Stories from Monday, December 24, 2001

On behalf of the Sikeston Depot, I would like to thank all of the people that made our Christmas Home Tour on Dec. 2 such a success. First, I would like to thank those wonderful homeowners who allowed over 300 people to view the Christmas decorations in their home. ...

I would like to comment to the person who was talking about the vaccination for the ear infection and made that made an honest living and others stay at home and do nothing and live off welfare. I would like to say my husband both work and both of our children receive Medicaid so not all people who receive Medicaid stay at home. So do not judge people who have Medicaid for their children. It is not fair and it aggravates people like me to read stuff like that in the newspaper...

SIKESTON - On Wednesday morning of this week an assembly program was given in the school auditorium. At the beginning of the program, Miss Sarah Ann Mitchell led the entire student body in several Christmas carols. This was followed by an original Christmas play written and directed by William C. Hopkins and presented by members of the senior class...

ADVANCE - A Friday night accident resulted in moderate injuries to an Oran teen. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the incident occurred at 9:05 p.m. in Stoddard County, near Advance, when a vehicle driven by 16-year-old Angelia McClain of Advance was traveling north out of a driveway, crossed the highway and overturned down an embankment...

CHARLESTON - The Charleston Department of Public Safety launched a round of home safety inspections Thursday for senior citizens and disabled people living within the Charleston city limits. "You know how to get ahold of us," said PSO Tony Baugher as he finished an inspection at the home of Willis Downs Friday afternoon. "Call 911," confirmed Downs...

Santa Claus, along with employees of the City of Sikeston, visited needy families in the area this week. Here, Santa gives a young girl a present for Christmas.

SIKESTON - Santa and his reindeer will soon be heading out for a busy night and several Sikeston youths have a few insights as to how it all works. Snacks are a must, the children insist. "Santa and his reindeer sleep all summer because they have to stay up all night on Christmas Eve. ...

SIKESTON - Due to the Christmas holiday, there will not be a Tuesday edition of the Standard Democrat newspaper. The business office will be closed on Tuesday as well. The newspaper will be open for business on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

BLOOMFIELD - Johnnie Oliver, 57, died Dec. 21, 2001. Arrangements are incomplete at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter.

THOMASVILLE, N.C. - Elvis Joseph Gibbar, 78, died Dec. 21, 2001, at Sun Bridge of the Triad nursing home in High Point. Born May 23, 1923, at Lithium, Mo., son of Lemie and Lorene Henderson Gibbar, he was employed as a forklift operator for Motorola and was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served during World War II. He was a member of the New Grace Baptist Church in Thomasville...

WAPPAPELLO - Bob Gramling, 68, died Dec. 21, 2001, at his home. Born Oct. 17, 1933, at Walcott, Ark., son of the late Estes and Cordie Mays Gramling, he lived in St. Louis before moving to Wappapello in 1986. He was employed by General Motors for 30 years and owned and operated Direct Advertising Publications in Wappapello. He was a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Shook, a third degree Mason and a member of the Eastern Star...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Bonnie Geraldine Moxey, 73, died Dec. 22, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. Born Jan. 1, 1928, in St. Louis, daughter of the late Floyd E. and Clara Jane Laney Patton, she earned a masters degree in education from Texas Women's University. ...

BLOOMFIELD - Johnnie Lee "Big John" Oliver, 57, died Dec. 21, 2001, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born May 24, 1944, in Canalou, son of Leora Brewington Oliver of Essex and the late Herbert Cecil Oliver, he lived in Bloomfield since 1977. He served with the U.S. Army in Korea and was a member of Mount Zion-Walker General Baptist Church near Bloomfield and the Dexter Elks Lodge...

DEXTER - Lorene D. Landers, 74, died Dec. 22, 2001, at her home. Born Aug. 23, 1927, at Hope, Ark., daughter of the late John Delbert and Lola Alexander George, she had been employed as a florist in Eureka, Calif., and was a member of the Friendship Baptist Church in Dexter...

BLOOMFIELD - Ollie Bea McRoy, 89, died Dec. 23, 2001, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Oct. 9, 1912, in Bloomfield, daughter of the late Clumb and May Hester Pruitt, she was a lifelong resident of Bloomfield and charter member of the First General Baptist Church in Bloomfield. She was employed by Peppers Bakery for 25 years and later worked for Dr. Beckett in Bloomfield...

SIKESTON - Gladys Marshall, 81, died at 1:35 p.m. Dec. 23, 2001, at Hunter Acres Caring Center. Arrangements are pending at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel, where visitation and services are tentatively set for Thursday.

PORTAGEVILLE - Marguerite A. Allen, 50, died Dec. 22, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at DeLisle Funeral Home.

BROSELEY -- Sikeston won the Red Division championship of the 5th Annual Lady Royals Holiday Classic Friday night, beating Senath-Hornersville in the title game, 50-33. The Lady Bulldogs entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and Senath was No. 1...

SIKESTON - While the majority of people will be at home Tuesday, spending time with loved ones, opening presents and eating way too much, there are those who will spend Christmas Day at work, just like any other day. Telephone operators will be ensuring that everyone's calls get through...

Santa, if you're watching, you couldn't find any better boys this Christmas Eve. But waiting for the jolly old elf to arrive can seem like forever when you're small. So to pass the time away, Codi, 4, entertains his seven-month-old brother Kaleb by pointing out holiday pictures from a favorite book. The youngsters are the sons of Mark and Micki Ballard of Chaffee...

JEFFERSON CITY - Whether Missouri leaders deserve to be on Santa's "nice" list rather than his "naughty" list, is largely a matter of individual political opinion. But state officials are confident they have been good little boys and girls this year and are hoping for what from a policy standpoint amounts to shiny new toys instead lumps of dirty coal...

SIKESTON - Among the Sikestonians planning to attend the Sugar Bowl Game at New Orleans, La., New Year's Day are: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Harris, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Beckett, Miss Helen Campbell, Loomis Mayfield Jr. and Jean Klein. SIKESTON - Firemen loaded up hundreds of toys they had received from people to be refinished, repaired and put in working order. The toys - 15 truck loads of them - went to unfortunate youngsters in 77 homes...

I'd like to ask everyone, do you know why we really celebrate Christmas? We are celebrating Christmas for Jesus' birthday. This is not about money or how much we spend or what will I get for Christmas. It's about having Jesus in your heart and your salvation. That's more important. It's not about giving a gift. It's about giving...

Sunday has arrived! You know what that means. Time to throw on the Issac Bruce jersey, crack open a cold one, grab that extra large bag of chips, kick back in your favorite rocking chair and watch the St. Louis Rams set scoring records against another defenseless, unsuspecting NFL team...

BLOOMFIELD - The 45th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament will tip things off on Wednesday at Bloomfield High School with eight first round games. The tournament will field the same teams, but the usual suspects fill the top spots once again. Heading into the competition, area coaches overwhelmingly feel that Dexter is the team to beat again. But most agree that it won't be a cakewalk like it has been the last three years for the Bearcats...

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David): to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child...