Stories from Monday, February 10, 2003

SIKESTON - The Missouri SkillsUSA-VICA Conference this April will have a bit of Sikeston all over it: both the T-shirt and pin for this year were designed right here. Kasi Hux, a senior at Richland High School, is this year's VICA T-shirt design contest winner and Trey Baird, a senior at Bloomfield High School, submitted the winning pin design...

SIKESTON -- Stellene V. Carroll, 83, died at 6:50 p.m. Feb. 9, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston, where services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

PADUCAH, Ky. - Violet Stone, 80, died Feb. 8, 2003, at Lourdes Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

SIKESTON -- Garry Edwin Davis, 68, died at 8:45 a.m. Feb. 9, 2003, at his home. Born Nov. 21, 1934, in Bucklin, son of the late Curtis A. and Norma Herriman Davis, he had lived in the area for 21 years after moving from California and St. Louis. He had been an investigator in law enforcement in California and St. Louis...

MATTHEWS -- Charles A. Daniels, 79, died Feb. 9, 2003, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born May 25, 1923, in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., son of the late Jess and Maude Newton Daniels, he was a farmer in the Matthews area for approximately 50 years before retiring...

BLOOMFIELD -- Willa Dean Link, 80, died Feb. 8, 2003, at her residence near Bloomfield. Born Feb. 14, 1922, at Bloomfield, daughter of the late Robert and Mary Henson McDowell, she was a homemaker. Survivors include: one son, Marvin Link of Advance; one brother, Paul McDowell of Galion, Ohio; two sisters, Delphia Ivy of Mt. Vernon, Ill., and Clorine Glass of Dexter; and one granddaughter, Robbin Nesler of Advance...

CHARLESTON -- Pauline McClean Hess, 85, died at 1:45 p.m. Feb. 9, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 9, 1917, at Cadogap, Ark., daughter of the late Will and Cumi Bell McClean, she had lived most of her life in Mississippi County where she was a member of the Wyatt United Methodist Church...

SIKESTON - Roxie M. Emerson Stone, 60, died at 7:14 a.m. Feb. 8, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born July 8, 1942, in Morley to the late John Mac and Ossie May Pratt Emerson, she had been a waitress at the Ramada Inn in Sikeston and was a member of the Murray Lane Baptist Church in Sikeston. She enjoyed conversation and cooking for family and friends...

I am a former resident of Sikeston, and I have recently started to read your columns online. It seems that you are doing a good job of getting your right-wing ideology out to the readers; however, there is a different viewpoint that you are not giving your readers during your Democrat-bashing opinions...

SIKESTON - The Standard Democrat is adding a new face to its lineup of editorial columnists. Beginning this week, commentaries by Larry Elder, a writer, radio commentator and self-proclaimed "Sage From South Central," will be featured. "It is important for a newspaper to offer a variety of viewpoints about our country, our society and our government," said Michael Jensen, publisher. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Charleston assistant football and basketball coach was killed when a gun accidentally discharged. Keith Anderson, 23, was killed about noon Sunday in an accident in Cape Girardeau. According to reports, Anderson was cleaning an office at 801 Progress in Cape Girardeau when he returned to his vehicle and began removing a loaded shotgun from the backseat. ...

WYATT -- John L. "Johnny" Wicker, 58, died at 3:30 a.m. Feb. 10, 2003, at his home in Wyatt. Arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

CHARLESTON -- Lanie G. "Leather" Black, 84, died at 8:20 a.m. Feb. 8, 2003, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born July 9, 1918, in Naylor, son of the late Lanie G. and Sara Oliver Black Sr., he had lived most of his life in Mississippi County where he was engaged in farming and cotton ginning until his retirement in 1978. ...

SCOTT CITY -- Keith Thomas Anderson, 23, died Feb. 9, 2003, in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 29, 1979, in Cape Girardeau, son of Tommy Gene and Donna Lee Gosche Anderson of Scott City, he was employed by the Charleston School District as a teacher/coach in physical education for grades kindergarten through 12 and as elementary in-school suspension director. ...

BENTON - Mary Ellen Shuffit, 81, died at 9:45 a.m. Feb. 8, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 20, 1921, in Morley, daughter of the late George and Birdie O'Neal Miles, she was a clerk for 41 years with the Scott County Health Department. She was a member of the Benton United Methodist Church and VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Morley...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted today at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Jeanette Ramsey, 63, who died Feb. 7, 2003, were Karen Segraves, Gabriel Segraves, Larry Segraves, Larry Mount, Jason Mount and Jim Tilley.

CHARLESTON - Helen Young Fowlkes, 76, died at 5:50 p.m. Feb. 8, 2003, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born Jan. 31, 1927, in Chicago, Ill., to the late Irving Axtell and Mildred Louisa Young, she had lived most of her adult life in Charleston, where she was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Chancel Choir. She was a former member of the Katherine Boone Music Club and served as an election judge in local elections...

ESSEX -- Pat Dodson, 55, died Feb. 9, 2003, at her residence. Born March 20, 1947, at Catron, daughter of Lena Stroud of Essex and the late Edward Stroud, she was the secretary for the Jay Yorke Law Firm in Dexter. On Feb. 22, 1968, at Parma, she married Lonnie R. Dodson who survives of the home...

Let's keep our foster homes up and keep the foster homes that can handle children and give these children a home. I agree with the person who wrote about DFS giving children back to their parents too soon. They say their main goal is to keep families together. ...

SIKESTON - Mrs. John Hitt entertained Sunday with a surprise birthday dinner in honor of her sister, Mrs. J.N. Grant who celebrated her 80th birthday anniversary. SIKESTON - The eighth district meeting of the Missouri Livestock Association was held at the Rustic Rock. Featured on the program were addresses by Jim Ross, secretary-treasurer; Thatcher Scism, area supervisor of the Sikeston Production Credit Association; and Jack Palmer, president of the state Livestock Association...