Forum Flashbacks: June 13-19
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, JUNE 13, 1974
50 YEARS AGO: Junior and Mrs. Carol Martin grew up together and today they are celebrating their birthdays together. Junior is 21, Carol is 23.
25 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, June 17, 1999
Legendary Northwest Missouri State University athlete, coach, athletic director and supporter Ryland Milner once said, “I’m not scared of death. I think when the Good Lord wants me He’s going to take me — that’s between the two of us!”
Milner’s time came Wednesday morning, when he passed away at Parkdale Manor Care Center. He was 89 years old.
The news of Milner’s passing came as a surprise to many, including former player and coaching colleague Bob Gregory, who visited Milner at Parkdale Tuesday night.
“He was in good spirits last night,” Gregory said. “He wanted to play golf yesterday.” …
At Northwest, he played on the 1931 MIAA championship football team and won three MIAA titles in basketball, as well. …
By 1937, Milner returned to Maryville, being hired to the physical education department at what was then known as Maryville State Teachers College. As a head football coach at Northwest, Milner led the Bearcats to MIAA titles in 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1948 and 1952 and a 90-63-13 record from 1937-57. With the basketball program, he compiled a 67-60 record in seven seasons from 1944-50.
(Bob) Henry, who met Milner in 1969 when he, Milner, was the athletic director and golf coach, said the former coach is a very important part of Northwest history, especially to those who have already graduated.
“To the alumni from the eras of the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s and even into the ’60s, he is what they think about when they think of Northwest and its intercollegiate athletics,” Henry said. “He was a warm-hearted man and was ethical and honest.”
In this day and age where so many coaches yell and scream at their players to try and motivate them, Ken Jones, a former player of Milner’s and former MIAA Commissioner, said that’s not how he was on the field.
“I played football, basketball and track for coach Milner,” Jones said. “He was well-versed in what he was doing. He knew what should be taught. He was more laid-back as a coach, but he could fire people up.”
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, June 13, 1974
Junior is 21 years old today and will probably celebrate the day with a big dish of liver, her favorite food.
Junior is a cat and she belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Clyde McFarland, Maryville. She celebrates her birthday today with the McFarlands’ daughter, Mrs. Carol Martin, who will be just two years older than Junior today. However, Junior’s age in “people-years” makes her a real senior citizen. Every year of a cat’s life is equal to seven in a human, so Junior is actually 147 years old!
She was born to Wampus, a former family cat, and her name is actually Wampus Jr., named after her mother for whom she was a dead ringer, the family reports.
Mrs. McFarland says Junior must have used up several of her legendary nine lives because she has been poisoned several times from eating June bugs or grasshoppers which had been sprayed with pesticide. Her eyesight has failed somewhat and her teeth aren’t so good anymore, but she’s still as spry as ever. Junior has a habit of “evaporating,” said Mrs. McFarland.
“Every once in a while, she’ll just disappear. I think that adds to her longevity,” she said, adding that Junior is a very cautious cat. “She stops and scans the area when she goes outside and if it is windy or cold, she’ll put it in reverse.”
June is an appropriate time for Junior to be in the spotlight, since this is Cat and Kitten Month.
100 years ago
Maryville Tribune, June 18, 1924
A deep sense of injustice has been burning lately in the breast of one of Maryville’s youngest citizens. “A working man has got to have his sleep,” 12-yearold Jimmie Conway would tell you, and the only thing left for a fellow to do if he can’t sleep at home is to get a room some place else.
But Jimmie’s mother has four sons and perhaps she knows more about sleeping hours than Jimmie. At any rate, in spite of his protestations about working until 11 o’clock in the Maryville Drug Store, and having to make up for those late hours in the morning, she insists that he get up at 11 o’clock every morning.
Jimmie has seen enough movies and read enough books to know just what to do. Besides, he has money in the bank. And he has been wanting to vacation lately because he hasn’t had one since he was 9 years old. Sometimes the meals were late at home, too. When you turn over all the “jack” you earn to your mother and she can’t get your meals on time, you might just as well pay for your room and board some place else and get service for your money.
Mrs. Conway didn’t have to wake Jimmie this morning because he wasn’t home. And the bed hadn’t been slept in.
Jimmie came in this morning with Tom Sherlock, who lives about five miles west of the city. He hadn’t changed greatly, but his shirt was (dirtied), so he put on a clean one and fared forth again. Mrs. Conway was too glad to see him to scold, so Jimmy may put up with things at home for a while before he leaves Maryville to conquer the world. He’s back on the job today. “They’ve got darned good food in the country.” That’s all he has to say about it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50-year and 100-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
