Barbershops

Hiram Mikesell, Will Fowler, C.R. Hoagland, Roy Hugel, Elmer Mackey and John Coppock were also early barbers.

John DeVore cutting Wayne O'Neall's hair

Many remember John DeVore as the town barber for many years of Woodburn and Ottawa, and later Osceola.  John, Fern, and Beverly moved to Ottawa from Weldon in 1933 or 1934.  Fern was from Woodburn originally and John had barbered there before their marriage.  John owned and operated a barbershop on the north side of Highway 34 at Ottawa.  At that time, there was a barbershop, grocery store and gas station, another gas station on the south side of the highway and a telephone office at Ottawa. 

            John spent many long hours at the barbershop.  He was at the shop by 7:00 a.m. and never left before 9:00 p.m. or so.  Even then, he would sometimes just get home and a carload of men from Humeston and Derby would come and he would go back to the shop.  He was there six days a week and clean-up was done on Sunday.

Gurnea's barbershop in the old Woodburn Bank building -

note the high top boots on the customer.

Gurnea Marquis was a barber all of his life.  After cutting the children’s hair, he would give them 5 cents for an ice cream cone.  He never charged the preachers for their hair cuts and shaves.  When living in the Methodist parsonage, they rented upstairs rooms and boarded school teachers.  Later they started a cafe on the south side of Main (Sigler) Street.  The barber shop and cafe were located in the same building.  If Gurnea was not busy barbering, he would help Lowa in the cafe.