Stories from Thursday, December 2, 2004

CHARLESTON - Garima Patel, 2, died Nov. 28, 2004, at the Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan., of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Born Jan. 24, 2002, in Sikeston, she was the daughter of Jitendra "Jay" and Dharmista Patel of Charleston...

PORTAGEVILLE - Merlin Thomas Sr., 73, died Nov. 28, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Jan. 28, 1931, in Covington, Tenn., son of the late Houston and Augusta Thomas, he was a member of Lily of the Valley Freewill Baptist Church and a veteran of the Korean War...

BELL, Fla. - Patricia Ann Fussell, 49, formerly of Chaffee, Mo., died Dec. 1, 2004, at her home. Born Jan. 12, 1955, in Cape Girardeau, Mo., daughter of the late Ollie and Maggie McBride Groves, she had been a truck driver for Advance (Mo.) Express and was a member of VFW Post 3127 Ladies Auxiliary in Chaffee...

DEXTER - Pallbearers at services conducted Wednesday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Juanita England Welty, 76, who died Nov. 28, 2004, were: Darrell Evans, Bill Perkins, Billy Courter, Shannon England, Robert England and Chris Crocker.

DYERSBURG, Tenn. - Lisa Rene Atchley Rodgers, 40, formerly of Sikeston, died Dec. 1, 2004, at the Methodist Healthcare-Dyersburg Hospital. Born April 26, 1964, in Kennett, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Berl and Dorotha Hartsell Atchley. A former employee of Charter Communications in Sikeston, she was manager of the Hoods Discount Home Center in Dyersburg...

SCOTT CITY - Deborah Lynn Buchanan, 48, died Dec. 1, 2004, at her home. Born Sept. 24, 1956, in Aurora, Ill., daughter of Harold Vaughn of Oglesby, Ill., and Mary Johnson of Scott City, she was employed in central services for Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

LILBOURN - George K. Streeter, 80, died Dec. 1, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are inomplete at Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Mary Lee Brown, 78, formerly of Southeast Missouri, died Nov. 28, 2004, in Grand Rapids. Arrangements are incomplete at DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville, Mo.

EAST PRAIRIE - Martha Agnes Leech, 94, died Dec. 1, 2004, at her home. Born Aug. 27, 1910, near East Prairie, daughter of the late Joseph Daniel and Ollie Florence roach O'Connor, she was a lifelong resident of Mississippi County. She was employed by the Lyric and Demo Theaters in East Prairie for 36 years and was a member of the First Christian Church in East Prairie...

DEXTER - Willis Conner, 85, died Dec. 2, 2004, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

ADVANCE - Ilene Hitt, 88, died Nov. 30, 2004, at the Advance Nursing Center. Born Jan. 17, 1916, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of the late Comelous and Althea Zimmerman Cox, she was a member of the Advance Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. On June 13, 1936, at Jackson, she married Everett Hitt who preceded her in death on May 15, 2002...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted at 10 a.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Adrian Earl Young, 75, who died Nov. 29, 2004, were: Cecil Owen, Mike Perry, Hubert Allred, Gene Bohannon, Dossie Nance and Charles Shaw.

SIKESTON -- The Rev. and Mrs. William H. Newman mark their 65th wedding anniversary today, and recently they received a congratulatory note from President and Mrs. George W. Bush. On Dec. 2, 1939, in New Madrid, William H. Newman and Glenda Holtzhoser were married. ...

SIKESTON -- Ammie Kathleen Myers and Christopher Kyle Shackles exchanged wedding vows in a 3 p.m. ceremony Sept. 4, 2004, at Sandywood Baptist Church before the Rev. Dolan Rogers. The bride is the daughter of Gary and Shirley Myers and the bridegroom is the son of Danny and Elizabeth Shackles, all of Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- A Sikeston man has been arrested in connection with two armed robberies at Casey's Convenience Store. According to Sikeston Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden, after an extensive investigation, Jerry Lee Summers, 47, of 106 Jaycee, was arrested Tuesday evening on an arrest warrant pertaining to the robberies...

Richard Bramlett and Randy Gaines, employees of the City of Sikeston Street Division, collect leaves on Linda Street Wednesday. The leaf collection for the city will remain on schedule, west of the railroad tracks and north of Malone Avenue, for today and Friday...

SIKESTON -- When it comes to measuring the success of Missouri schools, everything usually leads back to one thing -- the state standardized test. And the accreditation status of a school district is no exception. Much of the standards used to determine whether a district is accredited relies heavily on Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores...

To the person who said someone pretending to be a Democrat about America changing its lifestyle, you're wrong. I know who wrote it (it was my uncle). He goes to church and claims to be a Christian, has millions of dollars in the bank and wouldn't help his own family for anything. ...

NEW MADRID - Dr. and Mrs. D.J. Allenstein of New Madrid are the parents of a son born Tuesday at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. --- MORLEY - Renshaw Hale, S2/c, who has been stationed at St. Louis, spent the Thanksgiving holiday with his wife and son, Larry Joe, of Morley; and his parents of Vanduser, Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Hale...

Terry Flannigan decorates the front of his Miner home. Area residents are preparing for Christmas with only 23 days remaining.