Champion News

 

The countryside is still humming with haymaking. Hundreds of big, beautiful bales scattered around in the fields and lined up neatly along fence rows attest to the farmers’ hard work. Not all their tractors are equipped with air conditioning. Hopes are that they wear their hats and stay hydrated. We rarely see square bales these days. One young Champion said bucking hay was the hardest work he ever did for the least amount of money. Ask some old timer about the record number of bales he was able to get onto an old pickup. You might not believe it.

Two of The General’s fair daughters have friends and family vicariously enjoying their epic road trip. They started in Missouri and proceeded 614 miles on the first day, planning to bed down in South Dakota. Sixty-three people from several states are following along online, making suggestions, recommending the Corn Palace, wishing them safe and fun-filled travels. They had their picture taken at Mt. Rushmore and they strolled around Devil’s Tower. The weather reports a lot of rain and flooding up that way, but these ladies are intrepid and good at having fun. They say, “We are having a fabulous time! We bypassed Crazy Horse this time, sadly, but we still have a few points of interest in our agenda, but all in Wyoming.” Asked about the weather: “Weather has been good. We bypassed lots of flooding in Iowa and eastern South Dakota tough. Luckily, no road closures when we went through.” When admonished to have fun for the rest of us, the response was, “Will do!”

Herbert, Hovey and Ed

The Mt. Grove High School Alumni Association Parade scheduled for July 6th will go off without Champion Hovey Henson this year. Dawn says that they will not be able to travel this summer–maybe in the fall. Alvin Barnhart said Hovey will be missed. He and Hovey go way back. A while back Hovey shared a photo of himself flanked by Herbert Hutchenson and Ed Henson out on the porch of the old Champion Store. The photo was taken back in the 1970s. The inscription on the back said that the store’s porch was propped up with three stones and a syrup kettle turned upside down. The response to his photo down at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium was mixed. While the nostalgia of seeing these gentlemen in their prime was pleasant enough, it was universally affirmed that the item propping up the porch was not a syrup kettle. The next time he is in the neighborhood, friends here will make it a point to straighten him out.

Yard sales and garage sales are part of summertime fun in these parts. Corrina Bell and family had one out on 95 Highway over the weekend where many interesting and useful items were proffered. She says she is cousin to practically everyone in Champion including Cowboy Jack and the Prominent Champion. She said she was named after that song “Corinna, Corinna.” Someone in her family was fond of that tune. Linda and Charlene will be having a sale in Norwood Friday and Saturday. We remember Linda’s Plant Place there where for years she furnished the area with garden starts and all manner of lovely growing things. It is still a lovely spot in Norwood. Folks living out on a couple of miles of rough dirt road must find other ways to get rid of their vast accumulations of great stuff.

Controversy over the “First Ripe Tomato in Champion” contest is still ongoing, though the contest has not taken place in a few years. The Prominent Champion had a pretty one sliced to go with his lunch on Monday and said it was one of several he had enjoyed already. One of his neighbors claims to have had one ripen a week before his first one. That neighbor is still harboring resentment over the last official contest when she said the winner had bought the plant with the tomato already on it. Should the contest resume next year, the rules will be clearly made known.

It is too bad that Kaitlyn McConnell did not have the chance to get acquainted with Esther Wrinkles. Esther would be pleased to see the new Skyline VFD Firehouse rising up out of the picnic grounds, though she would surely lament the demise of the picnic. She had been instrumental in the establishment of the Skyline FVD long years ago and did her part and more to keep it going. In addition to more than fifty years of writing community columns for the local papers, Esther’s pies frequently brought healthy sums at local benefits and fund raisers. Her daughter-in-law, Teresa, has carried on the tradition using Esther’s recipes. Kaitlyn is compiling an Ozarks Alive pie recipe archive. Perhaps she and Teresa will have a chance to collaborate on Wednesday in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!