THE GOLDEN ANCHOR

ON TABLE ROCK LAKE

GOLDEN, MISSOURI

After our retirement years on the 4L Stick Farm we moved to Missouri in the general area where two of Barbara's sisters lived in order to be one day away from family needing us from time to time in Illinois & Iowa and one day away from our son and family in Houston, Texas.  We bought a lake house on Table Rock Lake in an area called Mayo Beach with the address of Golden, Missouri and named the place

THE GOLDEN ANCHOR

since the lake house seemed to be anchored to the cove we were located in.  Below is some information regarding Golden, Missouri:

Golden, Missouri

Golden, Missouri is an unincorporated community in southeastern Barry County about twenty miles southeast of Cassville. It is located south of Table Rock Lake and just one mile north of Route 86 on Highway J. You know you have reached Golden when you see the two big tire stores, Ball & Prier and Shumaker's. They are the biggest employers in the immediate area.

The communities of Arrow Point, Emerald Beach, Sweet Water Beach I and II and Mayo Beach are served by the Golden Post Office and thus are given Golden addresses. These lakeside communities are full of summer homes making Golden much more lively in the summer than the winter. Children of Golden are bussed to Cassville, Missouri for schooling. Closer to Berryville, Arkansas than Cassville, residents are more likely to shop in Arkansas than Missouri.

Another main attraction when visiting Golden, MO is Eureka Springs, AR. Full of Great restaurants and Shopping, Eureka Springs is located only about 15 minutes from Golden, MO. Due to the homes at Sweet Water Beach I and II, Golden proves to be a thriving community.  Also below is some history and information about Table Rock Lake.

Table Rock Lake

In the beginning was the White River, than the Table Rock Lake Dam which created the 800 miles of shoreline on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri.

In the novel Shepherd of the Hills, author Harold Bell Wright wrote, "When God looked upon the work of his hands and called it good, he was sure alookin at this here Ozark Country…"

Today, if Mr. Wright could see the Ozarks, he would be awed and impressed with how the beautiful Ozark Mountains have made an inspiring home for Table Rock Lake and Dam.

Winding down through the valleys and hollows of the Ozark Mountains, from Branson, Missouri to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Table Rock Lake reaches out for your attention with water as blue as the sky.  Table Rock Lake is famous as an all around recreation lake.  These access areas are provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Most have a camping area along with boat launching into the crystal clear Table Rock Lake waters.

Designed, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Table Rock Lake has become a paradise for boaters, scuba divers, campers and fishermen alike. Camping enthusiasts are treated to thirteen Corps of Engineers operated campgrounds located adjacent to Table Rock Lake. Full service marinas operate on Table Rock Lake at various locations to provide service and convenience to boaters. Over 100 resorts are located adjacent to Table Rock Lake and provide visitors with numerous water-related activities. For those visitors who do not want to operate a boat but still wanting to experience the beauty of the area from the water, five commercial boat cruises or rides operate on Table Rock Lake. 

The scenery along the banks of Table Rock Lake are beautiful, the fishing is great and there are some caves on the banks that visitors love exploring.

(I took this photo of the Table Rock Lake Dam at Branson, MO from a helicopter.)

While living at the Golden Anchor we spent much of our time on Table Rock Lake  in a small boat fishing or sightseeing, playing on a wave runner or pontooning with neighbors and friends.  We would often times go by boat for breakfast or lunch to eating establishments located along the lake that had a boat dock for this purpose.  One in particular was a Pizza Hut located in Shell knob. 

It seems we were busy all the time - mowing the large lawn at the lake house, also mowed the Church property where we attended and would take a monthly turn cleaning the inside of the Church a couple of months a year.  I became "Dock Master" of an eight-slip boat dock we had moved into our cove right at our back yard with the duties of paying the bills, collecting fees, overseeing maintenance and upkeep of the boat dock, etc.  Sunday mornings were alway spent attending Church and going out for breakfast with members of our Church including our Pastor and his wife - Hans & Wilma. We belonged to the "Golden Harvest Club" located in Cassville, Mo. which was a group of retired couples (mostly seniors) not from the local area but who had moved to the Barry County/Table Rock Lake area to retire and would usually not have family in the area.  We had monthly meetings, met for breakfast on Friday mornings (all), met for breakfast Monday morning (just the men), went on a monthly outing each month and would go out for "Fine Dining" several times a year.  There was also a small "Splinter group" from the club that would meet on Thursday evenings at a small cafe for supper, which Barb and I were part of.   Tuesday morning I would attend breakfast and Men's Bible Study with the men of our Church.  Saturday evening was card/games playing night with Church friends.  Barbara would have monthly Ladies' Circle  Meetings at our Church plus work details as needed. We also spent as much time as we could with family (two of Barbara's sisters and their families who lived an hour or so from us) and we got together on all holidays, special occasions and at many other times.  We also had many "House Guests" come in from all directions to spend a few days with us which always meant a drive over to Branson to see a show or two and a drive to Eureka Springs to see the sights and maybe go to the Passion Play.  Medical care kept us busy also, taking a whole day in most cases and sometime would spend the night awaiting test results the next day, as Barbara received her medical care at Fort Leonardwood Army Base, MO. 150 miles from Golden and I, the other direction - the VA Hospital in Fayetteville, AR. about 75 miles south of Golden.

About this time we got a computer and when I got interested in using it there was not such a thing as having any free time. 

After about three years of this relaxing retirement time, Barbara's health went further South - a heart attack that left her unable to get up and down the steep hill between the lake house and the boat dock. That winter we has a bad ice storm that keep anyone from driving in or out of our area for a week when she became in need of medication. The road for about the last mile coming into our area of the lake was a private road so the County would not open our road after snow and ice storms.  We then made the decision to sell the lake home and move to the closest town that had a medical facility and other necessities of life - Cassville, MO.  We continued all things we had going except for all the fun on the lake.

We stayed in Cassville for another three years until both Barbara's and my health

went much further South and our son and grandsons insisted we again move and only back closer to them in Texas promising them we would try to live at a much slower pace.  We hope and pray we will be able to stay put until that home above is readied for us to make that final move.

Boat Dock at           Pizza Hut  -                  Double Rainbow            Our Church -               Inside Church -               "Old Couple"

Lake House             Red Roof                     over our Church            Community                 Pastor & Pianist              stopped by

                                ahead                                                                Lutheran Church                                                 for worship

                                                                                                          Eagle Rock, MO

                                                            

                

                        

                

                     Son Mike & Wife             The Golden Anchor          Home in            

                     and Brutus                      was moved to                 Cassville, MO

                     @ Roaring River             Cassville, MO

                     State Park

I plan to add a few more photos when I can get some put together.  Seems we mostly took video camcorder pictures while living in Missouri.

Author's (Web Master's) Note:  As of this writing we have now lived the last six years of our retirement in beautiful "Bluebonnet Country" Brenham, Texas at somewhat of a slower pace.  That makes it 18 years since fully retiring.  Again speaking for myself, I'm beginning to feel like the husband in my "Old Couple" image I have inserted in many of my Emails. Those of you I Email to on a regular basis will know the image I am referring to.  (See the "Old Couple" in the photo above of the Inside of our Church in MO)  I am very fortunate to have had my "Better Half" for going on 55 years this year walking up that "Path of Life" at my side.  Sometimes the path has been rocky and twisted but at no point have we consider making a turn that looks easier or considered turning back.  There were many times we only left one set of footprints and this was when one of us carried the other around the turn.  A lot of the times there were many footprints and we know these were the spots where the good Lord danced with us. 

THANK YOU BARBARA!!!

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Harold/Hal