Tecumseh news: Sept. 12, 2018

Wild grapes make the best jelly, but I can’t get out to find them now. My memories go back for years to the time when my grandfather Ebrite grew grapes to make wine. Being a medical doctor, it was a good medicine - and high on his list! 

The old saying, “Possum in a pawpaw patch” rings a bell as I pick the pawpaws ripening and falling in my yard. I’m going to bring them in to share with people. Kenny Ericksen said recently he’d never seen a pawpaw. They usually grow in creek bottoms. I got sprouts many, many years ago and set them out in my backyard. And another one came up volunteer by my back door. Possums sneak around at night and get the pawpaws, so we try to keep them picked up. They are enticing to the possums - and to people like me!

Many years I would drive to the creek place to pick all the pawpaws I could find to have on hand when cousin George Ebrite came to visit from Ada, Oklahoma. In years past, he took some seeds home and planted them. When we visited him several years later, I got to see the trees he grew from those seeds. They did OK in that Oklahoma soil!

 Best wishes to Karen K. Davis of Udall to recover from a bad case of flu. She said she must have contracted it while shopping in West Plains recently. She’s been really sick with it. It’s about time to get our flu shots – and also, washing your hands is one of the best preventatives. 

Mearl Satterfield’s funeral is Tuesday, as I write these items on Monday. I have so many memories of him and his corn. And oh, the trips we took together - Beulah, Mearl and I. He knew every crook and turn of the road to Branson. We went to all the shows and everything that was open. Beulah liked to eat at Cracker Barrel. Mearl’s mother and my husband Glen were first cousins. What people may remember most about Mearl was the good sweet corn he grew. There wasn’t a weed growing in his corn patch – and it was over an acre, maybe more. He supplied the whole county, I think. People loved Mearl’s corn. Beulah and I would glean the corn patch after he got through selling it. Then we would put up the remains of the crop.   

On Sept. 4, my daughters Karen and Kris took me to the doctor in Mountain Home for a checkup. We ran into some of my Eastern Star friends – Charles and Dorothy Rhea, who live in Mountain Home now. Dorothy recognized me and said she keeps in touch by reading my news items. 

 We ate dinner in the hospital cafeteria as I was having bloodwork done there. We saw Ron Ellison there, and he came by to say hello to us.

We also saw Danny Hayes from Bakersfield, who knows Karen, and he joined us and caught us up on news from Bakersfield.

He said he always enjoys reading our news items and loves remembering old times and old friends. 

He mentioned several new things coming to Bakersfield, including a little taxidermy shop opened by Joe Summers. And Danny said he’s closing on some property that will be the site of a new Dollar General store in Bakersfield. Also, he said, the town is very proud of their new FEMA storm shelter being built at the school. 

He said Gary Richardson, who I believe is part owner of DNS Trash Service, is building a nice garage for himself. The foundation is poured, and they’re working on it. 

Also, the Assembly of God church in Bakersfield is completing a new building south of town. 

We enjoyed hearing about all the exciting news of Bakersfield that Danny shared. 

Ozark County Times

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PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423