Stories from Thursday, January 10, 2008

Gaither production premiere features young Rector fan (01/10/08)
A special premiere of the newest Gaither Homecoming video was held at the Rector Community Center on New Year's Eve. The video, which featured Rector 13-year-old Ariel Dooley being interviewed by performer Bill Gaither, touched the hearts and minds of many who were present at the premiere...

39th ships out for deployment (01/10/08)
Family and friends gathered Monday morning at Walnut Ridge for an emotional sendoff for members of the 39th Brigade Combat Team heading for two months of training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and then on to deployment in Iraq. Specifically, the soldiers leaving on three buses on a supporter-lined Highway 67 are members of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry -- part of the 39th. ...

Piggott, 2007 Arkansas volunteer community of the year (01/10/08)
On any given day there are dozens of Piggott-area residents volunteering their time and efforts. And that work has not gone un-noticed, as the city is once again being honored as an Arkansas Volunteer Community of the Year for 2007. "Without the volunteers of our community a lot of things just wouldn't get done," Mayor Gerald Morris noted in talking about the honor. ...

NE Arkansas bids farewell (01/10/08)
Family and friends gathered Monday morning at Walnut Ridge for an emotional sendoff for members of the 39th Brigade Combat Team heading for two months of training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and then on to deployment in Iraq. Specifically, the soldiers leaving on three buses on a supporter-lined Highway 67 are members of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry -- part of the 39th. ...

It happened here, years ago (01/10/08)
1968 Citing its poor condition, a grand jury called for the replacement of the aged Clay County Jail 40 years ago this past week. The jurors referred to several problems with the facility, which was built in 1914. Meanwhile, the Piggott City Council voted to sell two acres of city property for approximately $1,000 each. ...

Cougars trounce Marked Tree in strong conference effort (01/10/08)
There certainly wasn't any rust on the Cougars as they came back from the holiday break with a vengeance Friday night, routing Marked Tree 78-54 in a make-up game at Rector. "We had a pretty nice effort all-around," Rector head coach Mark Manchester said. "We played really hard. You're always a little concerned coming back from a break, but I thought we did a good job of being prepared once we stepped on the court. It was a really good team effort."...

Parsley reaches 1,000 points, lifts girls over rival Marmaduke (01/10/08)
The long string of classic meetings between the Rector Lady Cougars and the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds continued Monday night in Rector. The two squads met in a non-conference game which was highly contested. In the end, the Lady Cougars came away with a 49-40 win over their rival, thanks in large part to a stellar performance at the free throw line and a strong outing by senior Hannah Parsley...

Over the lines (01/10/08)
This is a column I have been dreading, and avoiding, writing for several weeks now but I can no longer hide. By now many of you already know the story of former Lady Mohawk Erica Rickman and her battle with a brain tumor. It's not a story I wanted to do, but it has to be told...

Rachel Lee (Hampton) Carroll (01/10/08)
Rachel Lee (Hampton) Carroll, 91, of Marmaduke died Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. Mrs. Carroll was born Jan. 13, 1916, to the late William Hall and Flossie Pearl (Starnes) Hampton. She was orphaned at age two and was raised by her maternal grandparents, Moses and Belle Starnes...

Mark Wilson (01/10/08)
Mark Wilson, 41 of Rector, formerly of Conway, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008, at UAMS in Little Rock. He was born Dec. 18, 1966, in Pasadena, Texas, and worked as a mason brick layer. He was of the Baptist faith and was a veteran of the National Guard...

Maurice Humphrey "Hump" Ray (01/10/08)
Maurice Humphrey "Hump" Ray, 80, of the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell, formerly of Marmaduke, died Monday, Dec. 30, 2008 at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born Dec. 7, 1927, in Marmaduke to the late Shad Ray and Reba (Graves) Ray, he was manager of a service station in California, of the Baptist faith and was in the Marines...

Nadine Lanelle Wilson (01/10/08)
Nadine Lanelle Wilson, 88, of Greenwood, Ind., a native of Rector, died Friday, Jan. 4, 2008. She was born Nov. 16, 1919, in Rector to the late Thomas Owen and Madge (Fitzgerald) Harp. She was a graduate of Rector High School and had worked in the Lines and Transmission Planning Departments of Indiana Bell for over 25 years before retiring in 1980. While at Indiana Bell, she was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America...

Valerie A. Ergle (01/10/08)
Valerie A. Ergle, 56, of Mapleton, Ill., died Monday, Dec. 24, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. Born Nov. 6, 1951, in Lafe to Osborn and Mary Reynolds Wilcoxson, she attended grade school and two years of high school in Rector. She was employed as a school teacher for Manual High School in Peoria for 29 years, retiring in June 2007...

Mona Rose Gossett Bare (01/10/08)
Mona Rose Gossett Bare, 73, of Piggott, died Monday, December 31, 2007. She was born January 1, 1934, and was the daughter of the late Millage Baxter and Mildred Marie Campbell Gossett. Mona was a loving daughter and sister, a very giving, generous person with many wonderful talents. She loved the Lord and shared His gift of salvation with many people...

Willie "Bill" L. Hubbard (01/10/08)
Willie "Bill" L. Hubbard, 77, of McDougal, died Thursday, January 3, 2008, in the White River Medical Center in Batesville. He was born February 2, 1930, in Tuckerman, and was the son of the late Clarence and Tommie Prysock Hubbard. He was united in marriage to Ruth Parrish and Omagene McDowell. They both preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters...

Helen Norene Byrd (01/10/08)
Helen Norene Byrd, 88, of Pocahontas, passed away January 6, 2008, in Randolph County Nursing Home in Pocahontas. She was born January 14, 1919, in Pollard, and was the daughter of the late Clyde and Emma Battles Conley. She was united in marriage to Shirley Byrd on February 27, 1934...

Leland D. Fletcher Sr. (01/10/08)
Leland D. Fletcher Sr., age 86, of Jefferson City, Mo., died Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at the Capital Region Medical Center. He was born December 13, 1921 in Pollard, the son of William and Ada Stairs Fletcher, both deceased. He was married on June 8, 1941 in Rector to Euvila Jane Carpenter who survives at the home...

Delores J. Gossett (01/10/08)
Delores J. Gossett, daughter of the late Otis Johnson and Clara Kirk Johnson, was born Feb. 20, 1934 in Crow, W. Va., and died at her residence in Dexter, Mo., on Dec. 29, 2007, at the age of 73 years. Mrs. Gossett was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dexter, Order of the Eastern Star and Missouri Southern Healthcare Auxiliary...

Joan Evelyn McCarty (01/10/08)
Joan Evelyn McCarty, 53, of Pollard, passed away Monday, December 31, 2007, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born September 1, 1954, in Brinkley, and was the daughter of the late Ruben and Evelyn Marie Johnson Duncan. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Jessica McCarty and her brother, Charles Duncan...

Margie Mae Jones (01/10/08)
Margie Mae Jones, 86, the daughter of the late Riley and Lottie (Parton) Book of Durand, Mich., formerly of Piggott, died Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at the McLauren Regional Medical Center in Flint, Mich. She was born March 20, 1921 in Greenway. She was married to the Rev. Forrest C. Jones in Kennett on June 10, 1939. The couple had seven children. He preceded her in death on Dec. 5, 2006...

Billy Shields (01/10/08)
Billy Shields, 63, of Tulsa, Okla., formerly of Rector, died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007, at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa. Born March 27, 1944, in Drain, Ore., he attended Rector High School. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier...

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