Obituaries

WHITEWATER, Mo. — Eddie Shackles, 77, died Feb. 15, 2019, at his home. Born July 26, 1941, in Chaffee, son of the late John Albert and Virgie Cecelia Griffin Shackles, he retired from the local Carpenters Union 1770 of Cape Girardeau in 2002. He was a member of the Zion Methodist Church in Gordonville...

MALDEN, Mo. — Lillian Inez Cunningham, 86, died Feb. 15, 2019, at Ridgeview Living Community in Malden. Born Nov. 18, 1932, in Portageville, daughter of the late Dallas Winfield and Stella Odell Tindle, she had lived in Parma most of her life and she attended the Church of Christ in Parma...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Billy Gene Newton Sr., 81, died Feb. 14, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.  A memorial service will be held at a later date.  Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Judith Ann Owens, 75, died Feb. 13, 2019, at her home in East Prairie.  Born Dec. 4, 1943, in Mounds, Ill., to the late Harry and Lovell Dyer Lane, she was employed as an in-home caregiver until her retirement.  She was of Baptist belief...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Debra Gail “Debbie” Wilson, 66, formerly of Illinois, died Feb. 12, 2019, at her home.  Born Dec. 19, 1952, in Peoria, Ill., daughter of Mary Sexton Trantham of Shelbyville, Tenn. and the late Lee Trantham, she was a homemaker and was involved in ministry service.  She was a member of Full Gospel Church in East Prairie. ...

SIKESTON — James David "Jimmy" Chaffin, 44, died Feb. 12, 2019, at his home in Sikeston. Born Oct. 14, 1974, in Dexter, son of Jackie and Carolyn Matney Hays Sr. of Morehouse and the late James David Chaffin Sr., he was a member of First Baptist Church of Morehouse and had worked as a welder...

SIKESTON — Modena Mae Hastings, 96, died Feb. 12, 2019, at Delta South Nursing Center in Sikeston. Born May 30, 1922, in Sikeston, she was the daughter of the late William and Maudia Beck Hastings. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by three brothers, William Hastings, Donald Ray Hastings and Ralph Hastings; and seven sisters, Dorothy Alley, Leta Settles, Mary Hopper, Lucille Pruett, Lizzie Campbell, Opal Pruett and Ozeal Jones...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Donald Eugene Dixon, 61, formerly of East Prairie, Feb. 9, 2019, at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City. Born May 28, 1957, in Charleston, son of the late John and Ella Mae Wilson Strayhorn, he attended Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Wolf Island. ...

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — Joseph Albert Dixon, 65, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Feb. 5, 2019, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Born April 16, 1953, in Charleston, Mo., son of the late John and Ella Mae Wilson Strayhorn, he had attended Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Wolf Island. ...

MALDEN, Mo. — Pamela Lee Brant, 70, died Feb. 12, 2019, in Gideon. Born Oct. 8, 1948, in Gold Dust, Tenn., she was the daughter of the late Evelyn Ducan White and Everett Reed. In 1998 in New Madrid, she married Carl Brant, who survives of Malden. Other survivors include: one daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Scott Earnheart of Gideon; one son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Margaret Martin of Gideon; two brothers, Avery Thomas Reed of Texas and Stevie White of Gideon; five sisters, Ivie Whitt of Texas, Molly Lacey of Poplar Bluff, Glenda Sue Rausch of Mississippi and Lisa Donley of and Ruth Lemonds of Friendship; and five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.. ...

MALDEN, Mo. — Gladys Naomia Cagle, 99, died Feb. 12, 2019, at Ridgeview Living Community in Malden. Born May 30, 1919, in New Madrid County, daughter of the late Henry and Varinda Leonard Hatchel, she had lived in Parma all her life and was a member of the Parma General Baptist Church. She had retired from the Brown Shoe Co...

SIKESTON — Ronald "Ron" Shelby, 65, died Feb. 13, 2019, at his home in Sikeston. Born Nov. 25, 1953, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Don and Elizabeth Blaylock Shelby, he was a veteran of the United States Air Force and a self-employed business man...

GORDONVILLE, Mo. — Billi Jo Knight, 38, died Feb. 11, 2019, at her home. Born May 25, 1980, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Richard Allen Knight Sr. and Carolyn Diann Burns Knight of Oak Ridge, she was a 1998 graduate of Jackson High School. She worked at Jackson Wal-Mart for 10 years and for the last eight years, she was a communication officer for the Jackson Police Department. She was a member of Diehlstadt General Baptist Church in Diehlstadt. She was a member of SEMO Rocks...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Reva Dell Gifford, 86, died Feb. 12, 2019, at the Monticello House in Jackson.  Born April 2, 1932, in Murray, Ky., daughter of the late William and Birdie Barnett Calhoun, she was a homemaker and member of St. James Baptist Church. ...

DELTA, Mo. — Clara Mae Gramlisch, 84, died at 11:25 a.m. Feb. 12, 2019, at her home in Delta. Born Oct. 23, 1934, in Perkins, son of the late Robert and Sophie Meyers Driskell, she lived all her life in the Delta and Chaffee area. On June 19, 1952, in Piggott, Ark., she married Billy Gene Gramlisch, who survives of the home...

SIKESTON — Kenneth Raymond Merideth, age 79, passed away Feb. 12, 2019 at Delta South in Sikeston. He was born Sept. 8, 1939, in Dunklin County, to the late Owen Edward and Dorothy Christine (Menz) Merideth. Kenneth was a man of faith and a member of First United Methodist Church in Essex, and he served in the United States Army Reserves. He was a Regional Supervisor and ran the MFA Bulk Fuels Plant in Sikeston for over a decade and later owned his own business selling fuel tanks and culverts...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Charles L. Presson, 73, died Feb. 9, 2019, at New Madrid Nursing Center in New Madrid. Born June 29, 1945, in Kennett, he was the son of the late Lauren Lee and Nannie Pauline Win Presson. His wife, Lola Skaggs Presson, preceded him in death...

PARIS, Tenn. — Roy Eugene Cowsert, 77, died Feb. 10, 2019, at Henry County Medical Center. Born Feb. 19, 1941, in Matthews, Mo., son of the late Delmar Lee Cowsert and the late Claudia Maxine Bohanan Cowsert, he retired after 10 years from Dana Corp. as a machinist and line operator. He was a member of Christ Lutheran Church...

BERNIE, Mo. — Barbara Ann McDonald, 72, died Feb. 10, 2019, at her home in Bernie. Born Jan. 31, 1947, in Dexter, daughter of the late Thomas Lee and Emma Allene Vincent Bolin, she had been a resident of Bernie most of her life. She attended the  Church of God of Prophecy in Bernie and had been a real estate agent...

SIKESTON —  Hannah Elizabeth Reynolds, 19, died Feb. 7, 2019, at Jonesboro, Ark. She was born June 9, 1999, in Sikeston, to James Earl and Amy Dawn (Foote) Reynolds Jr. of Sikeston.

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. — Barbara Jean Kern, 78, passed away Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, at her home.  Born Nov. 28, 1940, in New Hamburg, daughter of the late Al and Rose Westrich Kern, she was retired from Thorngate Ltd. in Cape Girardeau. She was a member of St. ...

ESSEX, Mo. — Doyle Gene Sanders, 79, died Feb. 8, 2019, at his home in Essex. Born Nov. 12, 1939, in Essex, son of the late Elmer Lewis and Bessie Irene Purcell Sanders, he had lived in Essex area all his life. He had worked as a farm laborer until he retired. He was of the Pentecostal belief...

ESSEX, Mo. — Doyle Ronald Layton, 71, died Feb. 9, 2019, at his home in Essex. Born Nov. 25, 1947, in Manila, Ark., son of the late Raymond Everett and Mary Alice Merriman Layton, he had lived in the Essex area since 1980. He had worked at an auto mechanic for several years...

JACKSON, Mo. — Betty Riggs, 83, formerly of Murray, Ky., and East Prairie, died Feb. 7, 2019, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Born Nov. 23, 1935, in Ridgely, Tenn., daughter of the late James Thomas and Beatrice Swan Long, she was a 1953 graduate of Braggadocio High School in Braggadocio. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Shonta Renard Green Jr., 22, formerly of Sikeston, died Feb. 4, 2019, in Cape Girardeau. Born April 6, 1996, in Sikeston, son of Tanya Baker Mitchell of Nicholson, Ga., and Shonta Renard Green Sr. of Jacksonville, Fla., in 2007, he moved from Sikeston, Missouri to Blytheville, Ark. A 2014 graduate of Blytheville High School, he worked as an operator at Kinder Morgan Inc...

JACKSON, Mo. — David Lynn Hooks, 66, died Feb. 6, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born April 8, 1952, in Sikeston, son of Joe Hooks of Matthews and the late Lois Curtis Hooks, he was part of the Matthews High School boys basketball team that went to the state championship game in 1968. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Christopher Xavier Smith, 25, died Jan. 21, 2019, at his uncle's home in Sikeston.  Born Jan. 31, 1993, in Sikeston, son of LySonia Moore of Charleston and Sean Smith of Normal, Ill., he attended Sikeston Public Schools in Sikeston at an early age, while living with his grandparents. He also attended Charleston Public Schools in Charleston and Portageville Public Schools in Portageville. ...

HAYTI, Mo. — Jeffery Todd McCallister II, 37, died Feb. 6, 2019, at Pemiscot Memorial Hospital in Hayti. Born Oct. 16, 1981, in Kennett, son of Vickey Ann Thacker Blurton of Hayti and Jeffery Todd McCallister of New Madrid, he was employed at the Lexicon Corp. in Blytheville, Ark., as a welder...

JACKSON, Mo. — Christine J. Davis passed away peacefully on February 6, 2019, at the age of 96. Daughter of James and Mona Jewell, Christine grew up on a tobacco farm in western Kentucky. She attended college in Murray, Ky., and later earned a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Southeast Missouri State University...

SIKESTON — Billie "Bill" McDowell, 81, died Feb. 7, 2019, at his home in Sikeston. Born Jan. 19, 1938, in rural Sikeston, son of the late Walter and Ruby Burns McDowell, he was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, affiliated with Miner Baptist Church and had worked as a self-employed contractor before retiring...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Oscar Calvin Farmer, 84, died Feb. 6, 2019, at his home. Born January 7, 1935, at Bassett, Arkansas, son of the late Carl Edward Farmer and Stella Beatrice Allen Farmer, he was a 1953 graduate of Sikeston High School. Having lived in Memphis, Tenn., most of his life, he was a member of the IBW No. ...

LILBOURN, Mo. — Samuel Eugene McFerren, 62, died Feb. 6, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 14, 1957, in Lilbourn, he was the son of Wallace Bobo Jr. and Arlene McFerren Bibbs. His wife, Bobbie Long McFerren, survives of the home...

LILBOURN, Mo. — Samuel Eugene “Lil Bo” McFerren, 45, died Jan. 27, 2019, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 24, 1973, in Chicago, he was the son of Samuel Eugene McFerren who died Feb. 6, 2019, and June Kirkman. Visitation is from 10 a.m. until service time at noon Saturday at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Sikeston...

SIKESTON — Patricia Lou “Nan” Whitehurst, 74, died Feb. 1, 2019, at her home near Sikeston. Born March 17, 1944, in Albuquerque, N.M, to James Hargrove and Edna Howell, she owned a janitorial business in Oregon and worked until she moved to Missouri in September 2018. ...

DEXTER, Mo. — Alberta "Bertie" Pullum, 81, died Feb. 7, 2019, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Born Feb. 25, 1937, in Bernie, daughter of the late Cecil Clyde and Gertie Agnes Gann Cook, she had been a Dexter resident for 47 years. She attended the Assembly of God Church in Bernie and had been a member of the Cook Sister's singing group...

SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. — James B. Crenshaw, age 71, died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, at his home. Mr. Crenshaw was born June 20, 1947, in Sikeston, Mo., to the late Bridwell Logan and Mary Maxine Collins Crenshaw. He graduated from Sikeston High School in 1965 and Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 1969. ...

WHITEWATER, Mo. — Vida E. Eby, 94, died Feb. 6, 2019, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 27, 1924, in Loretto, Tenn., daughter of the late James David and Emma Alice Pugh Taylor, she was a retired factory worker in Chaffee and a member of General Baptist Church in Chaffee...

BERTRAND, Mo. — Wilburn “Roy” Pemberton, 73, died Feb. 5, 2019, at his home in Bertrand. Born Jan. 1, 1946, in Denventer, son of the lateClarence and Juanita Bickford Pemberton, he had lived in Missouri and Arkansas and was employed as a mechanic and truck driver. He was of the Baptist belief...

MATTHEWS, Mo. — Thomas Victor "Vic" Hairston, 64, died Feb. 4, 2019, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born May 2, 1954, in St. Louis, son of the late Thomas and Alice Mason Hairston, he had lived around the Sikeston area for the past 40 years, and he was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a salesman at Heartland Office Supply. 

SIKESTON — Cora Mae Dykes, age 80, died Feb. 4, 2019, at Evelyn's House in St. Louis. She was born Feb. 12, 1938, in Matthews, to the late Melvin and Virginia (Frohawk) Gross. Cora was a member of Potters House Ministry and had worked in retail sales before retiring...

JACKSON, Mo. — Carrol Ann DeJournett, 71, died Feb. 2, 2019, at St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis. Born Feb. 10, 1947, in Poplar Bluff, daughter of the late J.C. and Marjorie Foster DeJournett, she was a member of Cape First Church in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON — Bonnie Zuane Romanowski, 80, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born March 11, 1938, in Red Bay, Ala., she was the daughter of the late Richard Howard and Mattie Pearl Strickland Morrow...

SIKESTON — John R. Alexander, 57, died Feb. 4, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 22, 1961, in Nashville, Tenn., son of the late Judson and Nannie Mae Morris Alexander, he was of the Assembly of God belief and self-employed in lawn care service...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. — George L. Duff, 89, died Feb. 4, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 9, 1929, in Blodgett, son of the late Porter and Mary Stafford Duff, he was a route salesman for Lewis Bread Co. and a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City. His wife, Darlene Ziegler Duff, survives of the home.

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Doris Price, 65, died Feb. 4, 2019, at her home in Bloomfield. Born Oct. 9, 1953, in St. Louis, daughter of the late John Wilson and Beatrice Scott Hagy Sr., she had lived in Dudley and Dexter most of her life before moving to Bloomfield three years ago. She was member of the of the Bible Tabernacle Church in Bloomfield and had worked as a CNA for Caring Hearts In Home Care...

SIKESTON — Doris Breeden Fenton, 68, died Feb. 3, 2019, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 13, 1950, in Dexter, she was the daughter of the late Austin and Gertrude Tyson Breeden. Survivors include: one daughter, Lisa Fenton of Hillsboro; four brothers, C.L. ...

LILBOURN, Mo. — Richard Allen Roberts, 70, died Feb. 2, 2019, at his home in Lilbourn. Born Feb. 3, 1948, in Hayti, son of the late Margaret Nolen Roberts and Royal Roberts, he was retired from Noranda Aluminum in Marsto and a veteran of the United States Army, serving during the Vietnam War...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Ruby Wilkerson, 59, died Feb. 1, 2019, in Portageville. Born June 5, 1959, in Portageville, daughter of the late Edith Friel Weaver and Albert Weaver, she was of the Baptist belief and a member of Livingstone Baptist Church.                         ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — William J. “Bill” Pfefferkorn, 80, died Feb. 2, 2019. Born Nov. 6, 1938, in Chaffee, son of the late Paul and Marjorie Davidson Pfefferkorn, he was the owner of Chaffee Building Company for 20 years until retiring in 1982. He owned and managed Coach Light Apartments in Scott City and Chaffee until October 2018. ...

SIKESTON — Ruby Lee Poor, 78, formerly of East Prairie, died Jan. 31, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 29, 1940, in Columbus, Ky., daughter of the late Lecile and Mary Hilliard Poor, she was a homemaker and member of Cape First Church of Sikeston...