Champion News

On the first of July friends and family celebrate the birthday of Skyline student Aiden Yager, as well as that of a charming Old Champion curmudgeon up on Cold Springs Road. Beverly Barnhart and Isaiah Hastings enjoy the 2nd for their birthdays. Isaiah is a student and Beverly is a neighbor living just north of the school. Then comes the birthday of our Great Nation when we celebrate the birth of American Independence. There will be fireworks, concerts, parades, great potluck feastings and barbeques all across the country. Local creek banks will be choked with celebrants. A sign posted at the Mill Pond says, “Warning! Hippies have been spotted in this area! Peace, Love and Understanding could break out at any moment!” Virginia Canada, now living up in Columbia, will celebrate on the 5th. Janet Burns, down in Arkansas, shares her day on the 6th with the Dali Lama and with Walter Darrell Haden. Professor Haden grew up around in Smallett and was famous for a number of things including having written “All the Late News from the Courthouse,” a scathing, hilarious incitement of local Douglas County corruption set to music. A great friend of The Champion News, he passed away in 2014. Robert Brown, an alumnus of the Champion School was 79 on July 7, 2019. A Champion grandson, Kruz Kuzt also celebrates on the 7th, though time has gotten away from us, and we do not know how old the lad must be by now.

The Old The New

The Historic Emporium out on the North side of the Square in downtown Champion is a busy place. Commerce is brisk and any day can find neighbors meeting serendipitously or by plan to visit for a minute or a spell. Wednesday’s stories out on the wide veranda involved a couple of fellows who got into it a few decades ago. The fracus started out in the feed room in the back of the old Champion Store and escalated through the store, breaking the front window, and rolling out onto the porch and then into the yard. Their names are still being withheld even as they were from Elsie Curtis way back then, which was a source of much aggravation for her. Just last summer a big guy snatched an ice cream sandwich from a small badly behaved child, took two bites of it then threw it in the trash can with a thud. The kid was amazed. He just stood there with his mouth open. The big guy replaced the ice cream and imagined, as did stunned spectators, that the boy had learned a lesson. In ten or fifteen years we may know.

The New

The Old

A first time visitor to the Historic Emporium was reminded of the Rabbit Hash General Store near where he grew up in Kentucky. Rabbit Hash, Kentucky had a population of 254 in 2020, somewhat larger than Champion. The store dated back to 1831 and was regarded as the best known and best preserved country store in Kentucky. The sign said Tobacco, Potions, Sundries Notions with a big red Coca Cola logo. A fire accidentally started by the old potbellied stove destroyed the store in February of 2016, but by April of 2017, it was restored and reopened. It is to be noted that when the original Champion Store was replaced back in 2011, business was not interrupted for a single day. See a report of “Henson’s Grand Reopening” in Snapshots here. Also find here the video David Richardson shared of the celebration of the new store. Set to music, Ashokan Farewell, you may see yourself in the photo montage of Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

Sunday’s sigh of relief whispered all through Champion. The 17.5 drops of rain fell along with the thermometer’s numbers to soothe suffering summer sojourners to the Bright Side, as well as those permanent residents who have lost count of how many days since it last rained. The promise of a few cool days ahead restores some optimism, though the ‘dog days’ will officially arrive on July 3rd and will last until August 11. Ancient Greeks named them after the dog star Sirius for their heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. Champions will persevere in the air conditioning and in wide, cold swimming holes, hoping that our neighbors who are farmers will take care of themselves out there while they are keeping the rest of us fed.

The first day of summer has us celebrating the birthday of native Champion, Linda Krider Watts, and Sierra Parsons out in Oregon, the cousin of Felix the Farmer. Cinita Brown had a birthday on June 22nd. She has long been a force for education and community service in Ava, helping to make it the nice place that it is. Skyline School’s Kash Hurt won this year’s ‘Fun Run’ hands down. His birthday is June 24th. His fellow student, Alexander Bradley, has the 28th for his big day. His Mom, Tabby Hurt of the Skyline administrative staff, celebrates on the 29th. The 25th was the birthday of the well remembered, Nick Massey, from up on Tar Button Road. He had a wonderful laugh, a keen eye for nature and the natural progression of life. The 28th and 29th we remember two great Champion ladies, Esther Wrinkles and Eva Powell. Esther was notorious for her pies and quilts and for writing for The Herald for more than fifty years—the Champion and Vanzant items. She was a founding member and staunch supporter of the Skyline Volunteer Fire Department. She could spin a yarn. Friends are still enjoying the ‘neck-pillows’ that Eva made and shared. She was quite a yarn spinner as well and taught a good lesson about handling barking dogs chasing the car out on our country lanes. She said to just slow way down. The dogs will get bored and give up the chase. She was right.

Sherry Bennet also has the 25th for her day. She is out making music and organizing music. She already has the lineup ready for the Pioneer Heritage Festival in early October. Family and friends let her know how much she is appreciated. Folks at the Barn Jam, the Vanzant Jam, the Barber Shop Jam, and her Dance class all celebrated her beautiful smile, lovely voice, excellent musicianship, good humor, and good works. Music is one of the sweet ties that bind.

Music is happening all over this time of the year. One of the next musical events will be the 56th annual Vanzant Picnic. Friday and Saturday, July 8th and 9th will have Whetstone, Stringed Union, and Backyard Bluegrass on the stage. On Saturday, those great local bands will be joined by the Finley River Boys. The picnic motto is “Bringing the community together since 1967.” The event is the product of hard work by members of the Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department. Great music, food, games, raffles, and the chance to connect with friends and folks last seen at this picnic will make for a great time. Maybe one of those candidates for Douglas County Presiding Commissioner will be there to assure us that, if elected, he will vehemently support high speed internet in our very rural areas.

George Orwell was born on June 25, 1903. For many who are familiar with his writing, he seemed to have been describing our world today. We are given pause to think and sometimes the amount of self-control it takes to not say what is on our mind is so exhausting that we need a nap afterwards. Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Father’s Day again has given every man and woman and child a chance to say out loud what we want our fathers to know or wanted them to have known before they passed on. The “Mom and Dad Waltz” is an old tune that sums it up for many of us. “In my heart joy tears start because I’m happy and I pray every day for Mom and Pappy.” Every family is different, as is every father/child relationship. Where would we be without our fathers? We wouldn’t.

Glen Brandstedder can find live music most every day or evening of the week. At Vanzant on Thursday, he mentioned that Royce Henson, whose passing was marked last week, had been one of his teachers in Mansfield back in the day. He reckons it was in about 1953 or 1954 when he was in Mr. Henson’s woodworking shop class in the basement of the Mansfield High School, where he put together a cedar chest. It was a three story school building. Glen remembered an instance when an unruly student was ‘kicked in the butt’ up every step to the principal’s office. In such places as that, in those days, the board of education was often applied to the seat of learning. This extreme heat is keeping Glen and others from being out as much as they would like. He said he might not make it to the McClurg jam Monday. He used to deliver Kitty Clover Potato Chips to the store there back in the 1960s. He did that kind of delivery work for twenty five years all over the Ozarks. He has stories to tell.

Summer officially arrives on Tuesday, but it has been here for a few days already. It is prime time for family visits. Having young folks in the house is exciting for Old Champions. For days ahead of their arrival, the old folks plan chores, activities, and meals for company. Stories will be told, and memories made. It is the time we dream of during long, dreary winter days. Feed them on banana pudding and take them to the creek. Send them home with as many mementos of their visit as you can get them to take.

Old folks, our gardens are beautiful, but they need to be tended early in the morning and late in the evening. Take care. Drink water. Let those city kids visiting harvest the potatoes. Edie Richardson’s Garden is the kind of garden we would all have if we were as knowledgeable, resourceful, enthusiastic, and as well supported as she is by her handsome husband. The first tomatoes to show up in one Old Campion’s Garden is on a cherry tomato plant shared to Champion by our charming previous mail carrier, Karen Ross. (Our new mail carriers are also charming.) Karen is also a great gardener and has shared plants with her friends here often over the years. She and Edie are friends and Facebook has helped others of us stay in touch with them during these busy days. It turns out that as we accumulate more experiences and age, it takes less and less to keep us busy in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

“Summertime and the living is easy” or at least it was last week before the thermometer got all out of whack with the calendar. Summer routinely arrives on June 21st. Summer school is out for the Skyline students, who finished the session with a fabulous fishing trip on June 3rd. Photos of excited young fishermen filled the internet. Skyliner, Ava Hurt, had her birthday on June 8th and Zachary Ambroziac’s big day was the 14th. Jacob and Jenna Brixey had big days at the Tri County Fair with their Jersey cows. They and the other 4H members are on their way to being the farmers who will feed the country in the future. So, summertime is really here. The sweet, wet, cool spring has made our gardens lush.

Banjo David Medlock had a birthday on June 6th. Most likely someone brought it up at the Vanzant Jam on Thursday. Probably they sang that song to him, and chances are he plinked out, “Shave and a haircut six bits!” That is some of what certain bluegrassers call ‘closure.’ Champion Wayne Sutherland enjoyed his birthday on the 7th. Mr. Sutherland was 85 in 2015. You do the math. The Southerland family has a long, interesting history in Champion. Wayne’s father, Ed Sutherland may have been part of the fabled A.S.S. Construction company, made up of an Anderson, a Sutherland, and a Smith. Wayne’s daughter, Laine, who passed away in 2014, said that her grandfather, Ed, had once described her as “the ‘darnedest’ thing that ever peed behind a pair of tennis shoes.” He was just one of many colorful Champions of days gone by. There are still an interesting character or two in these parts, not naming any names.

Champions are polishing their reading glasses in anticipation of Letters to the Editor in The Herald. What reaction will local high strung epistolary fiends have to say about the ongoing January 6th Hearings? We are taught not to discuss politics and religion, but perhaps not doing so has made us inept at it. Knowing full well that we have friends and family members who believe fervently the opposite of our beliefs, how do we keep our relationships intact? We all love our Country. Surely, we all want peace and prosperity and wish harm to no one. While it can be excruciating to attempt to see things from the other point of view, it is worth the try. Or is it? While there may be no point at all in arguing with someone incapable of entertaining alternate perspectives, Aunt Eavvie said, “Can’t we just get along?”

A warm, sunny week with no rain has haymakers rolling in it. Our wet spring may produce yields per acre likely to surpass all records. Farmers know to keep their equipment in good repair, to keep themselves hydrated, to watch out for snakes and bears, and to keep a good song in their heads as they go up and down, round and round the fields in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

 

It is with sadness that we mark the passing of Champion Royce Henson on May 28th at the age of 88.   He grew up in Champion, the oldest son of Ezra and Sylvia Henson.  Ezra was a farmer and later on became the sheriff in Ava.  Sylvia wrote the Champion items from the same place it is being written today.  Royce, his two brothers Kenneth (Hovey) of Houston, Texas, and Andy of Columbia, Missouri, who passed away a few years ago, and their sister Eva Loyce Phillips of Bella Vista, Arkansas, walked the mile and a half from the farm to the school. He was rewarded with a silver dollar for perfect attendance when he was about 10 years old.  Royce said that as a kid in school he would never have imagined that the old building would ever have electric lights and gas heat.  Everything was lit with or run on kerosene in those days and the schoolhouse was heated by a big wood stove.  He went on to higher education at Southwest Missouri State University and along the way married Minnie Jo (Jody) Lorette from up at Oak Forest.  Their children are Valli, Victor, Vaughn and Jan, deceased.  Their grandchildren are Alex and Evan Mills, Whitaker Taryn, Carlyn and Zach Henson, Victoria Henson and Katrina Rute Lynn.  For the last twenty-eight years Royce and Jody have operated their business, Lawn Salon.  Royce was able to mow once this season and he really enjoyed it.  Jody enjoys it too and is taking care of three lawns herself these days.   For several years in a row, he and family members made the “Walk of Ages” tracing the path all the way from Cold Springs, down past the old home place, to Champion to attend the Champion School Reunion.  Covid has interfered with the school reunion the last couple of years, but Jody is hoping it will happen again this year just because Royce always loved it.  He and Jody made the trip from their home in Springfield for every Champion School Reunion, for the Champion Spring Flings and The Pioneer Heritage Festivals. He loved being a Champion.  He brought about twenty of his family members to Champion to celebrate his 80th birthday.  It was a blast, finishing up with a trip to Rockbridge.  His brother, Hovey, and his wife, Dawn, along with Jody and Valli, enjoyed another lunch at Rockbridge on Wednesday after having visited the Historic Emporium on the North side of the Square in Downtown Champion–Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Perhaps as many as fifty people showed up for the 36th Annual Denlow/Fairview School Reunion Saturday which turned out to be a beautiful day. Johnnie Cox, Kaye Johnston, Robert Upshaw, Vernon Upshaw, Karen Fae Krider, Jessie Mae Miler, Dean Brixey and Shirley Brixey, were the Denlow alumni. Of the Upshaws, Robert, Kaye, and Fae also attended Fairview along with brothers Pete and Frank Proctor. Pete led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. After a bountiful lunch, they, along with many friends and kin folks, repaired to the pavilion where a great deal of silliness and good visiting occurred. On display was a 70 year old friendship quilt made by Denlow students. It is in remarkably good condition. It sparked the intention of an alumnus descendant, Tanna Wiseman, to solicit participation in a similar project for next year’s reunion. Resolute, alleged, unrelated, actual, unrepentant, steadfast, probable, unindicted, suspected, staunch, improbable, clueless, significant, presumed, and proud members of the Robert Upshaw Fan Club bid against each other and sometimes against themselves in a lively auction conducted by Mike Bearden, spouse of LaShell, one of eleven Upshaw cousins in attendance.

Denlow Alumni

Fairview Alumni

70-year-old Friendship Quilt

Upshaw Cousins

Ray Hicks, brother of Champion Ruby Proctor, was down from Iowa for the reunion with some good memories of the area. He said that up in his neck of the woods there is an active barn restoration organization as he learned that Orville’s barn up on Cold Springs Road is deteriorating. He asked about recycling in this area and said that Iowa is one of the states that have container deposit laws. At $.05 each, perhaps his Douglas County friends could finance a trip to see him with a truck load of recyclables. Here at home, on Memorial Day some of Denlow’s finest participated in the re-dedication of the century old monument to The Grand Army of the Republic.

Since it is the end of May, it’s about time that we share the poem shared to a Prominent Champion back in his youth by a local poet:

Jenny and Jack

Trail Riders: Jeannie Kapraun, Cindy Hufham, Inguna Sotelo, Andrew Harden, Dana Harden, Lydia Harden, Bob Wheeler, Jeff Alcorn

Bud Hutchison’s Champion Trail Ride has been called his Memorial Trail Ride since his passing in 2018. At the end of the ride on Wednesday, May 18th, there were still stories circulating about him out on the wide veranda of the Champion Store as the riders relaxed with their ice cream. Andrew Harden leads Bud’s rides these days and reported that Wilma, who used to document them meticulously is now in an assisted living home up in St. Louis near her family. No bad dogs, bears or treacherous creek crossings marred their journey this time and no run-away horses. It was marked by beautiful scenery and good conversation. New to the ride was Inguna Sotelo. She lives in Gainesville and was riding her 16 year old ‘plantation’ horse, Gray. Jeannie Kapraun of Dora rode Lilly, Cindy Hufham from Rogersville was on Diamond, Jeff Alcorn worked with Dusty, which he bought recently from Carl Loftus. Bob Wheeler was on Rosie, who is officially called Reflection of a Rose. Lydia Harden was on Mable and Dana Harden on Diamond. Their dad, Andrew, was riding his 25 year old Ginger. He was excited about the 4C Summer Youth Rodeo for kids 18 and under over at the Cold Creek Cowboy Church. The first of the seven summer rodeos was May 22nd. The next one will be June 12th with events like Mutton Busting, Calf Riding, Chute Dogging, Goat Tail Tying, Calf Roping and more. Champions will look for more of these rodeo hands on future spring and fall trail rides through the Bright Side.

Fifty-six Skyline R2 School students are enjoying ‘Jamming into Space’ with the STEM activities going on in summer school. They have until June 14th to soak up science, technology, engineering, and math along with some other interesting things. Karen Tamblyn reported that everyone is having a good time. Conner Jonas had a good time on his birthday back on May 12th. He is a seventh grader. Jennings Harley is a prekindergarten student with a birthday on May 24th. That is also the big day for Chase Cauthron’s mom, Mandy. Jacob and Jenna Brixey did not go to summer school but enjoyed an adventure with their mom and grandmother on a ferry across the Big Muddy and then on into deep caves, horse parks, waterfalls, mountains, and pyramids. They know how to adventure. More May birthdays include Teresa Wrinkles on the 22nd and the lovely Lena Belle Wagner on the 26th. That may also be the big day for John Webber, granddad of Thomas, though at Vanzant on Thursday he indicated tat his birthday is some months hence. Ed Henson’s birthday was May 27, 1903. We miss him. Champions of a certain age have precious memories of the lovely gentleman. Brylee Clark was born May 28, 2010 the day after her great grandmother’s birthday. The 28th is also the birthday of Dale Thomas. He and Betty started the Pioneer Heritage Festival. It is still going on in a different permutation, but a pleasant affair nonetheless.

Jessie Mae Miller’s birthday is May 28th. Friends will look forward to seeing Jesse Mae again at the Denlow/Fairgrove School Reunion on her birthday. The General expects that there will be another good crowd, though in years past (see the May 12, 2008 post here) he has referred to them as “you thieves and thugs, scoundrels, bootleggers and bushwhackers.” Look for a full report of the 36th annual affair next week.

Meanwhile, we celebrate Memorial Day. Its history goes back to the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. We honor all our Veterans along with our many dear loved ones and ancestors who have found their places in our cemeteries. We will find our way there too, but until then we will be Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

Bob Wheeler and Rosie Jeannie Kapraum and Lilly

Rosie gets her rubdown.

Jeff Alcorn and Dusty Inguna Sotelo and Gray

Up the hill.