Stories from Thursday, June 5, 1997

Donna Farrow of Cape Girardeau talks a lot about the will of God. And when Farrow, 22, learns what God's will is for her, she obeys it; no questions asked. Two years ago she felt God had told her to go to Dallas to attend the Christ for the Nations Bible Institute. Never mind that she was an unwed mother with a year-old son, Elijah...

The Jackson Municipal Band will hold its weekly concert at 8 tonight at the band shell in the Jackson City Park. Conductor for the program is Scott Vangilder. Vangilder is band director at Jackson High School. Special guest for the concert will be Julie Walker. Walker, a 1980 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, is currently on the staff at the Jackson R-2 Middle School. She will sing several folk songs and accompany herself on the guitar...

Two of six hands-on Internet training classes will be held today at the A+ Lab at Central High School. The staff of SEMissourian.com, the official web site of the Southeast Missourian newspaper, will lead the training. Participants have pre-registered and should have received confirmation letters...

Cape Girardeau native Larry G. Points, a graduate of Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University, has co-authored a children's book about Atlantic coastal beaches. The book is titled "Ribbons of Sand -- Exploring Atlantic Beaches" and was published by Sierra Press...

Novelist and writing instructor James N. Frey has a confession that must be reassuring to his students. "I had a lot of trouble learning how to write," he says. Hoping to clarify the techniques for himself, Frey decided to write about writing. The eventual result was his book "How to Write a Damn Good Novel," which was followed by "How to Write a Damn Good Novel II, Advanced Techniques." Both are widely-read guides for aspiring writers...

Small is beautiful in the Midwest Minis National Juried Exhibition opening Friday at Gallery 100. But working small -- the two- and three-dimensional works of art can measure no more than 14 inches in any direction -- requires the artist to do more than simply shrink a larger work...

A Metropolis, Ill., woman died after an two-car accident near Mermet, Ill., early Wednesday morning. Tracy Durkes, 33, of Metropolis was driving south on U.S. Highway 45 three-quarters of a mile north of Mermet in Massac County, when a car driven by Elaine Modicue, 41, of Perks, Ill., crossed the center line and struck Durkes' car head-on, according to the Illinois State Police. The accident occurred at 2:05 a.m. Wednesday...

PERRYVILLE -- A portion of St. Mary's of the Barrens Seminary will be turned into a commercial and residential development that will include two nine-hole golf courses. On Wednesday, the Vincentian order that owns the 179-year-old seminary and acreage surrounding it unveiled a plan to develop an outlet mall, the golf courses, stores, offices, light manufacturing buildings and subdivisions on the 650 acres that surround the 55-acre seminary campus...

At the age of 10, David Andrews knew how he would propose to the love of his life. The idea came when he saw the musical "My Fair Lady" and heard the song "I've Grown Accustomed to your Face" for the first time. "I always said if I was ever going to sing a song to the woman of my dreams, that was the one it would be," David said...

Wayne Moore has been bitten by the bug. But he is fighting back. Moore is a stormwater and sewer maintenance supervisor for the city of Cape Girardeau Public Works Department. Among other things, he directs the city's fogging operation that annually wages chemical war on the pesky pests...

Frequent rains over the past month helped people suffering from pollen- and mold-related allergies but offered greater opportunity for grass, a major springtime pollen-breeder, to grow, says a Cape Girardeau allergist. The few sunny, humid days of the past month brought more pollen and mold, which meant more symptoms for allergy-sufferers, he said...

June 5, 1997 Dear Patty, Our personal dog trainer Carla thinks Hank and especially Lucy aren't hopeless cases yet. Not so sure she's as optimistic about DC and me as dog owners. Carla first came to our house a year ago to instruct us in basic pet control. ...

To the editor: The first week of June is a time to celebrate American heroes. I'm not speaking of the once-in-a-lifetime giants like Ronald Reagan, Neil Armstrong or Babe Ruth. I'm referring to the everyday heroes. The ones who amaze us with their selflessness and surprise as with their understated strength and commitment...

With considerable fanfare in Paris, Boris Yeltsin signed an agreement that makes Russia part of NATO, the alliance that seeks to maintain a balance of military readiness in an area that has, for the most part, avoided aggression since the end of World War II...

Over the years, progress brings change, and few areas of Cape Girardeau have changed more dramatically that the business district as Haarig that included a once-thriving Good Hope Street. As much of the city's retail center has shifted to the west end -- with its mall, small shopping centers, hotels and restaurants -- the Good Hope area shifted too...

NEW HAMBURG -- Kelso C-7 School Superintendent Rick Chastain's request to resign has been refused for now by the Kelso Board of Education. Chastain submitted his resignation to the board at the end of May. The board held a special meeting to review options and decided by a 4-2 vote to keep Chastain under contract at least until January...

LaMonte Collier expected to be drafted while Dave Siboda never thought it would happen. But the bottom line is that both Southeast Missouri State University baseball players were selected Wednesday as the 1997 amateur baseball draft continued. Collier, a second baseman who put together a record-setting senior season for the Indians this spring, went in the 34th round to Philadelphia...

It has been said you can't go home again, but Sam Weaver wants to shoot that theory all to heck. While Cape Girardeau isn't technically Weaver's home, he has spent enough time here -- and in the region -- that he would feel mighty comfortable if he is hired as the new head men's basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State University...

COLUMBIA -- Given Kelly High's recent history of one-run wins, the Hawks appeared to have St. Mary's of Independence right where they wanted them late in Wednesday's Class 2A semifinal at Simmons Field. After knotting the score 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning, it looked like Kelly had the momentum to clinch another close win...

The Cape Girardeau Commerce Bank Senior Babe Ruth White Sox opened their season with a pair of home losses to Marion, Ill., Tuesday. Commerce Bank dropped the opener 8-7 and was no-hit in the nightcap, falling 17-0 in five innings. Greg Craft had two hits and three RBIs for the White Sox in the opener while Paul Dobbins added two hits. Matt Welker suffered the loss on the mound...

A pair of Cape Girardeau Central High School graduates will not return to Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team next season. Lance Craft and Talley Haines, who completed their sophomore seasons at Southeast this year, will be transferring to different schools...

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County is going on-line to offer service information to county residents within the next six months. The construction of a Cape Girardeau County web page is still in an early developmental stage but Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones promises it will be a reality...

SCOTT CITY -- Gerald J. Littlepage, 68, of Scott City died Wednesday, June 4, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

JACKSON -- Opal M. Roloff, 85, died Wednesday, June 4, 1997, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 8, 1911, in Piggott, Ark., daughter of Frank and Malone Barks Lewis. After their deaths she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Barks of Jackson. She and Leo Roloff were married May 25, 1930. He died Feb. 1, 1978...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Annette B. Givens, 74, of East Prairie died Wednesday, June 4, 1997, at East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 8, 1922, in East Prairie, daughter of William Walker and Alda Meda Halbrook Bledsoe. She and Billie Lee Givens were married April 26, 1942. He died Oct. 27, 1981...

ANNA, Ill. -- Roscoe F. Kelley, 75, of Anna died Tuesday, June 3, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born July 16, 1921, in Jonesboro, son of Francis Lester and Clydie Lingle Kelley. He and Berniece Brimm were married Oct. 31, 1969, in Jackson, Mo...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Lillie Masterson, 70, of Olive Branch died Tuesday, June 3, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 19, 1926, in Edwardsville, daughter of Martin and Catherine Kanning Henke. She and Dillard "Smokey" Masterson were married Oct. 21, 1944. He died June 30, 1977...

Ruth Jane Williams, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, June 4, 1997, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born Aug. 20, 1917, in Oklahoma City, Okla., daughter of Lloyd W. and Iva Thomas Gibson. She and E. Victor Williams were married May 8, 1937, in Oklahoma City. He died Sept. 2, 1990...

Raleigh R. Ramsay, 79 of Missouri Veterans Home died there Tuesday, June 3, 1997. He was born April 5, 1918, in Colorado Springs, Colo., son of Horace and Emma Wilson Ramsay. He wife Linnie preceded him in death. Ramsay was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1968. He had also worked at McDonnell Douglas...

Son to Rodney Wayne and Kari Anne Gaskill of Millersville, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:46 p.m. Monday, May 19, 1997. Name, Clinton Anthony. Weight, 9 pounds 8 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Gaskill is the former Kari Seabaugh, daughter of Dennis and Marsha Norman of Cape Girardeau, and the late Leslie Seabaugh. She is a respiratory therapy technician at Southeast Hospital. Gaskill is the son of Clinton and Vivian Gaskill of Monmouth, Ill. He is a flight nurse on Lifebeat at Southeast Hospital...

PERRYVILLE -- Clara Kranaweter Beachler, 91, of Perryville and formerly of Pocahontas, died Wednesday, June 4, 1997, at Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday at Baumann Funeral Chapel in St. Louis. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral chapel...