Champion News

CHAMPION—October 7, 2013

        Folks touring around on the internet can wind up making mistakes.  For example, Pete was busy saying “Happy birthday!” to Cathie Alsup Reilly on Sept 27^th and someone mistook it for Pete’s birthday, which is really in February the day before his Mother’s.  So happy birthday, Cathy!  Your name will go on the official Champion birthday list.  The good news about Ruby Proctor (Pete’s Mom) is that she has moved to the new Assisted Living place up north of walmart in Mountain Grove.  Reports are that she likes it fine and has help with her chores and plenty of good quality visiting.  Steve Connor of Champion West has his celebration a week before his lovely wife.  His is on the 11^th and Darlene’s on the 18^th.  Meanwhile, Taegan will get to sing that birthday song to her Dad on the 14^th.  Taegan is a good singer and big time pre-kindergarten student at Skyline school.  She really likes it.  Skyline School third grader Draven Koepke has his birthday on the 9^th of October and Olivia Prock has hers on the 16^th.  She is in the 5^th grade this year.  It looks like school has gotten off to a good start.  The children are busy with lots of homework and interesting activities that keep parents busy as well.  Remembering the old school days is a way to keep young.  There are many ways to keep young.  Play music, play cards, play the dickens just for the fun of it.

        Just for the fun of it lots of people came out for the Pioneer Descendants Gathering over at Yates.  It was reported in the White River Current Times that it was going to be on Friday and Saturday rather than Saturday and Sunday and the published phone number was wrong.  A guy came down from Lebanon on his motorcycle Friday looking for the event and some other folks came down from Fordland.  They were good natured about the mix up and hopefully made the trip back on Sunday.  Rain came down off and on all day Saturday and Betty Thomas said that the crowd came and went anyway, but about half the number of the regular event.  In the midst of it all a tree that the White River people had been asked to cut down a number of years ago decided to fall across the power line so the musicians were out of amplification for a couple of hours and the kitchen was slowed down a little as well.  Betty reported seeing a ‘spark’ when prompted by the phone mail menu and so the White River men were out within the hour.  They came with two trucks and three men and got things going again in fairly short order in spite of not having phone service to coordinate with each other.  Sunday was a better day—a little cool, but Betty said the crowd was huge.  Roy Byerly won the hand-made quilt.  It was called ‘Morning Run’ and had silhouettes of horses running across it.  Mr. and Mrs. Byerly live up in Rogersville, but have ‘Iron Mountain’ out on 14 Highway that was her family (the Walkers) home place.  They volunteer a lot of their time and energy to the Pioneer Gathering, so it was a special treat to see Roy win the quilt.

        The Older Iron Club will have its annual show in Cabool on Friday and Saturday, the 11^th and 12^th.  It is always an interesting exposition.  The group was well represented at the Pioneer Gathering and was instrumental in extricating several trucks with trailers and a big RV out of the mud.  Those big old tractors were put to work.  Nobody got stuck in the public parking area, but out in the exhibition area and the camping area for the horse and wagon people there was a considerable amount of mud.  Dale Thomas used his tractor too and it was another adventure to go down in the history books.  Dale might also remember this as the year of the yellow jacket.  A few weeks ago he disturbed a nest of them and in running away from them through the woods he got tangled up in some hundred year old barbed wire and cut his leg badly enough that he had to go to the doctor.  He wound up with a tetanus shot (a good thing) and is about over it now, though he may have some scars.  They will not last as long as the good memories made at this wonderful event.  Betty said that Sunday’s crowd was one of the biggest they have ever had with people from all over—Indiana, Arkansas, Texas, Illinois and many other places.  Mark and Gretchen who live in the straw bale house at the location of the New East Dogwood School were there this year demonstrating and playing children’s pioneer games.  That was a new feature this year that was very well received.

        Mistakes get made.  The Current Times people have been kind enough to advertise events for the Skyline VFD in the past and have mistakenly called it Skyline Urbana.  It probably did not cause any major loss of attendance, but people like their information to be correct.  Betty said that it was not the first time the information about their event was not accurate.  Not cutting the old tree down in time caused a significant impact on the Pioneer Gathering, but it did not last too long.  Jeffrey Goss called to say that their organization was a little slow in getting their advertising out and there was a scheduling conflict with one of the main speakers and so the Christian Agricultural Stewardship Conference had a low turnout this year.  Their event was on September 27^th at the Vanzant Community Building.  Craig Wiles spoke on saving energy and alternative power sources.  He also warned of a scam where some people from Waynesville are selling a device that is supposed to make energy out of nothing for free.  Several people brought samples of corn.  Mary Kay Isaksson of Brush Knob brought blue popcorn and Lyle Miller who lives northwest of the Mount Zion area brought some very large ears of Greenfield 114 corn.  There was discussion of genetic engineering of grains and the concerns of some over Monsanto.  The literature concerning winter gardening was popular and there are slated to be some late winter events sponsored by the group.  Mr. Goss can be reached at 417-885-7787 for more information and he has said that he will get advanced notice out early for the next proceedings.

        Mistakes get made and Champions get over them.  A distant reader of www.championnews.us chimes in to say that it was not anyone by name of “Augustus McCall” from Lonesome Dove who said, “There’s no excuse for rude behavior.”  The reader informs that the two famous ex-Texas Rangers in the books and screen plays by Larry McMurtry were Captain Augustus “Gus” McCrae and Captain Woodrow F. Call.  The critic would have readers of the Champion News to know that the actual quote was delivered thusly by Captain Call, “I hate rude behavior in a man.  I won’t tolerate it.”  This was by way of an explanation for some rather violent behavior on his on part.  Another great Texan says that we never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.  Phyllis is right.  Her favorite song is Deep Water by Bob Wills.  “Where will it lead me and where will it end.  I can’t help but wish I only knew.  I’m windin’ up in deep water, so deep in love with you.”  If she is lucky she will wind up in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!