Stories from Thursday, January 25, 2007

Crisises brings out the best or the worst in people, and last week's ice storm and recovery effort revealed the good in Barry County citizens. While this area was encased in ice and power was lost in many parts of the county, we were told numerous stories about people's goodwill and willingness to help their friends and neighbors in need...

Cleo Naaman White, 85, of Purdy, passed away Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, in St. John's Regional Medical Center, Springfield. He was born Sept. 24, 1921, in Texarkana, Ark., the son of Everett I. and Iva White. On Sept. 30, 1946, he was united in marriage to Lena Mae Fisher, who preceded him in death on Sept. 23, 1996, being blessed with fifty years together. To this union 12 children were born. He was also preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Travis White...

Funeral services for Lyndall Newman Wohlgemuth, 91, of Skiatook, Oklahoma, were held Tuesday, January 9, 2007, at 9:00 a.m. at Peters-Stumpff Funeral Home Chapel with Bill Zodrow and Ken Pittman officiating. Interment at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cassville, Missouri was under the direction of Peters-Stumpff Funeral Home. ...

Nancy Crow, 66, of Monett, passed away Monday, jan. 22, 2007, at Lacoba Nursing Home in Monett. She was born oct. 25, 1940, in Monett, the daughter of the late Enoch and Ruth (Lautaret) Boucher. She was a seamstress and also worked as a custodian for Jack Henry. She attended Waldensian united Presbyterian Church in Monett...

Gertrude Anna Endsley, 93, of Shell Knob, passed away Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, at St. John's Hospital, Berryville, Ark. She was born to Carl and Anna (Licke) Bredow near Volland, Kan., on March 7, 1913. She was united in marriage to Dallis C. Endsley in 1941. He preceded her in death in 1971...

Esther J. Eubanks, 87, of Cassville, passed away Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, in Red Rose Inn, Cassville, after a short battle with ovarian cancer. She was born May 20, 1919, in Garfield, Ark., the daughter of Charles Wesley and Dottie (Lowery) Reeves. In 1942, she was united in marriage to Richard Lee Eubanks, who preceded her in death on May 11, 1976. ...

Terry W. Everett, 59, of Monett, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007, at Cox Monett Hospital. He was born July 17, 1947, in Kansas City, Kan., the son of the late Charles and Pearl Myers Everett. He was an irrigation specialist for a golf course in Washington state. He moved to this area about seven months ago to be with his sister, Teresa, of Monett...

Christene A. Fisher, 78, of Exeter, passed away Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, in Barry County Care Center, Cassville. She was born July 28, 1928, in Washburn, the daughter of Ernest and Omega (Morgan) Fletcher. On July 29, 1962, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Jay Fisher who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents; four brothers and one sister...

Henry H. Hyde Jr., passed away Saturday, January 20, 2007. Beloved husband of Marjorie N. Hyde (nee Dunlap); dear father of David L. (Antonia) Hyde, Dennis R. (Nancy) Hyde, Denise L. (David O. Schlenke) Hyde and the late Danny Lee Hyde; grandfather of Philip R. (Amy) Hyde, Michael J. Hyde, Danielle M. Hyde, Ashley N. McFarland, Kimberly A. Hyde and Alex C. McFarland; dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend...

Forest Eugene Irvine, 90, of Shell Knob, passed away Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007, in St. John's Hospital, Berryville, Ark. He was born Oct. 16, 1916, in El Dorado, Kan., the son of J. Eugenio and Bessie (Marley) Irvine. On Nov. 10, 1939, in Yates Center, Kan., he was united in marriage to Flossie Ellen Bassett and to this union two daughters were born. ...

Kenneth Neal Kingrey, 55, of Monett, passed away Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007, at Red Rose Inn, Cassville. He was born feb. 28, 1951, in Galion, Ohio, the son of William R. and Dore Lee (Riley) Kingrey, of Purdy. He was a construction worker. He attended the Church of the Nazarene in Monett...

The Cassville Wildcats played in the Spokane Owl Invitational this past week and ended with a record of 2-1 and a third place trophy. The Wildcats were seeded fourth in the contest and faced off against Blue Eye, Spokane and Galena. In their first game, the 'Cats took on a Blue Eye team (5-7) they had seen before. In their last meeting the Wildcats, at home, just edged the Bulldogs 37-35. This time the Wildcats had no trouble putting them away...

Tracey F. Stockton, 97, of Pratt, Kan., formerly of Purdy, died Jan. 20, 2007, at Pratt Living Center in Pratt, Kan. She was born March 21, 1909, in Fredonia, Kan., the daughter of James Edward and Nora Viola Osborne Crossland. She was a homemaker and a member of the Assembly of God Church in Purdy...

Joe Roller, 71, of Purdy, passed away Monday, Jan. 22, 2007, at Lacoba Nursing Home in Monett. He was born July 2, 1935, in Purdy, the son of the late Loyd and Faye (Mackey) Roller. He was a retired truck driver for Friend Tire. He was in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1960. He was chairman of deacons at the Arnhart Baptist Church in Purdy. He married Margaret Cook Dec. 22, 1955, in Purdy and she survives...

Dear Editor: During the recent ice storm, I acquired a new appreciation for MoDOT and more specifically the crews that work on our roads. My wife and I work the midnight shift and travel Highway 76 between Cape Fair and Shell Knob. On Saturday night while going to work, we came upon a MoDOT crew cutting limbs and trees that the ice had brought down on the road. ...

Dear Editor: For many years I've wanted to publicly brag on our our electric company. As a real estate developer, I've dealt with several electric companies in different states and counties, and without a doubt, Barry Electric is the best. They are a polite, hardworking, well managed group of people with modern equipment and knowledgeable employees. I speak for thousands when I say we are proud of Barry Electric...

After almost a week of freezing temperatures, downed power lines and chilling cold, Barry County residents were treated to some blue sky last Friday morning. This photo was taken near the Cassville South Park and shows the sun melting ice on power lines. This week, area residents are focusing on storm recovery, which includes clearing up yards, trimming trees and adjusting again to life with electricity. Democrat Photo...

Members of the Barry County Office of Emergency Management have begun addressing recovery and clean-up at the Emergency Operations Center in Monett, according to Dave Compton, emergency management director. "The focus of the attention will now shift to recovery efforts," said Compton. "Staffing at the Office of Emergency Management will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the recovery phase."...

Cassville Senior Citizens Rental Housing, Inc., has been selected to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Multi-Family Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program. "This is a very good program that will allow us to update the facility," said Landon Fletcher, Cassville Senior Citizens Rental Housing, Inc., board president. "Some of the units are around 30 years old and have never had any renova-tions."...

An informal one-on-one informational meeting between area citizens and officials with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) transformed itself into a public question and answer session on Monday night in Eagle Rock. The meeting, which attracted a crowd of around 130 people, focused on a proposed concentrated animal feeding operation that is awaiting permit approval by DNR. ...

The Barry County Commission voted on Monday to place a local use tax proposal on the April 3 ballot. According to Presiding Commissioner Cherry Warren, the use tax is not new to Barry County. In fact, the county assessed a local use tax from 1992 to 1996 until the State Supreme Court declared the tax unconstitutional...

Luella (Bunnell) Knight Bivin Anderson, 95, of Neosho, passed away at the home of her daughter in Fairview on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007. She was born May 10, 1911, in Longville, Minn., the daughter of Isaac and Betsy bunnell. She was a graduate of Wheaton High School. She worked several years as a seamstress in the Pierce City and Neosho areas. She retired in 1973...

Thomas "Tom" Lewis Leverich, 68, of Purdy, passed away Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007, in his home. He was born May 11, 1938, in Buckeye, Ariz., the son of Oscar H. and Ina (Keene) Leverich. On Feb. 5, 1955, he was united in marriage to Viola Reeves, who survives...

Bess Ralston, 84, of Kansas City, passed away Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007. She was born Aug. 23, 1922. Bess Porter married Ben H. Ralston in 1936. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Ben H. Ralston, and two sons, Ron Ralston and Benny Ralston...

Nolan R. Robbins, 51, of Green Forest, Ark., passed away Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007, in Eureka Springs, Ark. He was the son of Charles Lindy and Ollie Vivian (Holman) Robbins. He was employed by Tyson Foods in Berryville, Ark., where he worked in maintenance personnel for the past 13 years. He was a member of the Towering Oaks Church in Berryville, Ark...

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla of Shell Knob will offer a Missouri-approved boating safety course on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Missouri Boater Education Law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2005. The law states that any person born after Jan. 1, 1984, must pass a boater education course, approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), before legally operating a motorized vessel...

• Lady Bulldogs take home first. The Wheaton Lady Bulldogs took part in the Galena Tournament this week and ended up winning it all. The girls first took on Clever, and behind strong finishes in both the first and second half, they won 40-31. Johanna Baker led scorers in the game with 12. ...