they felt these items were important, but didn’t know what to do with them. The donation rate, he added, was running above 75 percent. The others, of course, were items families wanted to keep in their possession. He said that those were especially appreciated, and each was recorded and added to the database of information being gathered. The Society, he added, is still accepting donations of material so do not stop bringing what you find to the Library. Judy Watson will be happy to process it, he said.

Locals:

Ozark Communications, Inc. formally applied to the City Council to be the exclusive cable television provider to the City of Oak Springs. This was in response to the Request for Proposal sent out by the City earlier. Theirs was the only application received by the time of the deadline set for application.

The Oak Springs Enterprise ran a front-page article feature the opportunities for kayaking and canoeing on Oak Creek that featured photos of Oak Creek Outfitters providing services to their customers on a summer outing.

Social Notes:

A graduation reception was held at the Homeplace Country Inn Heritage Room honoring Scott Gates following the graduation exercises at the Ozarks Community College on Saturday, July 18. Scott’s parents and sister hosted the reception: his father, Paul Gates, his mother and her husband from Jackson, Mississippi, Beverly Bevins Gates Threshold and Winnie Threshold, and his sister, Heather Gates. Total guests in attendance exceeded 70 persons including family, friends and co-workers at The Bevins Corporation.

On July 26th, Bart and Diane Bevins returned from a week long vacation trip to the Lake of the Ozarks. They told friends it was great to just sit on the balcony of their condo and stare across the lake for long periods of time. Bart especially enjoyed, he added, taking in several new restaurants they had not tried on previous visits. Diane concurred in that. They highly recommended such a get-away to anyone feeling stressed in their job.

Cop Shop:

Jeremiah Loomis was released from the state penitentiary after having served over twelve years of an original 20-year sentence on drug charges based on his operation of a meth lab in the hills southwest of Oak Springs. The story went on to tell how his brother, Jasper, was charged in the murder of the public defender that represented Jeremiah in court on the drug charges. Jasper was killed by police officers, acting in self-defense, when they attempted to arrest him for the murder and he attacked them with a hunting knife. {For 'the rest of the story,' see: "Murder by the Homeplace:" http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Homeplace-William-Leverne-Smith/dp/1469926652/} 

Vandals reportedly did extensive damage to three cars parked along west Maple Street overnight on July 17-18. Police are still investigating the incident.

"May everyone have a homeplace, if only in your mind."




Dr. Bill  ;-)

June 1997 - Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

Life in Oak Springs, the Homeplace

June 1997

This series of posts on each Friday during 2015 continues the stories of “The Homeplace Saga” series of family saga, historical fiction families in the area of Oak Springs following the novel “Christmas at the Homeplace.” Here is a peek at ‘Life in Oak Springs,’ and the surrounding valley, in June of 1997.

Dr. Jennifer Bevins and Mr. Brian Kirk were married at the United Methodist Church in front of close family and friends on Saturday evening, June 14th, Reverend Clarice McCauley, officiating. Christopher Ogden served as Best Man and Nicole Ogden served as Matron of Honor. Don Kirk and Linda Ogden served as hosts at a reception in the church Fellowship Hall following the ceremony.

When asked, Jennifer said she would continue to be “Dr. Bevins” in her professional practice, but would be known as Mrs. Kirk in her personal life. Initially, she added, they would live at her apartment near her clinic.

The Sullivan End-‘O-the-Road Livestock Auction opened on June 1, 1997 replacing the Cunningham Livestock Auction. Jerry Sullivan announced that he would continue the auction schedule that Lyle Cunningham had previously used. Sullivan, moving from Houston, had been in the auction business for many years, and looked forward to many years in this new location. The location was actually first settled by his great-great-grandfather, Jourdan Sullivan, in 1852, the first settler on this land… and their house was also located at the end of a long road off of what was then known as the Houston Road, now State Highway 24. Jerry hopes everyone will come to the next auction and see the remodeling now underway to improve an already great facility.

Locals:

In a separate interview, Jerry Sullivan revealed a little more of his family history regarding the land he had purchased along with the Livestock Auction building. He shared that his great-grandfather, Julian, had left the valley with his family as a young man when the Civil War had started.  Julian then served with the Union forces, stationed in Houston. After the war, however, Julian stayed in Houston to raise his own family when his parents had returned to the Oak Creek west valley. Jerry said that his father, Jesse, had been born in Houston, as well.

Penny Nixon, Associate Editor at the Oak Springs Enterprise, announced that the manuscript on the founding of Oak Springs would be published in hard copy, with $2 dollars of each copy sold going to Oak Springs Historical and Genealogical Society. Pre-orders were being taken at $42 per copy. When 100 orders had been received, the books would be printed. Subsequently, approximately 70 copies would be available to purchase at $49 each (about 30 will be distributed to libraries and other repositories).

{Editorial note: This was before “print-on-demand and ebooks” came on the scene.}

 

[Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/American-Centennial-Homeplace-Founding-1833-1876/dp/1501085026/] 

It does not cost you $49! Actually FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited! ;-)

Social Notes:

We spoke with Jennifer Bevins Kirk after she and Brian returned from their honeymoon, last week. She said they enjoyed the week in a cabin on Table Rock Lake at Big Cedar Lodge just south of Branson, Missouri. While there, they went out to Silver Dollar City one day, went to see Andy Williams at his Moon River Theater, and attended a performance of the Presley Country Jubilee. Weather was very pleasant, she added, and they had a great time away from the pressures of work. She offered a thank you to each person who covered for her and for Brian at work.

Nicole (Mrs. Christopher) Ogden has let her family know that their first child is due in mid-October. She is still working full time at the Big Thunder Lodge.

The Oak Springs Country Club announced their specials for the upcoming 4th of July Weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"May everyone have a homeplace, if only in your mind."




Dr. Bill  ;-)