Community

James and Joyce Wheeler Lawrence will celebrate their 50th anniversary on May 27. The couple were married May 27, 1972, at First United Methodist Church in Monett with Rev. Jim Fulbright officiating. Their children, Scott Lawrence and Aaron Lawrence (Jessica), along with their grandchildren, Addison Lawrence, Whitney Lawrence, Lakyn Lawrence, Cullen Lawrence, Dahlia Fabiani, Kyla Fabiani, and Rayanna Fabiani, will host a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, at Liberty United Methodist Church, 21034 Lawrence 1090, Monett. The omission of gifts is requested.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO May 29-June 4, 1942 • The Monett Steam Laundry has installed a new triple-head steam presser. The Pantex shirt unit works on an assembly line basis, with cuffs and collars ironed in one operation and sleeves put over two form pressers.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO May 23-29, 1942 • A bumper strawberry crop has proved very challenging, selling for $2.70 to $3 a crate. Pickers are badly needed and crates are in short supply due to a fire at the manufacturer in Monett, a shortage expected to cost growers around $100,000 in unpicked berries.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO May 16-22, 1942 • The Monett Times published its May 16 edition as a tabloid, referring to it as Victory Size, as an experiment in paper conservation. Public sentiment did not support the change and the paper stayed in its regular broadsheet version thereafter.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO May 9-15, 1942 • R.M. Callaway died at age 83 on May 9.