Stories from Tuesday, February 12, 2002

SIKESTON - Gary and Barbara Adams have announced the engagement of their daughter, Makenze, to Paul Ruff, son of Marvin Ruff of Sikeston and the late Carolyn Ruff. A 2000 graduate of Sikeston Senior High School, the future bride is employed by On-the-Go Professional Delivery and Expedite Service...

SIKESTON - Typical sisters, they might not always get along. But they do agree on two things, their love for competing in rodeo pageants and the importance of good sportsmanship. Now they share something else, rodeo royalty. Seventeen-year-old Kyleigh Cowger became the new Miss Teen Rodeo Missouri during a four-day pageant in St. Roberts in September. Her sister Mallory, 10, was named Little Miss Rodeo Missouri at a one-day pageant in October in St. Roberts...

FARMINGTON - The Sikeston wrestling team qualified three for the Class 3A state meet on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. Sikeston took six wrestlers to the sectional meet at the Farmington Civic Center on Saturday. Qualifying for the state meet are sophomore Kyle Weeks (125 pounds), senior Cleveland Anthony (130 pounds) and freshman Joe Johnson (heavyweight)...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - One Southeast Missouri man was sentenced to prison on drug charges and another has entered a guilty plea and awaits sentencing. Both men's cases were heard in U.S. District Federal Court on Monday. Walter Rainey, 48, of Sikeston was sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison on three felony counts of distributing cocaine base. ...

SIKESTON - After approving a few minor changes and hashing out one final issue during Monday's meeting, the Home Rule Charter commissioners unanimously approved a city charter for voters to accept or reject on April 2. All nine commissioners present for the vote approved the charter. Jeffrey Sutton and Steve Sikes were absent and Shad Old and Manuel Drumm left before the vote was taken...

There's a movement under way in the Missouri Legislature this year to allow 21-year-old residents to run for the House or Senate in Missouri. The current Constitution says that you must be 24 to serve in the House and 30 to serve in the Senate. But with term limit legislation rapidly eroding the halls of Jefferson City, this measure might find some support this year...

BENTON - The Kelly Lady Hawks basketball team improved to 19-3 on the season and clinched a share of the Scott-Mississippi Conference regular season title with a 64-47 win over the Scott County Central Bravettes on Monday at Kelly High School. Kelly (19-3, 6-0) can clinch the title outright with a win against Oran next week...

SIKESTON -- Sikeston's girls basketball team saw what life without Summer Ray and Joy Daniel would be like on Monday night against Cape Central. And it wasn't pretty. With the two starters benched the entire first half, Sikeston fell behind early and never could catch up, losing to the Lady Tigers 48-26...

MALDEN - The Rev. Cecil Graden Keller Sr., 75, died Feb. 10, 2002, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn. Born Aug. 18, 1926, in Bernie, son of the late Sam and Myrtle Embry Keller, he was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He became a General Baptist minister in 1963 and has served churches in Missouri, Arkansas and Michigan, and was the present pastor of Parma General Baptist Church where he was a member...

SIKESTON - Dessa Rhea Fowler, 84, died Feb. 11, 2002, at her home. Born Aug. 26, 1917, in Carbon Hill, Ala., daughter of the late James and Minnie Stovall Kitchen, she was a member of the First Assembly of God Church and co-founder of the Women's Aglow ministry in Sikeston. She had taught school in a one-room schoolhouse in Cross County, Ark., for many years and later worked for the International Shoe Company before retiring in 1968...

MATTHEWS - Dallas R. Waldo, 68, died at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10, 2002, at his daughter's home near East Prairie. Born Jan. 17, 1934, in Crossville, Tenn., son of the late Robert Lee and Lucy Ann Cox Waldo, he lived in Matthews and East Prairie most of his life. He was a retired electrician and carpenter and was of the Pentecostal belief...

ROWLETT, Texas - Florence Aline Vaughan, 82, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Feb. 8, 2002, at the Lake Point Medical Center in Rowlett. She was born March 6, 1919, in Jackson, Miss., and on Feb. 24, 1936, she married Richard Vaughan who preceded her in death on Jan. 13, 1996...

ORAN - Sydnea Elizabeth Rhodes, 5-month-old daughter of Tony Allen Rhodes and Bobbie Denise Schwepker of Oran, died Feb. 6, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was born Aug. 27, 2001, in Cape Girardeau...

DEXTER - Ada P. Cotner, 89, died Feb. 9, 2002, at the Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, Ala. Born Jan. 17, 1913, in Dexter, daughter of the late Ambrose L. and Alullian Hull Pruitt, she was an obstetrics nurse at the Poe Clinic before retiring and member of the First General Baptist Church in Dexter...

DEXTER - Elfreda Mae Crane, 83, died Feb. 10, 2002, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born July 17, 1918, in Dexter, daughter of the late Henry and Nellie Norman Duley Jr., she was a member of the Church of God in St. Charles. She had been employed by Elder Manufacturing and had been a consultant for Beverly Enterprises before retiring...

SIKESTON - Paul W. Glancy, 81, died Feb. 7, 2002, at the Miner Nursing Center. Born Oct. 9, 1920, in Pennsylvania, he retired as a self-employed carpenter and was a sergeant with the U.S. Army during World War II. He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Paul Moehrle of Pennsylvania; and one nephew, Don Baker of Sikeston...

SCOTT CITY - Sara Idell Albrecht, 83, died at 10:45 a.m. Feb. 7, 2002, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 28, 1918, in Earth County, Texas, daughter of the late John Lester and Pearl Pryor Crouch, she was a member of Eisleben Lutheran Church and Ladies Aid of the church...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Sikeston for Lilly Elizabeth Heyde Yount, 86, who died February 6, 2002, will be: Lee Bowman, Jim Buck, Bill Burch, Robert Parsons, Jim Ponder, Sam Potashnick, Harry Sharp and Phil Tidwell. Honorary pallbearers will be: David Bowman, Rick Brandom, Edward Fuchs, John Harper, Joe Hunter, Dr. John Kendig, Joe McCord, P.J. Ponder, Charles Sander and Bill Sharp...

DEXTER - Floyd Edmond Grissom, 84, died Feb. 7, 2002, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born Aug. 4, 1917, in Mount Pleasant, Ark., son of the late William Silas and Ollie Wolford Grissom, he was a custodian for Intertherm Heating and Cooling in St. Louis before retiring and was of the Baptist belief...

PORTAGEVILLE - J.W. "Dubb" Widner, 84, died Feb. 8, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 6, 1917, in Dell, Ark., son of the late John and Kitty Avitts Widner, he was a farmer and former secretary of the Farm Bureau. A 32nd Degree Mason and York Rite, he was a member of the Oldham Masonic Lodge and First United Methodist Church in Portageville...

ORAN - Noel C. Orr, 82, died Feb. 8, 2002, at the Marymont Nursing Home in Eureka. Arrangements are pending at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, where visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Monday with parish prayers at 6:30 p.m. and Knights of Columbus prayers at 7 p.m...

SIKESTON - Danny and Becky Kuykendall are the parents of their second and third children, twin sons, born Jan. 6, 2002 at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis. Jackson Sams Kuykendall weighed 2 pounds, 11 ounces and was 14 1/2-inches long when he arrived at 6:13 p.m. When Hudson Riley Kuykendall was born at 7:12 p.m., he weighed 2 pounds 14 ounces and was 15-inches long...

MORLEY - Dottye Lefler has announced the engagement of her niece, Rita Bays, to Ernie Justice. The future bride is the daughter of the late Sue Bonifield McDonald and Dean McDonald and the prospective bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Justice of Henderson, Ky., and the late Bessie Justice...

SIKESTON - A six pound daughter was born Wednesday to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Nichols. --- SIKESTON - John Ponder, a sophomore at Southeast Missouri Teachers College at Cape Girardeau, was elected president of the Young Men's Christian Association at the college last week...

There is a young man accused of child molestation. He has never been in trouble, never just hung out and dealt with many children. No child ever accused him. They are all grownups now. He has had three public defenders and has had the last one for about four months. ...

CORDOVA, Tenn. - Brenda Joyce Wolford, 59, formerly of Mississippi County, Mo., died at 3:10 p.m. Feb. 4, 2002, at Baptist Memorial East Hospital in Memphis. Born Nov. 8, 1942, near Kennett, Mo., daughter of the late Roy and Gladys Simmons, she retired as an accountant for the Metropolitan Interfaith Association in Memphis. She attended the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis and was a member of the Tamms (Ill.) Baptist Church...

EAST PRAIRIE - J.W. Smith, 66, died at 4:22 a.m. Feb. 6, 2002, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home.

EAST PRAIRIE - Herbert Haney, 72, died at 12:23 p.m. Feb. 4, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 27, 1929, in Commerce, son of the late Oliver and Gladys Hockersmith Haney, he lived in Mississippi County most of his life where he was a farmer until retiring. He was of the Baptist belief...

BERTRAND - Minnie M. Vinson, 91, a resident of Pomona, Calif., died at 2:10 a.m. Feb. 6, 2002, at the Bertrand Nursing Facility. Among local survivors are her daughter and son-in-law, Kay and David Teeters of Charleston; and one granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Karen and Hershel Hitchcock of Charleston...

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Kenneth Huston Stanberry, 51, formerly of Dexter, Mo., died Jan. 31, 2002, in Columbia, S.C., following a lengthy illness. Born March 24, 1950, in Sikeston, Mo., he was the son of Martha Curd Stanberry Stone of Morehouse, Mo., and the late James Houston Stanberry and stepson of James Stone of Morehouse...

EAST PRAIRIE - J.W. Smith, 66, died at 4:22 a.m. Feb. 6, 2002, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home.

BERTRAND - Johnny L. Warren, 35, formerly of Sikeston, died Dec. 1, 2001, at his home. Born Nov. 14, 1966, in Oklahoma, he was the son of Jerry Warren of Scott City and Ruth Redwine of Oklahoma. On Nov. 30, 1993, in Arkansas, he married Carolyn Harden who survives of the home...

PORTAGEVILLE - The Portageville Bulldogs continued to roll through the second half of the season with a 71-47 victory over the Gideon Bulldogs on Thursday at Portageville High School. It marked Portageville's 20th win of the season and their 12th straight since Christmas...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - When head coach Derek McCord took over the Cape Central Tigers basketball program, he knew that his first year at the helm would be a struggle. But even he couldn't envision the hard times his fledgling team has fallen on. The Tigers (4-17 and 0-6 in the SEMO Conference) have not only struggled in the win column, but also in retaining players...

Several area high school football players signed letters of intent on national signing day Wednesday. Sikeston offensive lineman Kevin Keller signed with the University of Missouri-Rolla, while teammate defensive tackle Justin Lowes signed with Southern Illinois University...

DEXTER - Floyd Grissom, 84, died Feb. 7, 2002, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

ST. LOUIS - Dorothy Ann Henley, 91, formerly of Bloomfield, died Feb. 7, 2002, in St. Louis. Born Sept. 9, 1910, in Bell City, daughter of the late George and Myrtie Garner Dunlap, she attended the First Baptist Church in Bloomfield and was a member of Order of the Eastern Star Chapter 385...

CHARLESTON - Minnie M. Vinson, 91, died at 2:10 a.m. Feb. 6, 2002, at the Bertrand Nursing Facility. Born Nov. 9, 1910, in Marquand, daughter of the late Alfred Stokes and Dica Ellen Francis Green, she was a correctional supervisor with the California Rehabilitation Center for 26 years and moved to Charleston in 1988. She was a member of the First Christian Church of Charleston...

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Kenneth Huston Stanberry, 51, formerly of Dexter, Mo., died Jan. 31, 2002, in Columbia, S.C., following a lengthy illness. Born March 24, 1950, in Sikeston, Mo., he was the son of Martha Curd Stanberry Stone of Morehouse, Mo., and the late James Houston Stanberry and stepson of James Stone of Morehouse...

EAST PRAIRIE - J.W. Smith, 66, died at 4:22 a.m. Feb. 2, 2002, at his home. Born Oct. 2, 1935, in Ridgely, Tenn., son of the late Robert Lee and Beulah Mae Harris Smith, he lived in East Prairie most of his life. He was a carpenter with the Davis Lumber Company in East Prairie before retiring and was of the Pentecostal belief...

FULTON, Texas - Lewis Edward "Bob" Worth, 68, died Jan. 31, 2002, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Antonio. Born June 4, 1933, at Wardell, Mo., son of the late Valley Brook Warth and Julie Belle Rettig Warth, he was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War...

SIKESTON - Lilly Elizabeth Heyde Yount, 86, formerly of Jackson and a resident of Sikeston, died at 7:20 a.m. February 6, 2002, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born Sept. 5, 1915, at Jackson, Mo., daughter of the late William Albert and Tom Ella McCombs Heyde Sr., she attended school in Jackson and was valedictorian of her senior class...

PORTAGEVILLE - Clyde Edward Essary, 64, died Feb. 7, 2002, at Pemiscot Memorial Hospital in Hayti. Born Oct. 15, 1937, in Poplar Bluff, son of the late Raymond Otis and Mary Christine Clark, he was a member of St. Eustachius Catholic Church and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was an installation and repair man for Southwestern Bell for 28 years...

MALDEN - Coena Dorothy Dambach, 80, died Feb. 7, 2002, at Three Rivers Health Care North in Poplar Bluff. Born July 16, 1921, in Kelso, daughter of the late Charles and Louise Schoen Georger, she was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church of Malden and a former member of the St. Ann Altar Society...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Sikeston Bulldogs picked up another big SEMO Conference win on the road on Friday night by defeating the Cape Central Tigers 55-42 at Tiger Field House. The win by the Bulldogs spoiled the Tigers' homecoming and also the farewell celebration to the final game in the Field House, also called the "Orange Bowl."...

ESSEX -- Richland beat Clarkton with the deep ball Friday night, hitting 13 three-pointers in an impressive 83-70 victory. Standout Sherome Cole led the attack with six treys, finishing with 28 points overall. Josh McMullin contributed three from downtown and scored 23 on the night...

ESSEX -- Tyler Cookson iced four free throws late in the fourth quarter to lift Oran over Richland on Thursday, 74-67 in a big Class 1A, District 2 matchup at Richland High School. The win ends a two-game losing streak for the Eagles, who improve to 15-6...