Champion News

CHAMPION—September 25, 2006

        Some of the good news around Champion these days is that Mrs. Eva Powel is home and feeling better after a short and productive hospital stay last week.  Her friends and family are happy to see her out and about.

        To correct the errors of last week, those ladies named Louise who celebrated their birthdays did it on Thursday the 21^st.  Zoey Louise of Austin, TX had her party on Sunday with balloons and chocolate cup cakes.  Louise Hutchison had dinner out in West Plains and enjoyed the company of her husband, Wilburn, who is said to be feeling better.  She said that Ed Henson used to call her up at 6 a.m. every New Year’s Day to ask her if her refrigerator was running.  She would say it was running and he would say, “Well, you better catch it!” and then he would laugh like it was the first time he had pulled that prank.

        Pioneer Days are being held at the Yates Cemetery all day Saturday and Sunday the 30^th of September and the 1^st of October.  From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  There will be live music and old time exhibits and demonstrations.

        A nice letter has arrived from Mrs. Eva Lois Henson Phillips who now lives in Okalahoma City.  She moved to Cold Springs from Iowa in 1941 when she was six years old.  Her parents were Ezra and Sylvia Henson.  They were distant relatives of Ed Henson.  They bought their farm from Cleve and Lottie Riley.  She attended all eight grades of school at Champion.  Vivian Mallernee Robertson was her first grade teacher and Opal Proctor was her seventh and eight grade teacher.  Her brothers Royce, Kenneth and Randy also attended Champion school.  Eva said that she had some sad memories of the farm including five milk cows struck by lightening and killed.  (A large sycamore tree met a similar fate this last Thursday just a mile or so north of her old home place.  It was wildly twisted and blown apart.  About an inch and a half of rain came along with that bunch of weather so that part of it was good.)  In 1946, Sylvia Henson was writing the Champion Items for the Herald.  She made note of the birth of a set of twin girls into the Upshaw family on October 4, 1946. Those girls will have a special birthday this year!

        The 28th Brixey Reunion was held September the 9th at Wagon Wheel Park, Drury, Mo. Those attending were:  Sylvia, Joe, Audrey & Kayelun McClellan, Willow Springs, Mo., June Chambers, Willow Springs, Mo., Robert Dean Brixey, Norwood, Mo., James and Jana Brixey, Norwood, Mo., Shirley Brixey, Springfield, Mo., Ernie and Sheryl Williams, Battlefield, Mo., Jeff and Bev Schellenger, Douglass. Ks., Ralph and Arlene Mullens, Lincoln, Arkansas, James and Mary Gwen Brixey, St. Pauls, North Carolina, John and Jan Brixey, Rock Island, IL., Richard and Kaye Johnston, Marshfield, Mo., Robert and Sharon Upshaw, Vanzant, Mo., Elva Upshaw, Springfield, Mo., Reitha (Andrews) Forrest, Ava, Mo., Bob, Mary, and Bill Camdenton, Mo., Douglas, Susan, Tessa, Trace Chambers, Fayette, Mo., Calvin Chambers, Dora, Mo., Dwayne Brixey and Pat Cohn, Florida, Ruby Proctor, Mtn. Grove, Mo., Charles and Kay Brixey, Umberton, North Carolina, Charlie and Mary Brixey, Moline, IL., Pete and Bonnie Mullens Wichita, Ks., Pete Proctor Mtn. Grove, Mo., Lorene Johnston, Marshfield, Mo., Ed, Sonja, Zack, Allison Williams Seymour, Mo. Mae Lemons and son-in-law Mtn. Grove. Mo., Russell, Dean Upshaw Mtn. Grove, Mo., Lon, Fae, Krider Norwood, Mo., Teahna Oglesby and Eli Perry, Mo., Tanna, Foster Wiseman, Marshfield, Mo., Phoebe Ward, Marshfield, Mo., Staci Krider Norwood, Mo. and Dustin Cline Republic, Mo.

CHAMPION—September 18, 2006

        To correct the errors of last week, the real news is that Mrs.  Linda Cooley is recuperating at home from her knee replacement surgery.  The physical therapy is slow but progress is being made.

        The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Skyline VFD met at Henson’s store on Tuesday evening to discuss the recent picnic and to make plans for upcoming events.  Letters were signed by the attending members thanking the White River Electric Cooperative and the Ozark Correction Center for the support they provided.  The point was to recognize and acknowledge their help.  Subsequently a number of members recalled the significant contribution of two young ladies to the success of the concession stand this year.  Elizabeth and Lorren Mastrangelo worked tirelessly both evenings providing much needed back-up services in the cook shack.  Their efficiency and good humor made the event much less arduous for workers who have carried the load year in and year out.

        It is agreed that an infusion of youthful enthusiasm is a good thing.  Additional business included a phone conference with Mrs. Esther Wrinkles who reported on the success of the quilt drawing.  It was revealed that only one quilt has ever earned more for the fire department than the hand pieced beauty offered this year.  Ms. Wrinkles sold the lion’s share of the tickets as usual and so it is well noted that the experience and enthusiasm of seasoned members is also a very good thing.

        Ed Henson had a dog named Toby.  He was yellow–a stray dog that was around for a few years they say.  George Tom Proctor was a regular visitor to the store at that time and it was his habit to drink a carton of chocolate milk while he was visiting.  He always left a little in the box for the dog.  Toby would watch patiently until George Tom set the box down and then he would carefully take it out under a walnut tree to enjoy his portion in solitude.  He held the box between his front feet and licked the contents out through the little opening.  People say his eyes kind of glazed over while he savored his milk.  Toby just disappeared one day.  Nobody knows what became of him.

        Donald Krider is about to have a birthday.  He was born in 1927 but nobody seems to know how old he is.  He lives in Illinois and is the big brother of Vivian, Harley and Lonnie.  He keeps busy, they say, playing bluegrass music and singing for the senior citizens in his home town.  He also takes care of a house guest who is in his 90’s.  Youth is a relative thing and Donald has some relatives around these parts who wish him well.

        Two lovely ladies, each named Louise, will share a birthday on Wednesday the 21^st.  Zoey Louise of Austin, TX will be three years old and Louise Hutchison will be happy to celebrate her birthday with Wilburn who is said to be feeling better.

        Four tenths of an inch of wonderful rain fell into Betty Henson’s rain gage Sunday.  Anyone with items to be included in this column or stories about the old days around here is welcome to drop them off at the store.

CHAMPION—September 11, 2006

        It was good news to learn that Mrs. Glenda Cooley has been transferred from St. Louis’s Barnes Memorial Hospital to Springfield to a Rehabilitation Center for physical therapy for an anticipated stay of about two weeks.  Her recent knee replacement surgery is reported to have gone extremely well;  better than expected, they say.  Many are wishing her a speedy recovery.

        Wilburn Hutchison is making steady if slow progress toward feeling better.

        The Skyline VFD Ladies’ Auxiliary is planning to have its regular meeting at Henson’s store on Tuesday the 12^th.  It is very much hoped that Mrs. Esther Wrinkles will be sufficiently recovered to attend.  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the recent picnic.  Members will assess the success of the various venues and make plans for future improvements.

        The Brixey Reunion was very well attended.  Forty-nine plus attended both Friday and Saturday at the Wagon Wheel Park in Drury.  They came from North Carolina, Kansas, Florida, Illinois, as well as Missouri and other undisclosed places.  They shared a lot of good food, fellowship, and photographs.

        There is a story about a hunting expedition undertaken by Ed Henson and his friend Oscar Krider that has circulated over the years.  Just how it happened has not been clearly explained (So if you know details, please fill us in), but the gist of it had Ed looking way down under a rock ledge just in time to see a skunk spray.  While there was some humor in the situation, it is said that Ed and his eye-sight suffered significantly for a time. Perhaps Oscar’s great grandsons will learn the full story one day.  Two of those charming young fellows, Foster and Eli, cut some lively capers for their grandparents over this last week end.  Again, anyone with a tale to share about the local old days is encouraged to do so.

CHAMPION—September 04, 2006

Saturday was a perfect day for the 24^th Annual Champion School Reunion.  About forty people met on the old school grounds under a huge walnut tree to enjoy an excellent covered dish dinner, some good music and the pleasure of renewing acquaintances.  Many of those attending were alumni of the Champion #47 School District which last held classes in 1959.  There were some notable and lamentable absences such as that of  Ms. Esther Wrinkles who is mending from an injury to her foot and Wilburn Hutchison who is said to be feeling better but not quite up to par yet.  A pleasant surprise, however, was the arrival of former teacher, Mr. Arthur Porter.  Mr. Porter who currently resides in Seymour, taught at Champion in 1958 and 1959.  It was a one room school house and he taught all subjects including music.  Three of his students, Harley Krider, “Punk” Hicks and Larry Wrinkles, sang together as a trio under Mr. Porter’s direction and it is said of them that their voices blended so beautifully as to bring tears to the eye.  Mr. Krider was the only one of the trio present at the reunion this year and he and Mr. Porter enjoyed lengthy reminiscences.

Ruby (Slat) Davis of Huntington Beach, California celebrated her 95^th birthday on August 31^st.  She was Goldia Krider’s sister and is the last one of her family of twelve brothers and sisters.  She is the aunt of Vivian (Krider) Floyd, Donald, Lonnie, and Harley Krider.  Several nieces and nephews flew out to California for the party.  She is a very special lady.  She was raised at Brushyknob and went to school there.  She left Missouri at an early age.  She had two sons and made California her home.

Anyone who has information for the Champion ‘items’ is welcome to write it up and leave it at Henson’s Store with Betty Henson.  The notebook is there ready for anyone to write down a story or a memory of Ed Henson to share.  He teased everybody equally whether stranger, new-comer, or old timer.  One spring when a fellow was in the store complaining about the whip-poor-wills being so noisy, Ed said, “Well, do they holler after dark up at your place.”  The fellow allowed that they did holler after dark and so much so that a person could hardly sleep.  “After dark?” Ed asked. “Why, yes, they do!” the man replied.  “That’s funny,” Ed said.  “Around here they holler ‘Whip poor Will! Whip poor Will!’ ”

The Brixey Reunion will be September 9^th at the Wagon Wheel Park at Drury.  It is hoped that all the family and friends can come visit and have lunch at noon.