Synonymous with Stoddard County's name and that of the city of Bloomfield are the names of Jim and Sue Mayo. The history of the county and the preservation of much of its heritage is largely due to the Mayo couple who have called Bloomfield home since childhood.
Growing up in rural Idalia, Jim Mayo recalls listening intently to the tales of his elders and being totally immersed in their stories.
"I enjoyed talking to the older people," he recalls, "but I only realized later that I should have kept records of their stories."
It seems Mayo, even as a child was somewhat of a historian.
"I kept those stories up here," he says, tapping his index finger on his temple.
Today at 83, most of those stories remain amazingly fresh. But, with some hearing loss and with what he refers to as "senior moments," he's hoping a younger generation will step forward to preserve some of the history at hand as he and his wife, Sue, have done for nearly all their married life.
Jim Mayo attended Bluff school in Idalia until entering Bloomfield High School as a freshman. Sue was born one year after Jim and came to Stoddard County at the beginning of third grade. Jim graduated one year ahead of his wife-to-be and then attended the university at Cape Girardeau for two years before joining the U.S. Army, serving in Germany during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Sue, in the meantime, completed her educational degree at the university, eventually earning a certificate to serve as a school librarian.
"Susie's the smart one of the family," Jim chides and nods in his wife's direction.
Spending time with the Mayos, it becomes quickly apparent the two compliment each other in every way. After 46 years of marriage, when one falters with a recollection, the other picks it up. When one pauses in mid-sentence, the other completes it, and neither seems to mind.
With a keen interest in local as well as global history - especially with a focus on the U.S. military - the two have been instrumental in a number of endeavors within Stoddard County for the purpose of preserving the history they jointly cherish.
Stars and Stripes -
the beginning
While many may be familiar with the Stars and Stripes Museum and accompanying library that are housed on the grounds just north of the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield, few are aware of its humble beginnings.
The first issue of the Stars and Stripes, an American military newspaper focusing on matters concerning the U.S. Armed Forces, was published from start to finish in the confines of a small printing operation in downtown Bloomfield.
It was November 1861. Union soldiers of the 8th Illinois Infantry Regiment crossed the Mississippi and joined soldiers of the 11th, 18th and 29th Illinois Infantry Regiments and the 10th Iowa Regiment. The troops occupied the city of Bloomfield and located the abandoned offices and print shop of The Bloomfield Herald. Ten of the soldiers - newspaper men in civilian life - joined forces to publish a newspaper for and about the troops. History was made on Nov. 9, 1861, when the city of Bloomfield became the birthplace of The Stars and Stripes.
The Stars and Stripes would eventually go on to become a weekly source of information for troops during World War I. During World War II, it started again as a weekly April 18, 1942; however, when General Eisenhower assumed command of the European Theater he order it to become a daily. It continues today as a global military news source both in print and online.
That November 1861 edition would serve as the sole Stars and Stripes edition printed in the city of Bloomfield. There is no continuity between that initial publication and the current Stars and Stripes newspaper, but local historians take great pride in the paper's humble beginnings and its alumni recognize Bloomfield as its birthplace. In 1988, the United States Department of Defense presented a brass plaque declaring Bloomfield as the first known location of the printing of the military Stars and Stripes newspaper. The plaque can be viewed on the Missouri World War II red granite monument at the southeast corner of the old courthouse lawn.
Preserving History
Jim has been a member of the Stoddard County Historical Society since the society's inception in 1964. In 1966, serving as president of the society, Jim received a call from J. R. O'Daniell, who then published The Bloomfield Vindicator. It seemed a gentleman who had purchased an older home in an Indiana town found an original 1861 Stars and Stripes in an old roll top desk inside a cardboard cylinder.
Prior to calling The Vindicator, he had contacted the Smithsonian Institute and asked $250 for the paper that was believed to be one of only three existing original 1861 Stars and Stripes that had been printed in Bloomfield. The Smithsonian indicated they would like to have the paper, but lacked funding to purchase it at that time.
"That was a lot of money in 1966," Jim recalls.
O'Daniell and Jim went immediately to Stoddard County's best historian, attorney Elvis Mooney, who told them, "If it is the authentic 1861 Stars and Stripes, it is worth every penny."
They quickly held a historical society telephone meeting and the active membership unanimously voted to meet the Indiana man's price.
"The society had $200 in the bank at the time, so one of the members added $50 and made the purchase," Jim recalls.
When the paper arrived, it was taken to the bank's vault for storage. So began a mission to preserve the heritage and the history of The Stars and Stripes.
In May 1988, Air Force Col. Herbert Geoff Baker, who was affiliated with the present-day Stars and Stripes, spoke to about 600 people at Stoddard County's Annual Memorial Day ceremonies. The Mayos hosted the stay of Baker and Stars and Stripes photo/journalist Master Sgt. Rudy Williams, and while visiting on the Mayo patio following the ceremony, Jim made mention of the fact that The Stars and Stripes should have a museum in its honor.
With the pounding of his fist, Baker exclaimed, "Yes, and it should be right here in Bloomfield," and on that evening, the process began to create what now stands on the south edge of Bloomfield as a tribute to the birthplace of The Stars and Stripes.
Baker, along with Maurice Martin, the secretary-editor for the Pacific Stars and Stripes Alumni Association in 1990, became instrumental in seeking funding and promoting the construction of the current museum/library in Bloomfield. Determined to preserve Bloomfield's proud heritage, while testifying before a congressional committee, Baker explained about The Stars and Stripes beginning in Bloomfield, thus his statement became a part of the congressional record. Baker and Martin promoted cash donations for the museum as well as artifacts and memorabilia.
In 1991, Jim attended a reunion of the Pacific Stars and Stripes Association - a group of men and women who had worked on the paper during its formative years to present. At the Chicago meeting, Jim made a presentation to the gathering, explaining Bloomfield's goal to build a Stars and Stripes Museum and asking for their help in making that possible. As a result, the association became an active partner in the effort.
Realizing a dream
In the early 1990s, Jim solicited the help of every entity he could physically approach to gain support for the idea of establishing the Stars and Stripes Museum. Chambers of commerce, veterans' organizations, American Legions, Amvets and others were asked to join forces to help support the efforts of a committee that had formed to further the museum.
The Bank of Bloomfield provided a large upstairs room of their building where donations were cataloged by a group of enthusiastic ladies. Then the small building on the courthouse square that had been Jim Walker's Barber Shop was opened to the public with a few displays.
Jim is quick to credit others who have been instrumental in the museum's founding, but in those formative years, it was Jim to whom most turned with questions about the project.
"We couldn't have done it without so many good people," Jim says.
He cites the efforts of the Stoddard County commissioners who agreed to provide seven and a half acres for the building site, the late Gary Capps, Tom Howard, Dr. Joe Baker and the late Bill Elmore. The Bank of Bloomfield and the Bank of Advance eagerly got onboard. Former Stars and Stripes printer Ted Adameck provided a private donation of $40,000 to the museum project, and at the same time, the museum board utilized a program called the Missouri Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), a tax credit program, to secure donations in order to complete the building.
"We had volunteers come forward to provide the labor," Jim explains, "We had carpenters, electricians, masons, laborers. People just came forward and volunteered of their time and talents to make this happen. It was incredible."
Jim also credits former Missouri Senator Christopher Bond with securing a grant through HUD to black top the drive. Labor for that project came from the Mingo Job Corps near Puxico. Other grants came forward for printing brochures and providing promotional videos. The first building was completed in 1998 and a reserve unit of See Bees led by Dough Siler of Puxico help complete the addition in 2002.
Having served for 28 of the 29 years as a librarian with Bloomfield schools, Sue Mayo was well prepared to organize, categorize, display and preserve the extensive volumes of historical data that makes up the Stars and Stripes Library.
"I put her to work a day after she retired," Jim laughs, although Sue attests she had a brief period to adjust after leaving Bloomfield schools in 1999.
Jim, who spent his working years raising cattle and then maintaining a grain mill on the north edge of Bloomfield, seems also to have never stopped working.
A donation jar sits on a table in the lobby of the Stars and Stripes for appreciative visitors to drop in a donation as they come and go. There is no permanent annual funding, however, to secure the operation of the facility. Volunteers assist with tour groups or guests who might need additional information as they view the history of America's wars in pictures, in print, in dialogue and with an abundance of memorabilia.
When the doors to the museum and library are open, Jim and Sue Mayo are likely to be found inside, helping other staff and volunteers organize exhibits and historical data.
Sue especially has become familiar with the various governmental agencies available to acquire information and materials, but also to exchange findings. On any given day, she can be found categorizing newly acquired information in the library or assisting visitors with locating needed information as they delve into the military history of loved ones or the heritage of Stoddard County.
Jim and Sue Mayo hope more volunteers will come forward to serve at the museum and the library, and their fervent wish is that a younger generation will take an interest in the history of Stoddard County as they have. When that day comes, they might consider slowing down, but for now they both appear to be content doing what they love and doing it together.