by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


     There may be more Corns than cockleburs in Jackson County!
     Samuel W. and Mary “Polly” Slaughter Corn were from Franklin County, Virginia. They must have arrived in Jackson County around 1835. While the Corn family appeared in the 1840 United States Census as residents of Jackson County, Missouri, the census did not state a specific location. The census did, however, list eight living children, the foundation for all of the Corn’s in Jackson County.
     The first two burials in Corn Cemetery in Oak Grove were their infant daughter Maona (July 26, 1836 – September 10, 1837) and their daughter-in-law, Nancy (1816- October, 1837) Nancy died following the birth of a son, Solomon. She was married to their eldest son, John Slaughter Corn.
     A study of the 1877 Historical Atlas of Jackson County (Plat map) revealed that the land on what is today Corn Road was owned by Martin Corn, their second son. His nearly 250 acres of land is in the southernmost part of Township 48 North, Range 30 West, section 25 and 36. The land lies along the west bank of Sni-A-Bar Creek in Van Buren Township. The 1860 United States Federal Census list Martin Corn, his wife Martha and 8 of their 11 children as living in Division 35, Jackson County, Missouri, slightly west of the land they owned in 1877. Their Post Office was Stony Point.
     Martin and Martha (Cummings) Corn’s son, George Washington Corn (1849-1926) married Elizabeth Temple in 1871. Martin continued to live and work on his father’s farm which he, in turn passed down to his eldest son, Samuel Addison Corn (1876-1951). Samuel married Widdie Alma Perdue, a descendent of the Perdue Cemetery family.
     And finally, we come to the final Corn family owner, Fred Corn. Many in this area will remember Fred, his wife Hazel and their daughter Kay (Grain Valley Class of 1959). Mr. Corn was a small crop farmer and he had some dairy cattle. He was on the Grain Valley Board of Education during the 1950s and 60s. The family attended the Grain Valley Christian Church. On my drive through the countryside last week, I went past the farm where I remember they lived. At least I think I had the right location.
     As I researched information for this article, I was reminded of all the Corn family members I’ve known over the years. There were a lot. Many of you will remember Corn’s Thriftway in Oak Grove. Carl Corn was the great-great grandson of Sam and Polly! His father was Della, his grandfather was John Henry, and his great grandfather was John Slaughter Corn, Martin’s brother.
     You can find them all, or at least a lot of them, in the Corn Cemetery on Corn Cemetery Road off R. D. Mize Road in Oak Grove.
              

     Since the beginning of the pandemic, cybercrime has become more rampant among individuals and businesses. Most of you are familiar with common cyber-attacks such as phishing, smishing, vishing, credential stuffing, and ransomware attacks. However, an old tactic called scareware is starting to increase.
     Scareware works with criminals using web browser popups to trick you into thinking your computer or smart device is infected with a virus or has been hacked. What can you do about this latest threat? Check out these quick and easy tips to make sure you don't fall for this latest trap from crooks trying to steal your data.
     99% of all cyberattacks require user interaction. This means, you have to click on a link or pop up before your device is infected. Scareware attacks work so well against you because they use social engineering tactics which create a sense of urgency and fear. This makes you want to take action right away rather than to stop and think if the threat is real. If you get a message on your computer or device that pops up saying there is a virus or other problem, you will want to take care of it immediately rather than having your device ruined. There are several ways hackers will use to launch a scareware attack on your devices:
     Malvertising. Malvertising is known as malicious advertising. Criminals use third-party software to show bogus ads that will take you to infected websites. This allows cybercriminals to spread malware, posing as legitimate ads on popular websites. When looking at ads on a website, make sure it's for legitimate products or services.

     Pop-up Alerts: Web Browser popups are one of the most common scareware attack techniques used by hackers. This method is considered 'drive-by hacking' as it relies on you visiting websites that are designed to infect your devices. Hackers do this by purchasing domain names of the misspellings of popular websites. Once you visit the website, a file or plugin when downloaded to your device and create a popup message. Sometimes the popup alert is small allowing you to close the pop-up. Sometimes the pop-up takes up the full screen of your devices making it impossible to get rid of it. In most cases, these pop-ups are stubborn and difficult to shut down. If you experience such an issue, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to restart your system if you're using Windows. Apple devices you can hit Option, Command, and Esc (Escape) to close the Window. iOS and Android devices, you will have to power the device down completely and restart it.

     Phishing. Phishing comes in many forms, voice, text, and email, and is used by criminals to get you to visit bogus websites. Pretending to be a legitimate company, scareware phishing attempts ask you to click on a link to do a number of things such as downloading software, to help remove a threat, or to fill out a form with your personal information.

     File Downloads/Web Browser Plugins. Sometimes hackers will offer you free software, books, songs, or web browser plugins. Beware, as sometimes criminals will hide malware inside these offers.

     Tips to Avoid Scareware. It doesn't matter your level of tech intelligence; anyone can become a victim of scareware. Always watch where you surf on the web and what you click on. Most people think criminals break into their computers and devices. In most instances, you're the one who is giving access to crooks. Here are some tips to keep you safe.

     Don’t React Immediately. Scareware is fear-based. Sometimes when you download it on your computer, you might hear a warning message, sirens, and other things to make you take action. When you get one of these pop-ups on your device, slow down and take your time. In most instances, you can simply close down the pop-up.

     Identify the Sender with incoming emails. If you get a strange email, you can read it, but never click on links to download files or visit a website without identifying the sender.

     Don't click on unknown links in emails or text messages. If you’re not familiar with a domain address or you can't tell what website the link will have you visit, don't click on it!

     I hope you can use these tips to help identify scareware in any form that it can show up on your devices or computers. If you need further assistance, please reach out to me with any questions you might have. I am always happy to help!

     Looking for More Useful Tech Tips? Our Tuesday Tech Tips Blog is released every Tuesday. If you like video tips, we LIVE STREAM new episodes of 'Computer and Tech Tips for Non-Tech People' every Wednesday at 1:00 pm CST on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can view previous episodes on our YouTube channel.


     Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.

     If my math is correct, this marks the forty-first year for the Grain Valley Fair. Due to the Pandemic, the Fair was scaled down in 2020, but last year, thanks to Grain Valley News, it survived and continues to be a great event in our town.
     I’m taking a detour from my articles on road names to give you some history about the fair. I’m also taking a break because it is Labor Day Weekend. This article was originally written for “The Voice” newsletter in 2019. Whether you call it Fair Daze, or the Grain Valley Fair, here is a little history of the event.
     After digging through several archival boxes of old newspapers, the information I was seeking appeared in the 1983 Guide to Grain Valley, published by The Examiner.

Community fair will be a first-time event for town
By Alyson Fortney

After two years of planning, Grain Valley will have its first annual fair this fall.
Dennis Bundren, chairperson of the Grain Valley Fair Association, explained the idea originated as a brainstorm of his two years ago. Burden chose representatives from various organizations in town to serve in the 10-member association.
The Grain Valley Fair,  scheduled for Sept. 29, 30 and October 1, promises to be full of thrills, food, contest and exhibits.

     The article went on to discuss the rides and games of chance, crafts and baked goods from local 4-H clubs, a hot-air balloon race, a demolition derby, a ’66 Mustang display by the Mustang Club of Kansas City and a beer garden. There was no mention of a parade.
     In 1993 the fair was held at the 94-acre Grain Valley Memorial Fairground on Old U.S. 40 east of Main Street. In 1995, the board purchased Gannon-Thomas Hall, formerly owned by the VFW, on Old 40 just west of the fairgrounds. In addition to the fair, the facilities were used for community and private functions, sand drag races and the Kansas City Indian Club Pow-Wow.
     In the 1997 Guide to Grain Valley, Bill Bushey, president of the Grain Valley Fair Association boasted the fair was “one of the biggest activities in the city this year”. The fair must have been held in June for a few years, because in 1997 the association changed the date to July 24-27 to have a lesser chance of rain. The parade that year was the biggest in history as some 300 Shriners were there with motorcycles and trick cars, bands and flashy outfits!
     The Historical Society will be opened on Saturday, September 10, from 12:00 – 4 PM. Come visit us before and after the parade goes down Main Street. In addition to our exhibits, we will have FREE ICE WATER! We also have GV t-shirts, 2022 Christmas ornaments, and 2023 historical calendars. All would make great Christmas gifts.
            See you at the Fair!
 
 

     Today I took a ride. I didn’t go far, maybe five miles from home, but I was on some roads I hadn’t traveled  for years, maybe never. Since beginning this series on how a road got its name, I decided I needed to drive down the road. Turns out, this week I will be writing about two roads: Hardsaw Road and Nebgen Road.
     Hardsaw is a north/south road than spans about four miles from R. D. Mize, east of Buckner Tarsney Road, to Colbern Road. It crosses Nebgen Road about half-way along the route. Turns out, the Hardsaw family and the Nebgen family both settled south of Grain Valley about the same time.
     David Eugene Hardsaw, Sr. was born on May 21, 1862 in New Amsterdam; a small town in one of the southernmost counties of Indiana. He married Clara Crawford and seven of their nine children were born in Indiana before they moved to Lawrenceburg, Tennessee in 1901. The 1910 and 1920 U. S. Census tells us they were living in Kansas City Ward 5, Wyandotte County, Kansas. He worked for an oil company. It was not until the 1930 U. S. Census that I found any reference to their living in Van Buren Township, Jackson County, Missouri.
     Since he died in 1936, his time as a farmer in Eastern Jackson County would have been short. I have found no clues as to where their home might have been along the road, perhaps near Jenkins Road which connects Hardsaw  Road to Corn Road. David Hardsaw, his wife Clara, and two of their children are buried in the Koger Cemetery on Corn Road.
     William Frederic Nebgen was born in East St. Louis, Illinois on December 26, 1873. By 1898 he had moved to Mt. Leonard, in Saline County (north of I-70 and Sweet Springs, MO). He married Clara Wilhelmina Mueller and they had five children before moving to Pryor, Oklahoma in 1910. Two of their children were born in Oklahoma. In 1919 their last child, Clarabelle* was born in Missouri. The 1920 U. S. Census has Sni-A-Bar Township as their residence. 
     Mr. Nebgen was a farmer and while I am unsure of their exact location along Nebgen Road, I presume it was east of the intersection shown above. I only say this because many of the Nebgen descendants live in Oak Grove. His son Elmer (1911-1993) did live within the Grain Valley School District as his sons Donald and Clyde Nebgen were 1955 and 1958 graduates of GVHS.
     Sometimes I wonder why roads are named for people that only lived there a short while. At least four generation of the Stephenson family have lived on Nebgen Road, dating back to the late 1800s. Maybe there was no road in those days? Or maybe they were at the end of Oak Hill School Road?
 
Personal Note: Clarabelle C Nebgen (Mrs. James Shrout) passed away in March, 2022. A life-long resident of Oak Grove, she was 102 years old.
​

     School is back in session, after-school activity schedules are booking up and carpooling everyone’s friends from one sporting event to the next is keeping your family busier than ever! It’s time to recharge and refuel with help from your Hy-Vee dietitian team just in time for National Family Meals Month!
     You may have noticed your family members picking up eating habits and cues from one another at mealtime. We have found that families that improve their healthy eating habits as a whole achieve lasting success rather than if only one family member is working on their health and wellness. Begin 4 Families is our four-week virtual nutrition education program where we encourage the whole family to focus on their health while building a positive relationship with food and giving them the knowledge to fuel their bodies.
     Each week of Begin 4 Families programming will focus on a different health topic where a Hy-Vee dietitian will provide realistic and useful tips on:

• Food 4 Fuel - how to properly fuel the body
• Shopping 4 You - create balance with food groups
• Healthy Habits 4 You - foster healthy habits
• Family Meals 4 You - improve the quantity and quality of family meals

     Enjoy games and activities to make the sessions fun for the whole family! Plus, end each session with a simple follow-along recipe to prepare like this quick and easy snack: Balanced Bagel.
 
Balanced Bagel
Serves 1

All you need:
½ whole-wheat bagel
2 tbsp peanut or almond butter
½ banana, sliced
1 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips
​
All you do:

1. Spread peanut butter on bagel and top with banana slices and mini dark chocolate chips. Enjoy!

 
Recipe source: https://hy-veekidsfit.com/
 
 
     Throughout the month of September, we are offering Begin 4 Families for FREE! Does your family have a busy schedule and can’t commit to the same date and time each week? You can also opt for the on-demand version of Begin 4 Families where you can watch a Hy-Vee dietitian walk through the program when it works best for your busy family. You can register for one of our three virtual sessions for free with a promo code from your local Hy-Vee dietitian!
 
The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice
​

            As another school year begins, I wonder about all the “school” roads in and around Grain Valley: Oakland School Road, Owens School Road, Morland School Road, Oak Hill School Road and Murphy School Road, just to name a few. 
            Were the roads named before the schools or did the schools name the roads. Good question and one for which we may never know the true answer.  I am not certain as to when or how Murphy School Road got its name. But, allow me to tell you what I do know.
            John Camelin Murphy was born in Chillicothe, Ohio on July 13, 1837.  It is not recorded if he came to Missouri alone or with his family. I did learn that in 1871 he married Agnus Hanna who was living with her family in Napoleon (Lafayette County) according to the 1860 United States Census. While their marriage was recorded in Jackson County, March 5, 1871, the birthplace of their older children and the 1880 United States Census still has them living in Lafayette County. The 1900 US census places the Murphy family in Sni-A-Bar Township, Jackson County, Missouri. We can only assume they lived on what is now Murphy School Road.  They had five children. Daughter Eva died at age three.  They had three other daughters and one son.
            But here is the twist to the story. According to a history compiled by members of the Fort Osage DAR  more than 30 years ago, Murphy School was originally Latimer School.  It was built on land donated by John B. Campbell in the late 1880s.
The Murphy’s oldest daughter, Maggie Bell, was a teacher. Perhaps she taught there. Perhaps I’ll never know. “Bell,” as she was called, went on to teach in the Philippines, where she died in 1934. One daughter, Laura, moved with her family to Oklahoma. James moved to Jefferson County, just south of the St. Louis Metro.  Rose Alpha Murphy married John William Kirby and remained in the area. Rose and John Kirby are buried at the  Oak Grove (Missouri) Cemetery.
John, Agnus, and their son James are buried at Greens Chapel cemetery on Steinhauser Road, just north of Murphy School Road. John Campbell is also buried there.
So once again, I’m left with many more questions than answers. Who were the Latimers? When did the school’s name change? Why did the name change? When did the road become Murphy School Road? What was it called when the Latimer school was located there? If you are reading this article and have any information, PLEASE reach out to me. Meanwhile, I’ll keep trying to learn more about “the rest of the story.”
 
Personal note: I think Paul Harvey must have had many more researchers and lots more time to do the research!

     Last week’s article included the names of several old roads in Jackson County, specifically in the Grain Valley area. Because I’ve lived in Grain Valley for nearly three quarters of a century, I know how most of these roads got their name.  I’m so old, I even remember many of the families for whom the roads were named!
     Some roads in the newer subdivisions are still being named for family members; some of those individuals have never lived in our community. In fifty or a hundred years will anyone wonder who they were? Will they even care?
     While I remember Bob Majors, several of the Nebgen brothers, Cleve and Shelton Fristoe, Levi Potts, Elmer Duncan, Lee Seymour and a few others, I ponder over how roads like Hardsaw, Howell, Sweeney, Rust and James Rollo Drive got their names.
     What does one do to have a road, a park, a stadium, a building, a school, or even a room named in their honor? And how have others, who made a significant contribution to our town, been left out?
     In the past, I have given a brief history of some of the roads, the football stadium and Matthews Elementary School, but over the next few weeks I hope to learn more history about the people behind other names we see in our community. If you know any history behind the name of any of our streets or roads, I hope you will pass it along to the Grain Valley Historical Society.  I’ll let you know what I find out!
     This week, I’ll tell you about Major Road, 2 ½ miles south of town. Although the road now goes straight West from Buckner Tarsney to Cook Road, the original dirt road wound through the countryside, taking a much less direct route toward the Blue Springs Tarsney Road, now State Highway 7. I would also note that it is called “Major”, but the family name was Majors. 
     Luther Majors came to Grain Valley from Kentucky, via Cass County, in 1872 and remained until his death on April 30, 1938. He and his wife Eva raised three children; Cora, Robert and Jennie. While I could find no record of any schooling, they would most likely have completed some elementary years at Stony Point.
​     Cora and Jennie married and moved away; Cora to Oklahoma and Jennie to California. Robert, however, remained single and worked the family farm until his death in 1964 at age 86.  At the time of his death, Bob had only one living relative, a nephew, Richard Vernon Vosburgh.  I will need to do further research to discover what happened to the land.
 

     Over the past few weeks, I have reviewed several topics in Marjorie Tate’s Rural Sociology notebook about Grain Valley and Jackson County. If you visit the Historical Society Museum, there are many more pages you would probably finding interesting.  After all, Miss Tate did a very thorough report on rural Jackson County 100 years ago. 
     I will conclude my writing this week by sharing a portion of the 1922 Jackson County Map which she included in her notebook. Beginning up North (at the top of the map) you will see that many of the “old towns” of Jackson County are no longer “on our maps.”
     Those towns include Atherton, Courtney, Cement City, Ripley and Lake City. Yes, there was a town at Lake City which once had nearly 1,000 people living there. I don’t wish to insult anyone, but you could almost include Sibley and Levasy in that list. Sibley is and probably always will be alive because of Fort Osage and it is also the home of Jackson County Public Water District # 16, the Evergy Power Plant and the Sibley Orchard. I think there is still one farm store in Levasy. Both towns lack today’s essentials - food and gasoline!
     Further south on the 1922 map are the other now defunct towns which include Little Blue, Knobtown, Tarsney, Cockrell and Sni Mills. In those days, each of these towns had a U. S. Post Office, along with a general store. While some were larger than others, I believe most had a livery stable, a small hotel, a restaurant and a saloon! And the Missouri Pacific Railroad crossed through Levasy, Lake City, and Ripley.
     Over the years, many of the roads have received new names. Did you know that one hundred years ago, Buckner Tarsney Road was known as Buckner-Grain Valley Road? When Spring Branch Road was resurfaced and straightened (I remember all of those curves and sharp turns from my youth) in the early 1960s, it was renamed Truman Road after the hometown boy and 33rd President of the United States.
     In 1922, Highway 24 was known as the Harry B. Hawes State Highway. While Mr. Hawes had many years of public service including the Missouri House and Senate, the U. S. Senate and Ambassador to Spain, between 1917-1920 he was president of the Missouri Good Roads Federation and of the Federated Roads Council of St. Louis.
     Before U. S. 40 Highway was created in 1926, Sni-a-Bar Road was the main route from Grain Valley to Kansas City. Other important roads in Jackson County 100 years ago included R. D. Mize, Colborn and Woods Chapel. Many roads simply got their names because of the towns they connected; Lee’s Summit-Lone Jack Road, Courtney-Atherton Road and Blue Springs-Tarsney Road (now part of 7 Highway) to name a few.
     I’m sure there are many more changes of which I am unaware. I welcome you to visit the Grain Valley Historical Society Museum and fill us in on your early knowledge of Grain Valley and Jackson County. Add to our historical records; let us know what you know!
     During the fall and winter months the Historical Society is opened on Wednesday from 10 AM – 3 PM, or by appointment. Check us out on our web site – www.grainvalleyhistory.com
​

     They say that confession is good for the soul, so pull up a chair. What you are about to read may set you back a decade or two. I have decided to do all the confessing at one time, get a good soul cleansing, and start anew.
     I think I better begin with a big one first: I have never seen the movie Titanic. When the movie came out, I was in graduate school, and every spare moment was spent on the computer, in the library, or grabbing much needed sleep.
     And before long I had heard so much about it that I almost felt like, "What's the point? I basically know the plot anyway." 
     I vaguely remember someone hosting an Oscar's watch party that year, which would normally be my jam because I love a good party, but they were dressing in costumes and serving period food, all in the hopes of Titanic sweeping the big awards show. I played sick. 
     When a movie is released today, it is in the theater for about a hot minute, and then streaming somewhere 30 seconds later. In 1997, it was in the theatre forever, then at Blockbuster as a rental, then available for purchase, then finally relegated to cable channels you paid extra for, and then and only then, available on "regular t.v.". 
     Somewhere in that dichotomy of offerings and chances to watch it, I sort of dug in and decided to take a stand. I simply would not watch Titanic. Some people fall on political swords, but apparently I fell on an iceberg.
    I had no particular aversion to Leonardo or a fear of boats or anything that would be good fodder for a therapist's couch. It even became my lie in the “Three Truths and a Lie” game people use for icebreakers.
    "Well, everybody has seen Titanic, so that must be her lie," they would say, and I would be well on my way to winning the gift card giveaway.
    Since taking my no Titanic stand some 25 years ago, it has been hard to avoid any discussion of the movie, so I actually understand a lot of the references-- a couple in love, a sinking ship, and Rose’s choice to let Jack go.
     Oops. Hope I didn’t spoil it for the one other person in the world who hasn’t seen it. I suppose my heart will go on, if you know what I mean.
      If my first confession didn’t shock you, stay tuned. This next one is a pretty big admission, too. Ready? I like cheap wine. Whew. Feels good to get that out.
     Pour me a sweet and fruity Winking Owl beverage and set a pricey offering right next to it, and I will pick the junk wine in a taste test every time. The good news about this confession is that my husband says this makes me a cheap date-- wait a minute, he may have meant that in a more derogatory way than I first took it.
    The bad news is, in a culture currently obsessed with wine, I am the odd woman out. I don’t have a collection of corks, because the wine bottle with the screw top works just fine for me.
     I really have tried to like the better stuff. My husband and I went to a wine tasting charity event. We liked the beautiful outdoor setting, the appetizers, and all the people there.
    But the wine? Meh. My husband claimed to have been able to detect the notes of oak and orange in one of the samples, but I should remind you this is the same fellow who thinks Velveeta is good cheese. 
    I was particularly intrigued with the process of cleansing our palates after each sampling, mostly because it was hilarious to watch grown-ups spitting into Dixie cups. I held out for one last sample of a wine that was supposed to have a distinctive, easily identifiable taste.
    The other 19 people there closed their eyes and swished it around in their mouths and said, "Mmmmm". The consensus was it tasted like chocolate covered cherries.
    “Yes!” the sommelier said. To me, it tasted like the Episcopalian communion cup. If you know, you know. 
    So I don't like one of the most famous movies ever, and I don’t have a discerning palate. Can it get any worse? Hold my cheap wine. 
     Confession #3: European history baffles me. Please note that baffles is a much stronger word than confuses. I mean if I was just confused about it, that would indicate that at some point I might get it straight. Being baffled is more permanent, I believe. 
     It is not that I haven’t tried to get all those crazy, land-grabbing dictators and despots all squared away. My daughter was studying European history this year, and I actually kept up with her… through the first week of school.
    When we got into the various kings and queens, out of desperation and embarrassment that I didn’t know the difference between the Romanovs and the Hapsburgs, I offered to help her with math. What I don’t know about math could be a separate confession column all of its own.
    As my daughter inched nearer the world wars in her studies, I jumped back into the European fray. Turns out I just knew the American side of the wars. This whole being-an-ally-in-one-war and then switching-allegiance-in-another puts me in turmoil of my own.  
     I have finally cemented in my mind that Britain and France are pretty much always our buddies now, and this is good news for me, as I like both bangers and mash and croissants, and I would be sad to eat enemy food.
   What happened with Italy and Russia? You liked us in World War I, but by World War II, we weren’t on the same kickball team anymore.
   I think part of my bafflement is that I never understood the International Dateline in 4th grade social studies class. So apparently anything on the other side of that is simply out of my grasp.
   Lastly, I would like to make a couple of confessions about my television viewing. If you think I am going to confess that I sometimes binge, well, sure. But so does pretty much everybody I know.
    If you think I am going to confess that I prefer one genre over another, well, sure, I like a good game show or medical drama way more than reality t.v. What I have to confess is much bigger and potentially damaging to my status as a card carrying t.v. connoisseur.
    I do not like American Ninja Warrior. There. I said it, and I feel better already.
     I realize it glorifies the underdog, it contains the important element of not knowing exactly when someone will fall into a tepid chest-high tank of water, and age and gender are no barriers to competition.
     And yes, all the competitors have these great back stories, and they look good in soccer shorts and close fitting tank tops, which makes me hate them and the show on general principal.
     My husband and daughter talk about the warrior obstacles like they are old friends. “She’ll never make it through Cannonball Alley,” they scream. “It’s a dream killer.”
   All the while, my biceps are aching, and I am having flashbacks to the President’s Physical Fitness test and the dreaded flexed arm hang. I was gifted with a weak upper body, always on display in the yearly knotted rope challenge and the wall peg climb.
    My best friend’s sinewy arms were perfect for the test, and I cheered her from the sidelines, sweating from my previous exertion in my polyester gym suit. She battled it out with scabby-knee’d elementary boys, and we bragged about her win over our square slices of cafeteria pizza.
    So what would I rather watch than American Ninja Warrior? Almost anything, but specifically my soap opera, and there you have my last confession. I really like my soap.
    Yes, the characters have terrible habits like falling into comas, marrying and divorcing their brothers or cousins, driving wedges into families with thefts and betrayals, slapping one another in times of turmoil, and baby swapping. But they have a certain appeal.
     Thanks to Botox and good lighting, soap stars are ageless. No matter how bad a day I have had, one of them has always had it worse, but still manages to look fabulous.
     Even their identical twins have an identical twin or a hidden triplet. They find and lose love faster than I can switch the channel away from Ninja Warrior. Best of all, they are my escape from reality.
   I think I am finished confessing for today. I am headed into the kitchen to grab a cup of ice for my wine, and maybe hunt down the remote to see if I can catch a WWII documentary before my soap comes on.
 

     For a few weeks I have been sharing parts of a college notebook assignment completed by Marjorie Tate, a Grain Valley resident and a student at Central Missouri State Teachers College in the early 1920s. Perhaps because one of my favorite classes at Mizzou was Rural Sociology with Dr. Hobbs, I continue to enjoy reading about Jackson County and specifically Grain Valley. 
     Because Miss Tate’s work was completed 100 years ago, the information, while written from one personal view, provides an interesting perspective of our past.
     One section of her report dealt with Cooperatives and Miss Tate shared her understanding of the term. “Cooperation is the act of persons, voluntarily united, of utilizing reciprocally their own forces, resources, or both, under their mutual management and to their common profit or loss.” 
     She identified several types of cooperation in Jackson County. In her words, “… including work, selling and shipping livestock, selling and transporting cream, buying coal and corn, transporting children to school, cooking for threshers, in church and in lodge.”
     At that same time, there were in Jackson County at least six cooperative enterprises.

1. The Cooperative Dairy Association was made up of just over 1200 milk producers which operated for the purpose of selling dairy products.
2. The Blue Springs Wool Growers’ Association had approximately 120 members. Each year on a certain day they would pool their wool to sell at a special auction.
3. The Jackson County Apple Growers’ Association was formed in 1915 for the purpose of buying spring materials and orchard needs and for selling apples.
4. Duroc Jersey Hog Breeder Association
5. Poland China (Hog) Breeders’ Association
6. Shorthorn Cattle Breeders’ Association

     Miss Tate noted in her report that she did not think Jackson County needed to cooperate as much as other counties due to the proximity of the Kansas City markets and the easy methods of transportation.
     As for the social life and social clubs, it is interesting to note that 100 years ago, the study was about funds provided for social life, issues that might divide a community, the role of the school in the community, provisions for youth, provision for disabled, and questions regarding isolation of individuals and families. The report even included the number of telephones in Missouri, 404,150. (The number of telephones in Grain Valley and Jackson County was not reported.)
     One of the questions for the report was, “Has the community ever been broken up over any sort of questions?” Miss Tate reported on the community divide created by the consolidation of the school district in 1909, but stated that it is “now established and recognized as a helpful factor.”
     As for social clubs in the 1920s, her report included the following:
     Women’s Clubs (and don’t ask me what they were) Happy Hour Club, Bar Temps Club,  XXIV Club, WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union), YPB (When I googled this, I got prohibition  issues, but I cannot be certain for what the letter stood for), Ladies Aid Societies, Canning Clubs, Garden Clubs, Boys’ Clubs: Pig Club & Calf Club, 4-H Girls’ Clubs: Campfire Girls, 4-H.
     Once again, the report included lots of social activities centered around the Grain Valley School. From sporting events to dances with picnics, pie and box socials, and traveling picture shows in the park, it seems to me that the good folks of Grain Valley found plenty to do.