Yeakley Chapel west of Springfield predates Route 66 by about 40 years

West of Springfield, Missouri, down a rural section of Route 66, Yeakley Chapel boasts a congregation that predates the Mother Road by 60 years and a chapel itself that predates the highway by four decades. KSMU radio, a PBS station in the area, posted a story about the Methodist congregation there, which dates to the … Continue reading Yeakley Chapel west of Springfield predates Route 66 by about 40 years

Jerry White, co-operator of Whitehall Merchantile in Halltown, dies at 87

Jerry White, who co-operated Whitehall Mercantile along Route 66 in Halltown, Missouri, for many years, died Wednesday at Mercy Hospital in nearby Springfield. He was 87. Jerry White Jerry's wife, Thelma, not only owned the business in Halltown but both were charter members of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Thelma died in 2010 after … Continue reading Jerry White, co-operator of Whitehall Merchantile in Halltown, dies at 87

Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown will close in a few weeks

Whitehall Mercantile, a stop for many Route 66 in travelers in Halltown, Missouri, for more than 30 years, probably will close before the end of the year. Owner Jerry White, 83, told the Ozarks Alive blog there are two reasons he likely will shutter the antiques business a few years after his wife, Thelma, died: … Continue reading Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown will close in a few weeks

Gay Parita memorial garden nearly finished

Barbara Turner's memorial garden for her late parents is nearly finished several months after she took over the Gay Parita gas-station site west of Halltown, Missouri. Barbara Turner announced her intentions to build the garden that would contain her parents' cremains shortly after taking over the property in April. During the early 2000s, Gary Turner … Continue reading Gay Parita memorial garden nearly finished

A story about Gay Parita station’s reopening

KYTV in Springfield, Missouri, aired a 2 1/2-minute feature on the Barbara Turner's resurrection of the Gay Parita gas station on Route 66 west of Halltown, Missouri. The segment contains footage of the station's late original owner and Barbara's father, Gary Turner, in 2008. And wait until you hear the story about the clock: You … Continue reading A story about Gay Parita station’s reopening

Daughter revives Gary Turner’s Gay Parita station

The daughter of Gary Turner reopened the much-loved Gay Parita gas station west of Halltown, Missouri, 15 months after its patriarch died at age 70. Barbara Turner moved into her father and mother's home behind the Route 66 landmark less than two weeks ago. She quit her longtime job as a theater manager and sold … Continue reading Daughter revives Gary Turner’s Gay Parita station

More 1993 videos of a Route 66 trip

Anthony Reichardt of Santa Ana, California, has uploaded four more videos from 1993, when he and a friend drove a 1959 Cadillac down old Route 66. The first is Thelma White, longtime proprietor of Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown, Missouri. She also was a co-founder of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. She died in 2010, but … Continue reading More 1993 videos of a Route 66 trip