Stories from Thursday, November 17, 2005

PORTAGEVILLE - Elita M. Owen, 105, died Nov. 17, 2005, at Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with DeLisle Funeral Home of Portageville.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- James Leslie Duke, 74, died at 1:20 p.m. Nov. 12, 2005, in the Ocean Springs Hospital. Born Dec. 19, 1930, in Harrisburg, Ill., son of the late Hardy Wilson and Daisy Cummins Duke, he had lived for the past 33 years in Ocean Springs where he was member of the First Baptist Church and the American Legion Post 42. He was a retired machinist and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force having served during the Korean War...

BENTON, Ky. -- Norris Ray Grissom, 63, formerly of Mississippi County (Mo.), died at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 2005, in the Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray. Born June 15, 1942, son of Gollie Grissom of Gideon and the late Lois Grissom, he was a former Mississippi County Sheriff and was with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for 15 years. He also sold insurance for Mass Mutual and was a radio vendor...

PRINCETON, Ind. -- Robert Box Jr., 76, died Nov. 15, 2005, in St. Lukes Hospital in Houston. Born April 20, 1929, in Portageville, Mo., son of the late Robert and Etta Jones Box, he was of the First Church of God faith and a U.S. Army veteran having served in the Korean War...

MOBERLY -- Mark Orlando Rowe, 41, formerly of Howardville, died Nov. 11, 2005, at University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia. Born Oct. 23, 1964, in Lilbourn, son of Margaret McMorkle Rowe of Howardville and the late Jettie "J.B." Rowe, he was a 1983 graduate of Lilbourn High School and attended the Monument of Grace Church in Columbia...

DEXTER - Samantha Gail Vaughn, 23, died Nov. 15, 2005, due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Bloomfield. Born Oct. 30, 1982, daughter of the late Elaine Vaughn Northern, she had lived in Dexter all her life and was a licensed medical technician. She had worked at Beverly Health and Rehab Center and Central Gardens in Dexter...

DEXTER - Mary Cox, 84, died Nov. 14, 2005, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Highland, Ill. Born March 18, 1921, at Goshen, Ark., daughter of the late William R. and Margaret Berry Knight, she was a retired secretary for Missouri State Probation and Parole in Dexter and Sikeston and a member of Southwest Church of Nazarene in Dexter and the Dexter Memorial Hospital Auxiliary...

LILBOURN -- Syble Irene Brock, 85, died Nov. 14, 2005, at her home in Lilbourn. Born May 15, 1920, in Yell County, Ark., she was the daughter of the late Ervin and Barbara Millard. On Oct. 8, 1938, in New Madrid, she married James Elton Brock who preceded her in death in 1984...

WINFIELD - Nellie Mae Carr, 84, formerly of Sikeston, died at 11 p.m. Nov. 15, 2005, at Lincoln County Medical Center in Troy. Born Jan. 18, 1921, to the late Thomas and Dolly Kitrel McElreath, she attended Calvary Assembly of God Church in Winfield, and while residing in Sikeston, she attended the First Assembly of God Church...

SIKESTON - Jessie Marie Freeland, 82, died at 7:36 a.m. Nov. 15, 2005, at the Miner Nursing Center. Born Sept. 19, 1923, at Commerce to the late Issac and Mary Inman, she was a retired housekeeper for Missouri Delta Medical Center and Hunter Acres Nursing Home in Sikeston...

DEXTER -- Pallbearers for the funeral service conducted Wednesday under the direction of Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Dexter for Essie Jewell Griffin who died on Nov. 11, 2005, were: Charles Griffin, Jerry Griffin, Larry Griffin, Danny Griffin, Bob Griffin, and Charles Corlew...

SIKESTON - Margaret Elizabeth Lee, 85, died Nov. 17, 2005, at West Ridge Place in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

SIKESTON - Back-to-back district titles; sounds good. That is what the Sikeston Bulldogs boys soccer team has accomplished in the last two seasons. In 2004, the Bulldogs were Class 2, District 1 champs and advanced to the quarterfinals only to lose 3-1 to Affton, finishing the year 12-11-1 which marked the first time in school history Sikeston soccer had a winning record...

Preseason Basketball Rankings The SEMO basketball poll as voted on by the Southeast Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association with first-place votes in parentheses, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote, record and previous ranking:...

SEMO North Division First Team Offense C -- Josh Hartranet, sr., Poplar Bluff G -- Cole Jansen, sr., Jackson G -- Eric Englehart, sr., Jackson T --Rashad Fambro, sr. Central T -- Craig Millington, sr., Sikeston WR -- Ty Craft, sr., Central WR -- Nick Stith, jr., Poplar Bluff WR -- Robbie Howard, sr., Sikeston QB -- Rex Meyr, jr., Jackson QB -- Asa Wyatt, jr., Poplar Bluff RB -- Joel Penrod, sr., Jackson RB -- Hykeem Hammonds, jr., Central PK -- Grant Ressel, jr., Jackson P -- Joel Penrod, sr., Jackson P -- Tyler Baker, sr., Sikeston PK -- Asa Wyatt, jr., Poplar Bluff Defense DL -- Josh Hartranet, sr., Poplar Bluff DL -- Robert Madison, so., Sikeston DL -- Cole Jansen, sr., Jackson DL -- Nathan Warmack, sr., Jackson LB -- Adam Collier, so., Jackson LB -- Brandon Beck, sr., Jackson LB -- Drew Lowes, sr., Jackson LB -- John Gray, sr., Jackson LB -- Jimmie Dye, jr., Poplar Bluff DB -- Ty Craft, sr., Central DB -- Blake Slattery, jr., Central DB -- McClain Poteet, sr., Poplar Bluff DB -- Alan Spencer, sr., Poplar Bluff DB -- Jordan Sneathen, sr., Jackson DB -- Cameron Heath, sr., Jackson Second team Offense C -- Josh Conklin, jr., Jackson G -- Phil Klaproth, so., Poplar Bluff G -- Ben Wood, jr., Jackson T -- Trevor Neels, sr., Central T -- Joe Moore, jr., Sikeston WR -- Jordan Sneathen, sr., Jackson WR -- Tim Stonecipher, so., Poplar Bluff WR -- Joey Williams, jr., Sikeston RB -- Acie Dixon, sr., Sikeston RB -- Josh Wheeler, jr., Jackson Defense DL -- David Ray, sr., Central DL -- Micahel Britton, jr., Poplar Bluff DL -- Tyler Baker, sr., Sikeston DL -- Brooks Lawson, sr., Poplar Bluff LB -- Joe Uhls, so., Central LB -- Mike Wood, sr., Jackson LB -- Salamar Cox, jr., Sikeston LB -- Joel Penrod, sr., Jackson DB -- Derien Downing, so., Central DB -- B.J. ...

I would like to respond to the Rockview resident who recently wrote to Speak Out in the Southeast Missourian in "Support of the Railroads." This person is clearly either misinformed or uneducated to the issues at hand. First of all, "no one person or hand full of people" have ever said anything about doing away with the railroads or railroad jobs. ...

I LOVE Chris Moore's comedy articles! They have provided a great deal of inspiration to the Crystal City football team! However, I don't think Chris should ever try his hand at the sports book in Vegas. Thanks for an entertaining fall with wonderful tales of woe, misery and excuses. ...

SIKESTON -- A benefit auction for Laura Davis of Sikeston is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Stafford Center at Tanner Street Church of God in Sikeston. The hotdog/chili dinner will be from 5 to 7 p.m. The silent auction will be from 5 to 8 p.m., and the live auction will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m...

SIKESTON -- Laura Davis said she has no choice -- she has to stay positive. The 22-year-old Sikeston mother and wife is in stage 3 of melanoma, or skin cancer. She's currently undergoing treatment at the University of Missouri's Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia...

SIKESTON -- The American Cancer Society's 29th Annual Great American Smokeout will come and go today without much local fanfare: Perhaps local health officials figure those who want to quit already have and those who are still smoking don't want to quit...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Leighninger transacted business in Cape Girardeau today. SIKESTON - Is there a Santa Claus? For your answer, ask several hundred families. Or still better, the testimonial buffet dinner given last night at the Country Club in honor of Paul C. Meyer provides the answer. There were 110 persons who decided to surprise Meyer for the many years of unselfish service he has bestowed on hundreds of children on Christmas...

I have a mentally handicapped daughter that works out at the Community Sheltered Workshop in Sikeston, she has worked there for years. She only clears about $50 or $60 a month, but she loves working there, and I guess that's all that matters. But the thing of it is, she has had a bad toothache and for years she went to the same dentist for her teeth, capping them and all that. ...