The following are selected articles from a Newspaper titled, "The Higbee News" which was issued out of the town of Higbee, in Randolph County, Missouri from the years 1888 through 1953. The editors were W. H. Welch and his son H. Scott Welch. This paper covered the Higbee area and also a great deal of the northeastern part of Howard county. The copyright notice at the end of this transcript is there for the sole purpose of keeping this work free to the public, and to ensure that it is not harvested by a fee-based corporate genealogy site, or published in any format for profit. If you decide to use the information from this transcription, PLEASE LIST ME AS THE SOURCE, rather than the paper. My transcription is another generation removed from the microfilm, and would thus be a third generation copy of the original paper. For proper documentation, a researcher should obtain a photocopy of the microfilm for their own permanent records, and use my transcript as a guide or index. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan through the State Historical Society of Missouri, and a copy is also on file at the Moberly Public Library, generously donated by the Higbee Historical Society. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 1 Col. 4--MRS. AGNES JOPLING DEAD--Mrs. Agnes Jopling, a resident of Higbee many years ago, and pleasantly remembered by many of our older residents, died at the home of her son-in-law, W. Christian Burton, of Guthrie Center, Ia., at 12:35 a.m., Sunday, November 28, 1926, following an illness that had made her an invalid for two years or more, and entirely helpless for about a year. The body arrived here Tuesday and was taken to the Baptist church where brief services were held by the Rev. E. Y. Keiter of Moberly, following which, the Eastern Star burial service was given by the local chapter of that order by special request of the chapter at Rich Hill, Mo., where deceased had held her membership for many years. Interment was made in Higbee cemetery by the side of her husband, who died in 1911. Deceased was the daughter of Thos. and Agnes Bain and was born in Galesburg, Ill., on November 21, 1861, and was 65 years and one week old. She was married to John Jopling in Lehigh, Iowa, in 1881, and about 1890 came with him to Higbee where they remained for a year or two. While a resident here she united with the Higbee Baptist church during the revival conducted by Evangelist James, and had since kept her membership here. She is survived by four children--Mrs. Fay Allen, Rich Hill; Mrs. W. C. Burton, Guthrie Center Iowa, Mrs. Floyd Crowder, Kansas City, and George Jopling of Los Angeles, Calif., all of whom, with the exception of the son, were here for the funeral. She also leaves six grandchildren, two sisters and two brothers--Mrs. John Hodgson, Boone, Iowa, Mrs. Elizabeth Dryborough, Rapid City, S. D., and Geo. Bain, Grant's Pass, Ore., and D. T. Bain of Rapid City, S. D., and several nephews and nieces. It had been our good fortune to have known Mrs. Jopling since her removal to Higbee, and a more kindly, gentle or sympathetic soul we never knew. She was a mother loving to the extreme, and simply idolized her children, as they did her in return, and were never happier than when she was in their homes, she living with one or the other most of the time since the death of her husband. She was a consecrated, christian character, charitable to an extreme, and the world is better for her having lived in it. To the bereft children and other relatives and friends, the NEWS, along with all who knew her, tenders it's warmest sympathy. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 1 Col. 4--Mrs. Bert Reese returned to her home in Columbia Sunday after a visit with Higbee relatives and friends. She was accompanied home by her mother, Mrs. Mary Williams. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 1 Col. 4--George Russell, a former citizen of the old town, but now a resident of Pitcher, Okla., was the guest of Higbee friends Friday, and found time to pay the NEWS a most appreciated call. Mr. Russell had been to Boonville to see his son, who is in Kemper Military school and drove over to Mexico to see the sons of a Pitcher friend who are in school there. George is another Higbee boy who has gone out and made good in a big way, and is engaged in the ice business, having plants in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Pitcher, Joplin and several other places, having nine plants in all, and his many old friends will be glad to know that he is making wads of money. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 1 Col. 4--It was reported here last week that Ellison Pitney, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Pitney, of southwest of town, who has been in the army for several months, and who is located in the Philippine Islands, had been drowned, rumor having it that Mr. Pitney had received a message from the War Department to that effect. We are pleased to state that there was absolutely no truth in the rumor, and just how it started, the Lord only knows. If such stories are ever started as a "joke," about a $500 fine would be a mighty fine cure. Although it was all news to Mr. and Mrs. Pitney, they were given a shock and will not feel exactly at ease and free from worry until they hear from their son. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 1 Col. 5--Mrs. Robt. Williams, who was stricken with paralysis at her home in Chicago two weeks ago, and who last week was considered in a very precarious condition, is better, her host of Higbee friends will be pleased to hear, a letter to relatives received yesterday stating that her speech seemed to be improving and that some feeling was returning to her right side. She is under treatment of one of the city's best chiropractors, we understand, and it is his opinion that she will recover, but may have some trouble with her speech, and walk with a slight limp. This will be encouraging news to her many friends in old Higbee and all join the NEWS in the hope that her recovery will be rapid and complete. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 1 Col. 6--HE'S GOT US BESTED NOW--In the years gone by when the late Hiram Land lived next door to The NEWS office, and his son, Riley, was about six years old and made this office his loafing place, and where, at ten, he set some type, and made the long hours of press night pass more rapidly by his presence, his greatest ambition was to be as big and strong as we were (we carried a small "bay window" in those days). He has long since attained his ambition, we are glad to say, and without a superfluous ounce of flesh, he is pretty much of a modern Samson, due to his work as a structural iron worker several years ago and to most excellent physical training and boxing. As an amateur boxer he has knocked ten opponents cold, while he has taken the count but twice. His knockouts are easily explained when one sees and feels his muscles, which are almost as hard as steel. That he is very much of a man is proven by the fact that he has lifted 750 pounds on a test, and in the office the other day he lifted our little 150 pounds as easily as he would have a 6-year-old child, and in the same manner. To show us some real strength, however, he asked for a book that we were through with, and selecting one of 750 pages he pulled the stiff board backs off and then gripping the book he tore it half in two! He can also perform the same feat with a deck of playing cards. If you don't think the book stunt is some stunt, just try tearing a magazine in the same manner. Riley has not only made good physically, but in every other way, we are proud to say, for as long as he was in Higbee he was our pal, and to whom we always tried to give good advice and set a good example. Leaving Higbee some ten or twelve years ago, he assumed a position with the Ferguson construction Co., under his brother-in-law, Henry Angleberger, and being ambitious and as little bluffed by real hard work as was his good old dad, he commenced at the bottom, being promoted from time to time until now he is a superintendent of construction with one of the largest concerns in the country. It is unnecessary to add that the position carries with it a mighty good salary. The NEWS takes pride in all Higbee boys who have gone out in the world and made good in a big way--and they are far more numerous than you would guess, and whom we hope to give a write-up in a special edition some day--and especially in Riley, who was our pal and one of our very best friends from the time he could walk until he left the old home town, and we hope his advance in his chosen profession will be continuous and that his wonderful strength will last until he is an old, old man. Better nor truer men than Riley are not made these days. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 2 Col. 1--OUR HUNTSVILLE LETTER, By W. T. Dameron--(edited by compiler)--Jas. A. Collett, a prominent attorney and politician of Salisbury, and father-in-law of County Clerk M. D. Evans, of this city, was married last Saturday, Nov. 27th, to Miss _____ Pierce, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Pierce, of near Armstrong. After the ceremony they left for Kansas City, and will perhaps go south so spend their honeymoon. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 2 Col. 1--OUR HUNTSVILLE LETTER, By W. T. Dameron--(edited by compiler)--Charley Trask, who for many years was a prominent farmer near Darksville, but who has been in the West and Southwest for many years, died at Portland, Oregon, Friday of last week. He was the father of John Trask of this place, and was about 75 years old. Thursday, 2 Dec 1926, Vol 40, No 31, Pg 2 Col. 1--OUR HUNTSVILLE LETTER, By W. T. Dameron--(edited by compiler)--There has been twenty-four sheriffs of Randolph county since it was organized January, 1829--ninety-seven years ago--and of that number eight are still living. Here is the list: Hancock Jackson, Wm. Upton, Benjamin Dameron, Henry Austin, Caswell Wisdom, Geo. w. Dameron, W. J. Samuel, Greenup Wilcox, John B. Taylor, John H. Austin, W. T. Elliott, W. H. Williams, N. G. Matlock, B. H. Ashcomb, G. N. Ratliff, W. T. Dameron, Joe L. Hogue, I. C. Grimes, F. K. Collins, W. G. Huston, Sam Magruder, Henry Owen, John C. Milam and Victor McCanne. Those living are G. N. Ratliff, W. T. Dameron, J. L. Hogue, I. C. Grimes, W. G. Huston, Henry Owen, John Milam and V, C. McCanne. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright notice: All transcriptions in this email are copyrighted by their creator. They may not be reproduced on another site or on any printed or recorded media, CD, etc. without specific written permission from Kathy Bowlin. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which it is presented, transcriptions, notes & comments, etc. is. It is however, quite permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use only. Permission is granted to public libraries, and genealogical and historical societies to print and bind for the use of their patrons. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, comments welcome.