From boll weevils to the green fields of Crowley's Ridge

Sunday, August 30, 2015
MADELINEDEJOURNETTadvancensc@sbcglobal.net Frances Moore displays her state genealogy award, one of many she has received for her 40 years of historical research. She first began with her own family history, revealing the secret of her Native American heritage that had remained hidden, when she was a child.

Frances Moore was born on her family's farm in Morrilton, AR in 1935, one of four girls.

"The boll weevils ate our cotton and the drought killed our corn and pasture, so we moved to Missouri in 1950," Moore remembers. "I still take the old Morrilton Democrat, but I'm running out of people I know. I go back each year, but I tell them each year may be the last. I can't believe I'm 80 years old."

Moore was 16 years old, when she and Norman Moore started dating, and she was 17 when they were married in 1953.

"I graduated on a Thursday night, and we were married on a Saturday," Moore says. "I don't know why we were in such a hurry," she adds, in her customary blunt fashion.

The couple lived in Jackson, MO ten years and Commerce ten years. They were living in Vinson, a region just east of Bernie, when an eye doctor told her, "If you want to keep on seeing, get out of this dust!"

In 1973, they moved to Bloomfield, nestled in the green hills of Crowley's Ridge. Norman Moore bought and sold cattle, and they built their current home in 1975.

Norman Moore was presiding Stoddard County Commissioner for 12 years. He died in 2009.

Frances Moore has been interested in history most of her life.

"I started going to the Stoddard County Historical Society meetings with Betty Norman," Moore says. She has been involved in her own genealogical history and that of the region ever since. She has been the historical society president and is currently the treasurer of the group, overseeing the current replacing of the roof on the historic cabin in Bloomfield park.

"We thought we had a 100-year roof, when we put that old shingle roof on the cabin," Moore admits. "It wasn't. Now, it's costing us $6,000 to replace it."

Legendary Bell City resident Joe Brown hand crafted the original shingles, each of which had the name of a $5.00 donation made to the historic cabin, which was moved into the park from Cline's Island 42 years ago.

Moore has been an important part of the various historical projects over the last 40 years.

The preservation of the historic county courthouse has been one such project for Moore. She was responsible for drawing up the necessary documents needed to place the courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places in September, 1984.

In 2010, Moore was one of several members of the historical society who approached the county commission to save the courthouse, and in 2014 she was on the committee to procure grant writer Kathy Skelton to write a DNR grant to repair the cupola on the historic structure. In January, 2015, Skelton received word that the grant had been approved, and the county would receive a 70/30 $100,000 grant to complete the work.

Moore has received several awards for her contribution to preserving history. In August of 2009, she traveled to Jefferson City to receive the Missouri State Genealogy Association's Director's Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the organization. She was selected from a field of 400 applicants for a lifetime of service to the genealogy community.

In 1985, as president of the historical society, Moore presided over the city's sesquicentennial celebration. She was instrumental in the creation of the "History of Stoddard County" book published that year.

Moore's contribution to her community goes beyond historical interests, however. As president of Trinity United Methodist Women, she has supported the Semo Food Bank and several other church projects. She has cooked meals for seniors and helped them when they could no longer stay at home.

Other projects and awards include Cancer Crusade Chairman for Stoddard County, Woman of the Year for the 8th District Democratic Women, and work with the Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years. For her work with the scouts, Moore has received the Osage District Award of Merit.

It has been a busy 80 years for this girl who grew up on an Arkansas cotton farm, but Bloomfield and Stoddard County are all the richer for her contribution to this community.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: