Stories from Saturday, May 4, 2002

Despite the rainy weather Saturday, spirits remained undaunted and pushed the Clay County Relay For Life into another record-breaking fundraising year. This year's grand total was $57,643.67, up from last year's $55,811.94. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society's research efforts into finding a cure for the disease...

dies Piggott businessman James Delaine Campbell, 81, co-owner of Piggott Tractor and Equipment Co. Inc., died Friday, April 26, 2002, in Little Rock. Mr. Campbell was well-known throughout the area as a John Deere farm equipment dealer for many years, having established Piggott Tractor and Equipment in 1947 with Ross Norred, Hyman Sanders and Roy Walk...

The ambience of 1928 Paris will be recreated with a special luncheon in honor of the 75th wedding anniversary of author Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, at the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott. The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 10, on the museum's lawn. The City of Piggott will temporarily close 10th Street near the facility...

Plans are underway to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Chalk Bluff in May 2003. Danny Honnoll, commander of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, Col. Robert G. Shaver Camp 1655, of Jonesboro said the conflicts at Chalk Bluff in May 1-2, 1863, while not major engagements, are considered significant since they are classed as "battles."...

Virginia Evelyn Kimbrel, 65, of Piggott died Thursday, April 25, 2002, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Feb. 12, 1937, the daughter of the late Louis and Lola Nettles Fithian. She married Bill Kimbrel on Jan. 31, 1953. To this union three children were born...

Raymond B. Phares of Circleville, Ohio, died Saturday, April 20,2002. Born in Butler County, Kansas, on Oct. 23, 1931, he was the son of the late Russell and Ollie Snodgrass Phares. He was preceeded in death by an infant son, Dale Ray, two brothers in law, Wadkin Jones and Jack Weatherall, a sister in law, Thelma Phares, and a nephew, Bobby Jones...

Laura Crow Motahari, 85, of Indianapolis, Ind., died Saturday, April 27, 2002, at Forest Creek Village. She was born Dec. 24, 1916, in Piggott, the daughter of the late William and Cora Milde. She worked for LS Ayres for 10 years and was a cashier in the hotel industry in Las Vegas for 10 years. She retired in 1980...

The Piggott Lady Mohawks advanced to the semifinals of the 3AAA fast-pitch softball tournament with a 6-4 win over Trumann lat Tuesday. Piggott's Lauren Watson earned the victory scattering seven hits in the win. Piggott's Kelsey Stephens went 2-for-4 at the plate...

Piggott's Mandy Cale won all three track events she entered last Thursday and helped the Piggott Lady Mohawk track team finish in a tie for fourth place with host Pocahontas in the 3AAA-North district track meet. Cale won the 100 meters, 100-meter hurdles and the long jump...

PINE BLUFF Meagan Swann made Piggott tennis history last week as she became the first Piggott tennis player to make it to the state championship match. Swann received the number three seed going into the playoffs. In the first round, Swann defeated 3AAA-South district runnerup Devin Howington of East Poinsett County, 6-1, 6-4. In the second round, she defeated 5AAA district runnerup Laura Lynn of Heber Springs, 6-3, 6-2, to reach Friday's semifinals...

Jess Neely, 82, of Piggott died Friday, April 26, 2002, at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. He was born May 8, 1919, the son of the late Robert Lee and Minnie Cheatam Neely. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Raymond Neely, Arley Neely and Don Neely, and three sisters, Bertha Mae Cox, Mary Lee Lyles and Marie Blan...

Duwayne Louis Coe, 63, of Marmaduke died Sunday, April 28, 2002, in Paragould. Born Jan. 4, 1939, in Lafe, he was retired military serviceman, having served in the Army, and was an employee of Wilbert Vault Company in Paragould. He was a Baptist. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Coe of the home; two sons, Brick Holt of Knobel and Robert Coe of St. ...

Ettar Pearl (Carroll) Smith, 84, of Westfield, Ind., formerly of Marmaduke, died Thursday, April 25, 2002, at her home. She was born Jan. 20, 1918, in Stonewall Ark. Mrs. Smith was a homemaker and enjoyed her family, gardening and serving the Lord. Survivors include four sons and two daughters-in-law, William E. ...

For the first time since 1997 the Lady Hounds are going to the Slow-Pitch Softball State Tournament. They took care of business Saturday at the North-East Regional Tournament at Black Rock by beating Evening Shade 9-5 in an opening round game before leaping over Buffalo Island Central (BIC) 13-5 in the semi-final game. ...

The young guys finally came through! Sophomore Bruce Wallace pitched the game of his life and two freshmen swung big sticks as Marmaduke stunned top seeded Marked Tree 12-1 at Class AA regional at Monette Saturday afternoon. With no seniors and only one junior on their team, the Greyhounds have been plagued by the mistakes of inexperience all season long. ...

Action One Realty, last years Marmaduke Little League champions, has served notice that it may be tough to dethrone them. Fresh from winning the Rector-Marmaduke Pre-season Little League Tournament last weekend, they bombed American State Bank 10-0 Tuesday night as Trent Smith tossed a no-hitter. ...

The Rector Lady Cougars were edged out by Bay in last Tuesday's 3AA slow-pitch district tournament finals in Walnut Ridge. Bay took an early 7-2 lead, but The Rector girls rallied back for a 7-7 tie in the sixth inning. The Lady Yellowjackets responded with three runs in the sixth for the win...

Facing adversity and struggling early in the 2002 baseball season, the Rector Cougars have pulled out a season that no one could have predicted. Last year's Cougars won the regional tournament and earned a berth in the state championship game in Fayetteville finishing as state runnerup after losing to Lavaca...

Opal Bullinger, 88, of Rector, died Saturday, April 27, 2002, at Rector Healthcare. A homemaker, Mrs. Bullinger was born April 2, 1914, in Lafe to the late James and Vera Evans Merideth. She was a Baptist. Survivors include two sons, Lindle M. Bullinger and Leland Gene Bullinger, both of Rector; two daughters, Glenda Faye Shipley of Pleasant Plains and Nancy Nelson of Holcomb, Mo.; three sisters, Mildred Priest of Albany, Texas, Evelyn Burdin of Fisk, Mo., and Joan Johnson of Jonesboro, 24 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren.. ...

Roy Lee Eason, 76, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of Rector, died Wednesday, April 24, 2002, at his home. He was born Aug. 9, 1925, in Rector to the late Louie Elmer Eason and Mary Grissom Eason and was married Nov. 26, 1946, to Wanell Watson Eason. He worked in auto body repair and was a Baptist...

Dawn Marie Morris, 41, of Rector died Sunday, April 28, 2002, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born Oct. 14, 1960, in Pawhuska, Okla., to Louis Cook and Mary Coleman Cook and was married Sept. 7, 1990, to Don Morris. She had worked as a bookkeeper and receptionist at Above and Beyond Salon in Rector and a supervisor at the Human Development Center...

Mya Reagan Davis, the infant daughter of Tony and Andrea (Marsh) Davis of Rector, died Thursday, April 25, 2002, at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock at two days old. Mya was born April 23, 2002, in Jonesboro. Other survivors are her grandparents, Robert Dale and Pharis Davis of Hoxie and Bill and Debbie Marsh of Waldron; great-grandparents, Bill and Lucille Davis of Walnut Ridge, Berniece Holder of Walnut Ridge, and Earoll and Syble Cable and Marie Marsh, all of Waldron, and aunts, uncles and cousins, Blake and Melissa Marsh and Jackson of Rector, Amy and Gabe Sullivan and Madeline of Conway, Philip Marsh of Fayetteville and Matt and Kim Davis of Jonesboro.. ...

Rector High School students soon will be dressed in beautiful gowns and tuxedos, marching in front of gathered townspeople with pride and excitement. That's right, it's almost time for prom, a tradition that nearly every student looks forward to. Lura Holifield, special education instructor at Rector High, has been teaching at the school for 30 years and has been a sponsor for "at least 20 proms." She said there have been many changes from then to now...

The Rector City Council voted unanimously in a special meeting Wednesday of last week to take steps to purchase the land on which the municipal airport is located. All four aldermen were present -- Glenn Leach, Mac Manchester, Steve Ward and Michael Polk...

With the economy at a somewhat slower pace than normal, many businesses have been feeling the crunch of decreased consumer spending. American Railcar Industries in Marmaduke is no exception. Dean Inman, ARI senior human resources manager, believes things soon will take a positive turn, however...

A full day of fun and excitement is in store for everyone going to Marmaduke's 14th annual Mayfest, set for Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, in downtown Marmaduke. This year's Mayfest promises a schedule of events guaranteed to be fun for everyone in the family. ...

The traditional pageantry of graduation will be unveiled for the 72nd time Sunday, May 5, at Marmaduke High School. Fifty-four graduates will enter the school gymnasium as the Marmaduke School band begins the processional promptly at 7 p.m. Students of Distinction Christine Denise Bettencourt, Paul Adam Booth, Alana Marie Brannon, Melani Ann Bridges, Shayla Nicole Farmer, Tiffany Leann Faulkner, Kendra Leigh Gerdes, John W. ...

MARMADUKE It wasn't exactly the Harlem Globetrotters, but it sure was a basketball show Saturday night in Marmaduke. Graduates from Rector and Marmaduke High Schools from the 1960's, 70's and 80's gathered for a benefit "Blast From the Past" basketball game with all funds raised going towards the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life...