We have two accounts of the 1963 event. The first is from a semi-typed manuscript prepared by Nannie Jinkens; the second is from The Index.

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[Typed from typewritten manuscript containing numerous handwritten edits found in file at Hickory County Historical Society and supplied by Ginger Donohue. Not dated, but estimated to be 1963. No indication of where or when published.]

 

"80 and Over” Day

Wheatland, Mo.

 

Dear Readers:

                Just had to tell you about our annual “80 and Over” we have in Wheatland in September, there were 171 present. There are 38 members in their 80’s; eight in their 90’s, several in their 70’s, and 11 golden wedding couples, you are welcome to come at any age.

                Some of the members brought heirlooms, which are a never ending source of interest. Mrs. Molly Paul who is 85 brought a vase that was her grandmother’s; Mrs. Alice Butler showed a plate from her wedding gift set 71 years ago. Mrs. Palmer brought a beautiful crazy quilt she was making.

                Bro. Irvin Allen was our MC and made a recording of the program which was broadcast over kdkd in Clinton two weeks later. Bro. Allen is happy to play the recording for any one that might like to hear it, if he is contacted on week days in Wheatland.

                There were gifts for all the honorees, golden wedding couples, and prizes were also given to parents with the most children, traveling the farthest, oldest man or woman, and other gifts.

                A program was presented by these youngsters of 80 and 90, their readings, songs and tales of yesteryear are a never ending source of interest and pleasure. Would like to give you a “thumb nail” sketch of our couples and older members.

                One of our couples, Mr. and Mrs. Will Palmer of Weaubleau have been married 72 years. They keep their own home and are active in their church. He is 96 now and she is nearing her 93rd. She gave a cute account of their wedding 72 years ago. Another couple, Willie and Dora Dorman of Hermitage have been married 62 years. They are 87 and 81 respectively, manage their home and are also active in their church. They have lovely singing voices and sang a duet for us. We like to sit back and listen. Mr. and Mrs. Lessie V. Ihrig have been married 54 years, they formerly lived in the Breshears Valley Community.

                Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wright from Preston were present for the first time. Oscar who is 82, drives his car, likes to trap wolves and they both like to fish. He brought a coffee mill over 200 years old which had been in the family for four generations and now ready for the fifth. They are parents of 13 children and have 94 descendants.

                Mr. and Mrs. Ira Moore of Hermitage celebrated their 56th anniversary December 1st. Mr. Moore was 80 last May. Mr. Moore’s family tree includes some 800 names.

                Rev. Taylor Mahaney 83, and wife Ida 81, of Springfield were present this year, they have spent 59 years together. Rev. Mahaney had been Christian Minister in Hickory County 18 or 19 years and has preached 52 years. He was the oldest man to drive the farthest and was entitled to a prize.

                Bro. Ernest Jones 85, and his wife Zilla 82, were present. He is a retired Methodist minister and does us the honor of giving the invocation each year.

                Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Clymore of Flemington made their first visit at this time; they have been married 50 years.

                J. E. (Tode) and Nellie Button of Fairfield community have been married 53 years. This is another of our singing couples and how we love to listen.

                Mr. and Mrs. Frontz Glazebrook who have been together 51 years were here for the first time. This couple still lives on a farm and loves to have company.

                Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Earl Saye drove from Aldrich to be with us. They were married in 1911, we hope they will be regular visitors.

                Mr. and Mrs. John C. Peterie of Stockton made their first visit this year. Mr. Peterie 80 years had been looking forward to the event and had written they would be here. He raised Polled Hereford cattle also Tennessee walking horses, so they are a very busy couple.

                Mr. and Mrs. Willie Walter of Hermitage were present. Willie 80 years enjoys relating old time incidents and has old pictures and prints of many incidents and places of the past. He is a blacksmith by trade, is now retired.

                Now lets look at the 90’s – Mrs. Martha Breshears 93, has a home at Avery overlooking the Breshears Valley, where she lived for many years. She is now living in her trailer near a daughter, in Wheatland. She is the mother of five daughters and one son and received the gift according the occasion.

                Tom Wilson 95, has lived alone since the passing of his wife, has now moved to a rest home in Humansville, where he is quite content. He likes visiting and keeps posted on daily happenings and is sorry he had to give up driving his car.

                Mrs. Retta Graves 95, gave a reading, “The Church Organ”, she recalls readings and songs of her youth. She has a hobby of tacking carpet rags and seems to need a endless supply. She makes her home with a daughter.

                Wes Carpenter now 90 lost his companion in April, she was 86. He lives in his own home as the children are near, some one stays with him at night.

                Mrs. Alice Butler made the 90’s after the “90 and Over”, she raises garden “sass”, goes for her mail, seldom misses church and Sunday school and sings in the choir.

                Tom Selvidge was 90 in October, lives in a trailer home and enjoys radio and TV. He is one of the few prairie men who used to harvest ice.

                Now we come to various 80’s who participated in our program, Mrs. Mae Wilson a charming lady of 85 enjoys relating incidents of years ago and has a never ending source of information.

                Mrs. Edna Largent 86, of Wheatland gave her “All Our of Puff” reading. Her readings are so enjoyable, we could sit all afternoon to listen. She is a former teacher.

                Mrs. Maggie Willett 88, of Jordan community was a school mate of Mrs. Largent, they both attended the Christian Institute founded by John Whitaker at Weaubleau. Mrs. Willett carried mail by horseback and was Postmaster at Jordan for several years.

                Harry Bennett now 85, was present but his partner of many years was unable to attend. They lived on a farm over 52 years and experienced the cyclone of 1917, which did lots of damage for them. Harry has a violin that is over 100 years old, he occasionally favors us with a tune.

                Mrs. Fountain England 82, lives in Fristoe in Benton county. She was born and reared on a farm in the Jordan community. This was her first visit.

                Mrs. Ada Berdolt 82, lives on a farm west of Quincy with her daughter, Emma. She has lived in the same school district all her life excepting three trips to California. Her hobbies are crocheting and tatting.

                Mrs. Minnie Stuart 89, keeps house for her brother, Fred Kent 79, who is a retired carpenter. They live near Cross Timbers. Mrs. Stuart suffered a broken hip a few years ago and walks with a crutch, despite this she is a number one housekeeper.

                Mrs. Pearl Bandel has been an “80” member for two years. She spends part of her life with her daughter in Hermitage. Mrs. Bandel has been  a prize contributor at the Ozark Empire Fair. She is a wonderful seamstress and a daily Bible reader.

                Mrs. Mollie Paul in her 80’s went visiting recently to Kansas City and made her own dress for the occasion and enjoyed the trip immensely.

                Mrs. Mary Skinner reached the 80 mark this year, her hobby is dressing dolls and walking. She has walked many, many miles to visit. Mostly she has traveled by foot.

                Mrs. Harriet Miller of Avery who is 80, is from the Breshears Valley. Her home is in sight of “Bone Hole”, where the giant mastodon skeletons were removed in 1840.

                Mrs. Mae Vanderford seems to enjoy her seniority, she is formerly from Dooly Bend, she lives near five widows that visit and render aid to each other.

                A. A. Chaney is bordering on 90, makes his home with a son Bert in Pittsburg. A. A. had been missing the meetings; we were happy to see him again.

                Mrs. Iva (Pope) Lindsey of Preston came for the first time, she spends the school term with her daughter in St. Louis. She enjoys the summer months at home with friends and is active in her church program.

                Mrs. Fannie Hutton, an attractive lady of 83, lives in her own home near her son and daughter-in-law. She has a grandson and family in Japan that are quite special to her.

                Miss Lora Meador 81, and her sister Bessie live in Wheatland, they lived on Wheatland Prairie and went to Morton School, now just a memory.

                Mrs. Ida Carpenter now turned 80 has the proverbial green thumb in gardening and with flowers. Ida’s family were from Alsace-Lorraine to Indiana then on to Missouri of Mennonite faith and drove many miles to services.

                Mrs. Della Inks 80, of Preston lives near the school and has boarded the same teacher for 27 years. The family came to Preston in a covered wagon. Her grandfather built the old Preston Mill.

                Mrs. Nellie Brown 83, of Preston a Missourian for some years came from Kansas. She with her father and brother drove covered wagons from Wathena, Kans., to Shawnee, Oklahoma when she was 16. She cared for her own team and rode on a chair to drive, she is a club enthusiast.

                Mrs. Belle McCaslin 83, came from Kansas when she was 10. Belle has led a busy life – is still busy with rug making, a garden and berry patch.

                Mrs. Minnie Glazebrook 83, has a home in Wheatland but spends considerable time in California with a daughter.

                Elbert Bain 81, has lived in the Elkton community all his life. He and his wife, Chloe who teaches attend regularly at Elkton Baptist church.

                We give tribute to our deceased members each year, two 90’s – Chas. Seims, St. Louis; and Chas. N. Simmons 98 of Lees Summit; three of our 80’s – Will Tipton 83, Wheatland; Florence Bliss 88, Cross Timbers; Nan Carpenter 86, Weaubleau. Two of our golden wedding couples were broken – Ewin Allen 72 of Weaubleau; Emma McCaslin 73 of Bolivar also two other 70’s Lenna Sherman of Weaubleau and Cleve Stroud of Hermitage 72.

                If would be unfair to mention the above deceased and not give tribute to another who has done so much for these occasions and had given so much to others to the last, when life came to an end in a Springfield hospital following surgery. Mrs. Florence Ellison Browning passed away July 26 leaving so very many sorrowing friends and relatives. Florence had been Postmaster at Hermitage for some 20 years and had made many friends down through the years.

                Could go on and on telling you interesting things concerning our oldsters but space seems to be filled too soon, be happy to see you this September.

Best wishes to everyone,  

Nannie Jinkens    

Wheatland, Mo.  

Posted 18 Nov 2006 by Ginny Sharp

Return to 80 and Over Club page

Account # 2.

[Typed from newspaper article provided by Harold John.]

THE INDEX, September 5, 1963

 

RED LETTER DAY FOR OLDER FOLKS

 

                Sunday was a red letter day for many senior citizens of Hickory County who attended the 80 and Over day at Wheatland Baptist Church. They visited, entertained, collected prizes and gifts and had refreshments of strawberry revel ice cream, cookies and punch.

                Mrs. Nannie Jinkens arranged the afternoon program and Irvin E. Allen was emcee.            

                The program was presented by the older folks. Rev. J. E. Jones, 80, gave the invocation. All sang "I Feel Like Traveling On" with Mrs. Jinkens at the piano. Readings or poems were given by Mrs. Retta Graves, 95; Mrs. Mary Goans, 89, who also sang "God Bless America"; Mrs. Nellie Mae Brown, 82; Mrs. Edna Largent, 85; and, Mrs. Nellie Mae Wilson, 85.

                Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Dorman, 87 and 81, respectively, sang "How Great Thou Art", accompanied by Mrs. Jinkens; Alfred Driskill, 93, quoted scripture, impromptu; Mrs. Annie Palmer, 92, gave a humorous account of her wedding day.

                Mrs. Chloe Bain gave a fitting tribute to the eight departed members since last year; and to Mrs. Florence Browning, who had always provided transportation on the occasion.

                The offering taken amounted to $49.50. Mrs. Wilson gave the benediction.

                Prizes were awarded as follows: oldest man, W. T. Palmer, 95; oldest woman, Mrs. Graves, 95; longest married, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, 72 years; father of the most sons, O. B. Wright, 81, nine sons; mother of most girls, Mrs. Ethel Cooper, five; oldest lady traveling longest distance, Mrs. A. T. Mahanay, 82, Springfield; walking longest distance, Mrs. Allie Butler, 89; driving longest distance, Rev. A. T. Mahanay, 83, Springfield; longest distance, any age, Arlie Parker, Poplar Bluff.

*     *     *

                Golden wedding couples were recognized: Messrs and Mesdames J. E. Button, 53 years; E. E. Clymore, 50; W. L. Dorman, 62; Frontz Glazebrook, 50; Lessie Ihrig, 54; Ernest Jones, 60; Taylor Mahanay; Ira Moore, 65; W. T. Palmer, 72; Earl Saye, Aldrich, 52; Oscar Wright, 56.

                Heirlooms included a 200-year-old coffee mill brought by Oscar Wright; a sturdy glass saltcellar brought by Mrs. Iva Lindsey; a pitcher and bowl, ironstone china, 71 years old, shown by Mrs. Allie Butler; a velvet crazy quilt, replica of an oldtime quilt, by Mrs. Mildred Pruett. The quilt is believed made for Mildred by her mother, Mrs. Palmer.

                Miss Frnakie Bartshe was in charge of registering. Assisting her and ushering were Mesdames Faye Allen, Chloe Bain and Effie Olson.

                Mesdames Victor Parson and Lawrence Acker were in charge of refreshments.

                Chester Foltz assisted Mr. Allen with his tape recording equipment.

                Those present but not mentioned elsewhere:

                Vella Donovan, 85; Elbert Bain, 80; Mary Skinner, 80; Della Inks, 80; Iva Lindsey, 83; Harry Bennett, 84; Pearl Bandel, 81; Belle McCaslin, 83; Ira Moore, 80; Harriet Miller, 80; Zilla Jones, 82; Minnie Glazebrook, 82; Mollie Paul, 85; Maggie Willett, 88; Mae Vanderford, 84; Grace Rogers, 83; John Rogers, 85; Mrs. Fountain England, 82; W. W. Walter, 80; A. A. Chaney, 89; Minnie Stuart, 89; Fannie Hutton, 82; Lora Meador, 81; Ida Nihart, 89; Ida Carpenter, 80; Ada Berdolt, 85; J. C. Peterie, 80; Tom Selvidge, 89; Wes Carpenter, 90; Martha Breshears, 93; Tom Wilson, 95.

 

Posted 22 Dec 2006 by Ginny Sharp

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