October 22, 2007
CHAMPION—October 22, 2007
Champions sometimes drop their hands from the plow and their shoulders from the wheel long enough for a little diversion and a BLT over at the Junction Café in VanZant. As it turns out people from all over had the same idea last Thursday. Sue Murphy was there from Mountain Grovewith her mandolin, Norris Woods had his banjo and Jerry Wagner had his fiddle. ‘Er long there were two banjos, three mandolins, a base fiddle, a dobro, and three or four guitars. They played “Just Because,” “The Wednesday Night Waltz,” “On the Sunny Side of the Mountain,” and a great number of other songs and tunes. The rest of the room was filled with people from far and wide. Major Londa Upshaw who serves with the Salvation Army in Hoona, Alaska was there. (Hoona is 35 miles west of Juno on the Island of Chicakaff.) Her sister, Darcy Cecil, from Boise, and their sister, Liane Upshaw Hihath, from Meridian,Idaho were there together with their Mother Betty Mae Harris, a.k.a. Susie Upshaw. They were all planning to leave the very next day to be sure and get back home before Winter because Uncle Robert had frozen their gullets with that famous peanut butter ice cream and had made them all homesick. Robert’s nephew, Dailey Upshaw, from Omaha, Nebraska was there too visiting with his folks and Dean. In addition to the musicians there were near to thirty odd people enjoying the evening. “Odd” is the key word with Robert. Sharon was heard to say, “Don’t encourage him.”
A note has come from a person named Eulalia Jasmin: “Bravo with your Sesquicentennial Celebration! I overheard them talking about the Ball and the decorations in Jean’s Healthway when I was passing through town on Saturday. They said there would be a dozen huge tables with beautiful floral decorations and that there would be waltzes in beautiful ball gowns and bowls of floating roses. Please be sure that those of us who were not invited to attend are not also denied the accounts of at least the Wallflowers.” It would seem that Ms. Jasmin is an acquaintance of Cimaria Escondida who writes occasionally from Piedras Negras, MX. They have missed connections this time.It is not known if Ms. Escondida made it to Ava for the Sesquicentennial. Certainly there was a crowd. Champion, Eva Powell, said that it was the best parade that she had ever seen anywhere.
Another note from Darrell Haden who is happy that excerpts from “The Headless Cobbler of Smallett Cave” are appearing in the Herald. He says“The series has brought a letter from my cousin Robert Haden of Hartville and a telephone call from Howard Bailey of Ozark. Bob will send notes he made from visiting with his grandfather, G.W.O. Haden. Mr. Bailey described an encounter with the Headless Cobbler in the fall of 1941. He is the grandson of a man I remember from my childhood, Dr. Daniel Near. He was affectionately know as “Dan” or “Dad” Near. I remember his vineyard between our home and Rome. His grandson, Howard Bailey, moved from Rogersville in 1932 and to near Good Hope in 1935 after three years at Rome.”
Esther’s gooseberries are in the ground at last. Her friend, Sharon, came over and got them planted before the last rain. It was perfect timing. It is pleasing to see that there are a few persimmons showing up after all. Competition for them will be stiff, though, and wild things that might not ordinarily go for them will be happy for anything they can get this year. Dustin Cline allows as how the antelope is tasty and was happy to report having killed a turkey. A large flock of geese were seen flying over Champion on Sunday afternoon. They had better keep their altitude over these parts as there are always itchy trigger fingers in Champion. October’s Full Moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. In a paper published weekly in Kansas City, former Champion Rich Heffern, talks about eating locally and eating well. He says that in addition to tasting better and being healthier, locally grown food takes much less ‘fossil fuel’ to produce. His research showed that the average food item travels over 1,500 miles. Esther will just have to go a few feet out her back door for her gooseberries next year. She still has tomatoes on her vines. Another Champion’s Little Green Bean House is still producing green beans though the frost will get it sooner or later.
So far in October 28 US Service People have lost their lives in Iraq.That brings the total to 3,834. That is a lot of empty places at supper tables back home. Sergeant 1st Class Richard S. Gottfried from Lake Ozark lost his life there on March 9th, 2004. There are a number of categories of wounded: hostile and non-hostile, those requiring medical air evacuation and those not. Among the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines of the United States there are many thousands of wounded people from that conflict. Expressions of Love and Gratitude to them for their sacrifices and to the survivors of those not returning will always be appropriate.
Encouragement of any sort and descriptions of the ball are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717. Any kind of good news about Champions can be emailed to Champion News. Jeff and Barb were home over the week end helping their Mom stack firewood and enjoying memories of the wonderful place that is Henson’s Store in the heart of Champion….Looking on the bright side!
