Dear Descendants

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Columbia J. Mankin, was born in Ava, MO, when the town, founded in 1871, was only two years old. Essentially, Columbia "Lum" grew up "with" Ava. As a keen observer and good listener, she retained much about Ava and Douglas County.

In the 1950s, Mrs. Mankin began dictating the stories to her youngest daughter, Orla (Mankin) Vaughan. Then Mrs. Vaughan typed them into what became a 373-page book titled "Dear Descendants." They finished just a few months before Columbia died in November, 1958. In 2008, modern scanning and computer technology were used to copy and preserve the original work. Now, in 2019, this 500-page book has been created that includes (1) Mrs. Mankin's original book, (2) an introduction by Douglas County native and historian, Cinita (Davis) Brown, and (3) over 80 pages of old family photos collected by Orla (Mankin) Vaughan, herself. Those familiar with Mrs. Mankin's book all agree-"Dear Descendants" is the most significant Douglas County history book ever written.