Links are back! See bottom of page.
Can you believe it? 95 year young
Lula Evans is celebrating 95 years in October and reports that she is remaining active, cooking 53 pies and 11 cakes the first week of October. This snapshot was from the all-school reunion October 12.
All school reunion draws well
over 100 to cafeteria dinner
The annual all school reunion drew at least 113 as judged by the sign-in book and noting several who didn't sign. The event, held October 12, in the school cafeteria attracted eight from out of state, 21 with Stoutland addresses, 28 with Lebanon addresses , 3 from Waynesville, 7 from Montreal, 19 with Richland addresses and 27 from other parts of the state.
Those attending from Stoutland included Wilma Preble, Della Sage, Sandy (Metzger) Watkins, Jim Begley, Bob and Shirley Wright, Carol Webster, Minnie Bell Ogle, Doris (Miller) Smith, Georgia (Stamback) Stamper,Nelda (Stamback) Tate, Joy and Charles Brown, Marcheta Vassey, Estill and Norma Clay, Helen Houser, Geogia Vaughn, La Dora Crabtree, Deloris Salsman, Carol Thieman, Jap Francis, Jerry Webster,Dwight and Cindy Franklin.
FROM LEBANON POSTAL ADDRESSES: Don Hawkins, Kay (West) Raef, Agnes (Martin) Claiborne, Georgia Bell, N. Darlene Allen, Judy Clark, Lula Evans, Peggy Burns, Bob Sundstrom, Lenvil and Hilda Mooney, Joleen Jackson, Junior and Mary Young, Bill and Vera Harrill, Geraldine Pruitt, Bob and Shirley Willard, Corbett Evans, Florene Honey, David Offutt, Brendon Darby, Dick Smith, Sammie Barclay, Virgina Courson, Archie and Ruth Allee, Howard and Frieda (Bechtel) Basnett.
FROM MONTREAL POSTAL ADDRESSES: Sherry (Shipman) Clemmons, Jerry Brown, Francis Barnes, Bill Fredrick, Kenneth Brown, Jack Long, Dale Long.
FROM RICHLAND POSTAL ADDRESSES: Helen and Duane Pemberton, J. O Vandergriff, Bobby Shockley, Caropl (Kurrelmeyer) Brackett, Sherry (Shepherd) Boatwright, Hugh McClure, Clyde and Betty Windrey, Marjorie Priest, Corrine Starks, Neva South, Stanley Miller, Evelyn Davis, Gerald and Clarice Payne, James Brackett, Betty Metzger, Tammy (Young) Dalton.
FROM WAYNESVILLE: Bonnie (Keeling) Schrimpsher, Robert and Joan (Fulbright) Knight.
OTHER MISSOURI; Darrell and Shrerryl Osborn, Nixa; Vada (Winfrey) Taylor, Marshfield; Ethel (Popejoy) Morland, Strafford; Naomi (Popejoy) Reese, Kirksville; Paul and Jaretta Allee, Jackson; Wayne Winfrey, Marshfield; Alice (Wells) Osborn, Rolla; Bob Barr, Springfield; Katherine (Brown) Swanigan, Jefferson City; Ernie and Mary Carlton, Dixon; Ray and Gayle Hopkins, Wentzville; Merle Gilmore, Nixa; Bill and Betty (Evans) Barr, Lee's Summit; Debra (Ogle) Dowdy, Rolla; Eugene Caudle, Springfield; Glenda ( Brown)Tiller, Lee's Summit; Mildred Johnson, Springfield; Steve Johnson, Centralia; Lillian Jones, Camdenton; Vincelia (Page) Poe, Warsaw and Jack and Nancy Begley, Village of Loch Lloyd.
FROM OUT OF STATE; Floyd and Lael Craddock, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Martin Osborn, Gifford, Illinois; Dean Craddock, Ark City, Ark.; Myra (Moore) Calagrossi, Anaheim, California; Ruby Crossland, Mesquite, Texas; and Howard and Barbara (Kurrelmeyer) Smith, Nebraska.
Corbett Evans points out a face on a picture (see the picture in "From the past" section)
Hugh McClure
Time for school reunions
Several from the Stoutland Class of 58 looks over old high school annuals prior to their 50 year reunion on October 11 at the Stoutland Senior Center basement area. Shown from left: Betty (Pryer) Brieding, Sammie (Goss) Barclay, Norma and Estill Clay.
Shirley (Wagner) Wright and Lucille (Mooney) Garrison visit before the 50th class reunion that Lucille was attending in Stoutland October 11. Some of the group may have been planning to attend the all-school reunion luncheon at the school the next day.
loves her new calling
by Bob Wright
Her kids first thought she was crazy. Now they say they are proud of her. Neva (Young) South is the new proprietor of "The Rose Cafe" in downtown Stoutland which opened May 5.What would possess the comfortably retired grandmother to think of going into such a daunting business venture? She just says she saw that the equipment was for sale and "temporary insanity" kicked in. She made an offer which was not accepted at first. Later when the price came down, an agreement was reached and the adventure began on April 14. She didn’t tell her kids for six days after that.
"I miss my freedom but now that I have a good staff, I can get some time off," Neva said. She says she really enjoys the regulars that come in and miss them when they can’t come in. The first customer to walk in the door was Frank Logan. Her friend Ilsia Edwards provided the first "dollar bill of profit" for framing.
She credits many friends and relatives with helping her to get started. Some helped clean and paint; others provided flowers and vases for tables and some made aprons for staff use. Some even waited tables and helped with customers to get the business started.
The cafe is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Specials are prepared daily for breakfast and lunch. Usually there are two specials to choose from on Sundays along with the regular menu, she said.
Current staff includes Sherri Cross (cook), and Jennifer Clemmons (waitress), Della Sage, Fred Hernandez and Crystal Neufelt. Neva says she has been learning to do everything so she can fill in when someone doesn’t show up.
Neva says there were certainly some rough spots when they first opened because they were still learning the business. She is no stranger to the restaurant environment, however. She did lots of cooking for two children and three step children mainly in Ohio and then worked as waitress, assistant manager, floor manager and breakfast manager at businesses in Florida where she lived from 1989 until 2006 when she moved back to her native Stoutland.
"It is sure good to see everybody," she said. "Some were babies when I left and now they are all grown up". Neva is a graduate of Stoutland High School where she attended 12 years.
She says it took awhile to learn how to order supplies and learn what people in the Stoutland area like to eat. Some of the dishes she served in Florida haven’t done as well as good old country dishes that people prefer in the Ozarks. The menu has improved considerably since the opening. They have a new recipe for biscuits which is working out well. Soup and beans and corn bread are always on the menu now. And she was surprised at how popular cakes and pies and cheesecakes have become. It isn’t on the menu yet but they also do root beer and ice cream floats upon request.
"What they like is what I want to fix," she said, "so it works out pretty good".
An often requested item is the "Weldon Burger" named after Weldon Evans, who attends church with Neva at Grace Baptist, Richland. She says Weldon made some suggestions about what to put on it so she named it for him. "It is one of our biggest sellers," she said. The bacon cheeseburger is also a good seller. In the future pizzas will be added.
"Everyone in Stoutland has been so sweet. We have good support from church people on Sunday," she said.
The business is able to accommodate larger groups by reservation by calling 286-3838.
Other features include a kids area with coloring books and crayons, non-smoking and smoking areas, ice machine and a soda machine out front of the business.
During the Memorial Day weekend Neva says she especially enjoyed all the out of state visitors who came to the restaurant. There was a lot of visiting going on, she said.
Neva (Young) South (left) with Cook Sherri Cross.
Estill Clay
Recognize this guy? The now retired but always busy Estill Clay sweeps up a little
in front of the station which he operated for many years. Estill was waiting for another party to come and meet him so he made himself useful. Estill is a wealth of information about Stoutlanders who have lived here the last 50 or so years but is rare indeed that you will catch him like this at the old station.
"Picnic Holler"in Stoutland is getting to look more and more like a park and new picnic tables were recently added along with the playground equipment.