Stories from Wednesday, July 7, 2004

The facts that the picnic ground was a swamp in places and storms threatened off and on all day, didn't seem to deter folks from coming out for the annual Independence Day celebration on Saturday. A parade kicked the day off with a patriotic theme. Jim Richardson was the Grand Marshal...

Eunice Maxine Howard, 75, of Piggott died July 3, 2004, at Piggott Community Hospital. She was born July 4, 1928, in Clay County, the daughter of the late Glen and Floretta Mosbey Malone. She was united in marriage to Charles Edward Howard on Jan. 17, 1947, in Piggott, they had two children...

Mary Imogene Underwood, 87, of West Melbourne, Fla., died July 2, 2004, at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Fla. She was born June 6, 1917, in Pollard, the daughter of Samuel Richard and Nora Johnson Pillow. Mrs. Underwood was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith. She was a charter member of the Normandy Road Baptist Church...

Wayne Mowery, 49, of Piggott died Friday, July 2, 2004, at his residence. He was born Aug. 25, 1954, the son of Kenneth and Rita Manzanares Mowery. He was united in marriage to Pat Estes on Nov. 6, 1976, and they had two children. He was preceded in death by his mother, Rita Mowery; and his grandparents, Orvall and Mildred Mowery...

Florence Davis, 89, of Piggott died Wednesday, June 30, 2004, in the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. She was born Feb. 9, 1915, in Pollard, the daughter of the late Henry Clay and Virgie Pollard Nettles. She was united in marriage to Ernest Gower and they had two children. She was united in marriage to V.L. Davis who preceded her in death on Dec. 12, 1980...

Henry Dewayne Jackson, 81, of Paragould died Friday, June 25, 2004, at his old home place in the middle of the woods. Born on Nov. 15, 1922, in Greene County, he was a believer in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. He was a World War II Veteran who served in the army...

Clay County Electric Cooperative conducted its 65th annual meeting in Wynn Park last Friday with an outstanding turnout for the pre-Independence Day session. Louis Ahrent, John Dalton and Reuben Seay were re-elected to three-year terms to the board of directors of Clay County Electric during a short business meeting preceding the give-away at 1:30 p.m...

Inga Eubanks will conduct a photography workshop sponsored by the Clay County Arts Council at the community center in Piggott at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 15. Eubanks will talk about aspects of photography independent of camera equipment. The focus will be on composition and the effective use of light...

Plans are now underway for the annual St. Francis beauty pageants to be held Saturday, July 17, at the St. Francis picnic. The registration fee for all pageants is $15 and will be held starting 30 minutes prior to each contest. No pageant wear will be permitted in any pageant...

The 72nd annual Pollard Picnic will be held Saturday July 10 at the picnic grounds in Pollard. The master of ceremonies will be Charles Morrisett. There will be a drawing after the pageants for a quilt donated by Wilma Allen, as well as drawings for $50 and $100...

Mildred Rosalee Hause, 81, of Paragould, died Saturday July 3, 2004, at her residence in Paragould. She was born Oct. 5, 1922, in Rector to the late Reuben Louis Davison and Sarah Elizabeth Ray Davison. She was owner/operator of a grocery store and a member of the Church of Christ...

Willa Jones, 79, of Kennett, Mo., died Monday, June 28, 2004, at Twin Rivers Medical Center in Kennett. She was born Jan. 11, 1925, in Rector, to the late Ernest and Sadie Long Gatewood and was married June 7, 1947, to William S. Jones Jr., who preceded her in death Nov. 19, 1984...

Doris Pauline Huggins, 89, of Jonesboro, formerly of Rector and Paragould, died Friday July 2, 2004, at Skill Care Nursing Center in Jonesboro. She was born Oct. 13. 1914 in Rector to the late John William Medlin and Alta Lou (Miller) Huggins. She was a homemaker and a member of the Walnut Ridge First Baptist Church...

Eula Lee Hopper, 94, of Ash Flat, formerly of Rector, died Tuesday, June 29, 2004, at Eastern Ozarks Health System in Cherokee Village. She was born Oct. 10, 1909, in Clay County to the late William Thomas Beal and Lula Trantham Beal. She was owner and operator of Eula's Grill and also supervisor of the Rector School lunchroom. She was a member of the United Methodist Church...

Clay County Electric Cooperative conducted its 65th annual meeting in Wynn Park last Friday with an outstanding turnout for the pre-Independence Day session. Louis Ahrent, John Dalton and Reuben Seay were re-elected to three-year terms to the board of directors of Clay County Electric during a short business meeting preceding the give-away at 1:30 p.m...

Family Video and Tanning is now open on Fourth Street in downtown Rector. Owners Brian and Jamie Shaw opened their first business venture April 14, and so far, things are looking good. "The opportunity came up, and, to me, Rector just needed another place to rent movies for the different titles and selection," said Jamie. She and Brian, originally from Piggott, now live in Nimmons with their six-year-old daughter Breanna...

As a young girl, Dr. Shannon Walker always dreamed of the stars -- not just of studying them, but one day going to them. Now her dream is becoming a reality, and her destination will truly be the stars. Dr. Walker has been selected to begin astronaut training as a mission specialist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston...

A milestone will be marked with a three-day celebration as Mrs. Ina Jernigan turns 90-years-old on July 23. Mrs. Jernigan came to the Rector area in 1922 when her father bought out a Ford agency. She was born July 23, 1914, to Louella "Ella" Mebane Crockett and J.L. ...

Money for postage is needed to ship items to soldiers overseas through the local project "Operation Dad Bag." The group has "adopted" the 39th Brigade, but will send packages to local soldiers in other units if addresses are provided. A large number of items for the soldiers have been collected and care packages soon will be shipped. A meeting of the group will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, July 12, at the Rector Community Center...

Henry Dewayne Jackson, 81, of Paragould, died Friday, June 25, 2004, at his old home place in the middle of the woods. Born on Nov. 15, 1922, in Greene County, he was a believer in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. He was a World War II veteran who served in the Army...