Cedar County Historical Society discusses ‘Voices of the Past’

The Cedar County Historical Society met at the museum on Stockton on Monday, Aug. 31. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. Members in attendance were: President Judy Nichols, Vice President Sheila Griggs, Secretary Connie Maupin, Treasurer Linda Betlock, Members:  Judi Cain, Ellis Benham, Joe B. Phillips, Bob Phillips, Carl Reeves, Bob Estes, Anna Laura Hopkins, and Fred Allenbaugh.

Vice President Sheila Griggs discussed preparations for the upcoming Cemetery Walk, “Voices of the Past,” an event planned for the evening of October 23 and 24 at the Stockton City Cemetery. Actors share interesting short stories about people who once lived in Cedar County, bringing their memories back to life. Local actors often dress in period clothing to depict the era that the person lived in. The history has nothing to do with Halloween or is meant to be frightening. The walks are also done throughout the country, primarily in October. Other local walks occur at Bolivar, Nevada, Clinton, St. Louis, Kansas City and the unequaled cemetery walk in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

The society has invited the teachers and students of the performing arts program at the Stockton High School to participate in the event by giving a monologue about a chosen individual. The area of the cemetery selected this fall is where many Cedar County founders and influential people are buried.

There is a need for more volunteers, including: tour guides, actors to present monologues, people to assist parking and ticket taking, set-up and break-down. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the society by e-mail at: cedarcomohistsoc@gmail.com or call: 417-276-1142 and leave a message. A September meeting of the cemetery walk committee will be announced soon.

Sheila also discussed the Third Annual Stockton All-School Reunion to be held September 26, 2026, at the Stockton Christian Church Activity Center at 703 West Street (Highway 32) in Stockton. This will be a “come and go” event at your leisure, so you can also enjoy the Black Walnut Festival activities and specific class reunions going on that day. The time will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be provided. The old red brick school building will also be open for you to visit as well. If you want to meet-up with classmates at the same time, it is suggested that you contact them or your class sponsor and let them know of your arrival time.

Sheila continues work in the research library and has all of the vintage maps in sections except for a few that are too fragile to display. Some maps and sections still need permanent labeling.

Judy Nichols is still working to get the large 1961 plat book recopied. It will take some time, due to having it trimmed down, equally sized and scanned.

The “Smith-Nafus Register of Funerals” book that Judy Nichols is having re-printed will, hopefully, be finished in time for the Walnut Festival. It contains the detailed register of burials, the person’s name, who paid the bill, casket types, grave openings, cemetries used, the hearse and the price of burial. It spans the years 1902 to 1924, when the book was finally filled and they moved-on to a new register. The business was sold to W. C. Davis Undertaking in Stockton in 1928. Nafus then moved to El Dorado Springs to work with his father, who had a burial service there.

Fred Allenbaugh gave an update about the American Legion’s new hall planned to be built soon.

It was recently announced that friends of the Wagoner-Cedar Bluff School at Wagoner, are holding their annual get-together and potluck meal to be held on Saturday, September 12, at 4:00 p.m. Drinks and paper products will be provided. They will be raffling off a couple of guns and some new fishing equipment. A limited number of tickets will be sold, so there will be several chances to win. They will also hold an auction of donated items. If you have anything lying around the house that you would like to donate it would be appreciated. Your contributions help keep the school house and the playground equipment repaired for future generations. If you would like to attend, please bring a covered food item and a lawn chair. For information or to make a donation, call: 417-276-4799 and leave a message.

President and Museum Curator, Judy Nichols, has constructed a new display for the El Dorado Springs items, including a scrap book with photos and documents. She has also added to the Jerico Springs display.

Society members expressed their appreciation to Fred Allenbaugh for his articles about society member, Bob Phillips, Burl Emet Phillips and Jerry Akins that were printed in the Cedar County Republican News.

Judy Nichols will be making flyers for the Walnut Festival. A suggestion was made by Sheila Griggs to attach balloons to the “Museum Open” signs at the street to draw attention. More lyceum and tour books will also need to be printed before the festival.

Later in the meeting, it was discussed to change the 2027 CCHS meetings to the second Monday of the month. Members agreed by acclimation. The official dates will be announced in the spring of 2027.

The museum will be not be open on September 19 due to preparations for the Walnut Festival. The next meeting will be Monday, September 21 at 1:00 p.m. at the museum.

The museum will be open during the Black Walnut Festival on September 25 and 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 8 p.m., for the annual White Elephant Sale and FREE tours of the museum.

Donations to the museum in August were: Vintage photos of the Huff sisters and their family, by Judy Lichterman. Five Sac River Valley Bank baseball caps, by Joe B. Phillips. Plastic sleeves for archival documents, by Connie Maupin

The Cedar County Museum and Research Library are located at 106 West Davis Street in Stockton, Missouri. Admission is Free. For information, appointments, or to purchase publications call 417-276-1142, email at cedarcomohistsoc@gmail.com, on Facebook at “Cedar County Mo Historical Society – Official Page,” or by mail at P. O. Box 111, Stockton, MO 65785.