Stories from Tuesday, January 4, 2005

MATTHEWS -- Mr. and Mrs. Glen Schuerenberg were guests of honor at a surprise golden anniversary dinner Dec. 4. The celebration was hosted by their children and grandchildren. Glen Schuerenberg and Peggy Myrick were married Dec. 4, 1954, in rural Matthews at the home of the bride's parents, the late Rev. and Mrs. Raymond Myrick...

SIKESTON -Misses Sue Tanner and Alice VanHorne returned this Monday to William Woods College in Fulton, after spending the holidays with their respective families. SIKESTON - The No Extension edict of the city manager has evidently been taken seriously by car owners and there has been the usual mad last-minute rush to get a city auto license before the deadline at 5 p.m. ...

ST. LOUIS - Charles R. Goode, 81, formerly of Sikeston, died Jan. 1, 2005, at his home. Born July 30, 1923, in Larksburg, Tenn., son of the late Archie Elmer and Jessie Kathleen Stutts Goode, he was a grounds supervisor for a St. Louis cemetery before retiring...

EAST PRAIRIE - Irene Brashears Henry, 78, died at 10:55 p.m. Dec. 31, 2004, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews. Born Aug. 29, 1926, in Bertrand, daughter of the late George Dillon and Jessie Meeks Brashears, she lived in East Prairie most of her life and was of the Baptist belief...

SCOTT CITY - Celestia Grace Ziegler, 86, died at 8:50 p.m. Jan. 2, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 21, 1918, near Commerce, daughter of the late August and Anna Martin LeDure, she was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph Ladies Sodality and VFW Post 6407 in Scott City...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Carol Page Blanton, 65, died Jan. 1, 2005, at her home. Born Dec. 25, 1939, in Sikeston, daughter of Mary Lucille Page of Sikeston and the late Lee Page, she was a member of St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau, PEO Sisterhood and the St. ...

DUDLEY - James Garner Avery, 59, died Dec. 30, 2004, at his home. Born June 23, 1945, in St. Louis, to the late Oscar and Beverly Virgo Avery, he was a resident of Dudley for the past three years and a veteran of the U.S. Army. On July 29, 1981, he married Charlotte Prince, who survives of the home...

BLOOMFIELD - Freda Mae Lilly, 69, died Jan. 1, 2005, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born June 27, 1935, in Bloomfield, daughter of the late Henry and Opal Harper Rogers, she was a lifelong resident of the Bloomfield community. She retired as a waitress for the Hickory Log Restaurant in Dexter and was a member of the Dexter Church of Christ...

ORAN - Anthony "Tony" Wagoner, 45, died at 3:40 p.m. Jan. 2, 2005, at his home. Born Dec. 13, 1959, in Belleville, Ill., son of Patricia Ann Rafalowski Wagoner of Stockbridge, Ga., and the late James Earl Wagoner, he was a member of the First Baptist Church in Oran. He was a line technician for Nordenia USA in Jackson...

DEXTER - John Robert Wilkison, 36, died Jan. 1, 2005, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born July 29, 1969, in Dexter, son of Dale Wilkison of Dexter and the late Anna Blocker Wilkison, he was a member of the Dexter Eagles Lodge. Survivors include: one son, John Robert Wilkison Jr. of St. Louis; three daughters, Crystal Banfield of Bernie and Krista Northington and Viva Wilkison of Dexter; one brother, Michael Edward Wilkison of Farmington; ad one sister, Londa Moran of Bernie...

DEXTER - Gladsia Bland, 95, died Dec. 30, 2004, at the Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Sept. 9, 1909, in Dexter, daughter of the late Frank and Effie Jane Treat Anderson, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Dexter and of the Dexter Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. A former tour guide for Pressley Tours, she served as the Dexter city greeter for many years...

SIKESTON - Sally J. Beckmann, 69, died at 4:15 p.m. Dec. 31, 2004, at her home. Born June 17, 1935 in Clinton, Ill., to the late James Hobert and Mary Ann Dorrell Tate, she was a data entry clerk for the Missouri State Job Service until her retirement. A member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sikeston, she was active in the Altar Sodality and a member of the Auxiliary Legion of Mary at the church...

EAST PRAIRIE - William Ray Doss Sr., 41, died at 1:40 a.m. Jan. 2, 2005, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 31, 1963, at Mattoon, Ill., to the late Berry C. and Mary L. Martin Doss, he was a retired carpet layer and attended the Potter House Pentecostal Church in Sikeston...

MALDEN - James Shaw, 85, died Dec. 31, 2004, at the home of his daughter in Malden. Born July 14, 1919, in Crenshaw, Miss., to the late Ben and Lillie Washington Harris, he lived most of his life in the Parma and Essex communities, residing in Malden since 1988. He was a retired farmer and a member of the New Mount Zion Baptist Church near Essex...

PARMA - Harold Simmons, 63, died Jan. 3, 2005, at his home. Born June 15, 1941, in New Madrid County, son of the late Harold and Julia Blair Simmons, he had been a machine operator for Alumax Inc. in St. Louis and was of the Baptist belief. On Oct. 21, 1963, he married Anna Boyer who survives of the home...

SIKESTON -- Nellie L. Harden, 76, died at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 3, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

DEXTER - Gabriel Sweeney, 25, died Jan. 3, 2005, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

RENSSELAER, Ind. - James A. Ethridge, 55, died at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 28, 2004, at his home. Born Dec. 30, 1948, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., son of the late Fred Lee and Mabel Hanneman Ethridge, he was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He worked for Schumacher Electric in Rensselaer for more than 25 years and was a member of the Eagles...

DEXTER - Pallbearers at services conducted Sunday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Mayola Gibson, 76, of DeSoto, Texas, and formerly of Dexter, who died Dec. 29, 2004, were: Michael Gibson, Mark Gibson, Barry Reynolds, Ben Swallows, Ray Swallows and Chris Mertens...

SIKESTON -- Paul and Donna Johnson have announced the engagement of their daughter, Addie Louise, to Matthew Allen Winchester, son of Roy and Shannan Morton of Sikeston and Rick Winchester of Jackson. A 2004 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, the future bride is employed by Bank of America...

In response to the SpeakOut comment "Comparison of justice," how can they compare the O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson cases when they are two separate cases? This caller said Scott Peterson got the death penalty and O.J. did not, it looks like they are the discriminator...

New Madrid County officials took their oaths of office Friday afternoon then signed their commissions to take their elected offices. Pictured are, from left: Jimmy McSpadden, coroner; Ronnie Simmons, assessor; County Clerk Clement Cravens (partially hidden); Charles Ice, surveyor; Don Day, second district commissioner; and Mary Baker, first district commissioner. ...

EAST PRAIRIE - This cheerleading season has definitely been filled with ups and downs for the East Prairie Eagles varsity cheerleading squad. Following summer camp, the squad lost a teammate. Incoming freshman Brittany Tipler was killed in a car accident in late June...

SIKESTON - A stoplight on North Main at Highway HH/ZZ is another step closer to becoming a reality. City Council members approved an ordinance granting drainage easements to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission on state routes 61, HH and ZZ for the traffic signal project during their regular meeting Monday...

DEXTER -- A Dexter man is in jail for the murder of his son Saturday. The Dexter Police Department reports at 4:44 p.m. New Year's Day, officers responded to shots fired at 109 Condor Drive. Upon EMS and police arrival, 36-year-old John Wilkison of Dexter was found shot outside the residence. He was transported to Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter, where he later died as a result of his injuries...

JACKSON - Jackson's undefeated girls basketball record came to a crashing halt Monday, thanks to a Poplar Bluff team that could do little wrong and an Indians' squad that struggled all night to get anything going. The Mules limited the Indians to just eight first-half points and rolled to a surprisingly easy 54-26 victory in Jackson...

DEXTER - Dexter senior Rachel Blunt started 2005 off on a high note. The senior forward scored a career game high and also became the all-time leading scorer for the Dexter girls program, all while leading the Lady 'Cats to an 84-27 win over the New Madrid County Central Lady Eagles...