Ura Belle Clarkson

Ura was the daughter of Joseph Josephus (Jake or to tall Jake) and Eva Bell "Ball" Mefford. She was born in Shelby County, Missouri along with her siblings Sylvia Jane, Elmer and Eva Lee Mefford. She married John Arthur Clarkson 19 May 1917 in Emden, MO., and to that union were born two sons Laurel Wesley and John Arthur Clarkson II. Grandma loved to cook, and garden, she had a beautiful circular flower garden out in front of their home. The people of Hunnewell were a tight knit community as it seemed that they always had company. She wrote a weekly commentary for her area for the Hunnewell Graphic newspaper. (The who visited who and what neighbor was in the hospital type articles), she did this for several years. She loved her family and spending time with them. But we as kids always like to see how far we could get with grandma especially when Uncle Wesley and his family would come to visit from Delaware. we would go get a salt shaker and sit in her tomato patch at night and eat her tomatoes and at bedtime we would talk and laugh with our cousins that we hadn't seen for a couple of years. Grandma would get the broom and tap on the ceiling and tell us to quiet down and go to sleep. You will always be thought of fondly Grandma and missed. Love always Your Granddaughter Mary Hunnewell Standard 25 April 1958 Our Correspondent North of Town Items Mrs. Arthur Clarkson Mrs. Ura Belle Clarkson, Correspondent for North of town items covers the Union Chapel community in her reporting, as well as the Prairie View area. She is also well known to all local reader of the Standard since she was born near Hunnewell where she has lived all her life. Her parents word Jake and Eva (Ball) Mefford who migrated here from Kentucky. Her father J. J. Medford served as a member of the Hunnewell Board of Education for many years. Mrs. Clarkson, the oldest of four children, attended Hunnewell grade and high school and graduated with the class of 1915, the largest ever to graduate from the local high school; and she wishes me to state they were intensely proud of their high school and their large class. She is a member of the Christian Church in Hunnewell, but also works with the Union Chapel church congregation where she is treasurer of the current funds of that church. She was married to Arthur Clarkson May 20th 1917, and they have two sons, Laurel Wesley of Delaware, and John Arthur of Hunnewell. They also have six grandsons and three granddaughters. Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson have lived in the Union Chapel community for the past several years, where Mrs. Clarkson served as clerk of the school district there from 1949; and from 1950 until 1957 when the district annexed to Hunnewell special district she was also a member of the board of directors. Mrs. Clarkson was also a correspondent for the former Hunnewell Graphic for many years before its demise. The Standard staff believes it has been fortunate in acquiring so many correspondents who have had previous experience with local reporting and we appreciate the full coverage they give to their communities, as well as the splendid manner in which they report the news. Copy on file at The Shelby County MO. Historical Society