Sarah Esther Case was the first woman foreign missionary in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Batesville in Independence County. Born in Izard County in 1868, she joined the Woman’s Foreign Mission Society at the age of 18. She was well-educated and served as a teacher and principal in Mexico for many years. Her mission work carried her to Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Orient. She died in 1932 and is buried beside her parents in Oaklawn Cemetery. and is buried beside her parents in Oaklawn Cemetery.

You can find out more about her interesting life by reading Nancy Britton’s full article at https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/sarah-esther-case-1613/.

Four carpenter augers for use with wood, mounted on board and covered with burlap. Largest auger 14″ x 17″, smallest 13″ no handle. Measurement of entire board: 18 1/2 x 26 1/2.  Owned by James S. Smith, suveyor for Independence County 1869-1872.   Burge/Deere collection

On March 4, 2021 we celebrate National Pancake Day!   In Batesville, the word “pancakes” may bring to mind the well-established Kiwanis Club Pancake Day.  The following excerpt is from an article by Dr. O.E. Jones in The Batesville Daily Guard on October 8, 1971:

“In July the Board of Directors of the Batesville Kiwanis club approved a move to change the name of the Kiwanis Pancake Day to Chubby Menard Day in honor of the man who brought more innovative ideas to Kiwanis in Batesville than probably any other man in the club’s 43-year history . . .

Chubby will be especially missed at the Pancake Day by his many friends.  He was a super pancake ticket salesman, and he always had some scheme for one of his fellow Kiwanians whereby he could good naturedly swindle you out of your tickets and resell them—always for the benefit of Kiwanis Boy’s and Girl’s work.”

Kiwanis Club breakfast.  Jim Edwards is on the left, cooking pancakes.  Polaroid picture.  Conner Collection.  (Powell-Guard Collection # 1771)

Chubby Menard is in a happy mood as he reports to the shirt-sleeved Board of Batesville Chamber of Commerce that Ten-Cent Ball put the club in the black for the year (September 1941 meeting). (Estate, Bess Wolf collection)

:     Menard Grocery # 1 with Chubby Menard in front.  This building currently houses Big’s of Batesville restaurant.

Children at Central School PTA and Halloween, 1968, Batesville. They are shown eating and drinking bottled Coca Cola.  Both white and black children at dining tables. (OIRM Estate of John Purtle collection)