Books put spotlight on mules importance in Missouri history

The saying "stubborn as a mule," is not all that accurate, according to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, resident Lonny Thiele, who has written not one but two books about mules.

"Mules need a little time to figure things out," Thiele said.

The mule is the state animal of Missouri, and Thiele's books demonstrate the important role of these animals in Missouri history.

Thiele's first book, "That Son of a Gun Had Sense: Mule Stories from the Bootheel Area During the 1930s-1940s Era," was published in 2010 and contains stories about mules Thiele collected during interviews with 78 people in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Alt hough the books are available at Amazon.com, most of the orders he receives are via mail or phone.

The cover art for "My Life with Harry -- The Mule" by Lonny Thiele. (Photo submitted by Lonny Thiele)

"That Son of a Gun" had three print runs, and between the second and third, he received a book order, along with a note from a woman, Linda Culbertson, who said all her life, her mother, Marie Vaughn Fikuart, had told stories about a mule named Harry.

Thiele was able to contact Fikuart, who was in her 90s, and interviewed her in 2011 about her experiences.

Thiele said most of the people he interviewed were men, only 10 percent were women, and none had expressed a bond with a mule like Fikuart's attachment with one of the mules on her family's farm in Scott County.

Thiele included some of Fikuart's stories into later runs of the book, but she passed away before seeing her tales in print.

Fikuart's stories play a prominent role in Thiele's second book, "My Life with Harry -- The Mule," which was written to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the mule being named the state animal.

Although the book is a work of fiction, about half of it is based on Fikuart's stories, Theile said.

"My Life" also incorporates some excerpts contained in the first book, and chapter notes at the end of the book attribute stories in each chapter to the person who told them to Thiele.

The book is an embellished tale of Fikuart's experience growing up on a farm near Sikeston, Missouri, and is written in the first person, using her name as the main character.

In it, Fikuart describes the bond she formed with Harry, the mule, and how she worked with her equine friend on her family farm from age 8 to 16 after her father lost all his savings when banks failed during the Great Depression.

The book is chock-full of anecdotes, such as the time a Packard automobile was stuck in the mud, and although a tractor was unable to pull it out of the mire, a team of mules did.

"When they pulled together, they could really pull," Thiele said.

Thiele said he believes the book will appeal to people who grew up in that time and would bring back memories of living in that era, but it has a broader appeal, as the story is that of a young girl.

Art for the book was sketched by Bonnie Shields, who is known as "The Tennessee Mule Artist."

Thiele began his career working in the financial industry, and after 15 years, he decided he would rather be a journalist.

He embarked on his new career in 1995, working as general assignment and agriculture reporter at the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff.

Writing a four-part series on farming with mules at the newspaper piqued Thiele's interest in the animals and prompted him to write the books.

Thiele is a columnist for the regional magazine Mules and More and does freelance work for Western Mule magazine.

Thiele may be contacted at 573-300-3085 or at P.O. Box 884, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902.