Stories from Wednesday, November 17, 1993

In August 1992, Cape Girardeau was the scene of a grisly triple murder. This week, the case reached resolution when all three defendants were sentenced. The justice dolled out was decidedly stiff and fitting. Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge Bill Syler handed down three consecutive life sentences to 19-year-old David Rhodes for his role in the murders of Sherry Scheper and her sons, Randy and Curtis. ...

An 11-year-old Cape Girardeau girl recently was named all-around champion at the Gateway Gymnastics of America qualifier meet. Emily Wilson, a member of the Riverside Gymnastics Academy Team, won first place in the floor exercise competition, the balance beam and the vault. She won second place on the uneven bars...

The SEMO Chapter of Harley Owners Group will hold its sixth annual Toy Run Dec. 5. Riders will gather at the West Park Mall parking lot at 2 p.m., and the ride will begin at 3 p.m. All bikes are welcome and admission is one toy and one canned good per rider...

Current and former members of the St. Louis Cardinals have joined with the team's broadcasters and other St. Louis celebrities to record "A Cardinals' Christmas," an album whose proceeds will go to the Caring Program for Children. Cassettes and compact discs are available in Cape Girardeau at Cybertel, 500 N. Kingshighway, and Schnucks, 19 S. Kingshighway...

The 50-year reunion of the Cape Girardeau Central High School class of 1943 was held recently. The weekend began with a "Wimpy's Night" at the home of Marjorie Miller Thompson, where guests perused class memorabilia and enjoyed hamburgers from a youth gathering spot of the period...

The election of officers will be the main business at the organizational meeting of the Civil War Round Table of the Cape Girardeau Area. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Center for Regional History, 520 N. Pacific. The Round Table will begin accepting new members beginning Sunday. Membership is open to anyone in the Cape Girardeau area with an interest in the history of the Civil War...

PERRYVILLE -- Word Tuesday that the National Weather Service had revised the Mississippi River flood crest at Chester, Ill., brought a big sigh of relief in the Bois Brule Levee District. Instead of cresting today at 32 feet, the Mississippi at Chester was expected to crest at 29.6 feet, 2.6 feet above flood stage...

Change in America's health-care system is inevitable, said speakers at a joint meeting Tuesday of two Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce committees. The meeting was held between members of the chamber's Health and Human Services Committee and the Small Business Committee...

The Area Wide United Tuesday topped 90 percent of its fund-raising campaign goal of $500,000 Tuesday. "As of today we're at 90.77 percent," said Dorothy Klein, executive director of the agency. That means about $50,000 is still needed for the campaign to make its goal...

Election of officers, preparations of a new budget and discussions concerning the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors' involvement in city, county, state, highway, port, university and other matters will be held during a one-day board retreat Friday at Lone Star Industries Natatorium...

A 33-year-old Cape Girardeau man sustained moderate injuries Tuesday night when his pickup truck ran off County Road 205 about two miles west of the city. Leonard Johnson was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital after the 8 p.m. accident. A spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol said Johnson's truck ran off the roadway and struck a tree...

JACKSON - More than 50,000 Cape Girardeau County tax bills -- for both real estate and personal property -- should be in the hands of residents by this weekend, County Collector Harold Kuehle has announced. Kuehle, who is launching his 27th tax collection season, said the first bills were mailed Nov. ...

BIEHLE -- Walter Schott, 77, of St. Louis, died Monday, Nov. 15, 1993, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Feb. 6, 1916, at Biehle, son of Joseph L. and Loretta Schamel Schott. He married the former Mildred M. Balsman. Schott had been a carpenter with Coch Construction Co...

JACKSON -- Ella M. Wedekind, 99, of Jackson, died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1993, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 30, 1893, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of Charles and Aguste Haupt Wedekind. Wedekind retired from Brown Shoe Co. in St. Louis in 1963. She moved to Jackson in 1981...

Lucille Lewis, 89, of Gettysburg, Pa., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1993, at Gettysburg Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Margaret A. Robert, 80, of Clyde, N.Y. died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1993 at the Cape Girardeau Nursing Center after a brief illness. She was born Aug. 1, 1913 in Babylon N.Y., daughter of Joseph and Margaret Kehoe Nagengast. She is survived by two daughters, Isabel Roberts, Lyons, N.Y., Margaret Grant, Cape Girardeau; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren...

SIKESTON -- Daniel Sugg, 79, of Sikeston, died Monday, Nov. 15, 1993, at his home. He was born Dec. 10, 1913, in Sidney, Ark., son of William and Rita Ann Whitener Sugg. He and Gladys Mae Marlin were married Jan. 7, 1936, at Cave City, Ark. She died Jan. 19, 1991...

CHARLESTON -- Georgia V. White, 88, of Charleston, died Saturday, Nov. 13, 1993, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 31, 1905, in Kosciusko, Miss., daughter of Mose and Rosie Hurns Fulton. White was a charter member of Holy Trinity Church of Deliverance, and chairman of the Mothers Board...

BERTRAND -- Lucille M. Mor, 89, of Bertrand, died Monday, Nov. 15, 1993, at Bertrand Nursing Center. She was born May 3, 1904, at Ahmeek, Mich., daughter of Louis and Rosa Sandretto Bausano. She and Joseph Mor were married May 5, 1923. He died in June 1963...

Josephine Thomas, 55, 2801 Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1993, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 9, 1937, in Blytheville, Ark., daughter of Linus and Erma Mosley Winchester. Thomas was a cook with Arco Barge Co. of Baton Rouge, La. She was a member of Randles General Baptist Church...

Graveside service for Arthur Emil Becht of Imperial will be held at 11:30 a.m. today at Peaceful Meadows Cemetery in Hillsboro. The Rev. Robert Hicks will officiate. Heiligtag Funeral Home at Arnold is in charge of arrangements. Becht, 89, died Sunday, Nov. 14, 1993, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE -- Graveside service for Helen Mae Wainscott of Springdale, Ark., will be held at 2 p.m. today at Home Cemetery in Perryville, with the Rev. William Sansoucie officiating. Young and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements. Wainscott, 80, died Saturday, Nov. 13, 1993, at Springdale Memorial Hospital...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Rob Pensel of Burfordville, 11:38 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, 1993. Name, Joshua Taylor. Weight, 8 pounds 10 ounces. First child. Mrs. Pensel is the former Debbie Bening, daughter of Wayne Bening and Draunda Bening of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Boatmen's Bank in Jackson. Pensel is employed at Lee-Rowan, and is the son of Opal and Charles Duncan of Cape Girardeau, and the late Ralph Pensel of Cape Girardeau...

Parents with small children must meet a myriad of demands, but it's not until those children reach their teenage years that the challenges really begin. The child that was a handful as a toddler can become a defiant, strong-willed rival in the parents' struggle to do their proper job...

Pumpkins have been associated with the autumn leaves for a long, long time. Pumpkins bring back childhood memories of crisp fall days and trips to grandmother's house for the Thanksgiving feast of turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, home canned green beans and corn, fried apples and especially pumpkin pie...