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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 3
Thank you, Darlene for your many years of dedica tion, loyalty and friendship.
The autumn/fall seasons are ones that I look forward to. It is a beautiful time of year and full of many chang es in weather, plants, trees, our surroundings and some times faces. As of Sept. 1, the Cassville Democrat office experienced a huge change. Those of you that have been used to seeing Darlene Wierman’s smile greet you when you walk into the office will note that circumstances and that smile has changed.
4 | September 2022 EDITORIAL Letter by Lisa Craft Lisa Craft
Regional Advertising Director, Connection Magazine
Seasons Change and So Do Faces!
Mike Gervais
Darlene will be extremely missed but has definitely earned this time in her life. She has been great for me to work with and at times did not know what I would do without her! And on a personal note, she has been a great friend that would lend a thoughtful ear when I needed it. I just hope and pray that she won’t be a stranger in Cassville or Monett. Because of the time that Darlene has dedicated to the company, it will be hard for people to change the fact that when they go into the office, she is who they expect to see. In saying that, I hope that the community will welcome Mike Gervais to the Cassville Democrat. He has newspaper experience so should be able to answer your questions and if not will find out the answers. You have seen his articles in both papers and in the Connection Magazine. So, I ask you to give him a community wel come and I am sure that you will also be greeted with a smile from him as you enter the office.
Darlene made the decision to retire as of Aug. 31. She has been a huge part of the Cassville Democrat, as of 2009 The Monett Times and a member of the Cassville commu nity. She has been an employee we could count on for over 50 years. A stability that a lot of employers do not experience anymore. In 2009 Rust Publishing purchased The Monett Times and that is when I began to get to know Darlene and of course when I reentered management I feel like that is when our friend ship blossomed. I never had to wonder if the office was open or not during my time with her, I don’t re member her even calling in sick. I always referred to Darlene as having a mind like a steel trap. She would proof and edit copy and remember things that I nev er did. In this business, that my friends is a valuable asset! I would pick up the phone, call her and say “Darlene, do you remember when …” and it would never fail, she would remember. So to say the least I counted on her a lot! When you walked into the Cassville Democrat you met a kind face and a kind voice. You could count on the fact that if Darlene did not know the answer to your question, she would find out, but usually she already knew the answer.
I know this was a hard decision for her to make as she is one that has always loved her job and those that worked beside her. And in a lot of ways, we are alike in the fact that we can’t just sit around the house so I am sure there will be a next step on the horizon for her. As situations changed within the company, I believe that this was that little voice from within her that said it was time.
Lisa Craft is Regional Advertising Director of Connection Magazine, The Monett Times and Cassville Democrat. She can be reached at lcraft@cherryroad.com September is the time of year that we start seeing some changes in the season. We can count on some change in the weather, maybe some cooler days, some warm days. Those days that you never quite know what to wear and some of those days you could see two seasons in one day. We start thinking about the upcoming holidays that seem to approach us quickly once we hit this time of the year.
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Cassville Democrat, The Monett Times and CherryRoad Media.
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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 5 FAP-1942N-A AD Member SIPC Kelly Newbold Financial Advisor 100 Chapel Dr Suite B 417-236-2819 Jim Haston Financial Advisor 7 E Broadway 417-235-8216 Brett Jones Financial Advisor 603 Dair y Street 417-235-7465 Niki Weber Financial Advisor 603 Dair y Street 417-235-7465 MONET T Scott Young Financial Advisor 1418 S Elliott 417-678-2102 Jeramie Grosenbacher, CFP® Financial Advisor 103 E Olive 417-678-0277 AUROR A Shane A Boyd Financial Advisor 802 West Street 417-847-5238 Kedron Blecha Financial Advisor 304 W Mount Vernon Blvd 417-466-4620 C MASSVILLE T. VERNON > edwardjones.com | Member SIPC *Annual Percentage Yield (APY ) effective 8/15/2022. CDs offered by Edward Jones are bank-issued and FDIC-insured up to $250,000 (principal and interest accrued but not yet paid) per depositor, per insured depositor y ins titution, for each account ownership categor y Please visit www.fdic.gov or contact your financial advisor for additional information. Subject to availability and price change CD values are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the prices of CDs can decrease If CDs are sold prior to maturity, the investor can lose principal value FDIC insurance does not cover losses in market value Early withdrawal may not be permitted Yields quoted are net of all commissions CDs require the distribution of interest and do not allow interest to compound CDs offered through Edward Jones are issued by banks and thrifts nationwide All CDs sold by Edward Jones are registered with the Depositor y Trust Corp (DTC).
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Lisa Freistatt,ConnectionMULTI-MEDIAlcraft@cherryroad.comCraftSALESEXECUTIVESVickyAbrahamMarionChryslerCONTRIBUTORSMeaganRuffingMelonieRobertsSusanFunkhouserPamWormingtonJordanTroutmanChristaStoutJenniferConnerAnnieLisenbySmithMikeGervaisPHOTOGRAPHERSChuckNickleJamieBrownleeAmySampsonDISTRIBUTIONGregGilliamKevinFuncannonTOADVERTISE417-847-2610-Cassville417-235-3135-MonettSendemailinquiriestolcraft@cherryroad.comMailingaddress:P.O.Box40,Monett,MO65708ispublishedmonthlyanddistributedfreeinCassville,Monett,Exeter,Washburn,PierceCity,Mt.Vernon,Aurora,Verona,RoaringRiver,EagleRock,ShellKnob,Purdy,Wheaton,Marionville,Seligman,Goldenandothersurroundingareas.Connectionisapublicationofthe
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6 | September 2022 1701 S. Elliott • Aurora, Mo. 417-678-4205 Lackey Body Works Collision Repair Specialist www.lackeybodyworks.com SBSECURITY BANK OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI Your Locally Owned Independent Bank Exeter Front Street 417-835-8111 Cassville Jct. 37, 76 & 86 417-847-4794 Wheaton 302 Main Street 417-652-3204 Bill Pay & Inter net Banking at www.sbswmo.com Let us be your HOMEtown bank! • Great Ser vice • Committed To Barr y County • Decisions Made Locally 17 Parenting Column: Self Care 23 Cutest Kid 25 Healthy Connection: Emotional Eating 45 Rescued, My Favorite Breed 47 Cutest Pet 48 Familiar Faces 50 Parting Shot CONTENTS Have an idea for a story you would like to see in Connection Magazine? Email it to lcraft@cherryroad.com Facebook.com/MyConnectionMo Cover features the working mill wheel at War Eagle Mill in Rogers, Ark. After a short break in August, the mill is back open and preparing for the annual War Eagle Mill Craft Fair, Oct. 13-16. A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS FREE CONNECTIONMO.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 FUMC Monett Charity outreach Barry Strawberries Sweet history Verona ESports future present Changing SeasonsFull CircleEXETERCORNMAZE
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 7 Pumpkins, sunflowers, and corn — Oh My! The Exeter Corn Maze opens for the season on September 3. 9 | EXETER CORN MAZE One of fall’s fantastic traditions is beginning to show its color 12 | FUMC FAMILYMONETT’SMISSION Local youths step up to lend a hand for the benefit of regional communities 21 | STRAWBERRY MEMORIES The Ozark strawberry legacy runs deep through Barry County soil 27 SERIAL KEEPINGSTORY:SECRETS Part two by Annie Lisenby Smith 33 NINE LIVES CAT LOUNGE AND ADOPTION CENTER Get your fix for felines and caffeine at this unique cafe in Joplin, Mo. 37 ESPORTS The new generation of competitive gaming is a thing of the present 41 STUBBS BROTHER’S GROCERY A Berryville family business making it count for the community 43 PEN PALS FOR LIFE Sissy Davidson-Still of Rocky Comfort made a life long friend with the stroke of a pen FEATURES SEPTEMBER 2022
8 | September 2022 Open 7am – 9pm 201NCityHwy37,PurdyMO. 65734 417-442-7385
Story by Jordan Troutman
For more details: An A-MAZE-ing Time Exeter Corn Maze open for the fall season
The season usually lasts from Sep tember to November with several events throughout the year hosted on theInproperty.2019,Robyn said they added sun flower fields and remodeled the barn, as well as a hay bale maze for younger children. They also expanded the con cessions stand area and menu. That year the Coles decided to open two mazes full time to offer one haunted and one not haunted starting on opening day.
ConnectionMO.com/ExeterCornMaze | Connection Magazine | 9
T
Artie said the goal is to create a fam ily friendly atmosphere for a number of fall themed activities and events.
The corn maze is located on a 140acre farm in Exeter, which houses a corn maze, haunted corn maze, pumpkin patch, go-kart track, giant slide, teacup ride, haunted barn, zip-line, fire pits, corn pit, pumpkin jumping area, heli copter rides, and zombie paint ball. In 2018, the Exeter corn maze was recently featured in Country Living, as one of the 25 best corn mazes across America.Then, Artie said that at least 85 per cent of the visitors were non-local and came from at least an hour away, often times even more. Every year the Coles revamp the Ex eter Corn Maze to offer more activities, as well as better flow on the property.
he Exeter Corn Maze has been a fall activity that draws in crowds from all around. Each year the owners, Artie and Robyn Cole, come up with a design inspired by current spooky movies, events and their love for theWhilearea. it has grown tremendously throughout the years, Artie and Robyn remember the beginning of it all back when they were first dating.
The Exeter Corn Maze returns with the teacup ride for the 2022 season starting on September 3. For tickets and prices people can visit ExeterCornMaze.com.
10 | September 2022 The slide started at the top of the barn, so it was pretty high up. Participants grab a potato sack and ride down the multi-slot slide. One challenge the Coles face is the weather. The corn, pumpkins and sunflowers growth all depends on the amount of rain and if the area is suffer ing a Thedrought.Colesare constantly expanding the farm to keep up with the crowd.
The Exeter Corn Maze hosts a num ber of extra activities throughout the season, including a craft fair, car show, 3k run for local FFA groups, helicopter rides, monster truck rides, a Lumberjack Show, Youth Harvest for church groups, and much more. While Robyn and Artie enjoy many parts of owning and operating the Exeter Corn Maze — the people are what make the experience most memorable. People come from all over to visit the Exeter Corn Maze, but they said they couldn’t do it without help from the locals.
The Coles are calling this their biggest season ever, with new photo backdrops, a new pumpkin summit tube slide, the Patchy’s Plummet, and an apple orchard with 15 varieties.
The Exeter Corn Maze started 24 years ago with just the haunted barn, but 11 years ago, the Coles created the cornThemaze.corn maze lays on a nine-acre plot of the farm. For more than 20 years the Coles have offered the area of fun, frights, and fantastic times. In 2020, the Coles had their biggest expansion to date, they added a new ticket entrance, expanded the barnyard to twice its original size, added a new adventure barn with rock climbing and axe throwing. Also, they have a second concession stand with treats from the Sugar Shack and Barnwood BBQ. They also added a second haunted barn called “The Bunker” that looks like an abandoned military post. Artie said the thing that sets The Ex eter Corn Maze out among the other corn mazes is that there is so much to do in one spot. The Coles are focused on making sure that there is something fun for everyone at the Exeter Corn Maze.
The go-kart track at the Exeter Corn Maze has been a huge hit for years, as just one of the activities available for people to enjoy.
This fall don’t forget to grab a fright and some memories at the Exeter Corn Maze. n
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 11 SEPTEMBER 3 NOVEMBER 6 WWW.EXETERCORNMAZE.COM
12 | September 2022
HomeLeavingto
Victoria (left), a member of the Next Steps Ministries, guides Zane Courtney (seated) and Rhyn Withnell (right) as they finish construction on a picnic table that will be used at an Oklahoma City elementary school. The blazing sun bore down on the mission team from FUMC Monett as the temperatures crept above 100 degrees. (top left) Aleesia Johnson (left), a teen volunteer, uses caulk to seal windows at a home in Oklahoma City. Overseeing her work is Jessica Carsten, an adult sponsor with the team.
Lend a Hand
“On the one hand, we want to be able to provide support for the commu nity that we are working with through acts of service and conversations. The other goal is for the students to develop a desire to serve others, to step outside of their comfort zone, and to open their eyes to the needs of others.”
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 13 When people load up to travel for the Indepen dence Day holiday, it’s usually to visit family or friends, for a bar-b-que, or to see the big fireworks show. That was not true for a team of 15 individuals from First United Methodist Church Monett (FUMC Monett). When they loaded up the church van and a few personal vehicles it was to head to Oklahoma City for a mission trip from July 3-8. This team was unique in that it was open to families. One family joined, making the youngest member of the team seven-years-old. The goal of this trip was two-fold according to associate pastor Shaun Courtney.
As leader of the youth group, Pas tor Shaun has led an annual mission trip for the past summers. This year the decision was made to go to Okla homa City through a partnership with Next Step Ministries. “I found Next Step Ministries in 2019 after research ing mission trip options on the internet and fell in love with their format,” said Pastor Shaun. “They focus on smaller group sizes such as under 100 people so it is more intimate and encourages more fellowship with staff and students.”
The Mission Team from FUMC Monett after helping pack food boxes at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
FUMC Monett’s Family Mission Trip to Oklahoma City
Story by Annie Lisenby Smith
Pastor Shaun met with Lead Pastor Brian Smith and leaders in Next Step Ministries where a trip to Oklahoma City was suggested based on the size and skills of the FUMC Monett team. It also gave an opportunity for students from a rural community to experience life and the needs of an urban community.Upon arriving in Oklahoma City, the team began work with Restore OKC, an urban development program on the northeast side of Oklahoma City. “Restore OKC has several differ ent programs,” Pastor Shaun said.
“This trip taught me a lot about not only the history of parts of the city but also about the lives that lots of the northeaster families live,” said Monett High School student Mags Lindsey. “It really gave me a look at how cruel racism used to be.” Not only the teens learned from the trip. Adult team member Jessica Carsten said, “This trip has changed me by seeing an eye view of different teens and leaders and the amazing connection with the community. How wonderful is God.”
Restore Jobs is building a workshop for job training and oversees a cleaning business run by and for single moms. This section of Restore OKC also runs a grocery store in a community known as a food desert due to the lack of conve nient grocery stores and access to fresh foods. Restore Schools partners with area schools to foster teacher retention and healthy student relationships. “Our group focused on building pic nic tables for Restore Schools and fin ished work on a neighborhood house which included painting, caulking win dows, fixing a gutter, and installing a storm door,” Pastor Shaun said. While there was a lot of fun on the job, there was also the challenge of the soaring heat. “We saw temperatures over 100 degrees each day and several students experienced differing degrees of heat exhaustion,” Pastor Shaun said. This led the group to transition to an indoor project on their fourth and final day of work. They helped pack food boxes for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. In their short time, they helped pack 8,460 pounds of food that would feed 282 families.
The goal of any trip like this for teens and young people is to open their eyes to the world around them in a new way. “Often when we walk down the street in our community, we begin to become blind to the needs that are in our neighborhoods,” Pastor Shaun said. “Leaving on a mission trip allows us to see our own community in a new light.”
“I went from complaining every time I was asked to do something to helping and serving without being asked,” said Zane Courtney, a teen member of the team. “I also learned to not take for granted something like Wal-Mart that is close by.”
Cade Courtney (left) works with Hunter Gilmore to remove fence posts and make way for new projects at Restore OKC.
14 | September 2022 Restore homes provides minor to major house repair. Restore farms offers gardening and has a small chicken farm.
The youngest member of the team, Simon Smith, helps his dad, Pastor Brian Smith, drill screws secure the top of the picnic table.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 15 Serving The Area Since 1978 417-847-4372 • 417-235-2100 www.aireser v.com
The seeds of service and compassion are placed in each person’s heart who was on this trip. Seeds that will grow well be yond this year. Pastor Shaun said, “I am excited that several students are consid ering joining Next Step Ministries once they graduate high school to serve and lead other students on mission trips.” n
16 | September 2022 Lance Mettlach 100 Chapel Dr. Suite F, Monett, MO. 65708 Cell 417-489-1134 lance.mettlach@mofb.com Get a Quote 612 E. Elm Republic, MO 65738 417-732-5575 215 4th Street Monett, MO 65708 417-235-2020 401 W. College MO 65661 417-637-2010Outstanding eyecare, exceptional eyewear! Monday- Friday 8 a.m. to5 p.m. www.visionhealtheyecenter.com Dr. Greg Huntress, Optometrist, FAAO Dr. Scott McSpadden, Optometrist, FAAO Dr. Alexandria Holmes, Optometrist MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED Monday Friday 7:30 am 5:00 pm Saturdays 8:00 am - 12:00 pm 215 4th Street Monett, MO 65708 417-235-2020 Nothing Like Seeing How Beautiful Fall NIs! othing Like Seeing How Beautiful Fall Is!
“The highlights are always the rela tionships made whether with the homeowner, the staff at Restore, the Next Step staff, and the deepening of relationships among the students from Monett,” said Pastor Shaun. “I personally love the de votion and worship time also.”
The students who went on this mis sion trip are already asking Pastor Shaun to plan another trip for summer 2023. He plans to pray for God’s guidance on where to go next. He knows it makes a difference to ev eryone involved. His daughter Zoey said, “I learned what it means to have a ser vant’s heart. It has changed my outlook on how different my life is from others.”
For more information on FUMC Monett, visit FUMCMonett.org..
Hunter Gilmore (left) accepts a drill from Pastor Shaun Courtney as they help install a gutter on a home in Okla homa City.
A How-To Guide for Self-Care September Read more from Parenting Column online
ConnectionMO.com/ParentingColumn | Connection Magazine | 17 PARENTING COLUMNSelfcare September
I thought I had always been pretty good with my self-care routine. I was a stay-at-home mom for nearly 11 years and ran a tight ship when it came to everyone’s schedules. I made sure my kids had an ample number of playdates, down time, and exploring new things. I also tried to model what a ‘happy mom’ looked like, by scheduling my own social outings with other moms and working out. As my kids grew up and I reentered the workforce as a newly minted therapist, I knew part of my job was going to be teaching my clients how to care for themselves through grief and trauma. Most of my experience for my own self-care didn’t come from my time as a stayat-home mom, but it came from an unexpected source; my divorce. I had no choice but to find things to fill my time when my kids were not with me. As the years have gone on, which they always do, I have learned how to take care of myself in some of the darkest times. This kindling of finding myself came from a sheer desire to be happy and find peace.
1. Weeded through my social media: I took the time, since I was on there anyway, and went through my social media accounts. I unfriended anyone who was no longer in my life for one reason or another and let people go who didn’t bring me peace. Just know, those people may reach out to you at some point and ask why you unfriended them. Be prepared to keep it short and simple. The object of this is not to hurt someone or start a fight, it’s to bring more peace into your life which is a part of selfcare. I heard something on the radio recently, “Stop checking up on the people you are trying to heal from.” How many times have we have found ourselves down a rabbit hole on Facebook, trying to find out what so and so has been up to. If unfriending feels like too much, try unfollow ing instead.
I have learned how to bullet-proof my environment from certain things, while actively improving my sense of self.
3. Self-Care Saturdays or Sundays: I usually do this on the week ends my kids are gone. I re cently started taking arial yoga because it’s something I have always wanted to do. I can take my time in the morning getting to the studio and don’t have to rush getting home to make sure the kids aren’t fighting. I don’t always feel like going but I’ve challenged myself to make it a habit because I feel so much better after a class.
by Meagan Ruffing Parenting journalist Meagan Ruffing, is a marriage and family therapist practicing in Arkansas. She is always trying to find new ways to improve her self-care and challenge herself to try new things. You can find her on Facebook at writermeaganruffing.
2. Lightened my calendar load: I went through my calendar and decided which things could go and which things had to stay. I took pressure off myself and my kids to show up to everything and picked the most important ones. I left white space and attributed it to the downtime I used to schedule in for myself and my kids when they were little. Having “nothing to do” at home has turned in to impromp tu game nights with my kids, slime-making, and deep conver sations I never knew we needed.
Here’s what I’ve done:
What is something you have always wanted to do for yourself? Take the first small step in making it happen.
An app I downloaded on my phone that has been a simple but effective way for me to check-in with my feelings on a daily basis, is called Thought Diary. A prompt will pop up on your phone that might say something like “How are you feeling today?” It’s free and super easy.
18 | September 2022
5. Inner work: I started writing down the neg ative beliefs I had about myself and certain life events. I wanted to see them on paper, in black and white. I bought myself a self-guided journal and worked on what my beliefs were about myself. If there was negativity in my own thoughts, I worked on figuring out why I felt that way and started reframing them in a more positive way. This is part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It’s not a theory I practice from all the time with my clients but it’s especially useful when working with someone who has self-defeating thoughts and needs help sorting through why they feel that way and how to reframe those thoughts. It was a game-changer for me when I was healing from my divorce. If this sounds helpful to you, I would encourage you to find a therapist who practices CBT or even buying a journal to help you get clarity on what you are feeling.
6. Loving myself: I needed to figure out what this meant for me. I made two lists. The first list was all the things I was sad or unhappy about and the second list was all the things I was proud of myself for. I started going through the first list and working through each item. I brought awareness to certain areas of my life that I tucked away and worked on loving myself even when I wish my decisions had been different. I let go of things that were no longer serving a purpose for me and made the decision to move on from them. Loving yourself might look different than mine. It probably will. But bringing awareness to what it means and what it looks like to be kind to yourself is a great way to grow in your self-care practice. n
Check out the app called Thought Diary. It helps you keep notes of your thoughts and feelings. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
4. Pick the right clothes: You know those clothes you have that don’t feel good or make you look a certain way? Yeah, I got rid of all those. I started focusing on wearing clothes that made me feel confident, beautiful, strong, and healthy. “But Meagan, how can clothes make you feel that way?” Think of a time when you wore something that made you feel so good about yourself, you didn’t want to take it off. I’m talking about those clothes. Life is too short to wear things that are too tight. Buy the comfy sweatpants. Invest in the nice blazer. Treat your body to the things that make you feel amazing. It will show in your attitude.
Another great check-in tool is a Feelings Wheel. I had one of these printed on a pillow to use in my home with my kids. Start on the outer wheel and move towards the center. This is a great tool to help you and your children (and anyone else) put a name to what they’re feeling. These are just six helpful ways to get yourself going on the self-care route.
If you don’t know where to start, just start with one of these ideas and try to do one each month for the next six months. I would encourage you to go out and buy yourself a new journal to get yourself excited about focusing on your self-awareness to self-care. Here’s to wishing you the best September you have ever had.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 19
On July 16, 2022, the newly designated 9-8-8, three-digit number, will route individuals to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and suppor t are available 24/7 for anyone experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis. The 988 line is confidential and free for all. The Lifeline number, 1-800-273-8255, will continue to function. After July 16, 2022, both number s will connect individuals to the same ser vices.
you know
“The launch of the 988 crisis line will establish a more streamlined and effective resource for Missourians in behavioral health crisis,” Gover nor Par son said. We know that when individuals are experiencing crisis the sooner we can connect them to suppor t and provide assistance the better. The 988 line will be the fir st step to engage individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. There are seven crisis center s in Missouri responsible for answering 988 contacts for the state. The trained crisis specialists at each center will listen, wor k to under stand how the individual’s problems are affecting them, provide suppor t, and connect them to resources. While 988 is a national initiative, it is up to each state to ensure crisis ser vices are available to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. After near ly two year s of planning and preparation, Missouri’s 988 center s are prepared and ready to answer the projected 253,000 contacts (calls, texts, and chats) expected in the fir st year of the 988 implementation. Need to talk or get immediate help in a crisis? Help is available. If you or a loved one needs assistance, please reach out by calling or texting 988, or chatting at https://988lifeline.org . you or someone needs suppor t now, call or text 988 or contact The Clar k Center
417-235-6610 Resiliency Co mmunity Re covery CC CC
GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES 988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE If
(photo, left) Dennis Epperly on his family’s three-acre strawberry plot in 1993.
Farmers with loaded wagons, would begin lining up to deliver their crates of fruit to the sheds, about five o’clock in the afternoon. It was not unusual for wagons to be lined up as far as the cemetery. Often the last of the wagons were not unloaded until after midnight. Many migrant pickers came into town and lived in tents usually pitched between the schoolhouse and the railroad tracks. All the local children and young people helped with the picking. The pay was one, two, or three cents per quart. This was usually the only chance to make any spending money for local youth.
Source: Our Heritage in Story and Picture: Purdy, Mo. 1881-1981
Source: Ernest Langer During the heydays of strawberries, Exeter was one of the major grow ing and shipping centers in this part of the state. It is estimated that almost a million crates of the red fruit were shipped from Exeter between 1918 and 1953. As the cost of labor became unprofitable for the small grower, berries as a commercial crop began to disappear during the 1950s.
According to The Centennial Salute 1887-1987, southwest Missouri produced the finest strawberries in the United States, and Monett be came one of the busiest shipping centers for the Frisco Railroad. Ber ry sheds were located alongside the main Frisco line tracks. This area came alive during the strawberry season as the fruits of pickers’ labor were brought to Monett to be placed in refrigerated cars to be shipped to points east, west, north and south; as many as two to three hundred cars of the delicious red berries were directed to major cities throughout the Midwest. Local residents had the golden opportunity of buying the over ripe strawberries at bargain prices as they waited for the growers to sell theirTheware.Butterfield
Source: The First 100 years in Exeter
20 | September 2022
Berry Growers’ Shipping Association was organized in 1904 with E. B. Linebarger, President, and W. D. Cowherd, Secretary-Trea surer. The association charged farmers 3 percent from 1916 until 1951.
Strawberry Fields Forever
“We went clear to Sarcoxie to pick strawberries. This land wasn’t cleared and in them days it was quite an event, to go in a wagon. But we’d go up to pick strawberries and we’d stay about three weeks to make a dollar-a-day. A dollara-day would be nothing now, but back then we thought we were rich.”
Dennis Epperly, Cassville resident remembers the times he spent picking strawberries. Dennis and his wife Brenda Epperly, own and operate the 60-acre property at 21501 Farm Road 1120 in Cassville.Thispiece of property has become well known as a local photo backdrop during the last four years, called Pa’s PoseyAccordingPatch. to the Cassville Democrat, Dennis worked as a schoolteacher where he taught agriculture, and his wife was a postmaster.Theseason starts the last weekend in March and lasts until October. At Pa’s Posey Patch people can see Crimson Clover in mid-April and Pop pies in May, along with white daisies and blue Batchelor Buttons. But the biggest attractions are the sunflowers and pump kins.Dennis said Barry County was one of the largest strawberry growers from the 1920s through the 1950s. And in the walls and rows of strawberry days memo rabilia at the Barry County Museum, you can find a picture of Dennis Epperly in 1993, working in the strawberry fields.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 21 Barry County has a long history in the strawber ry industry. From green fields with juicy red berries to home baked strawberry pies, some residents still remember the good Ole’ Strawberry Days. The Barry County Museum has an area dedicated to these very days, rows and rows of photos from the early 20th century, authentic strawberry baskets, and other tools used to gather straw berries. The dozens of photos consist of a little girl with a wide grin picking strawberries for the first time, trucks and even wagons weighted down with basket upon baskets of strawberries, a first-place winner proudly admiring her winning strawberry cobbler, and the thing it all has in common – it all took place right here in Barry County Missouri. Among the walls of photographs and artifacts, are quotes from the very people responsible for the success of the straw berry industry in Barry County.
- Gus Tatum Story by Jordan Troutman
- Norval H. Taylor “There were so many farmers growing strawberries that we needed pickers from other states to come in and help pick our strawberries. Some families would start picking in Louisiana and when finished there, they would pack up their family in a covered wagon and come to Arkansas, and then on to Missouri. Some were called ‘Hobos’ because they would ride the freight trains. Most of them were good, honest people trying to make an honest living, many of them had no homes.”
A typical culling shed where pickers turned in their berries.
— Raymond Phariss “Land that had not been cultivated was the best land for growing strawberries. The ground was covered with brush, small trees, sassafras and other sprouts. This land had to be cleared which meant the sprouts had to be removed. This was called “grubbing out the roots” and was done with a grubbing hoe and a strong back. The land that was cleared was called new ground and tomatoes were always planted for one year before strawberries were planted. Growing tomatoes meant the soil was plowed several times; this helped get rid of the roots and loosened the soil. The first year the strawberries were planted, they were to use their energy growing and not producing fruit. This meant that along with the hoeing, the blooms had to be pulled off so that no berries would grow. This hoeing lasted all summer.”
Dennis called Barry County the strawberry capitol of the world. In a post to the Pa’s Posey Patch Face book page, Dennis said it is important to remember the past when looking toward theHefuture.goes on to acknowledge the va riety of farming that took place on this land throughout the years. “The farm payments had to be made from cash crops, which were another farm income,” he wrote. “Our rocky and rough hills were well adapted to produc ing these labor-intensive crops [strawber ries and tomatoes].
Dennis said that over the years, the draw of strawberries began to dwindle in Barry“MostCounty.ofthe modern strawberry production is in California and Florida,” Dennis said. “This results in the berries having to be shipped longer distances. The quality is acceptable, but it is not the quality of the Ozark grown berry in my memory.”Igrew up on three acres of strawber ries for about thirty years.” n “I owned my own machinery, and I set two or two and a half acres every year. They would produce first, second, and third years and then it was best to plow them under. I never grew strawberries in the same place because there was a bore that would get your strawberries. A little bore of some kind would get in the roots and it would stay in the ground.”
- Ruth Sander Price
22 | September 2022
The old Strawberry Shed located on the right-of-way of the Cassville and Exeter Railroad was a fixture here for more than 60 years. The location was between Main Street and East Street north of 9th Street. You can see the back of a building in the background, which is currently occupied by Andrew Peters’ State Farm Insurance Agency. Built contemporary with the inaugural run on July 4, 1896, the shed was used until the railroad made its final run in 1956. It was known to all as the Strawberry Shed, but it served as a loading dock for the railroad and trucking concerns with various other Barry County commodities.
Dennis said his father purchased a three-acre plot for strawberry farming, which he maintained for many years. “The two major varieties of straw berries produced in our county were the Aroma and the Blakemore,” Dennis said. “These berries would ripen and be ready to pick in mid-May and last until about the first of June.”
Source: Emory Melton
Dennis added that strawberry farm ing was a great way for large families with lot of children to earn money. In fact, the school year was eight months long which allowed for the perfect amount of time for children to harvest the strawberries in mid-spring. However, if there were enough local hands to work the fields, migrant workers would camp on the farms and work through the harvest. “There was no harder work on the farm than picking strawberries,” he said. “They grew flat on the ground and on rocky soil that was hard to kneel on. Af ter a few hours in the patch, my muscles ached from the bending, and my knees hurt from the rocky ground. Sweat stung my eyes, and the sun scorched any ex posed bare skin.” After the strawberries were picked, they would turn them into the ladies who often worked in the culling sheds. They would sort the bad strawberries out and get rid of rocks and other materials that would find their way int o the bas kets. Dennis said sometimes those rocks would be put there intentionally by the picker to weigh down the basket, and once, they even found a turtle in the bot tom of the basket of strawberries. Washburn, Seligman, Exeter, But terfield, Crane, Purdy, and Monett had strawberry associations who would han dle the shipping and marketing side of theThework.strawberries left the culling shed and were taken to be loaded and shipped. They were poured into hoppers on the cars and tucked away with a block of ice to keep them fresh on the journey.
“The growing of strawberries began in our area during the late 1800’s and con tinued on a large scale well into the early 1960’s. It is hard to visualize the scope of the strawberry business in Barry County at its peak during the late 40’s and early 50’s. There were hundreds if not thou sands of acres of the little sweet red fruit.”
Bo Fisher Sizemore, age 1, son of Jake and Chekota Sizemore, of Cassville
Congrats
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 23
Bo CUTEST KIDCutest of September 2022
Email your child’s photo to: lcraft@cherryroad.com
Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your child’s name, parent’s name, age, city and your contact information. The contest is open to children ages 10 and younger. The photos submitted will be used for the sole purpose of this contest.
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Another way to move towards mindful eating is to eat with others and move the focus from the food to the people you are eating with.
It’s important to keep in mind no one’s eating is perfect, but we can each work to improve our habits and our bodies well. n
More healthful nutrition tips are available on the Healthy Connection blog.
Rachel Wilson is a dietetic intern at Cox College. She is originally from Long Island, NY. She decided to study to become a dietitian with an intent for helping people conquer emotional eating and disordered eating. In her free time, Rachel enjoys yoga, spending time with family and friends, and watching Bravo.
ConnectionMO.com/HealthyConnection | Connection Magazine | 25 HEALTHY CONNECTION
Mindful Eating Mindful eating is all about paying attention to the act of eating, and more importantly enjoying it! A lot of emotional eating comes from having a bad relationship with food and having a sense of shame associated with eating. A lot of people go straight to dieting to try and correct this; however many diets are restrictive and may even become a trigger to fall back into old habits. Mindful eating is giving yourself permission to eat instead of trying to fit yourself into a box of a certain diet to change your eating habits. The more you stop to listen to your body for the cues for hunger and fullness, the better you’ll be able to distinguish if you are eating to fuel your body versus your emotions.
Ask yourself ‘why?’
by Rachel Wilson
Signs You May be an Emotional Eater
When you are feeling stressed, sad, angry, or even happy, do you sense yourself eating more? Food is sometimes used as more than fuel to satisfy our hunger; it is used to satisfy our loneliness, sadness, or boredom as well. When this happens, we aren’t listening to our body’s natural cues to let us know when we are hungry and when we are full. This often happens when we are having a stressful day (or week) at work, experiencing family or relationship problems, or even celebrating an accomplishment.
Emotional to Mindful Becoming a mindful eater is a jour ney and that journey begins with self-love. Mental health and eating are really intertwined. One way to help make the transition from an emotional eater to a mindful eater is to identify what triggers you to eat. For example, if you find that after a long day of work you imme diately go to the refrigerator, take that and write it in a journal.
We may change our eating habits from time to time, but when this becomes a pattern you may be an emotional eater. Here are some signs: You eat when you’re not hungry. You eat to fill a void. You eat to put off doing something else. You reward yourself with food. It is important to remember that emotional eating is common and if you do one of these things once in a while it doesn’t necessarily mean you are an emotional eater.
EatingEmotional
When you go to eat something, take an extra second to stop and ask yourself if you are actually hungry, or if there is another reason you are reaching for food. If you are unsure, walk away and do something else to occupy your time like calling a friend or running an errand. If you do feel hungry grab a small snack and remember to focus and enjoy it.
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“Mom, I’m going to be a freshman in high school, of course I have a phone,” Paige says. “Really? Since when? I mean, when did you get a phone?” Alice’s eyes squint processing this part of Paige’s life that she’s missed.“Since seventh grade, just after you left,” Paige replies. “What? Your dad and I agreed that you wouldn’t get a phone until you were in eighth grade, at the earliest,” Alice sighs.“You weren’t here,” Paige shrugs. These words sting. “I know, I’m sorry,” Alice shakes her hair. “I have an idea, give me your phone.” “It’s in my backpack, but it’s dead.” “We can’t use my phone. It’s been compromised,” Alice chews her lip again. “We need a phone with a VPN connec tion if possible, something where we can hide our location.” She paces, thinking. By Annie Lisenby-Smith
“I don’t know,” Alice replies. “This wasn’t supposed to hap pen. None of this was supposed to happen.” She bites at a fingernail.“Should you call someone?” Paige shifts in her seat hop ing that Alice doesn’t notice the gurgling coming from her stomach that is reminding Paige that she hasn’t eaten since lunch. Her dad tried to get her to eat dinner before march ing band practice, but Paige had been terrified that the heat would make her puke on the field like Brittney Johnson did last night. High school was hard enough to navigate without having a puking incident hanging over her head. “I don’t know,” Alice mumbles.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 27
“What about Dad?” Paige huffs. “Where is he? Shouldn’t we go get him?” “We can’t,” Alice replies, pulling the car to a stop in a park ing lot next to the elementary school. She steps out of the car, leaving Paige behind, as she walks to the swings. Climbing out of the car, Paige rubs the side of her hip that had bashed against the door frame when Alice dragged her in the car. A bruise was growing under her red athletic shorts. The chorus of night insects screeching their songs mixed with the flickers of lightning bugs surrounds her as she follows her mom.“Mom! Mom?” Paige calls. Alice ignores her, sitting in a swing and pulling out her phone. “For real, Mom, whatever is going on, you have to snap out of this. If you’re a spy, you know how to handle all this, right?” “I’m an accountant,” Alice shakes her head. “Just an ac countant.”“Butyou have a gun,” Paige nods at the holster hidden under Alice’s pantleg. Alice stands, shaking her hands. “You don’t un derstand, Paige,” she says in exasperation. “I was just an accountant for the CIA. Yes, I was trained to use a gun and outrun someone, but I’ve never had to do it until tonight really. I acted on impulse to run to help you and your dad. Now I think I should have run the other way.”
Previously in Keeping Secrets, 15-year-old Paige was surprised when her mom, Alice, abruptly returned to her life. In a short time, Paige learns that Alice is a spy, that her dad has been kidnapped, and that really, really bad people are chasing them.
“Where are we going?” Paige breaks the silence after watching the clock tick past 10:00 p.m. as her mother aim lessly drove through town. Her quick glances at the rearview mirror hadn’t produced another reckless race through town.
“Mom,” Paige steps to Alice. “You’ve got to do something. Someone has Dad.” Saying the words made them more real than Paige was ready to accept. Her stomach sank. “Do you have a phone?”
Keeping Secrets part two
“He doesn’t live in the elementary school,” Paige says to Alice’s“Comeback.over here, Paige. Quick,” Alice gestures for Paige to join her. “Look up there.” Paige’s eyes follow Alice’s gesture at the corner of the building over the door. “Okay, what am I looking at?” “Security camera,” Alice replies. “It’s on a closed net work, only the local police should be able to access the feeds. So, if anyone comes looking for us, here we are. Wave.” Alice lifts Paige’s arm and helps her feebly wave at the camera perched over their heads.
“I hope you’re as good at climbing trees as you were when you were little,” Alice winks and slides from the car. Paige stumbles out of the car, catching up to Alice. While Alice slinks across the yard with the stealth of a cat, Paige squeals when she catches her foot on a root under the tall tree.“Shh,” Alice admonishes her. Paige huffs, pushing her glasses up her nose again. The unbearable heat hasn’t relented, and sweat makes Paige’s glasses slide.
“I need some help with a computer thing?” Paige “Can’tsays. it wait until tomorrow? My parents won’t like a girl climbing in my room late at night.” “I brought my mom,” Paige points at Alice perched in the tree below her. Alice waves and smiles like she’s bringing cookies to the PTA bake sale.
28 | September 2022 “I know someone who can help,” Paige says. Alice stops, “Who?” “Brayden, he’s a sophomore. He’s in the band and is al ways talking about the computers he works on,” Paige says, her stomach making a tiny flip thinking of the boy with the deep hazel eyes, his thick hair the color of a caramel latte. “He lives near here.” Alice is oblivious to the slight color rising to Paige’s cheeks. She glances over her shoulder before spinning and striding toward the back door of the school.
“Now, let’s go find this computer boy,” Alice brushes back stray hairs falling from her ponytail. Sweat pours down Paige’s back, making her band t-shirt stick to her back. She adjusts her own ponytail and laments that she’s going to see Brayden like this, sweat-soaked with bits of grass from the practice field plastered to her shoes and“Shouldsocks. we knock on the front door?” Alice cocks her head studying the two-story house where Brayden lives. She’d quickly perked up at the prospect of Brayden’s help. “His parents are kind of protective. They might not like us showing up so late,” Paige says studying the glow of light coming from a window on the back side of the house, on the second floor. “There, I think that’s his room. He said the other day that there was a tall tree outside his window that he can climb down if he needs.”
Brayden’s hand is surprisingly soft in Paige’s, but his grip is tight, and he adeptly helps her into his bedroom. Into his bedroom. Paige’s breath catches. She’s never been in a cute boy’s bedroom before. She doesn’t know what to do, how to act. This is a boy’s bedroom.
“You keep old SIM cards in your car?” Brayden smiles at the “It’snovelty.forher job,” Paige shrugs. “While we’re here, can you pull something up on your computer?” Alice’s eyes get suddenly intense. “Sure, what is it?” Brayden asks, sitting in his desk chair and waking up his computer. “Give me the necklace,” Alice orders Paige, holding out herPaige’shand. stomach rolls as she hands the necklace to Alice. “Whoa, was that your stomach?” Brayden laughs. “I’ve got some snacks over there if you want,” he gestures at a plastic bin next to his desk. As Alice stands over Brayden’s shoulder watching him open the files, Paige pops the lid off the plastic bin and hungrily grabs a peanut butter protein bar. “What. Is. This?” Brayden gapes at his computer screen. “I’ve never seen encryption like this.” “Give me the keyboard,” Alice drags the computer and types frantically, various pages clearing passwords and moving to more pages and more passwords. “What kind of work do you do? This level of security is usually only for government computers,” Brayden stares on in “I’mawe.just an accountant to some very private clients,” Alice shoots a look at Paige. “There!” Alice shouts. “I’m in.” She studies the screen, scrolling past endless numbers.
“Yeah,” Brayden smiles, brushing his thick hair out of his eyes, his common gesture making Paige weak in the knees. He pulls open a drawer on his desk and digs through it. “Would this work? It’s an old iPhone 6. It was my mom’s. I put a VPN on it for my brother so he could download pirated movies, but he upgraded when he left for college last year.” Brayden holds out the phone in a pink case covered with cartoon cats. With great enthusiasm, Alice grabs the phone. “This is perfect. I have a SIM card in the car that works on these older models.”
“Mom, is there anything in there about Dad?” Paige asks.“Not exactly,” Alice says. “But it will tell me more about who has him.” “Has him?” Brayden asks. “Are you in some kind of trouble?” he turns his hazel eyes on Paige. “Um,” Paige stutters. “I don’t—like we’re okay—but there“There’sis—there’s—”nothing,” Alice interjects. “It’s just accounting and her father is on a vacation. He didn’t tell us exactly where, so this file has the info on the travel agent who booked his trip.” Alice nods emphatically at Paige as if her nod could magically turn her lie into a truth.
“You’re such a gentleman,” Alice says behind Paige, whipping her out of her bewilderment. “Brayden, this is my mom,” Paige awkwardly says. “Mom, this is Brayden. He plays percussion in the band.” “Nice to meet you,” Brayden replies questioningly. His gaze shifts between the two women who’ve invaded his room.“Mom needs help with a computer thing, it’s super im portant,” Paige says. “Do you have an old phone that she can“Iuse?”need one with a VPN, if you have that,” Alice adds.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 29
Leaning in to whisper, Alice says, “We should both be able to get up there from this low branch. You’re as tall as me now, so you should be able to reach it fine.” Climbing the tree isn’t too difficult for Paige wearing sneakers and exercise clothes. She enjoys the feel of the bark under her palms and only has to stop to pull her t-shirt up and wipe sweat off her face before she knocks lightly on Brayden’s bedroom window. This was so insane, Paige thinks as she waits for a re sponse from the other side of the window hidden by cheap blinds. When the blinds part to reveal deep hazel eyes on the other side, Paige jumps grasping to keep her balance in the “Paige?”tree. Brayden asks surprised. “I need some help with a computer thing?” Paige says. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow? My parents won’t like a girl climbing in my room late at night.” “I brought my mom,” Paige points at Alice perched in the tree below her. Alice waves and smiles like she’s bring ing cookies to the PTA bake sale. “Um, okay,” Brayden lifts the blinds and unlocks the window. With practiced agility, he pops out the screen and holds out his hand for Paige to help her make the step across the gap between the thick part of the tree branch and his bedroom window frame.
wonderful, Peanut,” Alice re plies, distracted by the task of inserting a SIM card into the old iPhone. In the glow of the phone coming to life, Alice turns to Paige. “I know who has your father.”
“And now we need to go,” Alice pulls the flash drive out and drops it around Paige’s neck again. “Come on, Paige, your dad is waiting for us.” “Did you need anything else?” Brayden follows them to the window.
“Nope, we’re good,” Alice exits into the tree.“You could have gone out the front door,” Brayden says to Alice and turns to Paige. “Maybe next time you come over, you can use the front door,” he says with a smile.“You want me to come back?” Paige asks,“Well,surprised.yeah, you should come over sometime,” Brayden shrugs. “I mean, I’ve been wanting to find time to talk to you more. This would be cool, to have you come over sometime. We could talk, watch a movie, something like that.”
“Okay,” Paige bites her lip, her heart fluttering joyfully. “That would be great.”
“Give me your hand,” Brayden says pulling a Sharpie out of his pocket. “My number,” he scribbles on Paige’s palm, “so you can text me sometime, you know, or something.”Alittle electric zing leaps between them. With a goofy smile, Paige makes her way out the window and back to the ground. From the bottom, she waves up at Brayden.“Mom,” Paige says buckling her seat belt, “I think Brayden just asked me out on a “That’sdate.”
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“In“Who?”those files I found where some data was different from the files at the CIA,” Alice explains. “Only one person could have changed it and for only one reason. It looks like my boss isn’t only working for the CIA. She’s also working for Sebastian Miranda, the mob boss I was investigating.” n
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32 | September 2022
Resident cat Tater oversees the kids “cat yoga” event. Resident cat Toots is polydactyl with 27 toes.
For more details:
The cats are housed in a lounge that is distinctly separated from the food and beverage areas. Also, for the safety of the cats, visitors are not allowed to bring any food into the lounge, only drinks.
Story by Annie Lisenby Smith
Surrounded by cats, a cat-lover’s dream. In the Nine Lives Cat Lounge and Adoption Center, visitors can expect to be surrounded by cats and have a few of them occupy your lap.
ConnectionMO.com/NineLives | Connection Magazine | 33
In the cat lounge, the cats have many places to explore, both high and low.
“When we were picking our resi dents, we didn’t always have to look for certain qualities, most of our residents picked us,” Buck said. Each of the nine cats has a unique story for how they found their home in the cat lounge that include rescues, unsuccessful adoptions, and adoptions of cats that just needed to stay in the lounge.
CaféCat
A focus that Buck has for her cat café is on cat adoption. Since March 15, 2021, Nine Lives has adopted out 279 cats and kittens. Not all cats in the café are up for adoption. Buck and her staff have chosen nine cats to be “lounge res idents.”
The remaining cats are all up for adoption. Buck said that they work with many shelters and rescues and take a limited number of individual intakes that must meet some requirements.
“I simply can’t resist a cat, particular ly a purring one,” said famous Missou rian Mark Twain. Tiffany Buck, owner of Nine Lives Cat Lounge and Adoption Center in Joplin, would likely agree with Twain. Buck has a huge love for cats and always wants to help them all. Nine Lives gives her the opportunity to help as many kitties as she can. “The process of opening the Cat Lounge felt like it took an eternity, but flew by all at the same time,” said Buck. “Every time we finished a piece of our project it was like a weight was lifted and our excitement continued to build as we counted down the days to the Grand Opening.”Whatis a cat café? The first cat café was opened in 1998 in Taiwan. Visit ing Japanese tourists enjoyed the experience of dining with cats so much that they carried the idea home. The first Japa nese cat cafés opened in 2004 and quickly met the need of pet companionship for the many apartment dwellers who were forbidden to have pets in their homes.Cat cafés spread to North America in 2014. While in other countries visitors can have a full dining experience with the cats, in the U.S. health codes forbid this. “We would want our skeptical customers to know that the cats are completely separated from our café,” Buck said.
Sigmund Freud said, “Time spent with a cat is never wast ed.” This statement can be celebrated during the month of June, which is recognized as adopt a cat month. This month is chosen, be cause often it is the time most filled with newborn kittens. It is estimated that in the United States, there are 60-100 mil lion stray cats. One southwest Missouri business is doing its part to find forever homes for cats in their community.
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If, after visiting the cat lounge, some one wants to adopt one of the cats, it’s a simple process that takes only about 30 minutes. “The new adopters fill out an application,” Buck said. “Once the application is approved, our staff will go over the adoption contract. Finally, the cat will have to pass a health check to ensure they are leaving in great health. The kitty can go home the same day.”
All are invited to visit the Nine Lives Cat Lounge and Adoption Center to visit the cats or sample their selection of sandwiches and coffee drinks. More information can be found at www.nine livescatlounge.com. And follow their Facebook page to learn about hosting a special event at the cat café or about attending their upcoming Cat Yoga. Whatever your reason to visit, it will be memorable. As author Lewis Carroll said, “Your house will always be bless ed with love, laughter, and friendship if you have a cat.” n Nine Lives has hosted “cat yoga” events specific to adults or children. For more information, visit NineLivesCatLounge.com
The mission of Nine Lives is to help as many cats find good homes as they can, but to also help the community grow and come together as a whole. Be ing in a smaller community allows cus tomers to build relationships with staff and cats. Often, visitors make a new cat friend and look forward to return visits. To enter the cat lounge, visitors must pay an entry fee. This money goes to pay for food, litter, vet bills, and any other needs the cats might have. Buck emphasized that it was the support from customers that allowed her to help so many cats find forever homes.
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Story by Mike Gervais
The Verona esports team operates through an organization called Play VS, which organizes matchups between schools and tracks win loss records. PlayVS supports eight different games, including League of Legends and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which are the games Verona has fielded teams for the past few years.
hile it may not be too much of a surprise to know that many high schools throughout the nation have been fielding teams of video game players and joining esports leagues, many may be shocked to learn that es ports are one of the fastest growing high school sports and many students have been awarded college scholarships based on their performance in esports leagues.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 37 W
While those are the two games Vero na has traditionally played, PlayVS also supports popular games like Rocket League, Splatoon 2, NBA 2K and Mad den NFL 22, among others.
New High School Sport Emerges ESPORTSESPORTS
In those two games, Chang said there is a lot of variety for students.
Chang likens it to the difference be tween a basketball team, which operates as a cohesive unit on the court, and a wrestling team, which works together in practice to hone their individual skills for individual competition.
“We play Smash and League because that’s the interest we’ve had,” Chang said. “We could do other games if the interest is there.”
He explained that League of Legends is a team-based game that sees five-per son teams working toward a group objective. As coach, his goal is to help the students build characters that com plement their individual play styles as well as the builds and play styles of their teammates.ForSmash Bros., the team members compete on an individual level against opposing teams.
Kyle Ferry was one of 2021 esports players in Verona, competing in the popular game League of Legends, which sees teams of five working together against another school to achieve a common objective.
The Verona esports team was founded by Coach Matt Frazier in 2019. Coach Michael Chang took over in 2020 and is looking forward to his second year coaching the team in 2022-23.
There is also a wide variety of games available to esports athletes.
“Esports are pretty awesome because it gives our students who aren’t necessari ly proficient at physical sports an oppor tunity to compete and participate with a team,” Coach Chang said. And while esports are played with a keyboard or video game controller in hand, Chang said many of the goals football, basketball and volleyball coach es aim to achieve are also in play when it comes to video games. As the coach, Chang said he pushes students to grow in confidence, learn to work well with others through team ex ercises, communicate effectively and over come challenges in the face of adversity. “It all ties into real-world skills,” Chang said. “In terms of confidence, I’ve seen a lot of growth there. Like in the classroom, you try to take the les sons you teach and translate that to the realWhileworld.”traditional team aspects like communication and coordination are in play, esports are played in a class room or library at the school and some students are even capable of competing and practicing from home, given the digital nature of the sport.
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And like other high school sports, the esports team has members who participate in more than one game.
Another difference is that while tradition al sports operate on fairly regulated and rigid schedules, the esports arena is newer and small er, and it is often left to individual coaches to get together and organize matches.
A recognition event hosted by The Cassville Democrat and Missouri State Parks
And while no Verona students have yet re ceived scholarships for their performance on the esports team, Chang said one of his goals is to see his team members heading to the college level and play for teams like Mizzou or Ozark Technical College.
And like other sports, there are profession al esports leagues with players taking home huge cash prizes for tournaments in a variety of games.While Verona has one of the only esports programs in the region now, Chang said he expects that will be changing rapidly in the coming years, with esports leagues getting more prominent play on television and online streaming services like Twitch. “I’d love to see more schools doing it,” he said. “It’s a great way to connect with the kids, and there are a lot of teachers now who were gamers when they were young or continue to game now.” n
Meet the Diver s!
Chang also said that for the past three years there has not been a way for spectators to get involved in the esports competitions, but he is working with school IT to find ways to stream competitions so interested parents, teachers and alumni can watch the team play during competition.Andwhile traditional team sports see teams traveling to away games on a regular basis, the Verona esports team is able to play their reg ular season on campus. Though the team has not yet made it to post-season play, Chang said if and when that happens, players will likely have to travel to a central venue for playoffs andPlayVSfinals. pits the Verona team against a wide variety of regional mid-western teams. And because the pool of participating schools is so small, it is not divided into leagues based on school size like traditional sports.
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Steve, left, and David Stubbs, who continue the tradition of a hometown grocery and convenience store at Stubbs Brothers Grocery.
40 | September 2022
GroceryStubb’sBrothers’
David Lowery, a customer dropping in from nearby Green Forest, comment ed, “I grew up coming here. I still do. It’s convenient. If you want to talk about a ballgame, these guys are the best.”
“We keep pretty much the same soda and chips, candy bars and milk, like our dad had,” said David, “maybe not as much candy. We used to have a lot more cannedWithgoods.”supply chains shifting, some products have been more difficult to stock. David said their wholesaler no longer provides the original bologna that Luther sold, and now Cajun turkey has become hard to find. Higher prices have impacted the price of sandwiches, but he said the store still sells “quite a few” every day.There’s a framed comment from lo cal businessman and landscaper Ralph Smith, now in his 90s, hanging on the wall that says, “As a young boy, when walking from sports practice to Stubbs corner, in hopes of hitching a ride home with a neighbor, sometimes I had enough money for a candy bar or a pop. Some way, somehow, you always made me feel I was special. This is not just a note from a little country boy. This is the heartbeat of a community that has been blessed to have Luther Stubbs. — God’s hand extended. Thanks so much.” Luther kept working till his final year in 2005, and he’s spoken of with the respect due a legend. Other fami ly members have stepped in as need ed, like when Steve had surgery a few years back. The goal, David observed, is to continue the store’s tradition as the community needs it. n
Another customer, Josafine Brians, now of Green Forest, credits her experi ence with the store to childhood memo ries. A decade may have passed between visits, but it was all familiar walking in. “I grew up in Berryville,” she said. “My mom brought me here.”
A portrait of Luther and Lennis Stubbs, founders of Stubbs Grocery in Berryville.
Meeting Today’s Needs with Timeless Charm in Berryville
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 41 Stubbs and his wife Lennis bought a 1920s style gas sta tion on Springfield Street in Berryville, Arkansas. Seems the gas station operator, who lived next door, grew tired of people forcing him out of bed in the middle of the night to fill their gas tanks. The Stubbs converted the place into a neighborhood grocery store. An avid gardener with three producing beds, Stubbs and his family became well known for their garden fresh produce, es pecially the tomatoes, drawing customers from a simple outdoor sign. Luther also understood his market. What people needed was fast food, not that common in 1953, when Luther bought the store. He came up with the Luther Burger, which at the time was fried bologna and cheese, not a “burger” in the truest sense. But it was a hit. The store is still known as Luther’s Place. An outdoor sign recalls, “Home of the Luther Burger.” Fast forward to modern times. The little store, about the size of an economy motel room, is still there, at the corner of East Freeman Avenue and Springfield, which is now the well-traveled High way 21, about six blocks from down town. These days the neighborhood has changed. There’s a Tyson Foods plant and the Berryville High School a few blocks away, and newer apartments in the other direction. Luther and Lennis are gone, but sons, Steve and David, still run the place without the colorful flashing signs outdoors, or the internet or blaring TV. Walking in, a customer faces prod ucts stacked to the ceiling on the walls, a counter loaded with a wide variety of candy bars, an ice cream cooler tucked between other displays in the center, sports memorabilia and toys, framed photos and banners for the Arkansas Razorbacks and St. Louis Cardinals draped from the highest ledges. In the back is the sandwich count er, fresh made like Luther did, with a wider variety of meats but not a lot of extras, like lettuce or tomatoes. “Mus tard or mayo?” asks Steve, who has worked at the store since graduating high school. His brother David has worked with him since 1992. The narrow aisles, wide array of col ors from assorted products, the well-filled spaces, give a feeling of a busy home, rather than a sterile store environment.
There’s still walk-in traffic. It’s a conve nience store in the truest sense, a meld ing of the timeless need packaged like a neighborhood grocery store.
Story by Murray Bishoff
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In fourth grade, Doyletta “Sissy” Davidson was assigned by her fourth-grade teacher, Patsy Hall, to write a letter to a stranger in Underhill, Va. Doyletta is pictured on the far right, third from the top.
ourth grade — it’s a place where students learn English, history, science and math, improve their handwriting, spelling and memory work. But for one Rocky Comfort wom an, it’s where she made a lifelong friend through a class assignment.
Pen Pals for Life
However, it wasn’t until earlier this year that the two correspondents met face to face.“One of the things we talked about a lot in those letters so many years ago was wanting to meet each other in person,” Pam said. “As the years went on, I didn’t think it would ever actually happen. Then, my husband and I had the oppor tunity to take a two-week vacation and drive out to Colorado to visit my son. On the way, I wanted to stop in St. Louis and see the Gateway Arch. I asked Sissy if she would be able to meet me somewhere because we were going to be so close to Missouri, and they graciously invited us
“She got married, and ended up hav ing two boys and a girl,” Doyletta said. “I had two girls and a boy.” And while most childhood pen pals often fade into the background as daily life steps in to push other matters into the forefront of people’s minds, Doyletta and Pam kept their ink pens ready to share the events of their lives and remained in contact, sporadically, for over 50 years. “I thought it was cool that Sissy and my mother were both born on Christ mas,” Pam said. “We had a unique con nection right off.” “We talked mainly about our fam ilies,” Doyletta said. “I thought she was just down to earth, like I am. Like my family, she worked for everything she got. She lives in her old home place now, like she did when we were writing back and forth in school. She graduated a year after I did and then got married a year after I did.”Pam said they both moved and lost touch for a while.
Earlier this year, Doyletta “Sissy” Davidson-Still, for the first time, met her pen pal of 51 years, Pam Deyette, of Underhill, Va. On that occasion, Deyette said she had fulfilled her life long dream of meeting Doyletta Still, of Compton, Ark.
“Our fourth-grade teacher, Patsy Hall, gave us an assignment to write a letter to a pen pal, which turned out to be a stu dent living in Underhill, Va.,” said Doy letta “Sissy” Davidson-Still, who was at tending school in a three-room facility in Compton, Ark. “Our teacher was friends with the teacher at Underhill, and that’s how we got the names of our pen pals.” As students navigated the formalities of introducing themselves to total strang ers, somehow, Doyletta and her pen pal, Pam Peterson-Deyette, clicked. “She attended a real small school, like I did,” Doyletta said. “We just wrote about our daily lives, things that happened.” But those things included a few of life’s milestones, such as graduation, mar riage and babies.
“I was able to track down her home address after we got a personal computer in the 1990s,” she said. “Then we wrote about how our children were growing up so fast. We talked about the things our husbands and other family members were“Thendoing.Facebook came along, and my daughter was using it to connect with her friends. I had her check to see if Doylet ta was on Facebook and she was. So, we communicated through my daughter un til I joined Facebook later.”
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 43 F
Fourth-grade assignment turns into lifelong friendship
Story by Melonie Roberts
“I always wondered what she’d be like,” said Doyletta. “She’s just as down to earth as can be. She seemed more like a cousin than a friend, or a pen pal that I’d never met. Our husbands got along well. They even hopped into the truck and drove over to the other farm.”
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As far as that fourth-grade writing assignment, Doyletta now considers her grade to be an A+.
“When we finally met, Pam told me it was her dream come true to finally meet me,” she said. “I had wondered what she’d be like. I think if we lived closer to each other, we’d be best buds. I just feel like I’ve known her forever. If they come back, I hope she will stay here.”Pam, who works in a candy factory, brought Doyletta some sweet samples and maple syrup harvested from their farm.“Sissy and Gary were great,” Pam said. “It felt like visiting family. I could have stayed there and talked for hours more, and I do hope that I can make it down to Missouri again.”
“Fifty-one years is a long time to keep in touch,” she said. “I’m glad we did. And I’m glad we finally got to meet after all these years.” n
“I was tickled to death to meet her,” she said. “I’d love to see her again.”
Doyletta, on the other hand, hopes to be able to visit Vermont one day.
Doyletta even notified her fourthgrade teacher about the pending visit… on “SheFacebook.said she was happy we were finally going to meet and hoped we would have a good visit,” Doyletta said. During the visit, Pam got to sample Doyletta’s strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, have dinner, and see Doyletta’s granddaughter play in a ball game before Pam and her husband Don returned to their Mt. Vernon motel room for the evening. They continued their trip to Colorado the following day.
Even some breeders are unable to sell their dogs and some of those wind up at shelters, if they are fortunate. The Granby kennels have been consistently full since before Christmas. She told me that one of the hardest things for her to do is to say NO to someone who needs to find a place for a dog that was found by a good Samaritan who cannot keep the pet.
I spent a little time with one of our pounds/rescues that could use a little help, the Granby Pound, which is managed by the same person who runs East Newton Animal Coalition. Catherine works seven days a week keeping the kennels clean, laundry, fundraising, sharing the available pets (dogs, cats and an occasional rabbit), finding volun teers and fosters, asking for rescues to take many of her animals, then taking part in the transport effort, and generally, everything that needs done for the pound and shel ter. I worry about Catherine and so many of the animal care volunteers who spend their own money and certainly most of their life, helping the dogs and cats that someone else heartlessly disposed of, so if you can help a little, please do.
I recently took part in a transport for Catherine, when a senior yorkie was dumped when she could no longer breed. The poor dog was in bad shape when it arrived at ENAC but a good bath and haircut, good food and lots of love changed a shy and discouraged dog into a hap py go lucky senior who knew the transport would give her a chance at a new life.
My daughter and I drove her and 3 other dogs to Butler, MO, where we met up with a wonderful person from Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter (FOPAS), North of Kansas City. The yorkie sat in my daugh ter’s lap all the way, with a smile on her face. As always though, Cath erine shed a few tears over Destiny and Cooper, the other dog from ENAC on the transport who had been with her for 3 months.
Hopefully, the extreme heat has gone away, and the dogs and cats have a more comfortable outside life again. Rudi, my German Shepherd, certainly thinks so. He spent most of the summer in the air conditioning, but is back to chasing squirrels outside, and the squirrel in turn sits on the power line chat tering at him. It is an ongoing war between the two.
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 45 RESCUED, MY FAVORITE BREEDHelping the helpless
Like many of the shelter directors and managers, Catherine says she has never seen a time like this, when all shelters were full, adop tions are low, and more and more dogs and cats are being dumped.
of the road by a kind Newton County patrolman who, when he opened the door on his patrol car, promptly found a new passenger – no handcuffs required! The patrolman contacted Catherine, and of course, he was taken in
ow, the summer is almost over, and it just began!
Some of the less reputable breed ers will release dogs who can no longer raise puppies and so many of the released dogs will have health issues, such as heart murmurs or congenital diseases. The motto ‘Adopt don’t Shop’ is still very much by Christa Stout
TINKERBELL may be a wastian/BoxerDalmamixwhofoundbytheside
Check out the latest Facebookonat the Granby Pound & East Newton Animcal Coalition
‘Adopt, Don’t Shop’ W
Take a look at some of these pets available through the Granby Pound or East Newton Animal Coalition: BRAVO, the matelymix,Huskyisapproxi10months old and has been at the pound for about 3 and a half of those. He is a sweet and energetic pup who was dumped by being dropped over the 6 ft fence that surrounds the Granby pound. DOBY is a Cairn Terrier mix who was semi feral when he arrived at Granby. Catherine kept working with him and one morning, suddenly, a tiny paw reached out for her, and the next morning when she ar rived, there was a big tail wag! What a success!
Headlights in effect. There are responsible breed ers, but they are unfortunately in the minority in Missouri. As usual I asked Catherine what her most immediate need is and she replied that since so many animals were either neglected, or were injured on the road or otherwise hurt, she is always looking for funds to be able to provide good medical care. And since ENAC has no facility of its own, she has fosters who take care of pets that are taken in by ENAC, so if you are interested in fostering, call Catherine. There are plans to build a facility for ENAC, but with the current load of animals, all the funds, including her salary, seem to go toward care of the animals. Catherine and I spent quite a bit of time discussing the current situation and truthfully, we did not wind up with any great solutions, except to make the public aware of the situation and to continually ask owners to spay/ neuter their animals and to take care of them in all kinds of weather and circumstances. Being animal lovers, we feel there are few legitimate reasons for surrendering an animal, death being one of them and we are seeing more animals losing their homes due to an elderly owner passing away. Many times, the deceased’s children will take an animal in, but sometimes they do not, and the pets wind up in shelters or pounds. We decided that the younger generations are taking our warnings and requests for spaying and neutering to heart, they are more likely to adopt a dog rather than buy one and they are willing to learn how to take care of a pet and they will speak up for a mistreated pet. Being optimistic, Catherine and I were both very pleased with the direction these young people are going.
CashApp:$enacgranbyVenmo:paypal.me/poundfunds@enacgranby
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If you think your furry or feathered friend is the cutest in the area, let us know! We invite you to share a photo of your pet to be featured in Connection’s Cutest Pet contest. Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your pet’s name, city of residence and your contact information.
Email your pet’s photo to: lcraft@cherryroad.com
Sparrow
Sparrow is the fur baby of Thad and Rexanna Hood of Monett
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 47 CUTEST PETDeep reflection
48 | September 2022 FAMILIAR FACES Summer wind-down 1 2 3 4 5 1. Lanie Skocy and Tiara Smith 2. Victoria Farmer and Alexander Skocy 3. Alonso Gaitar and Cooper Thurman 4. Taylor Rinker and Ronnie Ezell 5. Linda Davis The annual NeighborHowdy Days festival took place Aug. 10 through Aug. 13 at Pierce City’s South Park. 1 2 3 4 5 1. Remmy, 5, and Enzo Sanchez, 8 of Monett 2. Richard and Margaret Jones of Monett 3. Stephen, Kyrie, 1, and Lacy Siver of Monett 4. (Clockwise from left) Don Trent, Diana Trent, Jackson Trent and Jordan Trent 5. Eric Sarver and Avery Sarver, 6 Food Truck Friday 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. Dave Luebbering, left, visited with Sam Birkenbach 2. Carla and Don “Cisco” Francisco 3. Savannah Bricker and Hadassah Harris 4. Katie Pendergrass and Christina Littleton 5. Lee and Susan Roddy 6. Rebecca Webb and Dave Dohn annual picnic at St. John’s Lutheran Church at Stones Prairie was held July 5. The event featured old fashioned games, food and music, along with a drawing for quilts.
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“The winds, the sea, and the moving tides are what they are. If there is wonder and beauty and majesty in them, science will discover these qualities... If there is poetry in my book about the sea, it is not because I deliberately put it there, but because no one could write truthfully about the sea and leave out the poetry.”
- Rachel Carson
Seagull on the beach in California
50 | September 2022 PARTING SHOT
ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 51
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