Stories from Wednesday, November 22, 1995

To the editor: I have been reading letters to the editor from some people who are unhappy with the selection of columnists you use. I am just thrilled with the people who contribute. I think Jay Eastlick, Walter Williams, Mona Charen and Cal Thomas are top-notch...

SIKESTON -- Former mayor of Bertrand, Eileen Kobes Frentrop, 89, of Sikeston, died Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born July 19, 1906, in Morley, daughter of Tev and Mae Smith Griggs. She married Joseph N. Kobes Dec. 26, 1940, in St. Louis. He died in July 1947. She and Francis V. Frentrop were married Aug. 22, 1952, in Piggott, Ark. He died Jan. 9, 1986...

DEXTER -- Gladys Holmes Ralph, 87, of Dexter, died Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995, at Vintage Villa Nursing Center. She was born Dec. 31, 1907, in Morley, daughter of John and Elizabeth Bieser Vaughn. She married Robert Holmes March 14, 1929, in Sikeston. He died Sept. 12, 1971. She later married Charles J. Ralph Oct. 27, 1972, who died Feb. 8, 1985...

Blow the trumpets, roll the drums, the holiday season has begun. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. In homes throughout the nation the festive board will be laden with the fruits of the harvest. Families will gather in joyous celebration, not to end until the last bowl game is played on Jan. 1...

While the fourth Thursday of November is called a national holiday, for many families, the day holds deeper appeal. Traditions will vary, but Thanksgiving Day typically translates to a sharing of both the day and of at least one meal. With the menu planned, the pantry shelves stocked, and the turkey defrosting in the refrigerator, it's time for last-minute checks and reminders...

BENTON -- Louis and Anna Glastetter of Benton have been going to the Grandparents' Day celebration at St. Denis Catholic School for at least eight years. This year they won a prize for having the most grandchildren enrolled at the school. Seven of their grandchildren attend St. Denis. Three others attend classes at Thomas W. Kelly School...

BENTON -- Although most people celebrate Thanksgiving with friends, family and food, inmates at the Scott County Jail won't get to spend the day with relatives. But they will enjoy a traditional holiday meal with turkey and dressing and all the trimmings...

BENTON -- No drugs were found during an unannounced search last week at Thomas W. Kelly schools. Scott County Sheriff's deputies and the K-9 unit of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety conducted the search Thursday. "No drugs of any type were found and no searches of any individual person were conducted," High School Principal Tom Allen said in a press release...

ALTENBURG -- Shopping for Christmas gifts this weekend won't likely be a stressful event in East Perry County. Some local business are actually celebrating the season with the third annual Christmas in East Perry County Craft Fair. The fair will be Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and includes shops in Altenburg and Frohna...

It may be early but the Girl Scout Class of 2000 is planning for its European Tour in 1999. To help finance the trip, the troop will have a craft and bake sale this weekend in Oak Ridge. Crafts, baked good and candies will be for sale at the Personal Touch Gift Shoppe Christmas open house...

The Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to move ahead with plans for a new $250,000 building to house its offices in Osage Park. The Cape Girardeau City Council would be well advised to pause and assess motel and restaurant tax revenue before jumping into yet another construction project...

Flood buyouts in Cape Girardeau and Commerce have been approved by the federal government. Officials predict some property owners may have checks in hand as early as January, with some demolition under way in February. Commerce will receive $1.75 million in buyout funds. Cape Girardeau will get $742,000...

To the editor: I am writing in regard to a recent article in which Mayor Al Spradling III made the comment that because of the ward system there were no applicants petitioning to fill vacating seats on the city council. I doubt seriously that the ward system has anything to do with the lack of any potential candidate not wanting to run against an incumbent. ...

Funeral service for Cleatus F. Henson of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Chapel in Advance. The Rev. Cecil Keller will officiate, with burial in Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Bell City. Henson, 80, died Monday, Nov. 20, 1995, at Vencor Hospital in St. Louis...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Graveside service for Roy C. Emerson of Jonesboro will be held at 1 p.m. today at Anna Cemetery, with the Rev. Mark Staton officiating. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements. Emerson, 81, was found dead Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995, at his home...

SIKESTON -- June Lee Wright, 38, of Sikeston died Monday, Nov. 20, 1995, at her home. She was born Aug. 22, 1957, at Sikeston, daughter of Freddy and Wanda Grimes Hargrove. She and Phillip Wright were married. Wright was a member of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Sikeston...

ADVANCE -- Kent C. Massey, 75, formerly of Paragould, Ark., died Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995, at the Advance Nursing Center. He was born June 17, 1920, at Hasin, Ark. Arrangements are incomplete at the Morgan Funeral Home in Advance.

MATTHEWS -- Lector H. Carroll, 91, died Monday, Nov. 20, 1995, at the Sells Rest Home in Matthews. She was born Nov. 4, 1904, at Center Ridge, Ark., daughter of Will and Lela Mahan Harris. She and W.O. Carroll were married. He preceded her in death in 1945...

CHARLESTON -- Nellie Mae Thurman Miller, 58, of Charleston died of an extended illness Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 10, 1937, in Arkansas, daughter of Charles and Edna Dalton Thurman. Miller lived in Mississippi County for most of her life...

BLOOMFIELD -- Funeral service for Ronnie D. Crowell of Bloomfield will be held at 11 a.m. today at Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home. The Rev. Dwayne Coleman will officiate, with burial in Bloomfield Cemetery. Crowell, 57, died Monday, Nov. 20, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, following an extended illness...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral mass for Viola M. McClure of Perryville will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Vincent's Catholic Church. The Rev. Charles Rice will officiate, with burial in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends may call at Miller Family Funeral Home from 6:30-10:50 a.m. The rosary will be recited at 9...

PUXICO -- Claude D. Johnston, 82, of Puxico, died Monday, Nov. 20, 1995, at Dexter Nursing Center in Dexter. He was born July 3, 1913, in Victoria, La., son of William Jones and Ora Idel Bates Johnston. He and Pauline Faries were married Jan. 16, 1934, in Puxico...

Donald A. Elfrink, 74, of Leopold died Monday, Nov. 20, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 25, 1921, at Leopold to Fred W. and Louis Anger Elfrink. He married Luella DeBrock on April 11, 1945. She survives. Other survivors include a son, Stan Elfrink of St. ...

Charles Alexander Mammon, 83, of Farmington, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 1995, at Doctors' Hospital in Wentzville. He was born March 29, 1912, in Egypt Mills, son of John and Matilda "Tillie" Gerschwyler Mammon. He and Lucille Johnston Vance were married Dec. 1, 1974...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Funeral service for Glenn E. Middleton of Cobden will be held at 11 a.m. today at First Baptist Church. The Rev. Dewayne Taylor will officiate, with burial in Cobden Cemetery. Friends may call at the church from 10 a.m. to service time...

Roxanna D. Taylor, 52, 4987 Old Cape Road East, died Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 19, 1943, in East St. Louis, Ill., daughter of Ralph Eugene and June Elizabeth Wolfe Bollinger. Taylor was a graduate of Bloomfield High School. ...

Funeral service for Lynn Edward Carter, 324 S. Hanover, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in Sandusky, Ill. The Rev. Robert L. James will officiate, with burial in Spencer Heights Cemetery at Mounds, Ill. Friends may call at Algee Memorial Chapel from 6-8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to service time at the church...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral service for Lloyd "Bud" Mezo of Perryville will be held at 2 p.m. today at Young and Sons Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Jonathan Brown will officiate, with burial in Home Cemetery. Friends may call today from 6:30 a.m. to service time...

Rush H. Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau was honored Tuesday with the State Historical Society's Distinguished Service Award. Limbaugh, 104, a longtime supporter and former president of the society, worked for the society in 1915, said James W. Goodrich, director of the historical society. Limbaugh serves on the society's board of trustees...

The Dow Jones industrial average surged into record territory Tuesday, topping the milestone 5,000 mark for the first time in history. "It closed at 5,023.55," said Betty Domian, a stock investment consultant with Edward D. Jones and Co. here. "That's a one-day jump of more than 40 points from the Monday total."...

For less than 20 cents a pound, your family can feast on a Thanksgiving turkey. But the entire holiday meal could cost as much $40 if you buy it prepared. The birds range in price from 12 to 19 cents per pound with an additional $50 purchase at area grocery stores. Otherwise, they cost up to 69 cents per pound...

The Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation needs city tax money just to keep afloat a plan to turn a former Catholic seminary into a museum and cultural center. "We just have a crisis here and we need to deal with it," said Mary Robertson, foundation board chairman...

The philosophy upon which the ever-expanding Hooters restaurant empire is built is a simple one: Guys like attractive, scantily clad young ladies to bring them their eats. Yeah, their wings are rather tasty (those served at the restaurant, not any which might sprout from the bodies of waitresses) but are a bit on the pricey side. Reason? A premium is added for the scenery...

THE FACULTY of Central Junior High would like to commend the football staff, coaching staff and athletic director of Jackson for representing Southeast Missouri in such fine matter and we wish them all the best in their game. ABOUT THE Lorrie Morgan concert that was canceled. ...

JACKSON -- City Administrator Steve Wilson said he needs a way to put some teeth into Jackson's utility bill ordinance. Just a few years ago, the number of delinquent accounts filled only a page and a half of paper at Jackson City Hall. Now City Collector Beverly Nelson averages seven pages, filled with names of people who haven't dropped off or mailed in their payments...

JACKSON -- Girls from all over Southeast Missouri traveled to Jackson for Saturday's six Christmas and winter pageants, sponsored by the Jacksonian Chapter of the American Business Women's Association. Kia Ross, 4, daughter of Michael and Rhonda Ross of Jackson, won the Little Miss Snowflake title...

The Southeast Missourian asked people about their Thanksgiving Day family traditions. LaDora Sides: "My side of the family usually comes to my house for lunch. We have the evening meal with my husband's side of the family. We all bring something." Beverly Nelson: "We're just the traditional All-American turkey family. We try to spend part of the day with my father and part of the day with my husband's mother."...

Trooper Fred Stoffregen, formerly of the Cape Girardeau/Jackson zone of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, has been transferred to Fredericktown and promoted to corporal. Stoffregen, a Jackson native, has been with the patrol for almost six years. He is married to the former Barbara Whitehead of Jackson. They have three children, Josh, 10, Jake, 9, and Jenny, 6...

JACKSON -- Mary Meyer of Jackson will be the chairwoman of the local 1996 MS Walk, already scheduled for April 14. The walk, sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, will be conducted in 20 sites throughout Missouri and Illinois. Walk participants ask friends, family members and co-workers to sponsor them through donations. Four or more walkers may sign up as a team...

JACKSON -- The Primary Annex PTO is sponsoring a drive to collect Campbell's product labels and Best Choice brand UPC symbols. The collections will benefit the kindergarten and first-grade classrooms at the school. Campbell's labels will be redeemed for educational supplies and playground equipment and Best Choice UPC symbols will be redeemed for a cash donation from Town & Country Supermarket in Jackson...

JACKSON -- Plans are under way to develop a drive-through Christmas display in the Jackson City Park. The Jackson Merchants Association, along with the Jackson Board of Aldermen and Park Board, is inviting local churches and organizations to design lighted scenes or greetings to be displayed. Lighting will begin at dusk on Dec. 2 and continue through New Year's Eve...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Jaycees will sponsor the annual Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 2. The theme this year is "Hometown Christmas." Civic and church groups are invited to participate. Those interested should call Patty Reisenbichler at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, 243-8131, or Jennifer Martin, parade chairwoman, at 651-8763...

Chamber to sponsor social JACKSON -- The annual Jackson Chamber of Commerce Holiday Social will begin at 5 p.m. Monday at the chamber office. All the new teachers in Jackson Public Schools have been invited for the event. The social will end at 6:30 p.m., and all chamber members are encouraged to drop by and meet Jackson's newest educators...