Stories from Saturday, January 2, 1999

The new year was ushered in Friday with an icy vengeance in Southeast Missouri and the entire state, with a triple whammy of snow, sleet and windy conditions. With a winter storm watch in effect, Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois residents braced for the potentially icy conditions from the first big winter storm of 1999...

Having a husband who works in the medical field was reassuring during the 20 hours of labor that preceded the birth of their first child New Year's Day, Cicely Matheney says. "He could answer a lot of questions. He was nice and calm." Her husband, Beuse, doesn't recall feeling that way...

To the editor: How much longer before the Lord hears the cry of the oppressed as we cry out for justice. But wait! Our cry is too weak as our grace bleeds out from our parched lips in this wilderness. As we slosh through the blood of the innocents, our ears have deafened and our minds deadened to the tiny screams behind the death house doors in every major city. We choke down the pain by our greed...

Two committees have been studying both the curriculum offerings and finances of the Cape Girardeau School District since the budget crisis in July. At that time, the board confronted $1 million in cuts from the operating budget. The findings of these two advisory groups should come as no surprise to the parents and other taxpayers...

A police officer at Louis J. Schultz School for seventh graders? The notion seems a bit unsettling. But the Cape Girardeau School District and Cape Girardeau Police Department have agreed to station an officer at Schultz with addition oversight at the district's elementary schools...

To the editor: Recently someone said in Speak Out that our Christmas customs are pagan. Granted, some of these customs were originally practiced by pagans. However, Christians through the years have attached a Christian meaning to these beautiful customs...

JACKSON -- Familiar faces lined up to take the oath of office for elected positions in Cape Girardeau County. County officeholders elected in November were officially sworn in at a Thursday ceremony. They officially begin duties Jan. 1, except for the only new face in the county crowd, Diane Diebold, newly elected county collector. Diebold doesn't take office until March 1, following the tax season...

After a three-week layoff, the Southeast Missouri State University Otahkians return to the court tonight when Eastern Kentucky visits the Show Me Center. The Otahkians will be seeking to regain the momentum they took into the Christmas break. Southeast, which won just eight games all of last season, owns a five-game winning streak and a 7-2 mark overall...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral Mass for Linus John Zahner of Wentzville will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Kevin P. Fausz will officiate, with burial in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends may call at Miller Family Funeral Home from 6:30-9:50 a.m. The rosary will be recited at 9...

ANNA, Ill. -- Graveside service for Catherine Holly of Anna will be held at 11 a.m. today at Beechwood Cemetery in Mounds. The Rev. Richard Sullins will officiate. Friends may call at Crain Funeral Home in Anna from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Holly, 88, died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998, at Jonesboro Health Care...

DAISY -- Funeral for Ocia E. Crites of Daisy will be held at 1 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. The Revs. Chris McCutchen and Fred Rister will officiate, with burial in Sargents Chapel Cemetery. Crites, 91, died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998, at her home...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for John Ragsdale of Anna will be held at 11 a.m. today at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home. The Rev. Scott Harner will officiate, with burial in Casper Cemetery near Anna. Ragsdale, 78, died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998, at Union County Hospital...

ORAN -- Germain A. Tenkhoff, 83, of Oran died Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 16, 1915, at Oran, son of Leo William and Mary Magdalene Metz Tenkhoff. Tenkhoff owned and operated T and H Grocery Store in Oran 21 years. He was a member of Guardian Angel Catholic Church, St. Joseph Sodality, Knights of Columbus Council 4311, all in Oran, and Chaffee Elks Lodge 1810...

Funeral for J. Lynn Gregory-Pierce of Sullivan will be held at 11 a.m. today at Follis-Sonderman Funeral Home in Fredericktown. Burial will be private. Gregory-Pierce, 29, died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998, at St. Louis University Hospital. She was born Oct. 12, 1969, in St. Louis, daughter of Jerry and Mary Gregory. She and Larry "Boot" Pierce of Cape Girardeau were married Oct. 26, 1991, at First General Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau...

KANSAS CITY -- Richard H. Eulitt, 73, of Kansas City died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998, at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kan. He was born June 6, 1925, at Chicago, son of Everett and Mary McCusker Eulitt. He owned the Dick Eulitt Packaging Co. in Kansas City 20 years. He was a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a degree in engineering. He served in the Air Force during World War II...

JACKSON -- Harold Miller Hope, 73, of Jackson died Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 1, 1925, at St. Louis, son of Thomas and Mildred Stewart Hope. He married Wanda Killian Aug. 9, 1947. She survives...

SCOTT CITY -- Mary Ann Enderle, 64, of Scott City died Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 23, 1934, at Ancell, daughter of Raymond August and Frances Cecelia Wilhelm Heisserer. She married Paul J. Enderle Jr. on Oct 3, 1953, at Scott City. He died Nov. 9, 1995...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Robert W. Blackburn, 75, of West Paducah, Ky., died Friday, Jan. 1, 1999, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. He was born Oct. 4, 1923, at Cairo, son of Carl and Augusta Haley Blackburn. He was a machinist for Martin-Marietta for 30 years. He was of the Baptist faith and was a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, and the Cairo Masonic Lodge 237 AF&AM. He was a ham radio operator...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Margaret Irene McFerrin, 66, of Portageville died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998, at Pemiscot Memorial Hospital in Hayti. She was born Oct. 29, 1932, at Pascola, daughter of Issac and Beatrice Griffin Jeffery. She married Bennie McFerrin on July 20, 1953. He survives...

SIKESTON -- Melvin Marion Johnson, 80, of Sikeston died Friday, Jan. 1, 1999, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Aug. 10, 1918, in Mississippi, son of Charlie and Annie bell Johnson. He lived in Missouri more than 50 years and was retired as an employee of the city of Sikeston...

ANNA, Ill. -- Dennis J. Basler, 93, of rural Union County, died Friday, Jan. 1, 1999. He was born July 13, 1905, at Cobden, Ill., son of Jacob and Edna Sitter Basler. He married Jewell Waller July 21, 1930, in Winchester, Ill. She died June 5, 1997...

BERTRAND -- Agnes L. Cunningham of Bertrand died Friday, Jan. 1, 1999, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was 81. She was born April 12, 1917, in Mountain Grove to Lee Paul and Tressie Amelia Wood Mankin Sr. She married Carl Eugene "Billy" Cunningham on Feb. 11, 1938. He died Dec. 11, 1986...

ST. MARY -- Charles M. "Chuck" Baker IV of St. Mary died Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998, at Ste. Genevieve Memorial Hospital. He was 15. He was born Aug. 29, 1983, in St. Louis, son of Charles and Jennifer Bohnert Baker III of St. Mary. He was a member of the Sons of the American Legion...

Dr. Ivan H. Nothdurft died at his home in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998. He was born in Cape Girardeau on March 23, 1917, the son of Otto H. Nothdurft and Ida Ulrich Nothdurft. Raised in Cape Girardeau, he attended public school there and graduated with both bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees from Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) in 1938-39...

BERNIE -- James David Riggs Sr., 57, of Bernie died at Dexter Memorial Hospital Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998. He was born at Cape Girardeau April 10, 1941, son of Claude E. Cloninger and Alline Hager Cloninger. He married Tammy L. Lamunion Aug. 15, 1998, at Bernie. She survives...

Son to David Ray and Jeackie LeAnn Retherford Jr. of Advance, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:28 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24, 1998. Name, David Jack. Weight, 7 pounds 15 ounces. First child. Mrs. Retherford is the former Jackie DeVore, daughter of Jack and Janice DeVore of Whitewater. Retherford is the son of Dave and Marilyn Retherford of Oak Ridge. The Retherfords own Willow Oak Farms near Advance and own Crown Trucking in Jackson...