Stay-at-home families share their smiles and stories

People across the United States are staying home in an effort to combat the spread of the COVID-19.

The same is true of many in Cape Girardeau County. The statewide "stay at home" order for Missouri went into effect Monday after being issued by Gov. Mike Parson.

The Southeast Missourian decided to produce a portrait series featuring a few of those local people.

Gail Lowrance of Cape Girardeau started staying at home March 16. She's taken drives, but said she hasn't been around others or gone out shopping.

"It's been difficult, you know, not being around friends," Lowrance said. "Family adjustments, that's hard."

Above left: Siblings, from left, Asher Robinson, 3; Tiana Bowman; Talia Bowman, 15; and Bethani Robinson, 6; pose for a portrait Tuesday at their Cape Girardeau home.

She said she was originally supposed to fly to California to see her grandson, but the trip got canceled. Her daughter is expecting twins in Tennessee, and she said she'll likely miss the delivery.

"It's our obligation, and it's the least we can do," Lowrance said about staying at home. "I think it's the right thing to do, and I rely on the experts to tell me because that's not my decision to make."

Becki Robinson has been working from her Cape Girardeau home and four of her children have been home as well.

One of her daughters is a student at Maryville University in St. Louis and another goes to Cape Central High School, but both are now at home for classes.

"Neither one of them have been out in public for weeks. I mean we'll leave the house like to take a walk around our neighborhood, but as far as them going to stores or going anywhere, they haven't done it. And that's the same for my 6-year-old and 3-year-old," Robinson said.

Julie Ogles of Cape Girardeau and her daughter Caroline, 10, pose for a portrait Tuesday at their Cape Girardeau home next to signs Caroline made.

Olivia Carter is a school counselor at Jefferson Elementary in Cape Girardeau while her husband Adam Carter is a music teacher in Oak Ridge. Adam and Olivia started staying in with their two children March 17, which Olivia said was the last day of school for her and her husband. While they'll go outside for walks or play in the front yard, she said the only person who leaves the Jackson house is Adam for a weekly grocery trip.

"We're feeling pretty good about it," Olivia said. "Evan is our son who's 3. He's very active so he gets a little bit stir crazy."

Sheyanne Rusher has been staying at her Gordonville home with her four children. Rusher said her husband is the sole provider and is going in and out of the house.

"I'm not gonna say it hasn't been a struggle, but we try to utilize the nice weather, going outside, in our backyard...," Rusher said. "We're doing our best with learning apps and emails from the teachers."

Heather Bridges, originally of Benton, Missouri and now Cape Girardeau, has been working full time while staying at home with her 4-year-old daughter Annistyn "Anni" Bridges.

"We have been here for the past, I think, three weeks is when I started working from home," Bridges said Wednesday. "We're making it work, but definitely trying to be as organized as possible with me getting my work done and her, we're doing pre-k from home. ... It's been interesting and we're taking it a day at a time."