Gentry

"Gentry"
(The red bow has disappeared)

If you drive Missouri Route 14, from West Plains to Ava, you will pass through some of the beauty and ruggedness that make these Ozark Hills famous. However, there is really nothing extraordinary, just hills, hollers, pines, hardwoods, glades... and a crooked, curvy highway.

But when my wife,Tami, and I travel it, there's that one certain place...

Tami and I had our first date on February 15th, 1985. I took her to a church sponsored Sweetheart Banquet and by late spring, we had begun dating steady.

On a particular spring evening, we decided to travel to Ava, eat at the Pizza Hut and look at a project I had been working on in town. After eating a good meal, and driving around the prosperous metropolis of Ava for awhile, we decided to mosey on home.

The sun had set by the time we left and it was dusky dark when we passed through the intersection of 95 Highway at Gentryville. Just down the hill east, right before crossing the Brush Creek bridge, there was couple of old vacant store buildings on the north side of the highway. There was a gravel area right in front of the buildings where you could pull off the highway...

And that's what I did!

Now, I didn't realize it at the time, but Tami was quite concerned. She knew I was a Christian, and surely, surely, I wouldn't be pulling off to "park"! "Maybe he just feels the call of nature" but that too would be very embarrassing! 

In the meantime (while her mind was racing) I had got out and asked Tami to lean forward so I could get something from behind the seat of my truck. I retrieved a little package, put the seat back, handed her the package and got back in.

When she opened it, there was a small stuffed "Bambi" deer inside with a red bow tied around it's neck!

To say she was pleased would be an under statement! Tami immediately dubbed the little buck "Gentry" for the burg we were near and then we traveled on home.

And now, when we travel 14 Highway and pass through Gentryville, we chuckle, remembering this little episode in our courting days and are reminded again of how much we love each other!

As we get close to Valentines Day, there are a couple of observations that I draw from this little adventure in our lives.

Number one, the gift doesn't necessarily have to be big and expensive, to be pleasing. As you can see, Tami has kept this little memento for almost thirty-six years!

Number two, make memories close to home, where you can easily be reminded of them in years to come. A trip to Hawaii or Cancun is nice, but usually, only pictures remain. As Tami and I travel about here in the Ozarks, we are always passing by someplace and saying "Do you remember when we were here...."

After 36 years, all that remains of the old store buildings near Gentryville is the foundations