Ona (Onie) Balentine

Ona (Onie) Balentine of Onia (Stone County); circa 1893. In 1908, a beauty contest was held to determine the name of the new post office. Ona won the contest, but when her name was submitted to the United States Postal Service, it was misspelled, and the post office officially became Onia.

white toddler girl in dress

Courtesy of Nola Gammill Morrison