Connection October 2023

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OCTOBER 2023

How Haunted?

Ritchey Mansion

Orphan Train Performance

Monett Artists Guild Ghosts Live Here Crescent Hotel

Hot Springs

Ghoulish Downtown Tour

It’s SHOW Time Cassville High School Oct. 27 & 28

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 1

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2 | October 2023

YOU’RE WELCOME AT THE BARRY-LAWRENCE REGIONAL LIBRARY!

ACROSS OUR TWO COUNTIES, NINE BLRL BRANCH LOCATIONS serve thousands of your friends and neighbors each month. If you live in Barry or Lawrence County you are welcome to get your FREE library card and start accessing the vast array of services the BLRL offers.

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Our friendly librarians provide one of the largest collections of books and other materials in Missouri.

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The BLRL provides multiple online resources including media streaming, audio books and e-books.

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Each year, over 60 thousand participants enrich their lives in our amazing Library programs.

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Every Branch of the BLRL offers enriching programs for all ages and areas of interests.

GIVE THE GIFT OF READING!

KIDS 6+ CAN GET THEIR OWN LIBRARY CARDS

It’s FREE and makes children feel very special while teaching them responsibility. Library cards are totally free for all Barry & Lawrence residents. The BLRL doesn’t charge late fees and provides tons of materials to check out and programs for all ages.

LIBRARY E-CARDS:

You can get quick access to library services online at blrlibrary.org

THE AURORA LIBRARY

Phone: 417-678-2036 · Fax: 417-678-2041 E-Mail: aurora@blrlibrary.org

THE CASSVILLE LIBRARY

Phone: 417-847-2121 · Fax: 417-847-4679 E-Mail: cassville@blrlibrary.org

THE EAGLE ROCK LIBRARY

Phone: 417-271-3186 Fax: 417-444-5109 E-Mail: eaglerocklibrary@blrlibrary.org

THE MARIONVILLE LIBRARY

Phone: 417-463-2675 / Fax: 417-463-2116 E-Mail: marionville@blrlibrary.org

THE MILLER LIBRARY

Phone: 417-423-8528 Fax: 417-423-8582 E-Mail: miller@blrlibrary.org

THE MONETT LIBRARY

Phone: 417-235-7350 · Fax: 417-319-2391 E-Mail: monett@blrlibrary.org

THE MT. VERNON LIBRARY

Phone: 417-466-2921 - Fax: 417-466-2936 E-Mail: mtvernon@blrlibrary.org

THE PIERCE CITY LIBRARY

Phone: 417-476-5110 Fax: 417-408-8810 E-Mail: piercecity@blrlibrary.org

THE SHELL KNOB LIBRARY

Phone: 417-858-3618 Fax: 417-720-2099 E-Mail: shellknob@blrlibrary.org

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 3

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

by Lisa Craft

Variety Makes for Good Reading

I

n the past, Connection Magazine has had themes for each month. For example February was a month for love, weddings, Valentine’s Day, and honeymoons. We have attempted to keep that going but I have also attempted to place more variety into the magazine. We might have one or two stories that will follow the monthly theme but then we will throw in other stories of interest.

We do have some spook stories fitting for October using the theme of Halloween but one of the stories that is offered for variety is Big Boy. This is a story of a pet that is totally different from the normal dog, cat, etc. Big Boy is 16 year old sulfate tortoise owned by Dyann Oneal in Aurora.

I found this story to be very interesting and a bit funny.

As a child I had a box turtle or two as a pet but to have a big sulfate tortoise as a pet would be a different, interesting adventure. Apparently, as you will read, he also likes to wander. Luckily he always returns home.

I am not sure how many other community members have had different pets in their home but I know I did. When I was very young, probably around 10 or 11 my dad was on the road a lot for his job. He was a salesman and spent a lot of time in Texas, as I remember, one time he returned home with a cat. A very large cat. It was a cat that you would not normally see running around town or cuddling up in your lap. This was an ocelot. The name given to this strange but beautiful sleek cat was Chiconi. The person that had Chiconi before us had him declawed and defanged but he could still do some damage if he felt he needed to. All of my stuffed animals ended up with holes in their necks. I guess he thought that the threat was there because they would just sit there and stare at him. I also had a dachshund at the time and Chiconi pounced on her and pierced her neck as well. It didn’t seriously hurt her, but believe me when I say she was extremely cautious from then on.

Happy Halloween!

4 | October 2023

You would hardly ever have Chiconi sit calmly on your Lisa Craft is owner lap or by your side unless and publisher of you would allow him to suck Connection Magazine on your hand between your and The Monett Times. thumb and forefinger. It was She can be reached at the salt in your body that he monettcommunity@ wanted. Luckily he never hurt gmail.com anyone as he was doing this, I guess this was an affectionate gesture.

Every now and then, the cat would travel with my dad.

On one of his traveling adventures, my dad stopped to pay the toll, the person taking the money was not really paying attention and just put their hand out there for the change and Chiconi placed his paw in the persons hand. I wonder if that person had to go home and change his pants? I might have.

That was the oddest pet that we had. For a while I also had a few small ringneck snakes. I kept them in an aquarium with a top on it. They weren’t terribly entertaining but every now and then I would take them out and let them slither in and out of my fingers. One day I went to get them to show my neighbor and they were gone! To this day we have no clue where they disappeared too.

And yet another mystery that will never be solved.

I did have a normal cat that we adopted once. Nothing out of the ordinary about him with the exception that one day I was headed to the bathroom and saw him sitting on the toilet actually doing his business. It was an odd sight to be seen.

I believe my day of different, odd pets are over, or at least I hope they are. But if anyone out there would like to share a story about an odd pet that they have had I would love to hear about it!

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Owner & Publisher, Connection Magazine

> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS

OWNER/PUBLISHER Lisa Craft monettcommunity@gmail.com MULTI-MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES Marion Chrysler CONTRIBUTORS Meagan Ruffing Susan Funkhouser Pam Wormington Christa Stout Mike Gervais Murray Bishoff Steve Chapman PHOTOGRAPHERS Chuck Nickle DISTRIBUTION Kevin Funcannon TO ADVERTISE 417-235-3135 - Monett Send email inquiries to monettcommunity@gmail.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Monett, MO 65708 Connection is published monthly and distributed free in Cassville, Monett, Exeter, Washburn, Pierce City, Mt. Vernon, Aurora, Verona, Roaring River, Eagle Rock, Shell Knob, Purdy, Wheaton, Freistatt, Marionville, Seligman, Golden and other surrounding areas.

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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 5

FREE

CONNECTIONMO.COM

OCTOBER 2023

How Haunted?

Ritchey Mansion

Orphan Train Performance

Monett Artists’ Guild

It’s SHOW Time

Ghosts Live Here Crescent Hotel

Hot Springs

Ghoulish Downtown Tour

SB

Cassville High School Oct. 27 & 28

SECURITY BANK OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI

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A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 1

ON THE COVER: Pumpkin patches and spooky hollows delight with the highlights of fall. Welcome to our creepiest issue of the year.

CONTENTS 17 Healthy Connection: Heal well 25 Parenting Column: Happy Halloween 27 Cutest Kid

37 Rescued, My Favorite Breed

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39 Cutest Pet

42 Parting Shot

Have an idea for a story you would like to see in Connection Magazine?

Email it to monettcommunity@gmail.com Facebook.com/MyConnectionMo

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F E AT U R E S

OCTOBER 2023

F E AT U R E S 9|

BIG BOY’S BIG ADVENTURE

When one determined tortoise set his mind to big things, look out world here he comes

This Civil War War cemetery is located less than a half-mile north of the Ritchey Mansion. Several who fell in the Battles of Newtonia are buried here Read more on page 23.

23 | HISTORIC RITCHEY MANSION

Terrible Civil War tales are told and ghost stories proliferate in local lore

12 | 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SHOW

28 | GHOSTS LIVE HERE

19 | ORPHAN TRAIN

32 | HOT SPRINGS HAUNTS

Returning to Cassville High School Oct. 27 and 28, the community gathers to sit back and enjoy The Show The Monett Artists Guild performs Oct. 6-8 at Gilloz Theater

Authors CC Brown recount a variety of ghost stories and sightings at the ever popular haunt, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Ark. Take a tour through the ghoulish history of Hot Springs with a special Ghost Tour feature from author Manndi Maphies ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 7

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Big Boy cools off with a slice of watermelon.

Big Boy’s Big Adventure M any people are familiar with the variety of native species of turtles in Missouri, including the RedEared Slider, the Box Turtle, the Common Snapping Turtle and the Soft shell.

This summer, however, one very special turtle won the hearts of many in the Barry-Lawrence area. He is a 16-yearold sulcata tortoise (also known as the African Spurred Tortoise), and with a weight of 78 pounds, he is fittingly named “Big Boy.”

Story and photos by Steve Chapman

Big Boy lives in Aurora with his owner, Dyann Oneal, who keeps him in her backyard. Dyann adopted Big Boy about a year ago after tragically losing another turtle she’d been caring for.

“I got (Big Boy) from a rescue,” she said. “I had lost another sulcata, a baby, in a sad way, and I published my anger on Facebook. And the owner of the sanctuary got ahold of me and said that they had (a sulcata) that needed a home.

I picked him up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and he’s been here ever since.”

Sulcata turtles are desert creatures, Dyann said, so looking after Big Boy in the warmer months is easy. However, in the winter, caring for him requires her to make some special preparations.

“In the summertime, (sulcatas are) pretty self sufficient, as long as you provide the water for them,” she said.

“They eat grass, that’s what they’re supposed to eat.

“In the wintertime, (since) they are desert tortoises … they don’t like the cold. So, the midwest is a challenging

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 9

area. You’ve got to provide them with heat in the winter, and when they get as big as he is, they’re too big for the house, so you’ve got to provide an enclosure outside that maintains temperature, and if you have them in an enclosed area where there is no light, you have to provide them with UVA and UVB lights. A heated enclosure is what they require, unless you’re going to keep them in your house, which is a big mess, (because) you can’t potty train them like dogs.”

Big Boy is not Dyann’s only pet; she also has two dogs and two cats. The cats have never warmed up to Big Boy and keep their distance. Dyann said her dogs have accepted him as one of the family.

“They love him,” she said. “They go lay next to him. At first they were petrified; it was pretty funny. They wanted no part of him (and) couldn’t understand what in the world he was. But now, they lay out in the shade together.”

Big Boy came to the public’s attention in the early part of July after he escaped from Dyann’s back yard.

“We’re not sure exactly which grandchild it was, but one of them left the gate open… and within an hour or two, he was gone.”

Dyann and her family searched frantically for him, but Big Boy turned out to be as adept at evading detection as he was in escaping. So, Dyann implored for help from the residents of Aurora in finding him.

“We looked everywhere,” she said.

“We didn’t know which direction he went and couldn’t find him, so that’s when we asked the community for some help.”

At one point, someone reported a sighting of Big Boy at Braum’s in Aurora. When Dyann wasn’t able to locate him there, the Lawrence County

Big Boy munches on a flower provided to him as a snack by Dyann Oneal. Though sulcata tortoises mostly eat grass, Big Boy also enjoys occasional treats of carrots, cucumbers, water-soaked lettuce and an occasional strawberry.

Sheriff’s Office offered to assist in the search.

“He was possibly spotted … getting an ice cream, and so I took off in flip flops and tore through the hayfields … trying to find him with no success.

And that’s when the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office offered to help me with a drone … and they graciously helped me look, to no avail.”

Still unable to find Big Boy, Dyann said she was becoming very worried for his safety.

“I was pretty disappointed,” she said, “because I knew if he was in those fields, he was getting into some pretty deep terrain where they were going to be hay bailing, and I was afraid.”

As it turned out, Big Boy would return on his own. Six days after escaping Dyann’s back yard, one of her neighbors found him in his.

“My neighbor half a block away … found him in his backyard, eating his

grass,” she said. “Just sitting there. I was on my way back from Joplin when I found out he had been found.”

After Big Boy was found, Dyann decided to thank the community for their help by giving them the chance to meet him.

“The community was so great, that we went down to the park to let them meet him,” she said. “Kind of a ‘meet and greet Big Boy,’ and that was fun.

He walked all over the park. I tried to tie balloons to him that said, ‘Welcome Back,’ (but) he walked right out of those. The kids got to see him and pet him, and they got to learn about him, so that was really cool.”

For now, Big Boy is safe and sound at home, but Dyann has a new adventure in store for him; she plans to enter him into the city’s Christmas parade.

“We’re going to dress him up as Santa Claus and walk him down the road,” she said. n

UPDATE: Since Big Boy decided to go off on his own in the past, Dyann decided to put a tracker on him. In August, he came up missing again. The tracker was found, but no Big Boy. Three weeks later, he returned home. Dyann plans to reinforce her backyard fence so that he doesn’t run away again.

10 | October 2023

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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 11

30th Anniversary of

The Show T

his month marks the 30th anniversary of The Show, Cassville’s entertainment extravaganza that combines the spirit of vaudeville with all the available talent in Cassville and the surrounding communities whose performers want to take the stage and strut their stuff, whether it’s musical, theatrical or something entirely different.

This year’s performances of The Show will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28, at the Cassville High School FEMA Events Center.

Greg Beck, leader of the band Hometown Sound, has been involved with The Show since its start.

12 | October 2023

“Brenda (my wife) and I were talking about a young lady that sang at church that morning and we made the comment that she had a Carol King type voice,” Beck recalled. “I said, “we should put a band together and start a show with vocalists like her. My wife took it serious at that point and put pen to paper and said, ‘Okay, who’s in the band?’ So I started naming off musicians I knew and we started talking with vocalists about our idea. The next job was to find a sponsor, so I called Jon Horner, who was the current president of the Cassville Chamber of Commerce. After the chamber confirmed that they would sponsor The Show, we set a year’s worth of rehearsals and

produced our first show in October of 1993.”

This year’s production will actually be the 30th actual show, since the Year of COVID edition in 2020 was cancelled two days before opening night.

“When Brenda and I decided to try to make a go of The Show, the first order of business was to establish a band,” Beck continued. “The one thing I knew we had to have was good musicians that would be in it for the long term. As any musician, I knew some people I could talk to and contacted them with our idea. As luck would have it, the band got established, the musicians were good and they have stuck with it - all the makings for a good band.”

Story by Murray Bishoff

30th Anniversary Performance 7:30 p.m., Oct. 27 and 28 Cassville High School FEMA Events Center Call Cassville Chamber of Commerce to purchase tickets

In 1993 The Show was a hit, for those who saw it, as Cassville had not had a long-running performing arts tradition and the first crowd was small.

“The good thing about the first year is that the Chamber of Commerce made expenses with a small profit,” Beck said.

“The small profit is probably what got us the second year, and then it just started to grow.”

For years The Show was held in the Cassville Middle School gym. Conditions were not exactly ideal for acoustics or lighting. The audience sat in bleachers and at tables set up around the floor, close to the performers.

“It was work [setting up those early productions],” Beck noted. “First thing

we had to do was hang black plastic from floor to ceiling the length of the gym to give us a backdrop and create a backstage area. Then we set staging, hung lighting and set up our equipment, including sound equipment.

“Now that The Show was established, we moved to Crowder College.

Crowder was smaller but we had a stage and we could leave the lighting up year round. When the FEMA building was ready, the school asked us if we would consider moving The Show back to their new facility. The FEMA is great -- it has a portable stage that the school sets up for The Show, the sound is easier to manage and it has lighting trusses for our portable lighting. So, yeah, the

move was good for us and the audience, due to the stadium style seating.”

Beck estimated more than 150 different performers have contributed their talents before The Show’s audiences over the years. Many returned year after year, based on performance and vocal values, and their love of being part of the production.

“We also like getting vocalists out of their comfort zone,” Beck noted. “For instance, if all you sing is gospel, we may have you try a classic rock song.

We feel like we can do a little more with those performers.”

Many have led to memorable performances, “so many that it’s hard to pick,” Beck said. “Some of the most memorable were Elvis, The Blues Brothers, Ace Ventura. As far as I can remember, only one song has received three ovations during the song. That was ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ way back in the first few shows. Of course, seeing a former State Senator Emory Melton wearing coveralls and a coon-skin cap was a favorite and the talk of the town for quite a while! I’d be curious to know what the audience favorites have been over the years. The youngest performer was only 8 years old and he stole the show that year! I am not sure how old Emory was, but he was probably the oldest performer we have had.”

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 13

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14 | October 2023

Sometimes the memorability of an act was not entirely intentional.

“We did have one malfunction years ago when we were doing a show titled ‘An Eruption of Music,’” Beck said. “The Cassville High School art department built us a volcano for The Show. It sat right behind my drummer’s throne. It was about eight feet tall and probably 10 feet wide at the base and we put a leaf blower inside the volcano filled with confetti. Our closing song was a Jimmy Buffet song called ‘Volcano,’ and at the end of the song the volcano blows. All evening long the volcano rumbles, thanks to big bass speakers placed under the bleachers, so we are really building this whole thing up.

“The Thursday night show we didn’t have enough confetti, so it was a weak eruption. Saturday night we packed it full - way too full - so full that after the music died out all you could hear was the guy behind the volcano banging on the leaf blower trying to dislodge the over-packed confetti. Well, it did blow after about 30 seconds of a whining motor and a lot of slapping the leaf blower. I made a run for it and my drums and most of the stage equipment was covered with a whole lot of confetti!”

For the 30th anniversary performance, Beck said there will certainly be something special in the works, but he wouldn’t elaborate.

“You’ll need to come see The Show,” he said.

Beck added it’s not magic that’s kept The Show running all these years.

“It’s dedication and commitment. But make no mistake about it, musicians and vocalists like to perform, and they like to perform in front of an audience and that’s where the magic happens.

Musicians always have fun. Entertaining is fun, and if you’re not having fun, you need to find another hobby.” n

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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 15

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by Brooklyn Liberato

Brooklyn’s hometown is in Skagit Valley, Washington, home of a rich farming and agriculture community.

Growing up here, she has a great appreciation for food, the process of where it comes from, and how it can affect health. Brooklyn graduated from Seattle Pacific University and is currently completing her dietetic internship at Cox College. Her goal is to work as a private practice registered dietitian where she can help coach people to make proactive choices about their health.

Real Gut Healing Healing the gut has gained a lot of traction over recent years, along with a lot of misinformation on how to heal.

The National Institute of Health conducted a survey to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal or GI distress of over 70,000 Americans spanning across the United States and found over 61 percent surveyed had experienced GI distress.

With over half of the United States dealing with GI distress, it is important to understand what diet and lifestyle factors can help or hinder your GI health and clarify clinically proven ways to help you restore your gut to its glowing state once again.

The gastrointestinal tract is full of living organisms referred to in the medical world as the microbiome. Everyone has a microbiome unique to them. The microbiome is made up of a balance of both “good” and “bad” gut bacteria.

Research shows an appropriately balanced microbiome, or “glowing gut” may improve mood, lead to some weight loss, and be preventative for other diseases Balancing your gut is key to healing the gut and may resolve unwanted symptoms including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, and more.

Diet and lifestyle choices can impact the balance of bacteria.

Factors like stress, inadequate sleep, inactivity, a diet high in processed foods and added sugars, excess alcohol consumption, environmental toxins like cigarette smoke, and medications like antibiotics (which kill both good and bad bacteria alike) all have a negative impact on the gut microbiome and can lead to increases in GI imbalance.

Regarding sugar and alcohol, the American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons of added sugar/day for women and no more than nine tsp/day for men. Recommendations for alcohol are less than one drink a day for women and less than two drinks a day for men. The

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 17

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Probiotics are a proven treatment to help diversify and improve the microbiome. Probiotics are the live microbes we would classify as beneficial gut bacteria. They can be found in a variety of food sources such as fermented foods like kimchee and kombucha, and yogurts that contain live and active cultures.

Daily consumption of probiotics is key to replenishing good gut bacteria as our body’s normal digestion processes leads to losses. Some individuals may have a tough time incorporating probiotic foods into their daily diet, this is where a probiotic supplement may be beneficial. While probiotics are key for gut health, there is one more piece to the puzzle we need for them to be beneficial.

Prebiotics, while similar in name to probiotics, are different. They are the food sources essential for probiotics to thrive, typically made up of plant fiber. Think of them like the fertilizer needed to grow the microflora of the gut.

Prebiotics include chia seeds, leafy greens, garlic, and fruits with the skin.

The gut is such an integral part of every day-to-day life; we want it to function at its best. Although, this is not the case for most of the U.S. population. Lifestyle choices along with the consumption of pre and probiotics are key to having a healthy gut that is growing and glowing. If you are struggling with gut health speaking with a registered dietitian is a reliable way to ensure you are receiving evidence-based information and personalized interventions. n

These are the orphans whom the audience will meet as the Monett Artists Guild’s production of “Orphan Train” opens. From left are: Lyla Welters as Little Lucy, Amelie Velasquez as Mary, Caleb Perrigo as a newsboy, Atlas Johnson as Pegeen, Martha Atwater as Annie and Nelson Atwater as Danny.

‘Orphan Train’ is coming to Monett

T

he Monett Artists Guild opens its 2023-2024 season this month with a play about the Orphan Trains, which brought children across country who were deemed orphans or whose families hopes others could give them a better life. Trains took these often young children from the New York City area to new lives, sometimes better, sometimes not, from the 1850s until 1929, twice stopping in Pierce City.

Performances will be held Oct. 6-8 at the Monett Historical Society. Neva Welters, a longtime actor in Monett theatrical productions, will lead this show as a director.

Story and photos by Murray Bishoff

“The reason I picked this play was for its historical significance,” Welters said. “I wanted something that fit with the past as it will be performed in the old Gillioz Theater,” the reproduction of Monett’s cinema palace of old in the Monett Museum at Fifth and Broadway.

“I wanted to touch a chord with the residents, and the plight of young children usually does that,” she continued.

“I didn’t know until later that the orphan train had stopped in Pierce City until I talked to [Monett Historical Society President] Jeanne Ann Camp.

That really was thrilling to find that out.”

CAST Caleb Perriggo - Newsboy/Raymond Amelie Velasquez - Mary Caydance Welters - Mrs. Herndon/Lady Thad Hood - Mr. Williams/Old Man/Man Casey Christianson - Henry/Man Martha Atwater - Frank(ie)/Annie Bailey Hilz - Hannah/Woman Nelson Atwater - Carnival Man/Danny Atlas Johnson - Pegeen Vincent Welters - Harvey Lila Welters - Lucy

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 19

The Orphan Train 7 p.m. on Oct. 6 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 7 2 p.m. on Oct. 8 Gilloz Theater in Monett Pierce City will be cited by name in this play production, Welters said, now that she knows the story.

“My mentor, Marilyn Mann, was very helpful in my choice as she had been a drama/debate teacher for several years and had knowledge of varied scripts. She was also very dedicated to our Monett Artists Guild. She told me some script choices and I really liked the thought of the Orphan Train. I hadn’t read much about that aspect of history and thought that would be very interesting.

“We have our newsboy announcing the news of the orphan train. Then we have six scenes about different orphans and the adults that choose them: each story different from the other. Good or bad, easy or hard, what will be their fate?”

The play has parts for children and adults: three men, four young ladies, two boys and two girls. Most actors have more than one character to play.

“We have the adults who want children and those who just want cheap labor,” Welters said. “The children vary in personalities, but the one thing that 20 | October 2023

ties them together is that they are orphans from the streets of New York, they have been taken from the only life they know, and they are searching for a home where they will be loved. Not all that goes on is sad. We do have some funny scenes that you just have to laugh out loud. Hmmm, who is Frank really?

These children have been dealt a bad hand, but they have spunk. Even having been knocked down, they have determination to live.”

Welters has enlisted both experienced actors and six who have never been on stage before. These new actors offer a challenge and part of the show’s excitement.

“They are all so excited to be in this play,” she said. “I believe they have taken their characters to heart and are really excited to stretch their imaginations and become their character: even Little Lucy who can’t say a word.”

This will be Welters’ second play as director. Previously she directed the hysterical melodrama “The Damsel of the Desert,” which was also presented at the mini-Gillioz two summers ago.

Marilyn Mann then served as Welters’

Call the Monett Historical Museum for ticket information $10 per ticket, seating is limited

assistant director. Sarah Christiansen will serve as assistant on this show.

“My hope for our audience is that they can see how hard life can be for those who are coming in from a different background and having to adjust to a totally different environment,” Welters added. “Life is tough for all of us, but for some it’s even tougher. We must be kind and try to realize that we are all people, and everyone has their own struggles.”

Tickets for “Orphan Train” will be in demand, as the theater only holds 30 seats per show. Cost is $10 per person and are available from the Monett Museum. Shows will be given on October 6, 7 and 8. The Friday evening show will be at 7 p.m. Saturday’s performances will be at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The final Sunday performance is at 2 p.m. n

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Historic Ritchey Mansion:

N Haunted?

There is speculation that some of the house’s original residents may still roam its halls.

Story and photos by Steve Chapman

Ritchey Mansion, located in Newtonia, is the site of a number of reported ghost sitings.

ear the intersection of Highway M and MO 86 sits the Matthew Ritchey House, also known as the Ritchey Mansion. A two story structure built

by Ritchey in 1840 with slave labor, the building is preserved as a historic landmark where two Civil War battles were fought; the First Battle of Newtonia on Sept. 30, 1862 and the Second Battle of Newtonia on Oct. 28, 1864. Members of the Ritchey family who lived and died in the home are buried in a family cemetery located on the grounds of Ritchey Mansion. But there is some speculation that not all of the house’s first inhabitants have left.

The Ritchey Mansion saw no shortage of use during the Civil War. During both Battles of Newtonia, it was com-

mandeered as a military hospital, where operations, including amputations, were carried out in the Ritchey’s master bedroom. According to Lisa Martin, local historian, paranormalist and co-host of the show Dark Ozarks, the Union periodically used it as the Provost General’s office (Ritchey’s loyalty was with the Union).

“They would interrogate guerrilla fighters and bushwhackers here as to get information when they had been caught as prisoners,” she said during a ghost tour of the house held on Oct. 31, 2022.

Additionally, Myra Belle Shirley, better known as Belle Starr, was supposedly captured and held prisoner at the house but escaped by reportedly jumping out a second story window and onto the back of a horse, on which she rode away.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 23

However, in addition to its history, the Ritchey Mansion is also known for the ghosts that supposedly remain within its walls. According to the “Legends and Lore” page on the Newton County Tourism Council website, Matthew Ritchey’s first wife, Mary “Polly” Ritchey made her first appearance in the 1960s.

As the story goes, a storm knocked over a tree one night, damaging her headstone and grave. However, a young man living in the house at the time removed the tree and repaired the headstone, and also restored her grave. Supposedly, Polly came to where he was sleeping later that evening and covered him with blankets from other beds out of gratitude. According to the web page, Polly still roams the Ritchey Mansion on cold nights.

It is believed that Ritchey’s second wife, Mary Eliza Ritchey, also walks the halls of the house. Martin, who also works as a lawyer, shared a story from around 2010 in which the members of a drug task force, preparing to make a raid, met in front of the Ritchey Mansion to assemble their team.

“So the guys are getting ready, putting on their gear, etc.,” she said, “and someone looks up, and on top of the top deck of the porch… they see a woman in period dress… just staring at them. She never says anything, but she just kind of scans the yard, looking at all of them.

“And they see her, (and) they’re all pointing, talking, and they see her for several minutes, and then she just fades away.”

Martin also said that the first time she was investigating the house, she was accompanied by a guide who was dressed as a member of the Missouri State Guard. She was making audio recordings as she walked through Ritchey Mansion, and when she later reviewed her recordings, she said, she heard a woman whose “voice said clear as day, ‘Get out of my house.’”

24 | October 2023

The grave of Robert H. Christian, who was killed after being captured in the Second Battle of Newtonia. According to Godspeed’s 1888 History of Barry County, Christian and his men had a reputation for brutal killing on the battlefield, and was himself supposedly shot to death by the son of a man he had killed earlier.

A grave at the Civil War Cemetery lies in disrepair. Some headstones planted for those who died in the Newtonia battles have been lost to time.

Martin said she believed the comment was directed at the guide, whom she said the “ghost” possibly mistook for a member of the Missouri State Guard, which would have been on the side of the Confederacy (Like Matthew Ritchey, his family members were also staunch Union supporters).

Towards this end, Joshua Heston, who led the 2022 ghost tour with

Martin and co-stars with her on Dark Ozarks, said he was wearing blue during the tour, not only so he wouldn’t be mistaken for a Confederate ranger, but also as a show of respect for the Ritcheys.

So is the Ritchey Mansion haunted?

No one can say for sure, but who knows what you might see someday if you stand in the house’s front yard and look up at the balcony over the front door. n

Making the most of the holidays

PARENTING COLUMN

by Meagan Ruffing

Meagan Ruffing is a parenting journalist and mental health therapist living in northwest Arkansas. She’s already counting the days for when she gets to go trick-or-treating with her kids.

Happy Halloween Halloween and Christmas tie for my kids’ favorite holidays. I think it’s because they get a plethora of candy for one and gifts for the other. Because this is one of their favorite holidays, I get really excited for this time of year.

There’s something about the smell of fall in the air and crackling leaves that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I look forward to creating a season of warmth in my home for my kids to relax in and Halloween falls right into that.

As my kids have gotten older, I have tried to match their age-interests when it comes to what they want to wear for costumes.

This will also be the first year my almost 15-year-old son doesn’t want to trick-or-treat. (Insert tears here!) To try and keep everyone happy, I recognize what it is that they’re telling me they want to do for Halloween and what they hope the night will be like. This helps me avoid any last-minute costume mishaps and unnecessary meltdowns. I keep these eight things in mind when preparing for the big night.

I make sure my kids have everything they need for their costumes and I let them do a ‘test run’ to make sure everything fits right, feels right, and looks good. Ideally, this is done several nights before Halloween so you have plenty of time to pick up any last minute items.

I buy mums for my front stoop and the front of my garage to decorate the house. The kids always tell me they love seeing the fall colors when they walk home after school.

Crockpot meals become my new best friend during the month of October. I throw some things together in the morning before work so that when I come home, the house smells amazing. The kids love the home-cooked smell in the fall and get excited about what’s for dinner. Crockpot meals are also an easy way for my kids to help out. They think it’s neat to see ingredients go in the pot one way and come out another way.

I stock up on candy for the big night and hide it from my kids. I grab a fun Halloween bowl and gear up for the trick-or-treaters.

Since my son won’t be going out this year, he’ll be the one at home passing out candy.

The dollar store has some cute decorations for the kids’ rooms that I let them pick out each year. It doesn’t cost much, and they get excited about putting decals on their windows and cobwebs on their doors. It’s always fun for me to see their individual personalities come out when they’re decorating for Halloween.

No more last-minute costume mishaps or unnecessary meltdowns

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You can’t forget about the BIG night itself. My kids are dressed and ready to go by the time I walk through the door at 5pm. Since trick-or-treating seems to go earlier and earlier every year, I don’t mind heading out shortly after I get home but I like to get the kids a snack and go through our plan of attack before hitting the streets. There are always a few neighborhoods my kids ask to drive to because they ‘give out the best candy,’ so I do my best to accommodate everyone’s wishes. I also have a tween at home so I have a feeling most of our night will be figuring out how to meet up with all her friends.

Probably my favorite part about October, is making the house feel warm and cozy. I do this by adding new throw pillows to the couch, lighting fall-scented candles, and adding a few pumpkins around the fireplace.

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This is about the time of year I can leave the windows up and my screen door open to enjoy the cool breeze each day and night. There’s nothing better than curling up on the couch to a good movie and feeling the fresh air throughout the house. It sets the mood for a very peaceful atmosphere.

See how many of these things you can incorporate into your October this year. I bet you’ll find yourself feeling more relaxed and grateful for the current season you’re in. n

October 2023 contest winner

CUTEST KID Three-month-old Polly Kay Johnson, daughter of Michalea and Juri Johnson of Cassville

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Email your child’s photo to:

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Photo courtesy of the Crescent Hotel

Ghosts are real and they live here.

T Schyrlet Cameron and Kathy Brown, writing under the name CC Brown, have released a new book, “Ghosts Live Here,” based on true events at the Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, Ark.

CC Brown tells the tales of the Crescent Hotel in their new book Ghosts Live Here 28 | October 2023

wo local authors, sisters Schyrlet Cameron and Kathy Brown, are returning to one of their favorite haunts this Halloween with a new book set at the most haunted hotel in the world, The Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, Ark. Writing under the name CC Brown, Cameron and Brown’s latest work, “Ghosts Live here” tells the story of a woman and her traveling companions who wind up in the most haunted room of the most haunted hotel and quickly realize that not everything is as it seems.

According to Cameron, the company soon learns the historic vacation destination has been the source of eerie tales and unusual paranormal activity, and a late-night guided tour of the property uncovers the presence of ghostly figures prowling the halls and haunting the rooms on every floor.

Determined to discover an explanation for the unexplainable, an investigation into the dark history of the hotel

spells trouble for the three amateur ghost detectives. The trio finds the hotel was a hotspot catering to the elite when it opened in 1886 in the early 1900s, it served as a college for young women and later became a questionable cancer clinic.

Intrigued, the group soon finds themselves entangled in a century-old mystery filled with restless ghosts, eerie hauntings and long-buried secrets.

Growing up in the Ozarks their curiosity about the supernatural was sparked by their grandmother. As children, much of their time was spent on their grandparents’ farm, where their grandmother always kept them entertained ... tending the garden, feeding the chickens, milking the cows, and telling deliciously spooky late-night tales. Their fascination with ghosts and spirits from beyond the grave has not diminished over time.

And when you were raised with an interest in the unexplained in the Ozarks, your attention will naturally be drawn to Eureka Springs and the notorious Crescent Hotel.

Story by Mike Gervais

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Ark. has a storied history.

Local authors Schyrlet Cameron and Kathy Brown have written a new work of fiction based on some of the very real stories that have come out of the Crescent.

Photo courtesy of the Eureka Springs Historical Museum

The story of the Crescent Hotel is linked to the history of Eureka Springs, –– they both exist because of the local water. Thousands were drawn to the town because of the “healing waters” that reportedly bubbled up from the more than 60 springs in and around the downtown area. According to historians, the springs were originally discovered by the Osage in the early 1800s. The tribe would bathe in the waters, saying it contained healing spirits.

After the native Americans were forced out of the area years later, the waters were rediscovered. Around 1850, Dr. Alva Jackson stumbled on to the springs with his son. It is reported the doctor’s son had an eye irritation and Dr. Jackson used the water from the springs as a cure.

The Crescent Hotel opened its doors in 1886 and was considered by many to be the crowning jewel of the Ozarks. The resort was built by the Eureka Springs Improvement Company and the Frisco Railroad as a way to take advantage of

tourists that flocked to the Ozark region for its natural springs. The massive limestone structure was reminiscent of the castles of Europe. Stonemasons brought from Ireland helped construct the five-story fortress. An exclusive hot spot for the elite, the inside was elegantly furnished. Outside, a park surrounded the hotel with tennis courts and gardens.

In 1908, due to slow business in the winter, the Crescent College opened for young women. The “Grand Ol’ Lady of The Ozarks” closed her doors in 1934 at the height of the Great Depression. Few had the money for higher education or summer resorts.

In 1937, Norman G. Baker purchased the property. Baker converted the hotel into a cancer hospital and treated hundreds of patients. He liked to refer to the Crescent as the “Castle in the Air.” In 1940, Baker was jailed for mail fraud and the hospital closed.

In 1946, four businessmen from Chicago, Herbert A. Byfield, John R Constantine, Dwight O. Nichols, and

Learn more about when Ghosts Live Here will be released on Amazon through the CC Brown Facebook page

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 29

Have A Safe and Wonderful Halloween!

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Herbert E. Shutter, bought and refurbished the Crescent. The new owners worked with the Frisco Railroad, offering travel vacation packages to bring new tourists to the area. In 1967, a fire destroyed most of the fourth floor, also heavily damaging the third level. The Crescent again sat abandoned. In 1972, a partnership bought the hotel, rescuing it from being turned into a chicken farm. After major construction and refurbishment, the Crescent re-opened in 1973.

The present owners, Marty and Elise Roenigk purchased the Crescent in 1997 and began renovations to the hotel and grounds that restored the property to its former glory. The Roenigks renamed the resort the “1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa.” In 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior listed the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rumors, questions, and theories have swirled around the castle on the mountaintop for decades. One such rumor claimed there was something special about the place that made guests imagine the halls and rooms were inhabited with ghosts, poltergeists and other supernatural beings. Others declared it an eerily spooky place with unexplained occurrences, that needed to be studied, verified, and documented for future generations.

“Ghosts Live Here” was inspired by the mysterious and unexplainable events we experienced during our many stays at the Crescent Hotel,” the sisters said. “In writing our story, we tried to stay true to the history of the area and the historic hotel. We focused on facts and true incidents that have occurred. While, in several instances, the actual names and locations of people and businesses have been used, the facts surrounding the actual people and occurrences have been embellished. We personally look forward to revisiting the town of the ‘healing waters’ and the historic hotel to further investigate the spirits of the paranormal kind.” n

Happy Halloween!

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WRITER BIO

by Manndi Maphies

Amannda (Manndi) Maphies (hometown Monett, Mo.) works at the UMKC School of Pharmacy, is a mother to two human boys, two furry boys (dog – Atlas, and cat – Hamilton), and enjoys freelance writing based on her travels, life adventures, and pretty much anything that stands out in life as “story-worthy.”

Manndi contributes to several online and written publications. She had her first book published in September 2022, Tales From My Mummy, which can be found in local bookstores and Amazon Kindle. Manndi’s greatest passion is being a boy mom to her two sons, William (13, going on 23) and Waylan (still sweet, boyish and dangerously close to 11). Her sons never fail to provide daily entertainment, which inspires many of her writings.

She also loves to write about everything from being a single mom and dating after divorce to finding love later in life, the devastation of miscarriage, the loss of a loved one, and dealing with anxiety and mental health issues (specifically her personal journey with OCD). Her pieces are lovingly filled with inspiration, encouragement, and always a touch of humor.

“Live a life worthy of writing about” is her daily motto and she strives to live up to these words every day.

32 | October 2023

Haunts in Hot Springs, Arkansas

W

ho doesn’t love a good ghost story… or five?! I know I do. My 10-yearold son humored my desire for chilling entertainment recently in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We took part in a ‘Morbid Haunted History Ghost Tour’ on the historic streets of downtown Hot Springs. I learned so much, I really don’t know where to begin.

First, I want to say that Hot Springs (rather, historic Hot Springs) has a very New Orleans feel. There was a notable mob/gambling presence in the city in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Unfortunately, with gambling, often comes prostitution, which there was a healthy level of in the area as well. With gambling and prostitution, not to mention WWI and WWII injured and convalescing veterans, there was a myriad of grisly murders, chilling haunts, and intriguing stories, many of which were told (in explicit detail) on our tour.

Please allow me to share a small portion of what I learned. If these tidbits strike your fancy, take a trip to Hot Springs, Ark., and schedule your own group or private tour. I promise you will not be disappointed! But I cannot promise that you won’t be frightened, chilled, and looking over your shoulder all the way home, and quite possibly for days to come.

HOSPITAL OF DEATH The first stop centered on the large blonde, brick military hospital which sits high upon a hill and menacingly overlooks the town of Hot Springs. This

was the first building I noticed when we drove through town the first time. The building is huge, looks very dilapidated yet strangely beautiful, and of course, it has an imaginary ‘I’m Haunted’ aura written all over it.

Vacant military hospital Occasionally referred to as “The Hospital of Death,” this was a military health unit where many WWI and WWII veterans were taken after their active-duty service. Most notably, this expansive past hospital/treatment center contained the first refrigerated morgue in the country. Prior to that time, blocks of ice were used, which obviously was a major undertaking that required continual freezing and switching out of the ice for the deceased.

Before the refrigerated morgue was invented and incorporated to the facility, an unnamed veteran was admitted to the hospital in 1941. He entered with a slightly swollen ankle and a low-grade fever. By the next morning, he was so sick he could barely get out of bed. He died within a week. Whatever infection

he carried with him to the military unit came to be known as: “The Great Kill Out of 1941.” Within three weeks, 90 percent of the hospital (including staff) had contracted the infection and died as well. This equaled hundreds of dead bodies, which was far more than the facility had the ability to store.

The bodies were transferred to the basement, which was later sealed off and not re-opened until 1954. The bodies obviously decayed and turned to a large, difficult-to-imagine floor covering of icky, smelly, disgusting human remains of sludge. I cannot imagine the smell or the massive cleaning undertaking when they finally uncovered the basement many years later.

The hospital was converted to a rehabilitation facility in 1961. In desperate need of rehab assistance, many locals volunteered their services. One such volunteer was the well-known deaf and blind historic figure, Helen Keller.

Having no sight or hearing, she was ultra-sensitive to the left-over scent the years of decaying bodies left behind.

She also spoke of frequently feeling ‘brushings’ against her bare skin and even through her clothing. It is wellknown that Ms. Keller refused to stay at the hospital and rather secured her own lodging at a nearby hotel during her time of service to the wounded soldiers.

To this day, those inspectors that visit the building have mentioned sightings of “shadow people,” feeling cold drafts out of nowhere, and sensing putrid smells which seem to come and go with no rhyme or reason. This is a federal building, so chances are it will not be completely demolished anytime soon.

Yet, there is so much work to be done to restore its former glory, that it is presently sitting there vacant... or is it?

bath house soapery Our second stop of the evening was at a popular soap store named

Bath House Soapery and Caldarium, conveniently located on the main strip downtown. Historically, this present soap store was a popular tea house known for its most famously beautiful hostess, Violet Boules. Violet’s beauty captivated many, but none more than Elmer Jones, who came to be known as a stalker to the tea house’s beloved hostess, Ms. Boules. He visited daily, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful woman. He continually attempted to form a relationship with her. She had no interest and turned him down time and time again.

Elmer, however, had no family and the city’s Chamber of Commerce agreed to bury his body in the very same cemetery.

Only they did not adequately check the burial records and unwittingly buried him right next to Violet’s somewhat fresh grave!

Unfortunately, being the victim of this stalker’s macabre illness in life was not enough, now he is buried right next to her. One cannot help but wonder if her restless spirit doesn’t haunt the former tea house turned soap store she so adored. Or perhaps the cemetery where their bodies lie side-by-side, at first glance like a loving married couple.

But for those that know the twisted back-story, this is a macabre turn of fate for Violet’s final resting place. Many have witnessed a dark shadow in the back corner of the soap store where Violet met her violent fate. Perhaps she is stuck in that time before she was brutally murdered, or reaching out from beyond, with a simple plea to move the body buried next to her, so she can finally rest in peace.

adair park

Bath House Soapery and Caldarium One day, Mr. Jones was sitting at the bar, staring at Violet in his usual creepy manner, when he (as typical) was politely asked by the manager of the popular tea house to leave. He complied.

Only a short time later, he returned to the tea house, walked right up to Violet, and shot her in the neck. Once fallen, he shot her two more times, ensuing her grisly death. He then turned the gun on himself and landed right on top of her murdered body, closer to her than he had ever been, only because she lacked the ability to escape, avoiding his menacing presence.

Of course, Violet’s family was devastated by her murder and had her buried at the edge of town, in the local Greenwood Cemetery of Hot Springs.

Our third stop brought us to a quaint little park called, “Adair Park,” just off the popular row of shops and restaurants downtown. My family had unwittingly been in the same location earlier in the week and taken pictures, having no idea of the macabre history this specific area of town held.

This particular hotel was built by a man from Dallas, Texas in 1910, who visited the Hot Springs area, fell in love with the quaint town, and wanted to brand his own little part of history with a wooden hotel, complete with a stagecoach entrance and pick-up for hotel residents. It was quite swanky for the time and very contemporary-looking.

Our tour was told that the building to our left, with the boarded-up windows and stage-coach bricked-over

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 33

entrance used to be a grand wooden hotel. One recurring theme of the evening was that wood burns. We soon found out that this independently owned hotel was no exception to that rule.

The night of the fire, 12 residents died. Eleven died peacefully in their sleep from smoke inhalation. The 12th resident, who happened to be on the top floor of the hotel, suffered a more torturous death. His remains, from the notable Room 7, on the top floor, were found plastered to the window pane, once the smoke had finally dissipated and a clear view was seen to the top floor windows.

It was thought that this gentleman woke up in the middle of the night, realizing the hotel was on fire. The end table in his room was pushed up against the door. Possibly, he stumbled into the table and inadvertently blocked himself in. He then scrambled to the window, despite the massive amount of smoke. He unwittingly put his hands on the window to try and press the pane out and jump from the burning room, but instead, he was burned beyond recognition.

The violent kickback from his hands being burned resulted in his whole body falling against the burning windowpane. The man was found glued to the window, from head to the mid-portion of his body. That is how he died, screaming out in torturous pain, for help that would never come. To this day, many visit Adair Park between midnight and 3:00 a.m., in attempts to hear the screams, moans, and horrified sounds of the man in room 7, who tragically burned to death against the windowpane of his hotel room.

The Discovery Channel has actually visited this site and used a ‘spirit box’ to capture the moans, groans, and unproductive pleas for help. How truly horrific! Death by burning alive. Truly one of the worst fates the human body can suffer.

34 | October 2023

Daily planet Our next stop was to a building not rumored to be haunted, but the guide asked all members of the tour to stand just underneath the skyscraper (for the midwest, it truly was) and asked if we recognized the building. He then told us that a man in the entertainment business, as an artist for the Superman series, once stayed in the infamous Arlington Hotel just across the street. One fateful night, he looked out his window and was mesmerized by the sight of the tall building standing opposite his own temporary residence. He was then inspired, between this building and an unnamed building in New York City where he lived full-time, to bring forth the wellknown version of the Daily Planet from the cult-classic series that graced my own generation, Louis and Clark.

unvacant lot Next, we walked a short distance to an abandoned parking lot, with a very large rock wall surface at the back of the lot. Our guide asked us to stand as close to the rock as possible. My son and I stood in the middle of the group. The tour guide pointed at my son and said that in the very spot he was standing, in the late 1980s, a family vacationing in Hot Springs had parked their car in the very spot where my son stood. As they were packing up their car after a day of adventuring, the rock face that used to be there, with no warning, violently fell from where it stood above the parking lot. The adults managed to escape, but without their small baby just secured in the car seat. The young child was killed by the collision no one saw coming.

It is rumored that at quiet moments, often late at night, in the very spot where my son stood, folks can still hear the horrible, scared and mournful cries of the innocent baby that was killed on that fateful day.

Arlington Hotel

arlington hotel Our next stop was the infamous Arlington Hotel, which has a distinct Spanish architecture, both inside and out. The top pillars of the hotel glowed a ghostly bluish hue in the darkness. The Arlington boasts a rich and varied history. Several guests have reported unexplained phenomena in the rooms of the hotel. One particular couple were staying with a baby in their room. They put the bassinet on one side of the bed and when they awoke in the morning, the bassinet was on the opposite side of the bed. Neither of the parents had moved it. Which obviously begs the question, who did?

Several folks have admitted that when staying on the street side of the hotel, they will close their curtains at night, to shield their room from the bright city lights. The curtains are wide open in the morning, with no other explanation than an otherworldly presence that opened them.

The Arlington was no stranger to disaster. It, too, originally provided a wooden facade. It burned in 1923 with several renditions afterward. It was completed in 1925 and is often referred to as the ‘Big Grande Tombstone’, due to the number of deaths the hotel has seen over its course of history.

At one point, the Arlington was considered the most premier hotel in the nation. It was built with a rare sophistication of high society that is still evident to this day. My family was given a key to the Babe Ruth inspired suite where the historic baseball player once stayed. While nothing otherworldly happened during our brief visit, during the day, it was quite inspiring just being in the same room as one of the nation’s greatest athletes.

burial ground Next, we walked a short distance to a parking lot near a wooded area leading to one of Hot Springs most famous hiking trails. At first the guide began to tell us of the bizarre burial ground located on a plateau-like plane off the main hiking trail. Apparently, when gambling debtors refused, or were unable to pay their mounting debts, the town’s gangsters and prostitutes would walk them to the trail, deep into the woods, and they would never again return to civilization.

As if that little tidbit of information was not creepy enough, the guide went on to tell a far more macabre account of the history on this particular hillside of Hot Springs, overlooking the quaint, family-friendly, touristy town below.

Several years ago, when our guide’s boss (the current owner of the company) was giving a tour, he indicated a spirit rumored to make contact with hikers, but no one knew who the spirit belonged to in life. One of the patrons on the tour loudly said: ‘I know. It was my son.’ Obviously, he had gained the attention of not only the tour guide, but every single person on that tour (not to mention the tour my son and I were on some number of years later).

The man went on to tell a hauntingly tragic story that is still weighing on my heart, days later. He and his wife had one son who happened to have schizophrenia. They put their beloved son in a psychiatric hospital, in hopes that his

condition would improve with time.

While his condition never improved, he never showed any signs of harming himself or others. He just continually complained about the voices that refused to give him much-needed peace.

One day, while the parents were meeting with the psychiatric manager where their son lived, he said that since the boy had posed no threat to himself or others, they should take him for a brief outing from the hospital. Give him some freedom, adventure, fresh air, and see if they noticed a difference in his solemn and maudlin behavior.

The parents decided to take their son to the local hot spot, named Hot Springs. They shopped, they ate delicious meals, they tried everything to see a spark of life in their young son. He continued to remain quiet and depressed on the trip. Just when they were about to give up hope and return their son to the institution, the small family walked by the entrance to this particular hiking trail. The boy’s spirit suddenly changed.

His face alighted with a spark his parents had never seen. He ran to the beginning of the trail and continued up the hill, laughing, running, jumping, even chasing a squirrel at one point. The boy’s parents were overjoyed to see a semblance of normalcy in their typically reserved son.

Several days later, they returned him to the institution, with fresh hope that nature could possibly be a cure-all for his bizarre behavior and the mental demons he faced. The boy grew into a young man at the institution. One day, when the parents were visiting their son, the manager again approached them and said: ‘Your son has never posed a threat.

We feel it might be good for him to live outside of the facility and see if independent living makes a difference in his mental health.’ His parents agreed and moved their adult son back home with them.

One day, the father had gone into

town, leaving his son at home with his mother. When the father came home hours later, he walked into the kitchen and saw a sight that he would never forget. The kitchen walls and floor were covered with blood, his wife lay lifeless on the floor, and his son sat at the table, holding a knife covered in blood. His only statement: ‘I couldn’t make the voices stop’.

Obviously heartbroken at this act of tragic violence, the father buried his wife and placed his son back in a psychiatric hospital, this time with no option for release. The young man ended up hanging himself in his room with the belt from his pants soon after being placed back in psychiatric care.

The father, once again heart-broken, had his son cremated and spread the ashes on a hill halfway up the trail where our tour group stood. The father declared that the day he discovered the trail and saw how happy it made his son, was the only day he ever saw him with a smile upon his face. He wanted him to rest in the peace of nature that obviously had the greatest and most positive impact on his young life. And so, the unnamed spirit roaming the woodsy hiking trail, leading up the mountain from Hot Springs, finally had a name and a story to go with it.

candy corner Our final stop was Candy Corner, an old-fashioned candy store. In fact, the very same store my family had visited earlier in the week. Little did we know what a wild history the store held. Turns out, the store was known as a ‘drive-by mortuary’ back in the days of gambling, gangsters, prostitution, and all else Hot Springs history holds near and dear.

The town’s leaders, gangsters, and law-enforcement devised a plan to sell the fresh spring water to invalid visitors as a ‘remedy for all health ailments’. The store acted as a sort of pharmacy, where a

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 35

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visitor would present their malady and then be given a script to bathe in the fresh spring water two to three times a day (depending on how severe the illness). This was rumored to cure any and all ailments. Of course, it didn’t work and before the town knew it, they had a pile of dead bodies and no way to properly identify and lay them all to rest.

Thus, they stored the bodies on display and asked the friends and family of the visitors to stop by to identify their family member and take them to be buried.

The funds from the prescriptions were used to further support the gambling and prostitution jobs, which ran the town of Hot Springs. The more these jobs were supported, the more law enforcement was paid from the revenue. The whole ‘healing by bath house’ was a rouse which killed hundreds of innocent and very ill people.

But it garnered a huge revenue for the town and its underbelly of financial means.

Today the candy shop boasts an informational plaque just outside the front door that gives a brief description of the history of this building.

I have been on numerous ghost/history tours and this one hour and twenty-minute walking tour of Hot Springs is at the peak of my list! The guide was ultra-entertaining, and the stories truly took on a life and character of their own. I only wish our group wasn’t so large so we could have had more individual attention and the opportunity for questions to flow. I will definitely take the tour again when in Hot Springs, and I am told you can arrange for a private tour as well.

Hot Springs is a town with a diverse and entertaining history worthy of learning.

The stories I shared today are just the tip of the iceberg. I will never look at the town the same way again. By day, it is a bustling, loud, fanciful place to shop, dine, and imbibe. By night, I would take extra caution, you never know which of these restless spirits, or others unheard of, are out roaming around, trying to right the wrongs of their macabre, violent, and tragic deaths.n

Caring for over 40 years

RESCUED, MY FAVORITE BREED Learn more about Rescue Tales Photography

by Christa Stout

Portraits Bring Pets to Life I recently became aware of a photographer who is trying to help with the current sad situation by taking professional pictures of endangered pets and then publishing them in hopes of finding adopters.

I contacted Danielle and we had a great phone conversation with her and her mom, Jenna. They live in Missouri and Kansas respectively, and are available for photo shoots regionally. The two have now applied for non-profit status for their soon to be 501c3, Rescue Tales Photography.

They are so dedicated to animals, each owning four of their own and each fostering in addition. Their main goal is to prevent euthanasia of perfectly healthy animals simply because they are in a pound and are running out of allotted time.

Danielle and Jenna actually got started while fostering pets. They realized the pictures posted did not always do justice to the dogs and cats and that here was their niche to help get them adopted.

They were aware that many of the pound pets don’t have the opportunity to run and play because the pounds are overfull and simply taking care of their basic needs, food, clean kennels and medical care as necessary, is many times all the Animal Control Officers have time for.

The ACO’s were being attacked in social media when an animal was in danger of being euthanized, even though they had struggled to keep the pet alive and the danger came from outdated or restrictive laws and sometimes budgetary issues because it is costly to keep an animal in a kennel.

Danielle realizes this is so unfair to both the ACO and the animal, that she felt like she had to step in and do her share to give the ACO’s a little break and to keep as many pets off ‘death row’ as possible.

And she knew she couldn’t do it all on her own, so she engaged her mom, Jenna to help.

Danielle searches Facebook and websites for endangered animals and then contacts some of the local pounds, including Monett and Aurora, offers her services, then makes appointments for a photo shoot. She recently met with Karen Griggs in Monett and Annie in Aurora, and since they were in close proximity, both pounds could be done in one day. Scroll through some of the pictures on these pounds pages and you will see some awesome pictures.

Here are pictures of three of their successful rescues:

KITTY

is available for adoption with Pawportunities at Blue Springs, MO;

ZEKE

the Australian Shepherd, is available for adoption through Mo-Kan Border Collie Rescue, and

BUDDY

was adopted from the Monett pound only a few days before his euthanasia was scheduled, and it was thanks to his picture!

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 37

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Taking pictures of energetic dogs who have been in kennels for some time takes skills and lots of patience.

The dogs are so happy to get some attention and are ready to get rid of some stored up energy, but despite that, most of them smile in their pictures - of course, also due to Danielle’s abilities in not only taking the pictures, but knowing when and how to take them. And the skill that I almost admire the most, is the writeup she does of each dog, a little background, if available, as well as traits and compatibilities. Each writeup makes me want to adopt the dog or cat, and when they do get adopted, there are tears of joy.

And I am not the only one, I have heard it from others also.

As of the writing of this column, all of the dogs that had been photographed by Danielle at Monett, were adopted or sent to rescue. The latest ones to get adopted were two Shepherd mixes, Bruno and Cassie.

And Gigi and Sable are committed!

Danielle told me that the hardest pets to get adopted or taken in by rescues, are big black pit bulls because of breed specific legislation, like Pittsburg, Kansas, where pit bulls are banned. And they are not the only town, Springfield has some strict rules about so-called ‘bully breeds’. If you get a chance, please let your governments know that breed specific legislation does not work and is unfair.

Danielle and Jenna are willing to travel, within reason, so if you know of a shelter or pound that could use some help, let them know about these two awesome ladies.

All I can say is thank you for what you do! And readers, follow them on their Facebook pages, and donate if you can. These ladies are doing their travels and are paying all expenses out of their own pockets. They will publish when their non-profit status has been approved. n

38 | October 2023

October 2023 contest winner

CUTEST PET

Minnie

3-year-old, Minnie, fur baby of Stan and Brenda Wilken of Pierce City

Email your pet’s photo to: monettcommunity@gmail.com If you think your furry or feathered friend is the cutest in the area, let us know! We invite you to share a photo of your pet to be featured in Connection’s Cutest Pet contest. Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible.

Remember to include your pet’s name, city of residence and your contact information.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 39

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Advertiser Index

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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 41

PARTING SHOT

Monet sky. Photo by Christel Vore

“The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.”

– Claude Monet

42 | October 2023

, or that of another eek assistance. esiliency, 4/7......

5-5990 Depression

CC

Depression is a disorder of the brain. It is a serious mental illness that is more than just a feeling of being “down in the dumps” or “blue” for a few days.

For more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings persist and can interfere with everyday life.

What Causes Depression?

There are a variety of causes of depression, including genetic, environmental, psychological, and biochemical factors.

A person has an increased risk of depression if their family has a history of depression, they have experienced trauma, major life changes, stress, or certain physical illnesses (such as diabetes, cancer, or Parkinson’s), or as a side effect to certain medications.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression Depression symptoms vary from person to person, and anyone who has questions about symptoms and signs should consult a doctor. To receive a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, some of these signs and symptoms must be present nearly every day for at least two weeks: • Continued feelings of sadness, hopelessness, pessimism, emptiness • Fatigue, lack of energy • Insomnia or other sleep issues, such as waking up very early or sleeping too much • Anxiety, irritability, restlessness • Feeling worthless or guilty • Lack of interest or joy in hobbies and activities • Changes in appetite, leading to weight loss or weight gain • Moving, talking, or thinking more slowly or feeling extra fidgety • Forgetfulness • Trouble concentrating, thinking clearly, or making decisions • Thoughts of not wanting to live, death or suicide, suicide attempts, or self-harm behaviors Depression Treatment and Help Living with depression can feel lonely. People may be fearful or ashamed of being labeled with a serious mental illness, causing them to suffer in silence, rather than get help. In fact, most people with major depression never seek the right treatment. But those struggling with this illness are not alone. It’s one of the most common and most treatable mental health disorders. With early, continuous treatment, people can gain control of their symptoms, feel better, and get back to enjoying their lives.

Show Me Hope @ The Clark Center

There are effective treatments for depression,including medications (such as antidepressants),along with talk therapy. Most people do best by using both.

If standard treatments do not reduce symptoms, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and other brain stimulation therapies are also options that may be explored.

To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks. Some tests are used to rule out other serious medical conditions that may cause similar symptoms. Also, some central nervous system injuries and illnesses may also lead to depression.

In addition to clinical treatments, if you are one of the millions of people living with depression, there are also healthy lifestyle habits that can help you feel better: • Focus on self-care. Control stress with activities such as meditation or tai chi. Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Avoid using alcohol and recreational drugs, which can worsen symptoms and make depression harder to treat.

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• Set small, achievable goals. Set realistic goals to build confidence and motivation. A goal at the beginning of treatment may be to make your bed, have lunch with a friend, or take a walk. Build up to bigger goals as you feel better.

• Know the warning signs. Recognize your depression triggers and talk to your doctor and/ or mental health professional if you notice unusual changes in how you feel, think, or act.

If needed, your doctor can safely adjust your medication. Write down how you feel day-today (moods, feelings, reactions) to spot patterns and understand your depression triggers.

• Educate family and friends about major depression. They can help you notice warning signs that your depression may be returning.

• Seek support. Whether you find encouragement from family members or a support group, maintaining relationships with others is important, especially in times of crisis or rough spells.

• Stick to your treatment plan. Even if you feel better, don’t stop going to therapy or taking your medication. Abruptly stopping medication can cause withdrawal symptoms and a return of depression. Work with a doctor to adjust your doses or medication, if needed, to continue a treatment plan

Participating in a self-management education (SME) program can help patients manage depression and take control of their symptoms, such as anxiety, depressed mood, tiredness, and appetite changes.

CC

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 43

BEING NAMED A BEST PLACE TO WORK 5X MEANS OUR PEOPLE FEEL SUPPORTED. AND THAT MEANS THEY TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOU. Being happy at work improves job performance, motivation, and passion. In our line of work, that also means better patient care. So creating the best place for our people means creating the best place for you.

It’s the right thing.

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