Stories from Thursday, November 13, 2003

Piggott residents gathered Tuesday morning like most Americans, remembering military personnel, past and present, in observing Veterans Day. Members of Veterans of Foreign War Post 4517 and American Legion Post 38, and others participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at the Clay County Courthouse...

The Piggott senior high Lady Mohawks won their opening game of the year Monday night at home with a 20-point 72-52 victory over the visiting Rector Lady Cougars. Piggott led by nine, 16-7, at the end of the first quarter and increased their lead to 16, 40-24, at the halftime intermission...

PIGGOTT -- In a highly dramatic climax to Senior Night Friday night at Parker Field here the Piggott Mohawk football team capped off a stunning performance by shutting down Marcus Monk, P.J. Lacy and the rest of the East Poinsett County Warriors for a thrilling, 12-8 win in what most team members thought was their final high school game...

After unbelievingly going into the state playoffs as the third seed from the 3AAA conference after a winless 2002 campaign, the Piggott Mohawks will travel to Newport Friday night to face the 7-3 (6-1 in 2AAA) Greyhounds. Newport lost their only conference game this year to the Pocahontas Redskins. The Greyhounds finished one game ahead of Pocahontas for the conference championship last season in 2AAA...

Richard Cecil Ladyman, 91, of Rector, died Oct. 29, 2003, at Piggott Community Hospital. He was born Feb. 22, 1912, in Clay County to the late John Ladyman and Lorene (Dortch) Ladyman. He was married to Lavern Rogers on June 21, 1941. He was a farmer, a deacon of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, and a member of Masonic Lodge for 60 years, Rector Dannelly Lodge 300 and a life long member of the community...

Van Ray Haley, 49, of Tunica, Miss., died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at Savage Grain Company in Tate County, Miss. He was born June 22, 1954, in Kennett. Mr. Haley served in the U.S. Air Force. He was preceded in death by one son, Justin Perry of Tunica, Miss...

Veda Pearl Chilcutt, 83, of Rector died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at Rector Healthcare in Rector. She was born in Boydsville on March 10, 1920, the daughter of the late Benjamin and Lula Chilcutt. She worked as a housekeeper. Miss Chilcutt was of the Church of Christ faith...

A new facelift may be coming early next year for the Piggott Municipal Building. Mayor Gerald Morris outlined options Monday night to members of the city council. Morris is proposing to replace awning on the building, which is causing safety concerns...

On behalf of the Piggott City Council, Mayor Gerald Morris addressed the school board Monday night in the high school library, asking the school district to consider using all electric power in new building projects. Morris urged the board to consider using all electric power in the new construction projects that will begin later this year at the high school campus...

In 1932, the New Franklin Theater hosted the world premiere of the film version of "A Farewell To Arms". Another premiere related to Ernest Hemingway occurred in the city of Piggott on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the Piggott Community Center. Jack Hill's documentary "Arkansas' Hemingway" debuted at 6:30 p.m. at the center. A large crowd turned out to see the film the day before it debuted on AETN...

Dessie M. Matheney, 88, of Rector died Sunday Nov. 9, 2003, at Lake Side Nursing Home in Lake City. She was born Feb. 15, 1915, in Lafe to the late John Louis Walker and Anna (McCoin) Walker. She was a homemaker, a member of Salem Missionary Baptist Church and a lifelong member of this community. She married Woodrow Wilson Matheney on Nov. 11, 1934. He died March 24, 1981...

Garlin Gibbs, 92, of Festus, Mo., formerly of this area, died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Festus, Mo. He was born Sept. 14, 1911, in Greene County to the late Jesse Green Gibbs and Edna (Reed) Gibbs. He was a farmer. He was preceded in death by his parents; two wives, Juanita (Jackson) Gibbs and Frances (Copeland) Gibbs; one daughter, Helen F. Gibbs; one step-son, Joseph Copeland; two brothers, Alvin and Albert Gibbs; and one sister, Marie Hall...

Lillian Lee Johnson, 74, of Marmaduke, died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at Pocahontas. She was born June 11, 1929, in Gamalia. She was former head of the Marmaduke School Cafeteria and was a member of the Marmaduke Church of Christ. She is survived by her husband, Hershel Johnson of Marmaduke; two sons, Joe Jeffers of Walcott and Stanley Johnson and wife, Kenna, of Oak Grove; four daughters, Carolyn Johnson and Karen Brinkley and husband, Phil, all of Pocahontas, Kathy Fisher of Paragould, and Marsha LaFayette and husband, Jim, of Jonesboro; one brother, Ted Henson of California; three sisters, Lydia Roberts of Mountain Home, and Lyndall Reynolds and Leda Collier both of Marmaduke; eight grandchildren, Dodie Peterson, Kelly Money, Phillip Brinkley, Matt Fisher, Rachel Miller, Ben Courtney and Hannah Johnson; four great-grandchildren, Lillian Money, Garison Money, Abigail and John William Peterson.. ...

The Rector Cougars fell to Earle 56-0 in a shortened game at Earle last Thursday night. Despite having an overwhelming lead Earle was trying to get ball back with an onsides kick after every touchdown in an attempt to really run the score up. Coach Wade Williams took exception to Earle's bad sportsmanship and yelled at the Earle coach. ...

The Piggott senior high Lady Mohawks won their opening game of the year Monday night at home with a 20-point 72-52 victory over the visiting Rector Lady Cougars. Piggott led by nine, 16-7, at the end of the first quarter and increased their lead to 16, 40-24, at the halftime intermission...

Tuesday night Nov. 4, the Marmaduke Greyhounds utilized a strong inside game to build an early lead as they coasted to a 81-57 victory over Armorel at home. The Hounds started the game with a 9-0 run. John Clark's driving lay-up at 7:04 gave the Hounds a 2-0 lead. ...

Flossie M. Pollard, 79, of Rector died Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003, at Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Nov. 4, 1924, in Nimmons to the late Authur and Dixie Ledbetter. She was a homemaker and of the Pentecostal faith. She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Albert Lee Ledbetter; one infant son; four sisters, Estelle Baerbauer, Sherley Lowry, Dolly Christine Jackson and Vera Ledbetter; one great grandchild, Destiny Elizabeth Goodman...

Peggy Sue Riales, 71, of Rector died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, in Jonesboro. Born June 8, 1932, in Leonard, to the late William Harry and Mabel Cossey. She was retired from Emerson Electric in Paragould, and a member of Antioch Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Bobby Cossey; and one sister, Lou Banks...

Ruby (Hoggard) Wooldridge, 63, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of the Marmaduke area died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Three Rivers Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. She was born Jan. 2, 1940, in Conway to the late Carthel Amon Hoggard and Ruby Opal (Craig) Hoggard...

Eddie "Slick" White, 57, of Marmduke, died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at his residence. He was born June 10, 1946, in Nettleton to the late Roy White and Clara Bachelor white. He was disabled and had been the manager of Pillows Fish Market for 20 years...

Veda Pearl Chilcutt, 83, of Rector died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at Rector Health Care. She was born March 10, 1920 in Boydsville to the late Benjamin and Lula Chilcutt. She was a housekeeper and was of the Church of Christ faith. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers; and two sisters...

Rector students Ashley Bour, Emmy Vangilder and Ariel Dooley will advance to competition in the Arkansas Special Olympics at Little Rock after winning medals in an Area 1 preliminary bowling tournament held Friday, Nov. 7, at Paragould Bowling and Recreation Center...

Rector High School has a new face among the students in the halls as a German exchange student calls Rector her American home. Stefanie Buchholz, 16, is from Crivitz, Germany. She is a senior at RHS this year and her host parents are Meghann and Chuck Traxler. She has a little host sister, Lilly. Buchholz's mother and step-dad are Beate and Olaf Warner of Crivitz...

The third annual Rector Community Thanksgiving Service will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Rector Community Center. Jimmy Anderson, minister of the First United Methodist Church, will give the devotional at this year's service. The entire community is invited to the event, which has seen attendance...

Members of the Rector City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in a special meeting and review information about keeping the local state revenue office open. Aldermen earlier discussed a proposal of providing a location if the state would remove the office from the closure list...

According to Lauren Wright, who is playing her final year as a Lady Greyhound this year, Matt Dean, the Lady Hound coach, is the man. Lauren said, "He has a family too. The fact that he and his wife have a new baby puts a strain on his time but he still finds the time to be with us up here at the gym. We have won eight Regional Tournaments in a row. We won 39 games last and over 40 the year before. He is the main reason we have been so successful. He is just an awesome coach."...