Stories from Thursday, December 26, 1996

Teaching staffs in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson public schools fall below national averages for male-female ratios. And the decline in the number of men who are teachers, particularly in elementary grades, has been a trend in teaching ranks everywhere for the past few years...

With the change in leadership at the United Nations comes renewed hope that reforms in the worldwide organization will at last become a reality. The hoped-for changes in the cumbersome collection of 185 member nations didn't occur under the five-year tenure of Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt...

The last three weeks have seen me spend too large a percentage of my time with financing, taxes and accounting issues. I prefer to spend my time with family, business (customers and employees), church and reading. My next three weeks will be devoted to some long-range planning and reflections...

No sooner is Christmas over than New Year's Eve waits around the corner. Locally, there are many parties at motel banquet rooms, Knights of Columbus halls, civic clubs and bars. And here are a few untraditional ways to spend New Year's Eve: -- The New Year's Eve party aboard the St. Louis Iron Mountain Railway will feature both a party and a murder -- a murder mystery performed by the Steiger Haus Players from Ste. Genevieve...

At Observation Post Nine, in the northern area of the American Sector, Bosnia, an American soldier pulls guard duty atop a former Bosnian home. During the civil war here, this particular area -- including this home -- was barraged with artillery fire that totally destroyed the neighborhood...

Tore and Nina Vingo set out on their cross-country journey through America to gain a true understanding and appreciation of their adopted country. Seven months into the trip, the natives of Norway have found that and much more -- including each other...

Santa's reindeer may be good for the long haul. But when it comes to local deliveries, nothing beats a mail truck. Santa delivered about 30 parcels and Express Mail in Cape Girardeau Christmas Day. Mail carrier Jimmie Roberts of Chaffee donned the red suit, white beard and black gloves and boots Wednesday to make the holiday deliveries. The local post office began sending Santa on the mail route about five years ago...

Closed blinds and closed signs were in place for many Cape Girardeau businesses Wednesday, but people looking for gas or entertainment were in luck. A number of convenience stores, movie theaters and video stores were open during regular business hours on Christmas day, which many employees said resembled a normal workday with one main exception: more pay...

CHAFFEE -- Joda Matthews Griggs' casket lay closed in front of the pulpit Tuesday morning with a fiery bouquet of red flowers on top of it. In the audience, red and black Chaffee High School varsity jackets mixed with the navy and drab green uniforms of police officers from a dozen different departments...

PERRYVILLE -- In today's world, most people want to get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of time possible. The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to take them on a less direct route, one that passes the state's natural beauty and historic landmarks...

Instead of "Up on the rooftop, click, click, click," on Christmas Eve at one Cape Girardeau restaurant it was "In through the window, smash, crash, bash," as a confused deer got trapped in Bessie's Smorgasbord. "The initial call was that one deer had gone through the window and another was trying to get on the roof," said Cape Girardeau police officer Dan Simmons, one of the first officers on the scene...

Dec. 26, 1996 Dear Carolyn, Christmas this year was a reminder of how important rituals are to us, especially the ritual of the usual. Mom had us over for the traditional Christmas Eve meal, but I don't recall the custom of serving roast beef. When dessert arrived, she announced she was trying something new on us. Something new? On Christmas Eve?...

Professors at Southeast Missouri State University got a Christmas present Monday, but it didn't last long. According to officials at two Cape Girardeau banks, a computer glitch sent double paychecks into professor's bank accounts. Only those with electronic funds transfer service from the university were affected...

SCOTT CITY -- Floyd Noel Estes, 88, of Scott City died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1996, at The Lutheran Home. He was born Dec. 27, 1907, at Wappapello, son of William Acey and Mary "Mollie" Shipton Estes. He and Hazel B. Cowan were married July 29, 1926, at Jonesboro. Ill...

CHAFFEE -- Clyde A. Eichhorn, 76, of Chaffee, died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 9, 1920, in Oran, son of the late Edward and Nora Dannenmueller Eichhorn. He was a first mate for Cargill Carriers River Division of Minneapolis and served in the South Pacific during World War II...

CICERO, Ill. -- Emma May Gray, 80, of Cicero, Ill., died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 1996, at the City Care Center in Cobden, Ill. She was born Feb. 21, 1916, in Chicago, daughter of the late Willard and Herbert Livermore. She is survived by one daughter, Darlene Zubbrick of Cicero...

MARBLE HILL -- John Dennis Healy, 89, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 1996, at his home. His first wife, Holly Eaker, preceded him in death. He married Virginia V. James Johnson Sept. 1, 1979. She survives. He is also survived by one son, Donald Healy of Warrenton; one daughter, Janet Worstill of St. ...

SIKESTON -- Ira Bramlett, 85, died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1996, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SCOTT CITY -- Lela Zimmerman, 89, of Herculaneum, formerly of Scott City, died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1996, at the Westview Nursing Center in Herculaneum. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

TAMMS, Ill. -- Norman Bradshaw, 75, of Tamms died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 1996, at his home. He was born April 14, 1921, at Olive Branch, son of Samuel and Ollie Mary Hahn Bradshaw. He and Arletta Sheffer Troxel were married on April 14, 1984. He was a member of the Sandy Creek Baptist Church. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Marine Corps. He was a member of the Happy Hours Senior Citizens in Tamms...

Norma Elma Wallace died Wednesday at the Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was 80. She was born in Dongola, Ill., on July 12, 1916, the daughter of Milton and Willie Harris Cobb. Nearly all of her life was spent in Cape Girardeau, where she was a housewife and also worked for Florsheim Shoe Factory in Cape Girardeau for 35 years. She lived in Pasadena, Calif., for 23 years, where she was employed by CBS Studios for 10 years...

Eva Essner, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Ford & Sons Funeral Home.

Visitation for Albert August Christian Maevers will be held at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson from 4-8 p.m. today. Maevers died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilsit with the Rev. Donald Reder officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery...

JACKSON -- Daisy May Holland, 67, of Jackson died Sunday, Dec. 22, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 29, 1929, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of the late George and Genevieve Masters Sloan. She married Edward Cronenbold on Sept. 30, 1954, and he preceded her in death in November 1980...

DEXTER -- Marshall "Jack" Lang, 79, of Dexter died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born Oct. 17, 1917, at Dearfield, Mich., son of Silas and Rhoda Haley Lang. Lang lived in California, where he worked for Southern California Edison Co. He moved to Missouri in 1972 and worked for the Sikeston Power Plant until retirement in 1984. He then moved to Dexter...

CHAFFEE -- Loy (John) Heeb, 93, of Chaffee died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 1996, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. He was born July 11, 1903, at Chaffee, son of August Martin and Mathilda Pobst Heeb. He was a retired farmer. He married Alleyne Witt Sept. 5, 1934. She preceded him in death Oct. 24, 1981...

Lillian Mae Aide, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Nov. 19, 1923, at Belleville, Wis., daughter of Martin E. and Mae Halverson Nelson. She married David P. Aide in 1947. He preceded her in death in March 1996...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Bing Crosby Dillow, 50, of Dongola, died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996, at his home. He was born Nov. 28, 1946, at Dongola, son of William and Myrtle Sronce Dillow. Dillow was employed by Bunny Bread Bakery for more than 20 years. He was a member of the Mill Creek Baptist Church...

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Bertie Mae Wiseman, 76, died Friday, Dec. 20, in Phoenix, Ariz. She was born in Pauls Valley, Okla., on Sept. 12, 1920. She was the daughter of George and Ornie Thompson Cole. She married Charles Wiseman, who preceded her in death in 1991...

MARBLE HILL -- Lucy Jane Laxton, 89, of Marble Hill died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 16, 1907, at Helenwood, Tenn., daughter of Ruffus and Martha Smith Winchester. She married Hurstle V. Laxton on May 10, 1933. He preceded her in death on June 6, 1986...

PERRYVILLE -- Ryan J. Staggs, 15, of Perryville died Monday, Dec. 23, 1996, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born Mar. 4, 1981, at Perryville, son of Kenneth G. and Sharon K. Holzum Staggs. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. He was a freshman at Perryville High School...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Barry Guy Eastman, 32, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 1996, in Grassy, Mo. Eastman was a resident of Cape Girardeau for the past five years and was formerly of Charleston. He was born Aug. 19, 1964, son of Duane Guy and Betty Allen Eastman. He graduated from Charleston High School and received a degree from Central Missouri State University, where he became a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity...

JACKSON -- Jesse Charles Bruce Jr., 44, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Feb. 10, 1952, in Rock Island, Ill., son of Jesse and Anna Dell Kelly Bruce. He was a truck driver for Mid-America Dairy of Jackson. On March 20, 1969, he married Linda Hamilton of Jackson. She survives. He was preceded in death by his father and one brother...