Records
Funeral services for Sean “Wade” Kelley, 17, of Dora, were held Dec. 9, 2017, at West Plains High School. Wade died Dec. 4 in West Plains.
He was born May 13, 2000, in West Plains, the son of Sean Earl and Krystal Fay Adams Kelley. He was a senior at West Plains High School, where he attended auto...
Private services will be held for Mary Beth Roberts, 76, of Pontiac, who died Dec. 9, 2017, at Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home, Arkansas. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
She was born Nov 11, 1941, in Peoria, Illinois, the daughter of Dale D. and Esther...
This photo, from the collection of Judy Ford Lyons, shows Ozark County’s second jail, built in the 1870s in Gainesville and most likely the one mentioned in the 1897 report of a prisoner’s attempted escaped in this week’s Times Past. A History of Ozark County, 1841-1991 says the two-story jail, about 12’ x 18’, was attached to the sheriff’s dwelling with removable steps leading to a second-story doorway. The lower jail level could be entered from the long porch fronting the sheriff’s dwelling. The jail and dwelling were “located in the field across Lick Creek, northeasterly from the town square, where Highway 160 bridge crosses the creek,” according to the history book. In its Dec. 28, 1905, edition, the Ozark County Republican expressed its opinion that “the jail ... is little better than a hog pen, ...disgraceful to the county.” A later newspaper story said the old jail “is immediately below a livery stable and the drainage from the stable naturally makes the jail a very unsanitary place to confine persons.” In its Jan. 11, 1907, edition, the Ozark County Times reported that the county court had appointed a committee to select a site and erect “a good substantial stone jail for Ozark County.” That jail is believed to stand today near Harlin Drive and Third Street and is owned by Wayne and Doris Sayles.
Ozark County News
Dec. 9, 1897
James Guilliams, who is in jail on a charge of burglary, came near causing a conflagration in town last Thursday by trying to burn his way to freedom. The jail is made of logs, and the walls are double.
Last Thursday, while passing through the alley, Hugh Layton...
Joe Dolecki will celebrate his 100th birthday at a party to be hosted by his son and granddaughter Sunday at The Center in Gainesville. Everyone is invited.
Editor’s note: Gainesville-area resident Joe Dolecki will celebrate his 100th birthday from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at The Center in Gainesville. Everyone is invited to the party. This story about Joe’s first 100 years is based on information provided by Yolanda Dolecki, his wife of 69 years...
Addie LeAnn Donley
John and Sarah Donley of Gainesville are the parents of a baby girl, Addie LeAnn Donley, born Oct. 25, 2017, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. She weighed 3 pounds 8 ounces and was 16.5 inches long.
Maternal grandparents are Dennis Prock of Springfield and Susan Smidt of Gainesville. Paternal...
The “Whiddleing Club” in this undated photo from Romance, shared a few years ago by Russ Robinson before his death, isn’t the club whose members complained in the 1932 item below about the “whittling material” two of the members supplied, but it might have been a group that whittled about the same time.
Ozark County News
Dec. 7, 1899
Noah Hawkins, an old citizen of this county who went to the Indian Territory about two months ago to locate, is among us again and occupies the residence east of the school building.
Noah, like many of us, has drunk of the waters of Lick Creek too often to attempt to...
Ozark County native Lena Ledbetter Hobbs, now living in Dallas, Texas, celebrated her 89th birthday Monday by enjoying gifts of chocolate, a fresh-flower bouquet and a party balloon followed by a meal with her daughter, Anita Hobbs Horton, at her favorite Mexican restaurant. The waiters “swooned...
Funeral services for Catherine Jeanette Muhm, 86, of St. Louis, formerly of Theodosia, will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, at Alexander White Mullen Funeral Home in St. Ann. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be at Mount Lebanon Cemetery near St. Ann. Mrs. Muhm...
Noble Barker, 94
Funeral services for Noble Gene Barker, 94, of Drury, were held Nov. 28, 2017, at Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home in Mountain Grove with the Rev. Roger Flint officiating. Mr. Barker died Nov. 24 at Autumn Oaks Caring Center in Mountain Grove.
He was born Oct. 19, 1923, in Mountain Grove, the son of Noble...
Funeral services for Dorothy Mae Gibson Turner, 76, of Gainesville, were held Nov. 28, 2017, at Clinkingbeard Funder Home in Gainesville with Dale Roberts officiating. Mrs. Turner died Nov. 22 at her home.
She was born July 24, 1941, in Webb City, the daughter of James I. and Viola M. Williams...