Thank you to all that responded to this e-mail. I am looking into this town because it was supposedly founded by my great grandfather and grandmother, Peter Bilyeu and Sarah (Larkins) Bilyeu. So I was very curious to know anything about it. Funny, but I grew up on the old Nash place and I would bet money that I had been in the area of Reno several times. Just don't remember ever being told that I was there. But I remember so much about other things, guess it just wasn't important at the time. Sure seems to be now. heehee. Think I might, as soon as this weather permits me to, go take a drive back home (Bear Creek) and just travel that road. Once again, thanks for your help. Warmest Smiles, Pama

If you've got anyone in Stone Co. MO; Newton, Madison, Boone, or Carroll Co.s in AR; you'll want to check out the Carroll Co. Historical site. You can get to it from the Carroll Co. site at WRV or go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~arcchs/index.html Fleta does an awesome job with the site...they have tax lists, marriages, census records, cemeteries, and more! ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda/

I went to a funeral today. He was 92, a fellow who was born in KS and for some reason I never learned, came to Taney County, MO in the 1940s. His name was Bob, William Robert Large, Sr. His wife, who passed away some 16 years ago, was Opal. I don't think I ever knew her maiden name. I remember hearing Opal talking once about how she never knew Bob's age until either the day they married, or some time after...seems he saw her somewhere, and being impressed with her, introduced himself. As they were talking, he asked her age, and when she answered and asked his, he said, "Well, I'm 21 (I think it was), too!" Turned out he was a couple years younger. Opal was a gifted piano and organ player. She played the music for silent movies. I remember visiting their house, and loving to hear the fancy organ. They often let us girls sit at the organ, as long as we didn't mess with it. Bob and Opal had 3 sons. They lived on the banks of Long Creek, if I remember right, in a tent, for several months. Later, they bought land out north of Branson, off'n present-day Bee Creek Road, and farmed. Chuck, one of their sons, talked today about how the boys would have to get up every morning and milk the cows. Bob worked full time for the electrical co-operative, and the boys did much of the farm work. The house they lived in is one of those I wouldn't mind having...matter of fact, I've envisioned the house we're going to build someday as being a great deal like it, on the inside. Old thick wood paneling, a huge screened-in porch, rooms added on, long and narrow, with rock work here and there. Bob and Opal's son John was one of Daddy's best friends. The stories they told on each other...including a new one I just heard today from John's oldest daughter. (John passed away in 1996.) Seems John fainted at the birth of his first daughter. Daddy apparently dealt quite well with it--I presume both of them were in the waiting room--but when the time came for the "father" to get to hold the baby, John was still out cold, so Daddy got to hold her first. Years ago, going down the hill above Bee Creek, John and Daddy were in one of their old cars--probably barely old enough to drive, mind you--John, who was driving, said, "Look at that wheel!" as it passed them, rolling madly down the steep hill. Within seconds, the car "thumped", and John fought to bring it to a stop. I guess one of them walked the rest of the way down the hill to find that wheel, so they could put it back on. John and his family moved to St. Louis in the late 1970s, but he often visited "home." They usually camped out over on Table Rock. One story I heard from Daddy years ago involved a visit he and Mom made out to see the Larges at their campsite. I guess John decided to take a canoe out on the lake, and talked Daddy into rowing a second one along. Something or another happened, and Daddy's canoe capsized. Daddy was a-spluttering, out in the middle of the huge lake. He was hollerin' at John, who inherited his father's deep, booming voice, and John replied, "Joe? You know, I've learned one thing in this life...wherever you are, that's where you are." Daddy made it back to shore okay. Bob and Opal were early members of the Branson Church of Christ. In later years, Bob became an elder, and took his turn to get up and read the announcements on Sunday morning. The first thing he would say on those mornings was, "It's a beautiful day in the Ozarks!" I can still hear his deep voice, and see that elfin grin on his face. It could be 5 degrees out, and still, it was "A Beautiful Day in the Ozarks!" Two sons didn't live in Taney county, and the third attended another church at times, and so I don't guess none of them got to hear him say that. That has become a catchphrase in my family. The first guy who narrowly escaped marrying me, back in 1987, came into the room where my mother and I were working on wedding plans and hollered, "It's a beautiful day in Kansas City!" at the top of his bellow. My mother, who realized I'd told him about Bob, laughed and laughed. Over the years, every so often, I'll just bellow, "It's a beautiful day in the Ozarks!", aware that not many people have any idea of where it comes from. It's a bittersweet thing, for it often requires explanation, especially on days like today (bitterly cold, although the sun shone, and it WAS a beautiful day). My children, who've grown up attending Mom's church and going to see BobLarge (for them, it is one word) and his prized "wiener dogs" (I can't spell dachsund!), are also familiar with Bob's house and some of his phrases. Every so often, the redhead, who seems to find a special bond with older folks, will wake up and come into the kitchen, and say in his deepest voice--"It's a beautiful day in the Ozarks!", and it always floors me. I don't know if he ever got to hear Bob say that at church, for as Bob got older, it became a huge effort for him to leave the house. So now you know why I often say that when I'm posting to the lists. It's not just because I'm a big fan of my hills and hollers--it's bringing back a really great memory of a huge voice--"It's a Beautiful Day in the Ozarks!" Vonda ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda/

>From "Not By a Jugfull!" by Will Townsend (aka Townsend Godsey) "Even Ozarks rocks were said to add fertility to the soil. One spring a land agent was showing a prospect some very ordinary farm sites when the outlander became concerned about the large number of rocks he saw scattered over the fields. 'Those flint rocks are very valuable to Ozark Mountain farmers,' the agent quickly explained. 'They increase the productivity of the land. Stones prevent erosion, they preserve the moisture, keep the crops from getting dirty in the mud and all sorts of good things like that.' 'But look,' said the prospect, 'over there in that field there's a man hauling off the rocks.' 'Friend, let's be moving along,' hastened the agent, 'we might get took up as witnesses in court. That feller's a-stealing those rocks.'" "Tall tales were told almost exclusively by men. Apparently life was too serious a matter or their time too occupied for women to socialize this way, and normally being more sensitive, perhaps they felt too much of the pain of the person who was the butt of the joke. There are those who say women lack a sense of humor, but that can't be entirely true since they marry men." (vks--and my own observation shows that we really like men with a great sense of humor...LOL) "In the Ozarks, as it should be anywhere, nobody but strangers and durn fools attempt to predict the weather. Once a native was asked if he thought it would rain the next day. He replied, 'When God was a-running the country, I used to be a pretty good weather prophet, but now the govern'mint has took over, hit's mighty hard to tell what's a-goin' to happen.'" "When there's no unsuspecting stranger to gull, tall tale tellers [try saying that real fast 3 times in a row] may take to bantering among themselves. Then one yarn spinner may cut another fellow's story down to size. This was the case when a fishing guide reported the time he felt a powerful tug on his line and pulled out a 35-pound bass. 'That's nothing,' replied another guide, 'I felt a tug on my line and pulled out a lighted lantern.' 'Now you looky here, nobody ever pulled a lighted lantern out of the river.' 'Well, if you take twenty pounds off'n that bass, I'll blow out my lantern.'" "The year before Table Rock Dam stopped float fishing on the Upper White River there was a rash of anglers looking for river guides to take them on a final johnboat float. The band of experienced guides was exhausted and one outfitter had to put a 'gourdy' fellow in one boat as a guide. As luck would have it, the two fishermen in the boat had phenomenal luck just at sundown, so they desired to fish the same waters the next day. 'Do you suppose we can find this same place tomorrow?' one of them asked their guide. 'Reckon,' said the guide importantly, whipping a big Barlow knife out of his overalls pocket. 'I'll just cut a notch on the side of the boat to mark the place.'" Happy New Year! Vonda Wilson Sheets ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda/

LOLOLOL Sounds like that guy is related to my grandpa... Vonda ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda/

Thought you might get a kick out of this.... sorry, it's not genealogy related but brings back memories for many of us...... THE OUTHOUSE The service station trade was slow The owner sat around, With sharpened knife and cedar stick Piled shavings on the ground. No modern facilities had they, The log across the rill Led to a shack, marked His and Hers That sat against the hill. "Where is the ladies restroom, sir?" The owner leaning back, Said not a word but whittled on, And nodded toward the shack. With quickened step she entered there But only stayed a minute, Until she screamed, just like a snake Or spider might be in it. With startled look and beet-red face She bounded through the door, And headed quickly for the car Just like three gals before. She missed the foot log - jumped the stream The owner gave a shout, As her silk stockings, down at her knees Caught on a sassafras sprout. She tripped and fell - got up, and then In obvious disgust, Ran to the car, stepped on the gas, And faded in the dust. Of course we all desired to know What made the gals all do The things they did, and then we found The whittling owner knew. A speaking system he'd devised, To make the thing complete, He tied a speaker on the wall Beneath the toilet seat. He'd wait until the gals got set And then the devilish tyke Would stop his whittling long enough, To speak into the mike. And as she sat, a voice below Struck terror, fright and fear, "Will you please use the other hole, We're painting under here!" eGroups Sponsor To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ayvwiya-unsubscribe@egroups.com

Hello List, Once again I am asking to see if any of you have any information that you might be willing to send my way. I am looking for as much information that I can get on a town called Reno, MO. I do have a 1895 Christian County Map of it and I know that it was founded in 1881 and ran thru 1918. I know it had a PO, General Store, etc.... So, if anyone has anything that they know might pertain to this please e-mail me. Warmest Smiles, Pama

Happy New Year! I've been down with "a bug" the past few days, and am just now getting my bearings on where I am; if the condition of my house is any indicator, it's NOT a particularly tidy place <BG> The White River Valley has had snow and ice on the ground for the better part of 3 weeks now, with accompanying wind chills of zero or lower--we've not been above freezing but for a little while one day earlier this week. The kids built snow forts in our small front yard--I didn't get a snow man, guess I'll have to go play outside when we get the next major snowfall. We needed a REAL winter this year, to kill off the bugs and stuff, and so's we don't forget what winter is supposed to be like. I like the different seasons, and wanted a decent winter--remind me of that when I start wishing for spring in a couple months. Right now, I'm perfectly fine and dandy, all snuggled up in my house--as long as we don't run out of diet Dr. Pepper and jalapeno cheese dip, we'll be okay...LOL (kinda like that sayin', "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!) Some of the links at the WRV site have been having troubles--I would really like to know who goes messing around in my directories. <BG> Greg is the only other person who has access to them aside from Rootsweb staff, and he doesn't mess with them without forewarning me. Anyway, I did a quick runthrough, and the links WITHIN the site are working. Outside the site, I can't fix until I find what the owner of that site has gone and done--if they've moved it, or what. I honestly have to wonder if people forget they have webpages, and don't keep up with them so that their servers cancel their sites out or something. Anyway, if you continue to find links within the WRV site that aren't working, please check them for a day or so, and if they STILL don't work, let me know, so I can go fix whatever someone else has messed up. I use both Netscape and Internet Explorer for browsers, and sometimes the latter one doesn't do the things it should do... They are apparently doing some major work at Rootsweb, with various sites being offline for a while, that sort of thing. Nothing new, just routine maintenance--everything should be back up before long. Like any huge network with several different servers, there are kinks ever so often that gotta be ironed out. Those of you who've been adding "Positive Energy Flow" in the form of prayers for my sister, I thank you. She has been transferred back down to the local hospital from Springfield, and she told me a little while ago that they are talking now of letting her go home. She's been hospitalized since 5 Dec with bacterial endocarditis, a heart infection; it was touch and go there for a while. Now, they are talking about a machine which will do her meds every 4 hours at home, and the possibility that there won't have to be any surgery for repairs. Sends chills down my spine, the power of that flow! I hope you and yours have a Wonderful 2001! May we solve just enough genealogical mysteries to keep us coming back for more! Vonda ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda/

Edward Hilton July 12, 1883 Aug. 30, 1948 Sept. 2, 1977 S/S Carrie H. Nash Dec. 11, 1890 July 13, 1971 Does anyone happen to know who Carrie's parents were? Warmest Smiles, Pama

Pama, You might be able to get that information off their SS5 application. Just a heads up that is all. Victoria Brittain Allen Looking for: Brittain, Paul, Adams, Varner, Ver, Jennings, Peirce, Hays or Haynes, Landreth ----- Original Message ----- From: <Xmeemawx@aol.com> To: <MO-AR-WRV-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2000 11:22 PM Subject: [MO-AR-WRV] Nash question > Edward Hilton July 12, 1883 Aug. 30, 1948 Sept. 2, 1977 > S/S Carrie H. Nash Dec. 11, 1890 July 13, 1971 > > Does anyone happen to know who Carrie's parents were? > > Warmest Smiles, > Pama > > > > ==== MO-AR-WRV Mailing List ==== > Do you have records or data for the WRV? Transcribe it! > Do you have a webpage with information for the WRV? Link it! > Get involved! > > > ============================== > The easiest way to stay in touch with your family and friends! > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST1 > >

I wish that the future finds you: Healthy enough to live an active life Active enough to make a difference Different enough to be confident Confident enough to find peace in yourself Peaceful enough to be easy on others Easy enough to take the high road High enough to see joy in simple things Joyful enough to appreciate life Appreciative enough to take nothing for granted Granted enough to make life interesting Interested enough to see a reason for everything Reasonable enough to understand other views Understanding enough to tolerate disagreeable things Tolerant enough to know you aren't always right Right enough to stand for something you believe in Believe enough to see anything can happen See enough to know things won't always go your way Go enough to be content in staying Content enough to know discontent exists Discontent enough to do something about it Do enough to live life to its fullest! --Vonda Wilson Sheets, 24 Dec 2000 Merry Christmas to all!

Has anyone ever heard of a book called "The Story of Uncle Ike and the Shepard of the Hills Characters" by Oscar R. Morrill, son of the famous postmaster? I have the book here and it has a lot of information on the Wright surname from your area of Missouri. This book is not indexed nor am I doing look ups but will post inserts from this book from time to time. Victoria Brittain Allen

List, Have you all seen this page? Very interesting. Has the leader of the Baldknobbers picture on it and several others. http://members.xoom.com/audiec/baldknobbers/bald.htm or here is a link for AOL members <A HREF="http://members.xoom.com/audiec/baldknobbers/bald.htm">Bald Knobbers</A> Warmest Smiles, Pama

We now have the 1870 Carroll Co. Ark census index online http://www.rootsweb.com/~arcchs There is a complete surname index and clickable links from the township census pages to the corresponding image file in the USGenWeb Carroll Co Ar census archives. Merry Christmas to all. Fleta Aday

We have used the term "SUNDAY SCHOOL CROWD" as a term for people who do right and are found in Church on Sundays and have our own social gatherings made up of those who attend church regularly. We've also used it to describe the size of those attending Sunday School. "Our Sunday School crowd was down today". I've never heard it used as a term to describe hypocrites. Being a preacher's daughter, I've lived all over the Ozarks of MO as well as in north MO. I now live in Kansas, and the feeling is the same. When talking about hypocrites, we've always used the word "hypocrites". Lanita

My Mother has used the term, "Sunday School Crowd," for as long as I can remember to refer to hypocrites. She says she remembers her grandmother; Martha Elvira Mitchell Reece; from Garrison; wife of Paley Reece, of Dickens, Taney Co., using the term. This is from a girl from Gate, Beaver Co., OK. All these folks were Quakers too............ Jerry Johnston

Howdy! It was a beautiful, cold, sunshiny day in the White River Valley today. I couldn't believe my eyes when I woke up and realized the sun was shining in a bright blue sky. First time in over a week we've seen the sun. We still have about 6" of snow on the ground, and more in the drifts, etc. I think we had about 14" total last week, but none of it has really gone anywhere for melting...it's not been warm enough, long enough, for it to do more than glaze over. I want to thank those of you who've been to my gen site and written me with compliments! I'm sure I've not replied to everyone--haven't had more than a few minutes at a time at the puter today, one of those catch-as-catch-can days. I can't tell you the relief I feel since I finished the darn thing. The really bad part is, I can think of more stuff to add already...and I don't wanna. <BG> Ingrid Albers, Rick Swan, and I are doing background and work on the script for the Bald Knobber re-enactment. One comment that I've run across in various books is that Nat Kinney, captain of the BK, and his followers were contemptuously referred to as the "Sunday School Crowd". Kinney preached at Oak Grove Church, just north of Kirbyville, and started a Sunday School. Of course, then he'd go out and command some of the nasty deeds attributed to the BK. "Sunday School Crowd" was a sarcastic remark, due to the hypocrisy, of course. I've seen that phrase in other places--off the top of my head, I can't tell you where--and I've heard it used in recent years. I never realized it could be a regional remark...have any of y'all heard your grandparents and etc. use that phrase? Is it a nationally-recognized one? I'm just curious, it's not got nuttin' to do with anything. Is it something like one of Ben Franklin's sayings in the Farmer's Almanac, used everywhere, or is it strictly a Taney Co./WRV saying? Those of you who've asked how my sis is, she's doing better, thanks to all the prayers sent on her behalf. Let me tell you, the Creator was inundated the past couple of weeks! Just in case I don't do any more e's this week--would you believe, I've not bought Christmas yet?--(spoken like a true former long-term WalMart associate!) and I'm gonna be working on various projects over the next couple of weeks. I did add a couple of links to the Christian County page at WRV, and I fixed the historical society link (how do those things get broken if I don't mess with them in the first place, that's what I'd like to know...) Have a GREAT Christmas Holiday! Be safe, and y'all...start posting some stories... Oh, yeah... I need the addresses for any historical and genealogical societies I might have missed in combing the web for them. I have 18 to invite to Outlaw Roundup in May, 2001, and if you see one I've missed in the list, please let me know! AR Gen Soc; Boone Co. His&Gen Soc; Baxter Co. His&Gen; Barry Co; Carroll Co.; Christian Co.; Douglas Co.; Greene Co. (MO); Marion Co.; Madison Co.; MO Folklore Soc; MO Hist Soc; MO State Gen Soc; Newton Co. Soc; Ozark Co. (MO); OGS in Springfield; Ozarks Heritage Tourism Soc, also in Spfd; State His Soc of MO; and Stone Co. MO...if AR has a Historical Society, or there are any counties y'all think I should invite to come play with us at the Outlaw Roundup, please send me the addresses. I'm going to send the invites out next week or so. I don't know what's available in AR, if there are more! Now, you can stop reading...LOL Vonda ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda

Howdy! I am so very pleased to say--it's done. I've been promising and promising, and I finally finished uploading it less than an hour ago. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gregvonda/index.html Our gen site has people from Wyandotte Co. KS; Stone, Taney, Christian and Douglas Counties in MO; and a few folks from AR and OK. There are tons of pictures, some stories, and what information I have on Greg's and my direct lines. Some of the names involved include: Blansit, Brock/Brach, Bryan, Cook, Craig, Drake, Driffey, Gill, Harris, Henningson, Jackson, Kirkland, Kerns, Lampe, Lee, McHugh, O'Herin/O'Hearn, Sales/Sells, Sappington, Sheets, Slater, Smith, Steptoe, Teagarden, Becker, Bull, Bilyeu, Clinkenbeard, Cox, Daniels, Davis, Dimond, Evans, Ford, Fluth, Giles, Hatley, Howard, Macomb, Moore, Napier, Overstreet, Phenix/Phoenix, Price, Priest, Pope, Radloff, Roberts, Ruff, Serginer/Surginer, Slusher, Strann, Walker, Warden, Watson, Peveral, Watts, Wilson, Workman, Worley. Y'know, I say it's done...it's done enough. The saints above know there ain't a genealogist alive who can say their work is DONE...LOL I didn't want to know how many pages there are...and I still don't. Let's just say...I hope I've learned something... And while it's a beautiful icy night in Taney Co. MO, now that the website is "done", the snow and stuff can quit forcing me to stay home! Vonda ListMom for MOTaney and MO-AR-WRV at Rootsweb http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~moarwrv

Hello to All, Just wanted to let you know that I have, finally after Vonda grumbling::smiles:: at me, joined the WRV Historical Society and boy I sure wish I had done it sooner. There is several interesting articles, even if they don't have the surnames that I am researching. Lots of info on families and towns. Our very own, Vonda Sheets, wrote a great article in it. Also, one done for a Frank Jones that was the sheriff of Christian County in or about 1933, the article mentions several name like Stanford Bilyeu, Mrs. Lucille Smith, D. C. Leonard and others. Another is the Shepherd of the Hills Drama including pics of the original cast, Shad and Ruth Heller, Al Cummings and others. There is one called the Baldknobbers Mystery in which a Grandpa relays a story to his grandson. Anyway, guess what I want to say is that if you all have just alittle extra money to spend that the membership is well worth it. Think it was 16 dollars for a year. Got 2 magazine, summer and fall issue. Our small community is losing our heritage, people just don't join things like they use too. For all of you that live out of this area but are researching it you can join also. This helps out with maintaining our history so that we don't get lost in the shuffle of progress. I believe that there is a link to it in the MO-AR-WRV, Vonda's site. This should pull up an application, that you print out, fill it in, write out the check, enclose in envelope and mail. Don't believe that you will be sorry for it. Thanks for listening to me yak. Warmest Smiles, Pama

Subject: Mary Isabellla Bennett (Mitchell) (Peacock) > I am trying to find any available information on Mary Isabella Bennett. She > was born in Howard Co., MO; in about 1817. Her first husband was William C. > Mitchell. He died in about 1860 and she later married the widower, Isaac > Peacock. > > Isabella was a midwife in Christian Co., MO. She and Bill Mitchell had > lived in Greene Co., MO, at the edge of Springfield, when most of their > children were born. They moved over to the area around Garrison and > Chadwick, Taney Co., which became Christian Co., MO. > > I am trying to find parents and siblings. > > There is a chance that she may have been related to Nathaniel and/or Moses > Bennett of Dallas Co., MO. Dallas Co. is right next to both Greene and Polk > Counties, where several Mitchells lived. > > If anyone has any clues about this family, please let me know. > > Thanks very much! > > Jerry Johnston > Scottsdale, AZ > > > > > ============================== > The only real-time collaboration tool that allows you and other family > members to create a FREE, password-protected family tree. > http://www.ancestry.com/oft/login.asp >