Newspaper Article
Miscellaneous News from the Willow Spring Republican
January 12, 1905
- Mr. Jas. McDermott of Waterloo, Ia., who recently purchased the Howard farm, moved here with his family last week and has taken possession of his farm. We hope the weather of this week will not make him wish he had stayed north.
- Marshall Letton of West Plains died last Saturday evening after a long sickness.
- Little Eloise Mackey is very sick with throat trouble.
- Mrs. C. O DeLand of Denver, Colo. Arrived this morning to visit her brother Dr. Houston.
December 28, 1905
- Died - At her home at this place, Friday, Dec 22nd, 1905, Mrs. Brill, after suffering many months with a tumor. She leaves two sons and a daughter to mourn her departure. The funeral services were held Saturday afternoon; burial at the City cemetery.
- Word came Saturday of the death of Mr. Alex Zellweger at his home at David, Mo. It will be remembered that we mentioned some time ago that he fell from a shed roof, breaking his hip and has been a constant sufferer since, his advanced age and feeble condition at the time of the accident, allowing him very little chance for recovery. Mr. Zellweger and his family were for many years residents of this place; he owning a hardware store for sometime, and there are still many old friends here who extend sympathy to the bereaved children who are D.E. Zellweger of Okla., Jennie Kennedy and Al Zellweger, of David, Mo., and Lum whose home is in Coffeeville, Kans. Mr. Zellweger was 67 years old.
- Miss Nina Medsker surprised not only her friends but relatives the first of the week by getting married. She has been clerking on the post office at Fair Play, Mo., for sometime and told the postmaster that she wished to accompany her father as far as Springfield, which she did, and there she was married to Mr. C Davis, also of Fair Play, her father officiating. They returned at once to the above place, where they will make their home. Congratulations and best wishes are extended by the many friends here.
April 12, 1905
- A Happy Marriage – At the residence of the bride, on Sunday morning, at 11:00 o’clock, Irvan G. Stephen was married to Miss Ida Green, Geo. Patterson, officiating Justice. After the ceremony the justice lead the way to the dining room, where the guests put their feet under tales which were groaning under a load of good things edible, where good nature reigned supreme, and enjoyed themselves as old timers but could do. Sixty-four partook of the excellent dinner served by the mother of the bride, with the corps of assistants composed of friends and neighbors. After dinner the guests enjoyed instrumental and vocal music, jokes, conundrums, talks on good roads, politics and religion. The bride is the eldest daughter of J.W. and S.J. Green, who furnished a good part of the instrumental music. Miss Goldie Rickey also added thereto. The groom is a young man to the manor born of sterling qualities, and the son of Ira Stephenson, a farmer. After enjoying themselves to the full the guests quietly dispersed, but not before wishing the happy pair a "bon voyage" o’er life’s tempestuous seas.
- Mountain View Murmurs – Miss Rebecca McClellan and Ed Campbell were married last Thursday at the bride’s home.
December 21, 1906
- Burnham Bubbles – Mrs. W. Hallet died Tuesday of last week of pneumonia. Her many friends will miss her.
April 11, 1907
- A Swindler Sentenced – In the criminal court at Springfield last week, John P. Lenster was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary. He was arrested in Springfield over two months ago for passing a worthless check drawn on the First Nat’l Bank of West Plains. Lenster had previously defrauded several people in West Plains by the same method, and the authorities there were after him when he was arrested in Springfield. He is German and almost sixty years old.
- Squire Farmer Acquitted – S.H. Farmer, of Pomona, was tried Wednesday on a charge of making a false affidavit concerning the population of the village of Pomona in order to be appointed justice of the peace of Dry Creek township. The jury was out less than five minutes and brought in a verdict of not guilty. J.L. Bess prosecuting attorney, and O.L. Hayden represented the State; while J.N. Burroughs and N.B. W____, represented the defendant.
August 1, 1907
- An infant daughter of J.A. Reese died July 29. They have the sincere sympathies of many in the loss of their dear one.
- Iva Howell, the young man mentioned in last weeks paper as being very ill, died July 19th, and was buried at Frederick, Okla. He was sick quite a while of consumption. It is very sad to think of his dying among strangers, although his mother was with him when he died. He was about 22 years old and had lived here most of his life. He was bright, energetic and trustworthy, and had not an enemy. Ira will be greatly missed especially by his aged parents to whom he was indeed a dutiful son. He leaves a brother, a sister and friends in all who know him.
February 13, 1908
- Bride of a Week a Widow – Roy Padgett, a young real estate dealer of Mountain View, and a son of Will Padgett of that place, died Saturday at his home in Mountain View of pneumonia, after an illness of only three days. Elder T.J. Head of this city went to Mountain View Saturday afternoon to conduct the funeral services which were held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Mr. Padgett was married one week ago, Thursday to Miss Grace Bragg of Hutton Valley, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Chas. W. Powell of the First Baptist Church, at the home of the bride’s aunt, Mrs. Thomas Seay in this city. Mr. Padgett was a nephew of the late Judge James Padgett.
March 9, 1908
- Wedding Bells – Last Sunday Squire D.H. Fleming drove out to the residence of Eli Green, and tied the knot which joined in matrimonial harness Miss Della Green and Frank Darling. The bride is the charming daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Green, substantial farmers of this community, and the groom is a worthy young man from Cabool. A large number of guests were present at the wedding. A splendid dinner was served, and all had a most pleasant time.
April 9, 1908
- The marriage of Miss May Henry to Albert Millstead was solemnized at the home of the bride’s parents in Pomona Sunday, March 29. Rev. White officiating. They have the best wishes of their many friends.
May 7, 1908
- Family Reunion – On Sunday, May 3, 1908, a reunion was held at the home of Phillip M. Green and wife, six miles southwest of this city. A daughter, Mrs. Mahala A. Stephenson, came in for a visit after an absence of ten years, as did also a nephew, Frederick L. Green of Springfield, whom he had not seen for over forty years. Thinking this a good time for a family gathering, the children gathered at the old house, and of the nine children raised by this worthy couple, all were present except Mrs. Geo. Patterson, who was indisposed. Those present were Eli, William, Charles, Peter, Thomas, and Mesdames Mollie (unsure of name) Hale, H.T. Stephenson, and Mary Taylor. Fifteen grandchildren, five great grandchildren and six nephews and nieces were present while twenty five grand and great grandchildren were absent. I.R. Green, aged 74, the only living brother of uncle Phillip, and Mrs. Mary Perkins, 67 years old, sister of Mrs. Green were also present. Uncle Phillip will be 80 years old August 29th, having been born in Schuyler Co., Illinois in 1820. He came to Missouri in 1832. In 1847 he was on the survey when this country was sectionized by the Government and has been surveying more or less ever since. He has cleared up seven farms, sold six and lives on the seventh. He has been a minister in the M.E. church 30 years. On August 8th he will have been married 60 years. His good wife, Aunt Pollie as she is familiarly called, is 75 years old and helped him in all his work except the surveying in 1847. During the Civil War she took care of the children while her husband served the Union in the 7th M.S.M. A few neighbors were at the reunion, and Mr. Eastman came and took a snapshot of the crowd. There was a big dinner, and it seemed to do the aged couple good to see their progeny and neighbors trying to get away with it, but we left more than we ate. After hand shakings and expressing many good wishes for more reunions, we bid the aged couple a kind good by and repaired to our respective homes.
May 28, 1908
- Arrested at West Plains – Mrs. Ella Cruise, wife of a Frisco machinist in St. Louis, was arrested at West Plains Monday on the charge of obtaining $575 by false pretenses in St. Louis. There is also a charge against her of disposing of some furniture. Mrs. Cruise left St. Louis last Friday going direct to Springfield from there she went to Marshfield and then to West Plains where she was arrested. Detectives from St. Louis escorted her back in that place Tuesday evening where she will be held for trial.
June 11, 1908
- John Crawford Collins and Jesse Collins, whose home are in the western part of Howell Co., near the Douglas county line, were placed under arrest last week by Deputy Sheriff A.E. Bridges and taken to West Plains. They are charged with bootlegging and being unable to give bond were put in the county jail to await trial at the July term of circuit court. Thornty Collins another member of the Collins tribe, was also arrested. He is charged with arson, and was released upon giving bond.
- On Sunday, May 17th, Jesse Collins, John Crawford Collins, Thornty Collins and Zeke Collins with others of their neighbors went to a cabin near old Horton in which two women of bad character made their home. The cabin belonged to Nancy Collins, from whom Zeke is divorced, and who conducts a little store at old Horton, which years ago was the principal lumber camp of the whole South Missouri country. The party had a large supply of liquor, which had been shipped from Springfield to Willow Springs and hauled out to old Horton. They proceeded to make merry, and according to the authorities Jesse and John Crawford Collins retailed the Ho____, the others in the party (print torn away)
- …Zeke Collins ordered everyone out of the house and told the women to carry out their goods, for he was going to have some fun. Thornty Collins wanted to be in on the jubilee and before anyone could prevent it, he set fire to the cabin.. Zeke Collins and several others then took what they could of the goods belonging to the women and threw them back in flames.
- The preliminary trial of Thornty Collins was held before Squire Farmer at Pomona, on the arson charge and he was bound over to await trial in circuit court. His bond was fixed at $500.
- Six persons will be tried at the coming July term of circuit court at West Plains for violating the local option laws, and two others are now in jail serving sentences imposed upon them for similar offenses.