Native trees, teenage twirlers and coach coincidence

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Rex Smith.

Happy birthday this week to Sandy Bollinger, Geoffrey Mirly, Cody Payne, Pam Eichhorn, Steve Benton Todd Chapman, Jim Arteme, Mike Crowden, Norma Evans, Josh Pobst, Jessica Nunnally, Kathy Enderle, Richard Nation, Justin Wilson, Kevin Ancell, Keith Ancell, CB Stidham, Darren McIntosh, Derrick Uhrhan, Tom Leible, Correy Chapman, Danny Walter, Brenda Bryant, Chris Siebert, Wade Cannon, Butch Baker, Rocky Rainey, Jr., and Missy Ikerman.

Happy anniversary to Larry and Fran Wolfe.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday! We hope you enjoy a day of football and fun accompanied with plenty of food and beverages.

The month of February is known as American Heart Month, National Cherry Month, Great American Pie Month, Black History Month and National Grapefruit Month. We remind everyone to keep an eye on your blood pressure, which can be easily checked at home with home monitors.

We will enjoy a full moon this week which is referred to as Trapper's Moon, Moon of Ice, Moon of Raccoon and Moon When Trees Pop.

Winter forecast?

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, and if you believe in Phil's predictions, we'll see if we will have an early spring or six more week of winter. We don't like to think of snow and sleet but it is still winter, and, as my sister Ruth reminds me, many of her mid-March birthday parties were canceled due to snow.

My spelling of "crape myrtle," when talking about native and nonnative trees in last week's Chatters, was changed to "crepe" by the big spellcheck in the sky; however, I have seen it both ways. Crape myrtle trees are very popular in Texas because they sport large clusters of colorful blooms in late summer when everything else has been fried by the summer heat and water restrictions. They grow tall in Texas but in Missouri, they reach about 10 feet. Crape myrtles are almost to the point of being overdone in Dallas, and every year when the tree trimming starts, arborists and people such as the Dallas Dirt Doctor refer to the drastic topping as "crape murder."

A reader asked me what some of Missouri's native trees are. Along with oaks, maples and pecan, there are plenty of options but you can search on the Internet, ask Dr. Grow at Sunny Hill or visit the Nature Center in Cape. They have a great book on native plants, and those interested can register for the free March 14 Native Plant & Garden Seminar.

City Council meets tomorrow at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Great news! The big white cross on the hill never left its spot. Apparently, the report of this landmark being missing was false, but Bob Burnett reports that vandals have removed some of the aluminum panels at the base.

Thoughts of Joe Stuckey

We were all saddened by the recent sudden passing of Joe Stuckey. Not only was he mayor of Benton, he has had his insurance office in Chaffee for many years. We often saw Joe walking on Yoakum Street from Whitaker Hardware to his office. He will be greatly missed.

Last week we wondered about Patsy Peer. I spotted her while thumbing through the 1947 Mogul. The cute brunette was Recreation Chairman of her Class, Mogul Staff Feature Editor, Advertising Manager for Devil's Tales, Halloween Queen and drum majorette. That year she organized a group of new twirlers and the mascot of the group was 10-year-old Doris M. Roberts, a fourth grader. I know some of you will recognize other twirlers that year. Sue Redfern, Kathryn Ancell, Karen Imhoff, Patsy Rushing, LaDonne Dobbs, Phyllis Rhodes, Patricia Castleman, Glenda Green, Nadine Ward, Bonnie Mantel, Patsy Glenzy, Geraldine Hickson, Anna V. Gully, Neoma Harrell and Dimple Pirtle. Active in curricular activities, Patsy's main interest was photography.

Prior to our deadline last week, HB Rice told me that Pat married Al Westland and last he heard, they were living in Memphis, where Al was a professor at University of Memphis. HB said he went to their house in the 1970s for a party she had when Mizzou was playing in one of the bowl games. He adds that he has a couple of her dad Armon's paintings.

We wondered about Coach Jack Taylor Jan. 18 and several of you asked if it was planned to run his picture with his CHS basketball team the same day. As far as I know, it was a wonderful coincidence!

Special words

Remember to tell those special people in your life you love them--those three words mean so very much. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of Joe Stuckey, Sherry Davis and Virginia Schultz. Our thoughts and prayers are with those missing loved ones and continue to be with our homebound, those in hospitals and nursing homes.

Email your news to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at 573-887-6430 or 214-207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was the hummingbird who flew off course on its trip south and was taken by airplane from Minnesota to Texas and released into the wild.