Stories from Friday, December 26, 1997

To the editor: Each year I ponder on the heartfelt thank-you note I send to the Southeast Missourian to let the community know how thankful not only the recipients of the Christmas for the Elderly are for this wonderful program, but also the staff at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, as well as the Division of Aging and the Regional Dialysis Center. ...

Finally, the Missouri Supreme Court has ordered the state to issue refund checks to some 2 million taxpayers because annual revenue since 1995 has exceeded limits set on growth in state income. Many of those taxpayers were among the supporters of the Hancock Amendment in 1980. The constitutional amendment controls the growth of state revenue by tying it to the growth of personal incomes...

In the past 12 months through November, the federal government has achieved a remarkable milestone. Figures from the Treasury Department show the government took in $1.599 trillion in revenue and spent $1.597 trillion, leaving a surplus of $2.4 billion...

What's New Year's without black-eyed peas, marinated herring and predictions? Sitting one New Year's in a naval barracks as World War II was winding down, I turned on the radio to hear the broadcast of columnist Drew Pearson predict events that would be occurring in the next 12 months: "Before the next year is out, the United States will find itself engaged in a massive, deadly shooting war with the Soviet Union." This was not the kind of news this civilian-turned-sailor was hoping to hear, and fortunately it never made 1946's list of great predictions.. ...

BLOOMFIELD -- A Christmas Eve automobile accident claimed the life of a Dunklin County man and sent two Stoddard County residents to the hospital. Ronald Harvey, 53, of Malden was killed Wednesday in the accident on Highway 25 in Bloomfield. Injured in the accident were August and Mary Thorn of Bloomfield...

It's the day after Christmas and all through the town, not a creature is stirring, not even ... wait just one minute. That's not the way the story goes. Almost everyone is open, even banks and governmental offices. As shoppers expect, retailers opened today in full force offering extended hours and after-Christmas sales...

If Santa Claus knows when you're sleeping and when you're awake, you can bet he also knows if you're sick and have to spend Christmas in the hospital. Pediatric nurses at Saint Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital said the man in red knows their addresses very well and returns every year to bring gifts and Christmas cheer to sick children...

Editor's note: This story about progress on Notre Dame High School is being printed in its entirety because the continuation of the story was inadvertently omitted from Page 2 in Wednesday's edition. Notre Dame High School is on target for completion Aug. 1, school administrators said...

Christmas happens everywhere...even on the road. For Donna Dicus, it was the end of a long ride. Dicus parked her big-truck rig at the M & M Freight Co. at Bertrand, and was looking forward to only another few hours on the road before being with her family on Christmas day...

The great fruitcake contest was filled with winning entries, giving the editor a solid week of fruitcake, fruitcake, fruitcake. You would think that anyone who has spent a solid week on a steady diet of fruitcake would be tired of the subject by now...

Basketballs are just about ready to start flying around the Show Me Center for the 53rd annual University High School Christmas Tournament. The 16-team holiday hoops extravaganza gets under way bright and early this morning. By the time the Show Me Center closes late tonight, eight first-round games will have been played...

Lance Schlick School: Jackson Class: Junior Sport: Wrestling Weight class: 125 pounds Coach: Steve Wachter Week report: Schlick won two individual tournament titles and helped the Indians to their 48th consecutive dual victory with a busy and undefeated week of wrestling. ...

The University High School Christmas Tournament isn't the only boys basketball event that will be held in Southeast Missouri over the holidays. In fact, several other tournaments will get under way either today or in the next few days. The 41st annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament begins today and runs through Tuesday; the Ste. Genevieve Tournament gets under way today and runs through Sunday; and the 11th annual Poplar Bluff Showdown begins Monday and runs through Wednesday...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Desmond Carter of East Prairie, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1997, in the East Prairie Nursing Center. He was 76 years old. He was born July 25, 1921, in the Whiting community near East Prairie, son of the late Delbert Carter and Stella Banks Carter King. He had lived most of his life in Mississippi County and was retired from Burkart Foam in Cairo, Ill. He was of the Pentecostal faith...

ANNA, Ill. -- Mrs. Grace Marie Elkins, 96, of Anna, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 26, 1901, at Carterville, Ill., daughter of David and Sidney Williams Lipe. She married Claude E. ("Shennie") Elkins on Aug. 1, 1920. He preceded her in death on Nov. 18, 1988...

CHARLESTON -- Albert Edward Golden, 87, of Charleston, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, at the Veterans Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. He was born Feb. 7, 1910 in Missouri, son of Gaulf and Dolly Golden. He married Florence Geneva Goodwin on Sept. 22, 1953. She preceded him in death Aug. 29, 1988...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Howard J. Bartling, 74, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died Saturday, Dec. 20, 1997, at Tyrone Medical Center in St. Petersburg. He was born Feb. 20, 1923, at St. Louis, the son of A.F.W. and Emma Pape Bartling. He married Virginia Lee Foeste on May 21, 1949, at Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death...

PERRYVILLE -- Herbert J. Neels, 68, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1997, at his home. He was born Oct. 29, 1929, in Belgique, the son of Leo and Matilda L'Hote Neels. On May 1, 1954, he married Thelma Moll at Belgique. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Holy Name Society and the Belgique Cemetery board of directors. He was a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. He had been a farmer before retirement...

JACKSON -- Margaret Goodson, 86, of Jackson , died Thursday, Dec. 25, 1997, at the Heritage Garden Nursing Home in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by McCombs's Funeral Home of Jackson.

VANDUSER -- Carl F. Gunter, 87, of Vanduser, died Thursday, Dec. 25, 1997, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Oran.

PERRYVILLE -- Floyd V. Huber, Sr., 90, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1997 at Perry Oaks Healthcare. He was born Feb. 18, 1907, at Perryville, the son of Rudolph and Flora Cissel Huber. He married Elizabeth "Bessie" Sutterer in March, 1929 at Perryville...

ANNA -- Vivian Boyd, 88, of Anna died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1997, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born Dec. 21, 1909 in Dongola, the daughter of James Earl and Sarah Elnora Howell Corzine. She married Glenn E. Boyd on Aug. 24, 1932. He died on March 21, 1986...

Edgar Steffens, 83, of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1997 at the Lutheran Home. Ford and Sons, Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

CHAFFEE -- Lora Gulley, 83, of Chaffee, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1997 at her home. She was born in Perkins on Oct. 11, 1914, the daughter of Joseph and Lottie. St. Cin Elfrank. She worked until retirement at Sports Specialty Shoe Company in Chaffee...

ADVANCE -- Lillie Randolph, 83, of Zalma, died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1997, at Advance Nursing Center. She was born June 22, 1907 in Zalma, daughter of William and Siota Arthur Pittman. She married Alva Randolph on July 23, 1924 at Zalma. He preceded her in death Feb. 10, 1992...

ADVANCE -- Tony M. Richardson, 37, of Bell City, died at Bell City Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1977. He was born July 9, 1960, in Advance, son of Henry and Alice Menz Richardson. He is survived by his mother, Alice Richardson of Bell City, and a sister, Mary Wagoner of Painton...

DEXTER -- Pauline Lovette, 83, of Dexter, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1997 at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born Aug. 20, 1914 at Vinson, Mo., daughter of John Henry and Dora Clenny Gregory. She married Claude B. Lovette on Dec. 5, 1931. He preceded her in death on Oct. 7, 1984...