A dress shop inquiry and the Chaffee Boys Quartet

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Jane McGarry.

Happy birthday to Mallory Estes, Ashley Siebert, Leigh Denbow, Courtnie Harris, Tyler Acey, Logan Hornback, Kristy Pobst, Gean Knotts, Barbara Owens, Jeff Glasscock, Karen Rice, Mark Dragoni, David Jirik, Bonnie Rister, Margaret Poinsett, Jordan Duncan, Joyce Loucks, Amy Sanders, David Gladwell, Clair Abernathy, Travis McGuire, Stefanie Hall, Karen Whitaker, Rob Horman, Nancy Hampton, Ashlee Glastetter, Lorene Kinsey, Andy Obermann, Sarah Gordon, Vickie Taylor, Reggie Seyer, Annabelle Dumey, Shea Candace Dumey and Brenda Coomer. And a special happy birthday to David Garland, Jackie Bader and all you other Leap Year babies!

Happy anniversary to Mike and Reta Mantel, Gary and Judy Jones and Larry and Deana Grey.

February is wrapping up and it has been a crazy month for weather -- sleet and snow intermingled with springlike temperatures and daffodils popping up here and there. Maybe Punxsutawney Phil was right and we will have an early spring.

Several readers were happy to read the update on Kay (Finney) Stewart and said they have nice memories of her.

Running buddies

Bryan Kelpe, owner of the Missouri Running Co. in Cape Girardeau, congratulates his friend John Loucks for completing the Rocky Raccoon Ultramarathon in Texas. Bryan says he joins John for their run in the annual marathon held Labor Day weekend in Leadville, Colorado. The Missouri Running Co., as well as other local sporting goods stores, offers expertise and superb selections of foot and athletic wear. Runners are invited to sign up for the Howard Aslinger Endurance Run March 18 and 19. You can register at Missouri Running Co. or online.

Nail care knowledge

The Paint Can spray nail polish we mentioned in last week's "then there was" is made by Nails Inc. You spray on the color and soapy water washes off the overspray on your skin. Did you know nail grooming became big business in the late 1800s with the patenting of the emery board and opening of the first nail salon in New York City?

Dress shops and memories

Who can tell us the name of the store on Broadway that sold dresses for preteens in the 1950s? The older girls had Libson's on Main, but this store was for younger girls. I keep a picture on our piano of my three sisters and me that my mother always liked to look at when we had our nightly music sessions. Our mother made the matching dresses Jo and I wore, while Ruth Ann and Carolyn wore dresses bought by our half-brother Wayne. Little did he know when his dad married a woman four years older than Wayne that he was going to have four little sisters. All of us were crazy about him, and there was lots of excitement when he visited or sent us something. Carolyn and Ruth Ann received the dresses in the mail from Wayne and proudly wore them to church and special occasions.

Remembering the Chaffee Boys Quartet

We mentioned the quartet who sang at the First Baptist Church for many years. They were lead singer and tenor, Tom Gibbons; bassist, John Montgomery; and second tenor and baritones, Gerald Dame and Mark Hopkins. Mark tells me they started at the age of 8 under the prompting of their Sunday school teacher, Hattie Miller. As their popularity grew, they became known as the Chaffee Boys Quartet, Gospel Boys and Barbershop Boys Quartet. They performed in various towns around Chaffee, accompanied mostly by the pianist or organist at First Baptist. Accompanists included Shirley Jones, Ann Woodyard, my sisters Carolyn and Ruth Ann, me, possibly Janice Riehl and on some occasions, Mary Frances Burnett. The boys grew up and left for college, with Tom and Mark attending the University of Missouri and Gerald and John, Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

It was always a special treat for all when they came home and sang as a quartet at church. All four also excelled in sports at school and were members of the undefeated 1956 CHS football team. Tom attended Mizzou on a music and football scholarship and has continued his musical career throughout his life. Sadly, John and Gerald are no longer with us, but we are delighted to see Tom and Mark at the CHS Alumni Banquets each year, with Tom leading us in the singing of "O Chaffee High!"

Final thoughts

Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them -- those three words mean so very much.

Please email your news and comments to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was the new seasoning of sumac seeds.