Champion News

 

August has started out in a lovely way—cooler than July with some nice rain and sometimes with enough humidity to fog up all the windows in the house. It is a good time to remember some remarkable people who got their start in life in August. Elitta January had a life-long career in nursing. Her big family, her many gardening and bridge playing friends and the many people she helped along the way miss her. She passed away in 2011. August 2nd is for Champion grandson Seamus, now a college student. On the 3rd, Clark Shannon, who some people call ‘Sparky,’ shares his birthday with R.D., that is, Bobby Davis, who was 66 years old in 2018. He will be the first to tell you everybody’s got to be somewhere, just like the old boy said. Skyline R2 School students Genesis Castillo and Caleb Harden share the 5th for their birthday. Back in the spring, Caleb was willing to skip school to go on the Bud Hutchison’s Memorial Trail Ride. That would probably have been ok with Bud. Skyliner Jaxton Harley shares the day with Gina Hollingshad who attended school in Dora and then taught there. These days she is part of the Whetstone Band teaching music to happy neophytes at local jams and performing for every good cause in the area. Roger Wiseman is a good singer, and so are his children, Foster and Kalyssa, mandolin and fiddle. He was born in 1968 on the 8th of August. Lynette Cantrell is the ‘L’ in the TLC Band, Tender Loving Care, and has the 9th for her day to celebrate. Theresa and Carol are with her sharing music in lots of appreciative places. Jaycee Hall and Cryslynn Johnson are in the same grade in Skyline. Their birthdays are the 10th and 12th. They are no doubt really looking forward to the start of school on the 21st. The 13th is for Dean Upshaw. He knows the words of almost any old song you can recall. He has long been a regular Wednesday visitor to Champion, but these days his friends will be visiting him up in Autumn Oaks.

‘Twas an unexpected and most enjoyable meeting with Ethel Leach out in the sunny Town and Country parking lot Thursday. She said Bob is getting along okay on a bland diet and that they have their hay in. She had good things to say about a young guy on a brush cutter working along her county road. Kind words go a long way and kind invitations often prove beneficial to the host as well. A young friend recently shared a “Bee Kind” note with her friend, who then began to think of her beekeeping friends. Lee, of the L and E Organic Farm, has been keeping his bees for three years now and this year has harvested a total of 12.5 gallons of honey. He and Edie were Champions for a short while, having bought Ruth and Orville’s Hicks’ old place. They later found a more developed place some twenty-five or so miles north and have continued developing it for five years now. They are still Champions—in Champion North.

Pleasant visiting occurred on Wednesday out on Lonnie Krider Memorial Drive. Lonnie’s granddaughter, Kalyssa Wiseman, brought her fiddle to join in with the porch jam. ‘Wildwood Flower’ and ‘Soldiers Joy’ and other tunes she shared would have made her Granddad glad. Her mother, Tanna, and her Aunt Stacy, who was visiting from Tennessee, were part of the big crowd on the wide veranda. Because it is hard to transport a banjo on a motorcycle, the young fiddler was accompanied by a most accommodating guy on a borrowed guitar. He had played his banjo many times with her granddad. We are blessed that so many of our accomplished musicians spend good time teaching, helping, and encouraging young people learning to play. Lonnie would be glad to know music is being carried on especially by his descendants and particularly down on the wide, wild, woolly banks of Old Fox Creek in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side.

Richard, Dawn, Lorelai, Sam, and Marie

It is likely these days that people can live in Booger County with no other kinfolks around anywhere.  Those folks might be newcomers or just some old timers who moved here decades ago.  When distant kin and old friends come to visit them the atmosphere warms and brightens and opens.  That must be the way people with cousins, parents, grandparents, and siblings nearby must feel all the time.  Nobody takes these good feelings for granted.

Sometime back in the 1800s a young girl walked from somewhere in Missouri all the way to Oregon.  Her great, great grandson (or maybe three greats) just brought his lovely wife, Marie, down to the Ozarks to visit with her dear friend, Dawn.  The ladies had many good memories of raising their children together and of rolling their eyes when one of their husbands would start a story with, “I never will forget the time…”  It seems these fellows had been born in the same hospital four days apart and had grown up together getting into all kinds of mischief including multiple episodes of trespassing, of perilous mountain climbing escapades, and rattlesnakes.  Grandfathers themselves now, they are still friends and still up for fun.  They brought some of it to Champion on Wednesday where the Oregonians were introduced to The General who is the official arbiter of fun in the area encompassing Denlow, Vanzant, Champion and parts unknown.  This good meeting drew them all the way to the Vanzant Jam on Thursday where they enjoyed more of The General’s levity and possible prevarications, Sherry’s “Five Pounds of Possum” song and the delight of seeing Sherry and Ruby dance their jig to the swift strains of “Ragtime Annie.”  The couple headed back to the northwest on Friday morning, doubtlessly planning their next trip to the Bright Side where they will be warmly welcomed.  They will likely check into www.championnews.us on a regular basis to keep up with the fun here.  If they check into Mark Kumming’s blog “Love My OZARKS,” they may find out about the legend of the Blue Man of the Ozarks, a well-documented story of Bigfoot in Booger County.

A memory shared by a good neighbor from five years ago:  “Each year the Up ‘n At It 4 H Cub has had a rural picnic/festival fundraiser which has been held for the past seventy years, once a year on Friday and Saturday night.  There are no towns anywhere close to this picnic, just lots of fields, cows, a few churches, and cemeteries.  For a small square in a field, it has contained much history for us.  My great grandma was crowned picnic queen there.  My mom twirled her baton on stage.  My dad first asked my mom out on the south side edge of the light there.  As kids, we loved to do turtle and sack races.  Our grandpa, Harold, stumped for district commissioner there.  My own children ran around excitedly with cousins there. Almost every year, we have met as a family with our chairs by the ring toss stand.  After losing Dad, we met with tears, but still willing to embrace the past, present, and future there under the Missouri moon in a patch of field shining with lights, filled with the sound of a banjo, a Bingo call, and folks happy to meet with folks.”  The memory came with a few family photos of happy memories of the Up ‘n At It 4-H Club picnic, 2018.  This year, the Friday night festivities were wonderful, as usual, but the Saturday night picnic activities were washed out and shut down by 8:15.  Farmers and gardeners are grateful for the rain, and hopeful that there will be another way to support the 4 H.  Missey Rogers might have some suggestions.  She and a lot of hard working volunteers always make the picnic a great event.  See you next year.

Good suggestions include singing to keep your heart happy.  Many studies show that music and singing especially helps to lower blood pressure and reduce stress.  We love to hear Jerry Wagner sing “Love Letters in the Sand.”  Staying well hydrated during this oppressive heat is another good suggestion along with staying grateful for music, for friends, family, and great community.  Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Friends gathering at the creek on Saturday swapped squash and cucumbers. The water was cold, but warm, long lasting friendships balanced things out on a beautiful afternoon of good conversation under the leafy shade. Garden talk about the peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, corn and beans reminded them that the mild, lovely day they were experiencing ought to have been spent in the garden instead of lollygagging around on the creek bank with a bunch of other people also neglecting their gardens. The pleasant and relatively cool day may be advanced payment for some brutally hot days ahead. Champions will find a way to deal with whatever comes and will not regret for a moment the time spent with seldom seen dear ones.

Congratulations to Russel and Elgin Upshaw who celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on the 23rd. Their daughter, Arkansawyer LaSchell Upshaw Bearden, shared that information along with a family picture taken by in 1972 or so. They are a handsome family. One need not look hard to see the sibling resemblance to The General. Years seem to be going by quickly. Birthdays come in rapid succession, particularly for old people. Skyline student Eli Johnstone might be ready for fun when school starts. His birthday was July 18th. The 19th was for Ethan Alexander and Zee Heffern, related, but not blood kin. (Ethan’s Dad is married to Zee’s sister.) Skyliner, Joseph Hastings, has the 24th for his big day. The 25th is for John Webber, who along with The General, often has morning coffee in a place formerly known by some as The Bloated Goat. Jaci Borders is a Skyline Tiger too. She and Wade Day share the 27th for their birthday, though they probably are not acquainted. Wade is a dulcimer player in a family of dulcimer players, playing “Wildwood Flower” and “Old Rosin the Bow.” Reba Bishop has a couple of sisters who will party with her, or for her, on Friday the 28th. Karen Ross was 55 on July 29, 2016, and had a great party at Champion that day. She was our letter carrier then and always a joy to see coming. She always had dog treats and sometimes tomato plants. Now, up on her new route, she is neighbors with Master Gardener Edie Richardson and Lee, her handsome beekeeping husband. Another matriculating Skyline student, Eugene Elliot, will have the 30th to celebrate. Happy days to all of you. You will never be this young again.

The Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department folks are very good about acknowledging the birthdays and important dates of their members. On the 24th the message was, “Happy blessed anniversary to our photographers and donation procurement specialists, Dave and Salena Vaughn.” Local volunteer firefighters and first responders are a real amenity to our rural communities. They leave their dinner tables and jobs to help us when we need it. Thank you one and all.

The VFW post 3770 is having a potluck dinner for a fundraiser at noon on Saturday the 29th. The post is at 306 West 3rd in Mountain Grove. (417) 349-5810. The meal will cost $7.00, and everyone is welcome to come out to support the Veterans and all the good work they do. You will have time for a nap and then you can take your lawn chairs and go out to the 4 H Up’n At’t Picnic. That sterling event will start at 6p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights at the picnic grounds a quarter of a mile North of HWY 76 on EE HWY. Newcomers to the area will be delighted to enjoy another picnic with all the food, games, music, free drawings, and the chance to meet more of their good neighbors while supporting a worthy cause. Champions! Looking on the Bright Side!

 

The effects of the Emerald Ash Borer are clearly visible in Douglas County. Beautifully shaped trees without any leaves stand along roadsides and in open fields. They will provide a lot of firewood for country people and, hopefully, material for our many local woodcrafters and trinket makers. Ash wood is used for all kinds of things including baseball bats, tool handles and boat oars, as well as fine furniture. The U.S. Forest Service says that the exotic insects are likely to kill 99% of the U.S. ash wood trees. The Department of Agriculture is working on ways to mitigate the problem but says it will be years before balance comes back to the ecosystem. Meanwhile we have learned things about trees in general. Every day, a forty foot tree takes in fifty gallons of dissolved nutrients from the soil, raises this mixture to its topmost leaves, converts it into ten pounds of carbohydrates and releases about sixty cubic feet of pure oxygen into the air. Hug a tree if you want to or just appreciate the beauty of this wonderfully forested part of the world.

Some old Champions are still thinking about the Vanzant Picnic and the joy of seeing romping children and grandchildren, laughing, and running amuck. We are told that seventy-five percent of the time we ever spend with our children is over by the time they turn twelve. Ninety percent is gone by the time they are eighteen. We are admonished to enjoy these short, sweet years as they will soon be over. They are long over for many, though many fortunate old folks have the joy of being with and seeing their children and grandchildren often. Count your many blessings. Blaine Denlow had her third birthday on Saturday. She runs the Wolf Pen Cattle Company, helping her old Dad with the hay and calling her Mom a tractor driving cowpoke. Her neighbors and her big family enjoy watching her grow.

Our warm Wednesday found the porch full at Champion. An Arizona resident who started life in Bakersfield was back for a visit, and a little surprised that The Champion Store does not sell pocketknives. He is a collector. He buys big wind chimes and would not live here again because he is afraid of tornadoes. There was a little music that day and a lot of visiting. Don Hamby has asked about the best time to get some ice cream on the wide veranda when music was going on. He was encouraged to bring his own instrument or some musician friends to join the band from about 11:00 on Wednesdays until time to go home for a nap. That is when The General leaves. The music is invited to move inside when it gets too hot. Surely someday someone will invent a banjo that can be transported on a Suzuki. Banjos are not like fiddles which can go anywhere on a motorcycle. Ask Mike. Missey Rogers lets us know that the “Up’n At’t 4-H Picnic” will happen on July 28-29th. That is another opportunity for some great music and some good chances to join old friends having fun celebrating Head, Heart, Hands, and Health and the young folks learning good life lessons.

It was nice to see that some of the big longstanding, deep and rugged washed out spots on county road 239 have been repaired. Thanks to a good neighbor, we may not have to see our dentist after all. A particularly favorite hairpin curve can now be navigated at the speed which makes the experience exhilarating. Perhaps Wednesday’s evening rain was enough to save some of the big corn patches up on Fox Creek Road. Gardeners say a teacup of rain is better than a gallon irrigation. Weather everywhere is causing concern for those of us living out on the surface of the planet. We have had our share of weather related difficulties here in the beautiful Ozarks, but these days we empathize with the struggles of those suffering unprecedented flooding up in the northeast and searing, unrelenting heat in the south and west. Here, we acknowledge and enjoy it when conditions are lovely and endure them when they are not…like Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Gratitude and optimism define the beginning of July. Sweet family and other reunions, the pomp, pageantry, and patriotism of the Fourth of July, the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival, and the Vanzant Community Picnic together filled to wonderfully overflowing the first full week. Optimism for what the rest of the month has in store will keep us going. Farmers and gardeners are hoping for rain for their beans and corn. Cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and squash are thirsty. That optimism accompanies planning and work.

Extensive planning and work went into the Smithsonian Folklife Festival up in Washington D.C. featuring the Ozarks. Kaitlyn McConnell shared much of the excitement with us through her online blog “Ozarks Alive!” Those of us who do not have computers, most likely have friends and families who do. Ask them to look up Kaitlyn and her blog up on Facebook. She is dedicated to sharing and preserving stories and histories of the area. Marideth Sisco, David Scrivner and the Ozark Highballers were part of the festivities that made the festival a marvelous event, sharing our part of the world with the rest of the world. Back home, the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival wound up in Conway on Saturday. If you had been missing your bluegrass friends, that is probably where they were.

Sean McCormick    Finley River Boys

Whetstone

Laura Biddick of Wild Care Oklahoma, says, “Turtle racing has an interesting history and is still popular at events and festivals across the Midwest. But animal welfare groups, conservationists, and scientists are concerned about the effects these races have on individual turtles and the species as a whole.” The late Cathy Odneal’s grandchildren and their cousins who participated in Saturday’s race at the picnic were instructed to take their turtles back to the place where they found them so they could resume their normal lives. Some of those critters may be fifty years old.

Friday night’s amazing sunset washed smiles and wonder over the Vanzant Picnic. The enjoyment in seeing old friends and making new ones is the heart of community. Romping little children, delicious picnic food of all kinds, the door prizes, raffles, games, and music made both nights memorable. Remembering the many missing for known and unknown reasons filled conversations. Catching up with everyone’s news, health, number and accomplishments of grandchildren, gardens, road conditions, plans and prospects made lively chatter. Dramatic, billowing clouds dropped just a dribble of drizzle to start things Saturday but did not dampen the spirit of the gathering. David Whetstone flew his drone over the picnic and later connected with the talented Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department photographer, David Vaughn. Thanks to the Davids, perhaps soon, on one of the Facebook pages or on YouTube, we will have the opportunity to observe the fun we had from the air. We had the joy of continuing the traditional old fashioned summer festivals and the excitement of embracing new technology, all set to the great music of Sean McCormick, Whetstone, Backyard Bluegrass, and the Finley River Boys. We appreciate the good planning and hard work of the EDCVFD for giving us a beautiful picnic. They are East Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

White River wiring high-speed Internet.

Talk around the cold wood stove in Champion Wednesday had to do with tomatoes and potatoes. Gardens are starting to produce. The Cowboy said that in years past people would have ripe tomatoes before the Fourth of July. The changes in the weather may have something to do with that, or maybe the older gardeners knew things we do not know. Jaime and Wes Woods dropped into Champion that day while they were enjoying some quality time together in celebration of their tenth wedding anniversary. Congratulations. Charlie Lambert popped in for a few minutes but did not bring his mandolin in to jam. He had been to the barber shop and said he was played out. Music is good for us. It was a treat to see Larry and Teresa Wrinkles at the Vanzant Jam Thursday. He said he drove down a creek bed to get there. The Day family, dulcimer players, also made an appearance after a long absence. They have been working hard and have not had time to practice much, so they did not bring their axes. Lorelai requested the Possum Song and Sherry complied with the five pounds in her headlights. Sherry and Ruby are part of “The Elderberries” dance group, and if one is to believe photographs in the newspaper, so is David Whetstone. Their performance at the Heart of the Ozarks Festival will be talked about for some time.

Kaitlyn McConnell is in Washington participating in and reporting on the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She said despite the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the festival is getting a good turnout. The internet is giving us some excellent glimpses and we look forward to seeing more about it. The Ozark Highballers, a band out of Fayetteville, Arkansas performed on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center on June 30th. You can find a YouTube video of their show online. The 30th was also the birthday of Susana Handcock who has been married to Wesley Handcock, a native of Denlow, since 1963. They live up in Wilder, Idaho. Dawn and Hovey Henson have been married quite a spell too. They are in the neighborhood attending the Mountain Grove High School Reunion. Mountain Grove is well dressed for the reunions and the 4th of July Celebration with beautiful flowers and beautiful Flags. Huzzah! It is a long trip from Houston for Dawn and Hovey, but they are likely enjoying the (relative to Texas) moderate temperatures. Saturday’s little rain showers were a real relief to gardeners. We harbor hopes for more rain and perhaps cooler evenings for the music, fun, and games of the Vanzant Picnic. Bring some pies, cakes, or cookies for the cake walk and help support the Eastern Douglas County Fire Department that does so much good for the area.

On the bright side, the lovely wildflowers growing along our beautiful country lanes get extra attention and appreciation as it is imperative to drive at a prudent seven to ten miles per hour to preserve the integrity of our shock absorbers and tires. It takes longer to get anywhere. Speed on up if you are looking to feel like a rock in a bottle and have no concern for the longevity of your rig. At times like these we remember fondly Jimmy Thompson, a knowledgeable hardworking gentleman, who was wont to go fox hunting and coyote hunting with the likes of Deward Henson, Russel Upshaw, J.T. Shelton, and others. They may not have killed many critters, but they loved to hear the dogs run through the hills. Along some of the paths north of Champion, friendly ITG Communications contractors for White River Connect are busy stringing fiberoptic cable with the electric lines. Once they get it all up and get it tested, thanks to the America Rescue Plan Act, very rural residents will be able to have truly high-speed internet, unlike the Bright Speed stuff that sometimes seems to require a kerosene pilot light and might well blow you up. Come down the wide, wooly banks of Old Fox Creek on the pavement if you can. You will find some optimistic Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Summer arrived in Champion on Wednesday as it did in all the other places in the northern hemisphere. The wide veranda was full to overflowing with regular loiterers, good neighbors, newcomers, and special guests of notoriety. It began with a little music. Then newcomers were enticed to sit a spell. Hog farmers, Sandy and Erick Jones, who bought the old Heart place, had just moved in the week before from Wisconsin. Customers in and out of the store welcomed them as they were introduced, and almost all of them knew of the Heart place. There was some laughter about the ‘old place’ names, even from someone who has owned the old Ezra Henson place for 49 years. About that time our Ozarks Alive friend, Kaitlyn McConnell, stopped in for a visit on her way home from Ozark County. In a week or so she will be headed to Washington D.C. for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where she will be sharing her knowledge and appreciation of this part of the country with the rest of the Country. She shared a copy of her “Passport to the Ozarks” with the Joneses. ‘Err long, came the Fox Creek Farmers. Wyatt and Keller entreated The General to sing their favorite song, “Go and Wash Your Dirty Feet Before You Go to Bed.” Madelyn sang along with her sweet voice on a new song she is learning about little baby ducks and old pickup trucks and shared her lovely poem “In the Meadow.”

Friends sharing stories, poetry, art, and music make for a pleasant community. A friend and a good neighbor to Felix the Farmer shared something tamed and something wild and a song celebrating the summer solstice: “So come all you roving minstrels and together we will try to rouse the spirit of the air and move the rolling sky.” We would like the rolling sky to drop some water on us. Farmers and gardeners are not looking forward to last year’s lack of rain and are not enjoying this year’s early heat. Champions are whispering hope that things moderate. The Vanzant Bluegrass Jam and Potluck is cancelled for the 6th in order to get the facility ready for the Vanzant Picnic coming up on July 7th and 8th. The music lineup includes Sean McCormick, Whetstone, Backyard Bluegrass, and the Finley River Boys. It’s going to be a lot of fun with good food and games from 6:00 to 10:00 pm both nights. See you there together with all the friends you have not seen since you were there together last year.

The All-time Winner of the Old Curmudgeon Award starts July off with his birthday celebration on the first, something he has been doing since 1939. Charming Beverly Barnhart’s party on the second will likely include some of Alvin’s 1959 high school classmates in town for their reunion. Champions expect Dawn and Hovey to show up from Texas for the occasion and to hobnob around the old stomping grounds. Local swimming holes will be full of revelers on the Fourth. The Old Tree Huggers Jamboree is a tradition for one spot and other groups will meet in their usual places to celebrate Country, kinship, friendship, barbeque and watermelon. Virginia Canada of Moline, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; and Columbia, Missouri has also been seen in the Denlow area in the past. Her birthday is on the fifth of July. The next day is for Janet Burns, now of Little Rock, and for the Dali Lama and Walter Darrell Hayden, who lived from 1931 to 2014. He was a native of Smallett and a local celebrity who told in music the straight skinny of Douglas County politics at the time. He went on to become a respected English professor at the University of Tennessee. Connie’s Dad, Robert Brown, was 79 on July 7, 2019. The 7th is also the birthday of Sharon’s grandson Kruz Kurzt. Deward’s granddaughter up on the family Centennial Farm, will be partying somewhere around this time too. All of you, party on! You too, Loni Upshaw, up in Idaho or Alaska or wherever you may be! We know you know how to party.

July 4th became a National holiday in 1941 marking our Independence now for 247 years. Seeing the turmoil in the world, we cannot help but be grateful for our freedom and for the many who have served and sacrificed to preserve it. Jim Hightower, of the “Hightower Lowdown” down in Texas, talks about politics in terms like “Two foxes and a chicken vote on what’s for supper.” Politics are getting sort of comical and sort of worrisome at the same time, but our sense of community is strong, and we have learned to get along with people who believe differently though there may be some head shaking and eye rolling going on. “It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error.” Thomas Paine admonished us thusly way back then. We try to take it to heart without causing trouble in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!