Stories from Tuesday, September 28, 2004

DEXTER - Otho "Dink" Brown, 94, died Sept. 28, 2004, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

CHARLESTON - Byron S. Moxley, 80, died at 11:20 a.m. Sept. 27, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 6, 1923, in Senath, son of the late Ernest and Pearl Shown Moxley, he lived in Mississippi County most of his life and was a landowner and retired farmer. A member of the United Methodist Church in Charleston, he was a 50-year member of Masonic Lodge 407 AF&AM and a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II...

BLOOMFIELD - Ruby Kitrel, 92, formerly of St. Louis and Dexter, died Sept. 27, 2004, at the Beverly Health and Rehab Center in Dexter. Born April 9, 1912, in Malden, daughter of the late John E. and Minnie Ola Roots Shelton, she was a member of the First General Baptist Church in Bloomfield...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- William Earl "Bill" Sparks, 78, formerly of Sikeston, died at 9:15 a.m. Sept. 27, 2004, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

CHARLESTON - Ida M. Daniels Uthoff, 89, died at 8:45 p.m. Sept. 25, 2004, at her daughter's home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Born Feb. 16, 1915, in Advance, daughter of the late William and Flora Smith Daniels, she lived in Mississippi County most of her life. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Charleston...

FESTUS - Marty Gebhardt, 62, died Sept. 27, 2004, at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City. Born Aug. 20, 1942, in Indianapolis, Ind., son of Cecil and June Hansen Gebhardt of Festus, he was a materials handler for the Nestle's Corporation and had also worked as a chemical operator for LaRoche Industries. A member of the Church of Our Lady in Festus, he was a member of the Joachim Golf Club and Plattin Rock Boat Club and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps...

SIKESTON - Eula Jo Cline Mason, 89, died Sept. 25, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston, where services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday. The Rev. Kelley Grubbs will officiate...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Connie Wright has announced the engagement of her daughter, Constance Pulliam, to Charles D. Michael III of Arlington, Texas. A 2001 graduate of East Prairie High School, the future bride is a senior at Missouri Baptist University. Her fiance is also a senior at Missouri Baptist University, where he is a member of the wrestling coaching staff...

MARSTON - It will be "business as usual" said local Noranda officials as they acknowledged the intent to sell the worldwide company's sale to a Chinese metal trader. China's biggest metals trader, China Minmetals Corp., is seeking to buy Canada's biggest mining company, Noranda Inc., for more than $5 billion, the Associated Press reported Monday. Southeast Missouri's largest employer, Noranda Aluminum Inc. located in the St. Jude Industrial Park at Marston, would be part of that sale...

SIKESTON -- Burning laws within Sikeston are currently being enforced according to Sikeston Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden. Brush, grass and other vegetation is extremely dry due to the lack of rain and high wind conditions, creating a serious fire hazard. Juden requests that all burning is delayed until it is safe...

Jason Grubbs, youth pastor at Miner Baptist Church, arranges props for the "Coffee House" scene for the church's Judgement House, "Reality On the Highway" Monday afternoon. The walk-through drama will begin Wednesday and will also take place Sept. 30, and Oct. 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, and 10. The drama will run from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 5-9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tours leave every 15 minutes. Admission is free but reservations are recommended by calling 471-1331...

CAMPBELL -- A Gideon resident was killed in a two-vehicle accident Monday in Dunklin County while four others were seriuosly injured. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 7:25 a.m. on Missouri Highway 52, north of Campbell, an accident occurred as Ryan D. Smith, 18, of Gideon crossed the center line and struck the vehicle driven by Jacquelyn M. Pearson, 33, of Campbell...

MORLEY - Chief Machinist Mate Truman Foster, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Foster of Morley, arrived here on the 17th to spend a 30-day furlough with his parents and sister, Miss Annie Foster. After his leave is over, he is to report to Camp Endicott, Rhode Island...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Eric Kaden Revelle, son of Holli Jones and Brandon Revelle, was guest of honor for a "Spiderman" birthday party Sept. 18 at the Kathy Simpkins City Park. His birthday is Sept. 23. Guests in addition to his parents were his grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends...

Jimmy Carter wasn't much of a president. He's even worse as an ex-president. Carter told the international community this week that he fears the upcoming elections here will be flawed and do not meet "basic international requirements." He says the elections could be undermined...

EAST PRAIRIE - Julie Marcum and Barry Bryars are the parents of their third child, second son, born at 8:18 a.m. Sept. 1, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Barry Paul Bryars II weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19-inches long. Maternal grandparents are Reece and Sandra Christian...

ST. LOUIS -- After spending a weekend with his friend's fraternity last year, St. Louis College of Pharmacy student Brandon Eldridge wanted to experience more brotherly bonding -- something he felt was missing from his own school. "I saw how close the guys were and it just amazed me about the bonds they had formed and how good of friends they were and how much they benefited from the fraternity itself," said Eldridge, a 2003 graduate of Sikeston High School...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston volleyball team dropped a tough match on Monday at the Field House, falling to Scott City 31-33, 23-25. Sikeston (6-11, 1-1 in conference), had numerous chances but couldn't overtake the Lady Rams. "The girls played very tough tonight," said Sikeston coach Steve Beydler. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Kelly versus Notre Dame. When these high school softball rivals meet, the contest is seldom dull, the scores are usually close and it's always competitive. True to form, Monday's matchup ended in dramatic fashion with the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs escaping with a 2-1 win over the Kelly Lady Hawks...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston soccer team posted a 4-0 shutout against Farmington on Monday night at the Sikeston Recreational Complex. Sikeston got two goals apiece out of Blake Taylor and J.R. Bizzell on the night, but the real star of the game was the Bulldog defense...

I would like to know how other grandparents feel about their children expecting us grandparents to raise their children. I will say right now that I am turning my grandchildren over to their mother and let her raise them by herself. I'm tired of being responsible for them. ...