Stories from Monday, July 6, 1992

SCOTT CITY -- Stanley Stepek can look out his front door and see corn fields, a reminder of the life he left behind in Poland a month ago. But now, as he gets accustomed to his new home in Scott City, he's confident he made the right decision. "As soon as we got into this house, things started to really turn around," Stepek said. "And as for the corn field? It looks like our farm in Poland."...

The Cape Girardeau City Council tonight is expected to appoint a nine-member citizens Solid Waste Task Force to examine volume-based trash billing and other solid waste issues. At least 16 citizens already have notified the city that they're interested in serving on the task force, but many more residents are concerned about the issue particularly a trash-fee increase...

NEW MADRID -- Traffic accidents on Missouri roads killed at least six people over the weekend, including two in Southeast Missouri. And a Chicago man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death Friday of an East Prairie woman who died in a three-car accident...

The Southeast Missourian asked people what they thought about the use of animal organs for transplanting into humans. Recently, surgeons transplanted a baboon liver into a man. Betty Schlitt: "I think it is rather revolting to think about an animal organ being transplanted into a human body. I would not feel comfortable with having a part of an animal in my body. I don't think this is the way God intended things."...

Charles R. Wiles, professor of marketing at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named president-elect of Optimist International, one of the world's largest service-club organizations. He will serve as president-elect for the year beginning October 1, and will serve as president during the 1993-94 year...

Buckle up, stay sober and don't overdo fun in the sun. That's the advice to boaters from the U.S. Coast Guard, Corps of Engineers, National Safe Boating Council and the Missouri and Illinois departments of conservation. Holidays and weekends can be the most dangerous of times for travelers because of the increases in traffic. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Zela B. Bruce, 87, of Perryville, died Sunday, July 5, 1992 at St. Mary's Hospital in Clayton. She was born May 30, 1905, in Silver Lake, the daughter of Dr. George A. and Minnie U. Conrad Blaylock. She was a social worker for the Division of Family Services of Perry County for 17 years...

MARBLE HILL -- Loyd C. Buchholtz, 57, of Marble Hill was found dead near his home Friday, July 3, 1992. He was born May 10, 1935, at Grassy, the son of the late Losin and Zoa Deck Buchholtz. He was a farmer. Survivors include three sisters, Lucille Abernathy of Marble Hill, Glenna Hohler of Cape Girardeau and Mable Buchholtz of Jackson. He was preceded in death by a brother, Lowell Buchholtz...

ADVANCE -- Lindey Belle Middleton, 10 month-old daughter of S. Brad and Rhonda Jordan Middleton, died Sunday, July 5, 1992 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 10, 1991 in Cape Girardeau. Survivors are her parents, one sister, Neeley Bollinger of the home; maternal grandparents Alfred and June Abner Jordan of Advance; paternal grandmother Edith Bell Middleton of Advance; maternal great-grandparents Howard and Inez Abner of Bell City; and paternal great-grandmother Addie Watts of Bloomfield.. ...

Rose C. Bucher, 97, died Sunday, July 5, 1992 at the Chateau Girardeau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. She was a former resident of Cairo, Ill. She was born in Cairo on June 5, 1896, the daughter of George and Caroline Stackert Brown. She married Eberhard P. Bucher, who preceded her in death on March 6, 1980. She was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral...

JACKSON -- Nellie Lee Scheper, 89, of Jackson died Saturday, July 4, 1992, at the Deal Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born Feb. 25, 1903, at Brownwood. On Sept. 6, 1919, in Jackson she married Clarence Scheper, who preceded her in death Jan. 10, 1975...

Christine D. Klages, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 4, 1992, at the Cape LaCroix Nursing Home. She was born March 9, 1901, in Golconda, Ill., the daughter of Julius and Mary Richter Brandt. She married Elmer "Butch" Klages, who preceded her in death...

BLOOMFIELD -- Maude L. Magee, 92, of Bloomfield died Thursday, July 2, 1992, at Hazel's Board Home in Bloomfield. She was born Feb. 12, 1900, at Novelty, the daughter of William K. and Ella Poor Myers. On Dec. 18, 1921, she married Luther H. Magee, who preceded her in death Jan. 25, 1948...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Linda Gail Brown, 28, of East Prairie, died Friday, July 3, 1992 near Charleston as the result of an automobile accident. She was born Sept. 29, 1963 in Sikeston, the daughter of Charles W. Brown and LaVerne Matthews Brown. She was a member of the Oneness Pentecostel Church...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Eddie B. Sipp Ellis, 71, of East Prairie, died Saturday, July 4, 1992 at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born June 3, 1921, the daughter of William and Mae Tuturle Hayden. She was a member of the Full Gospel Church of East Prairie...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Carl Wilbur Kimble, 74, of East Prairie, died Saturday, July 4, 1992 at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Feb. 9, 1918 in Wyatt, the son of Henry and Ida Clark Wallace Kimble. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in East Prairie and an Army veteran of World War II...

BENTON -- Helen Fern Urhahn, 72, of Benton, died Sunday, July 5, 1992 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Nov. 27, 1919 in Hayti, the daughter of William Arthur and Oma Fussell Robison. She married Wilford C. "Dush" Urhahn on May 8, 1960. He survives...

There are few subjects that wrench at the hearts of Americans more than the idea that other Americans are being held captive against their will. As a nation, we have been angered, saddened and, at times, we have felt helpless because of hostage-taking in foreign lands. We have never forgotten those hostages. And we have always struggled to do our best to see their return, even acting foolishly at times in attempts to gain their freedom...

Ken Scheer is a long-time Cape Girardeau resident. He is active in business and civic affairs. To view the current MIA/POW question in true perspective it is necessary for us to reflect back to the end of the French-Indo China war when France was defeated by the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu. ...

Despite all the talk about throwing the rascals out of legislative chambers, there will be plenty of familiar faces in the Missouri General Assembly when it convenes for a new session next January. While the terms of state representatives end every two years, and thus all area up for renewal at the polls in November, the terms of only one-half of the 34-member Missouri Senate expire this year...

Ted Hirschfield is assistant professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University. His published works include the collection of poems, "Human Weather." A new collection focusing on World War II, "German Requiem," will be published this winter...

Dan Phelps lives in Cape Girardeau. He is business manager at Van Matre Buick. I graduated from high school in 1963. I was old enough to have given the Cuban revolution and the Cuban crisis a little passing attention. But I was born into the lap of democracy and freedom of speech right here on the banks of the Mississippi river. The tyranny of the Iron Curtain and Viet Nam seemed as if it existed in another galaxy, and that I would never see it...

Jon Keltie and family moved to Cape Girardeau from Bryan, Texas, one year ago. He is employed at Cotner Electric. This past year and a half has helped me to gain a better understanding of what freedom can be, and how this term "freedom" can mean so many different things to so many different people...

Shannon Anders taught school for many years in this area and still substitutes in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools. She now works for the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors' Bureau. She is president of the Cape County League of Women Voters. What does freedom mean? I conducted my very own, highly unofficial poll...

After graduating from the University of North Caolina at Chapel Hill last winter, Sean Trapp wandered into Cape Girardeau. An aspiring artist, musician or writer, he is currently working as a bartender at Mollie's. Missouri is, perhaps, my first big stab at freedom. ...