Stories from Sunday, March 23, 2003

RAYMORE - Claude Tubbs, 92, formerly of East Prairie, died at 2:17 a.m. March 22, 2003, at his granddaughter's home in Raymore. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home of East Prairie.

QULIN - Gaylord Leon Marcus, 54, died March 21, 2003, at the Three Rivers Healthcare North Campus in Poplar Bluff. Born April 7, 1948, at Chicago, Ill., son of Leon and Ruth Marcus of Qulin, he was affiliated with the Baptist church, a former employee of Monsanto Chemical Co. in St. Louis and a member of the Wappapello Eagles Club...

DEXTER - Barbara Rose, 62, died March 20, 2003, in the emergency room of Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

SIKESTON - Carl A. Rayburn, 37, died March 20, 2003. He was born Oct. 7, 1965, son of David E. Rayburn of Fenton and the late Wilma Payne Rayburn. Survivors in addition to his father include: one son, Carl David Rayburn Jr., three stepdaughters, Amy Groves, Liz Groves and Ashley Groves; two brothers, Harold Rayburn of Valley Park and Charles Rayburn; one sister, Shirley Powers of Florissant; and a special friend, Marjane Groves of Sikeston...

BENTON - Charles Stevens Woolf, 88, died at 10 p.m. March 19, 2003, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born April 30, 1914, in Tolu, Ky., son of the late John Thomas and Myra Tom Stevens Woolf, he was a retired farmer. He retired in 1984 from Edwards Fertilizer in Cerro Gordo, Ill...

WAPPAPELLO - Robert Lee Campbell, 78, formerly of Caruthersville, died March 18, 2003, in Wappapello. Born Aug. 7, 1924, in Arbyrd, son of the late Harvey Franklin and Pearl Mae Jenkins Campbell, he attended school in Canalou and was a retired janitor. He was of the Assemblies of God belief and was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

NEW MADRID - It is a blend as natural as the wines they sell. River Ridge Winery of Commerce and the New Madrid Historical Museum have combined to offer visitors and local residents an opportunity to enjoy wines, grape-related products and a historic setting...

ESSEX - Christal Michelle Newton is the mother of her first child, a son, born March 6, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Austin Jayson-Andrew Newton weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20-inches long. Newton, daughter of Patrick and Kathy Newton, is employed by Wendy's...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Harry Dover received a telegram Friday from their second son, Bobby, of the U.S. Navy, who was in San Diego, Calif., hoping for a furlough so he can come to Sikeston to visit his parents, relatives and friends. MOREHOUSE - The Tradewinds Trio from Morehouse has been selected as one of the final six acts at the Cooter talent contest. Mike Hart, Carl Lambert and Don Savage compose the well-known trio, reputed to be one of the best folk singing groups in Southeast Missouri...

It is difficult to describe how one feels when their mother has been diagnosed with acute leukemia. Such was my situation just before Christmas 2002. I had no idea what our road ahead would bring, but I knew I would be right there with her every step of the way. ...

As I have watched in utter amazement the array of military strength displayed by the United States, I couldn't help but recall the words of those politicians who call for massive cuts in defense spending. The words of Edward Kennedy, Barbara Boxer and Missouri's Lacy Clay should be remembered now by all Americans in this time of conflict...

BLOOMFIELD - If you wanted to see the Lewis and Clark Map Exhibit at the Stars and Stripes Museum/Library and thought you missed it, you're in luck. "Something's come up and they're going to let us have it for another week," said Patty Damron, assistant director. "So March 31st will be the last day."...

S & W Productions' employees work in the control room at the 23rd Annual Kenny Rogers Children's Center Telethon Saturday morning. The employees are controlling five cameras for the 20-hour telethon that began Saturday and continues today at the Sikeston Senior High School Field House. The telethon is the center's major fund raiser. To make a donation to the KRCC telethon call 471-9900 or 1-877-472-0397...

SIKESTON - With baseball season right around the corner, area teams are getting prepared for the season. Here is a preseason look at some of the teams in our coverage area. DEXTER -- The Bearcats return five starters from a 13-5 team that reached the district semifinals last year...

COLUMBIA -- The Charleston Bluejays' quest for the school's 10th state championship ended on Friday afternoon with a 79-67 loss to Ash Grove in the Class 3 semifinals at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. Top-ranked Cardinal Ritter rallied to defeat Lincoln Prep Academy 58-54 in the other semifinal game. Charleston (27-4) played Lincoln Prep in the third place game Saturday. Results from that game will be in Monday's paper...

SIKESTON - With six returning starters from last year's 21-4 unit, the Sikeston Bulldogs baseball team has high expectations once again. Sikeston enters the season ranked No. 4 in Class 3 after a fourth place finish at state last year. With the majority of the pitching and many key offensive players returning, head coach Kevin Self is hoping for third consecutive trip to Columbia...

Leonna Essner Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- Although Margie Stone is convinced the 100-year-old violin she has isn't a Stradivarius, she can't help but wonder. And who wouldn't? Stone said she knows the violin was purchased for her father at a drug store in 1900. A tag connected to the violin says it's a Stradivarius -- which is an antique violin worth millions of dollars -- and that it was made in Germany in 1735...

SIKESTON -- It's true the war has interrupted regular television programming and the daily lives of thousands of men and women serving in the military -- but it's also prompted some area high school teachers to rearrange their lesson plans. "A lot of the students are confused about what's going on," noted Matt Ginther, New Madrid County Central High School current events and government teacher...