Andrew Shelby

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Andrew "Drew" Shelby, 10, a resident of East Prairie, died at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008, at Missouri Delta Medical Center.

He was born March 28, 1997, in Cape Girardeau to Jeff Shelby and Stephanie Reeves, who survive of East Prairie. Drew was a fifth-grade student at Martin Elementary School in East Prairie and a member of the Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. An energetic and skilled all-around sportsman, he participated in football, basketball and baseball team sports and loved to hunt and fish. He killed his first deer in the fall of 2006, and his first turkey, from the 2007 spring season, is proudly displayed at Reeves Boomland in Charleston, Mo. It was joked that black birds could become an "endangered species" thanks to Drew.

He is survived by his stepmother, Lisa Shelby, and his stepfather, Jeffrey Lance Sloan, both of East Prairie; two brothers, Christopher George Shelby and Zachary Berlin Wilkins; and one stepsister, Lexi Grace Stockman, all of East Prairie; maternal grandparents Wallace and Ruth Nunn Reeves of Charleston; his paternal grandmother, Elizabeth "Betty" Dawes Shelby of Brookfield, Wis.; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, George U. Shelby Jr.

Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. today at the First Baptist Church in Charleston, where funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday with the Rev. Jon Archie, pastor of Elm Street Baptist Church of Charleston, officiating. Eulogies will be offered by his basketball coach, Darrell Jones, baseball coach Mitchell Aters and football coach Mikey Johnson.

Interment will follow in the IOOF Cemetery under the direction of McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

Pallbearers will be Taylor Burke, Joe Wendt, John Malungen, Terry Pittman, Clifford Rowling and Stephen Groves.

At dusk Saturday, a fireworks tribute for Drew will be held at the East Prairie Industrial Park on Clay Morgan Drive.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105-1942.