Stories from Wednesday, August 27, 2003

The Sugar Creek Country Club two-gal scramble was held Saturday, Aug. 16 in Piggott with Billie Clayton of Rector and Judy Knauts of Piggott teaming up to fire a 70 for first place in the championship flight. Placing second with a 74 was Judy Workman and Linda McSpadden both of Piggott. Also shooting a 74 was the Kennett duo of Barbara Cuff and Glenda Pelham for third place. Finishing fourth in the championship flight with a 75 was Betty Russell of Piggott and Pat McCarroll of Cherokee Village...

The Graves family of Rector has donated 12 acres to Woodland Heights Cemetery for future expansion. Here, the family discusses their donation in their own words: "The Woodland Heights Cemetery is the magnet that draws people back to Rector for the Labor Day Picnic. It holds a special place in everyone's life after they have loved ones bured there, whether the loved ones are family or close friends...

Two Rector men were fatally injured in two separate traffic accidents in Dunklin County, Mo., last week. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Steve Taylor, 46, was transported by Air Evac helicopter to St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro following a two-vehicle accident at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, on Route H, three miles north of Campbell...

Maurice Bateman of Rector is this year's Rector Labor Day Parade grand marshal. "I feel honored. I wasn't expecting it," he said. Bateman is a volunteer at Rector HealthCare and was named Volunteer of the Year for 2002. He visits everyday with residents, seeing old friends and making new ones...

Steven Ray Taylor, 46, of Rector died Thursday, Aug. 22, 2003, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born Sept. 1, 1956, in Kennett, the son of Edward and Ozella Bowman Taylor. He was united in marriage to Alice Darlene Johnson on April 7, 1978, in Piggott...

Fidel Merin Rodriguez, 29, of Rector died Thursday August 21, 2003, in an automobile accident on Highway 84 West in Kennett. Born May 30, 1974, in Obrajuele Acambaro-GTO, Mexico to Samuel Rodriguez and Juana (Merin) Rodriguez, he had been a member of the community for 10 years. He was a roofer/foreman for Quality Roofing and was of the Catholic faith...

Bud James Shaw, 84, of Rector died Saturday August 23, 2003. He was born Oct. 7, 1918, at Hargrave Corner, the son of the late James Marion and Louissia Shaw. He was a farmer and was of the General Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Zachary and Bob Shaw, and two sisters, Lottie Tucker and Lydia Myricks...

Mary Lucille Baker, 92, of Rector HealthCare died Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born Jan. 3, 1911, in Broken Arrow, Okla., the daughter of the late James Monroe and Iona Jenkins Cooper. She married Radius Henry Baker on Jan. 9, 1927. He preceded her in death in 1979...

Irvin Verdane (I.V.) "Doc" Stahl, 76, of Rector died Monday, Aug. 25, 2003, at St. Bernards Regional Medical in Jonesboro from complications stemming from lung cancer surgery. He was born March 8, 1927, in Greene County, the son of the late Alonzo Orabin and Wilma Bertie Ratledge Stahl. His father preceded him in death in 1981 and his mother in 1983...

Football pre-season practice is a lot like a football game during the regular season in that you keep going forward come what may. During football season a scheduled game is still played no matter how hot or cold it is. If it starts raining or snowing when a game is being played you just keep playing...

Aaron Parsley is the lone senior starter that the Rector football Cougars have back from last year. While he represents the lowest number to occupy space, he counterbalances his lone number status with excessive enthusiasm. Right now football is the love of Aaron Parsley's life. "I love it", he said, "I love playing it. I love watching it. I have been coaching Pee Wee football for two years and I love that too. I just love it all-around."...

"All Roads Lead to Rector on Labor Day" is the theme for this year's annual Labor Day Picnic. Proceeds benefit the beautiful Woodland Heights Cemetery. Labor Day weekend events begin Saturday with the Rector Saddle Club's ACA Rodeo Tour 2003 at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, and Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Rector arena. Tickets at the gate will be $3 for contestants, $7 for adults age 13 and up, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children age five and under...

Expectations are high for this year's youth football program. A team that hasn't had a losing season in over 10 years, and with one Super Bowl trophy under their belts, this year's Piggott peewees are on a mission and the excitement is high and building...

The Sugar Creek Country Club two-gal scramble was held Saturday, Aug. 16 in Piggott with Billie Clayton of Rector and Judy Knauts of Piggott teaming up to fire a 70 for first place in the championship flight. Placing second with a 74 was Judy Workman and Linda McSpadden both of Piggott. Also shooting a 74 was the Kennett duo of Barbara Cuff and Glenda Pelham for third place. Finishing fourth in the championship flight with a 75 was Betty Russell of Piggott and Pat McCarroll of Cherokee Village...

Piggott's ISO rating has been successfully lowered to 5 from the previous 6. "It's going to be important to all the citizens of Piggott," Mayor Gerald Morris said. He said homeowners will see an average of $40 to $50 a year savings on their insurance premiums assuming there has not been an increase by their insurance company...

The McDougal Homecoming Picnic will be held Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Edna Cooper Memorial Park. Volunteers are needed to help with various booths. Pies, whole kernel corn, green beans, tomatoes and bingo gifts are needed. Attendance prizes, including grocery certificates, will be awarded throughout the day. Winners must be present at the time of the drawings...

Architects with Cahoon Inc. gave Piggott residents and school district employees a presentation of the preliminary plans for construction plans and improvements at Piggott High School. "I want to make this clear that this is only a preliminary drawing of some ideas we had worked up," Mark Cahoon told those in attendance. "In no way is this any final construction plan."...

The Piggott City Council set the date for a public meeting on proposed water and sewer rate increases during its monthly utilities meeting Monday night. The public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, at the city hall and will precede the regular utilities meeting...

Lois Wiedeman Ellis, 58, of Kennett died Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003, at Twin Rivers Medical Center in Kennett. She was born May 5, 1945, in Detroit, Mich., the daughter of Richard and Julie Kondakor Wiedeman. She was preceded in death by her father, Richard Wiedeman...

Steven Ray Taylor, 46, of Rector died Thursday, Aug. 22, 2003, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born Sept. 1, 1956, in Kennett, the son of Edward and Ozella Bowman Taylor. He was united in marriage to Alice Darlene Johnson on Apr. 7, 1978, in Piggott...

Anna B. Cochran, 83, of McDougal died Saturday, Aug. 23, 2003, in Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center (formerly Piggott Nursing Center) in Piggott. She was born June 29, 1920, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Ollie and Orpha Cochran Lawson...

Daisy Morris, 89, of Campbell died Saturday, Aug. 23, 2003, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born July 12, 1914, in Campbell, to George Washington and Artie Leona Schaffer Taylor. She was united in marriage to James Homer Morris on March 28, 1931, in Piggott. He preceded her in death on Sept. 7, 1980...

Amy Katherine Pace Dollins, 31, of Las Vegas, Nev., formerly of Piggott, died Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003, in Las Vegas. She was born Oct. 9, 1971, in Piggott, the daughter of Steve Pace and Bobbi Hughes Johnson. She was united in marriage to Rick Dollins on Oct. 19, 1991...

Bud James Shaw, 84, of Rector died Saturday August 23, 2003. He was born Oct. 7, 1918, at Hargrave Corner, the son of the late James Marion and Louissia Shaw. He was a farmer and was of the General Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Zachary and Bob Shaw, and two sisters, Lottie Tucker and Lydia Myricks...

Two Rector men were fatally injured in two separate traffic accidents in Dunklin County, Mo., last week. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Steve Taylor, 46, was transported by Air Evac helicopter to St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro following a two-vehicle accident at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, on Route H, three miles north of Campbell...