Join America250 in celebrating our heritage at "Let Freedom Ring" in Salem, Missouri at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 7 at the James Family Center, across the street from James & Gahr Mortuary, 103 W Center Street, Salem, Mo. 

    Jim Glenn will give a Fireside Chat of the New Hope Community. The event is hosted by the Dent County Historical Society.

      Glenn is a longtime resident of Dent County. He lived on Missouri State Highway K. He or one of his brothers would ride a horse or walk three miles east to Highway 19 to the Warden Store to get bread or other items their mother might need. He might recycle a soda pop bottle found at the junction of Missouri State Highways 19 and K, or while crossing the old West Plains Road on the way to cash it in for two cents at the Warden Store, which was later moved north to the Junction of Missouri Highways 19 and B.

     His neighborhood was lively, with the "Darlings" beginning their Bluegrass music tradition in a nearby Dillard’s home basement.

     His older brother, Bill Glenn, married to Betty Snider, was a member of a notable local Bluegrass Gospel Group. This group included musicians like Larry Farrer, who played banjo.

    The Dillard Brothers: Homer Jr., Douglas, and Rodney, along with Mike Jayne, later achieved fame as musicians in Hollywood on the original Andy Griffith TV Show. These connections illustrate the tight-knit and musically talented New Hope Community.

    Jim Glenn is married to the former Charlotte Green.

    Gary and Melissa Glenn also live in Salem.

    New Hope boasts one of the area's oldest Cumberland Presbyterian Churches and once had two rural school buildings: one for lower grades (1-4), one for upper (5-8), with opportunities for two years of extra schooling, like Cage Grade School, within the 80 rural schools in Dent County.

    Glenns and Dillards are buried in New Hope Cemetery, near the church and school.

    John and Hazel Glenn had 11 children: Margaret, John, Marteen, Jim, Homer, Donald, Shirley, Sharon, Bill, Judy, and Ronald.

    Homer Sr. and Lorene Dillard had three sons: Homer Jr., Douglas, and Rodney.

    For more information about the Fireside Chat, call Deloris Gray Wood, Society President, at 573 729-2545.