Stories from Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Rita Kay Baxter, 61, of Purdy, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield. She was born Dec. 24, 1958, in Purdy, the daughter of Bernard William and Lillie Vivian (Barnes) Mackin. On June 30, 1979, in Purdy, she was united in marriage to Gary L. Baxter who survives...

Peggy Dean Edie, 76, of Exeter, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Cassville. She was born March 11, 1944, in Washburn, the daughter of Leon and Mary Ruth (Prewitt) Stephens. On Sept. 1, 1962, in Exeter she was united in marriage to Doyle Edie, and he survives...

Loren L. Lowe, Jr., 77, of Aurora, passed away Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, at Aurora Nursing Center in Aurora. He was born March 13, 1943, in Purdy, the son of Loren L. Sr., and Fern (Wiley) Lowe. On Feb. 27, 1981, he was united in marriage to Brenda Mullins, who survives...

Mary “Betty” Miller, 96, of Cassville, passed away Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. She was born Oct. 31, 1924, in Grand Junction, Colo., the daughter of Charles Walter and Edith (Hankins) Barker who preceded her in death. Also preceding her in death are her husband; two brothers, Ted and Charles Barker; one sister, Anna Mae Divilla and one granddaughter...

Ronda Kay Pippin, 62, of Seligman, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 at Freeman Hospital in Neosho. She was born June 26, 1958 in Cassville, the daughter of Bobby and Sarah Catherine “Cathy” (DeWitt) Bruton, who preceded her in death. Also preceding her in death was one brother, Carl Bruton...

Ralph LeGale Wofford, 92, of Cassville, passed away Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, at his home. He was born Jan. 4, 1928, in Butler, Okla., the son of Henry Frank and Inez (Lobaugh) Wofford. On Dec. 2, 1951, in Oklahoma City, Okla., he was united in marriage to Charlene Maxwell, who preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death were his parents; one brother, Henry Thomas; three sisters, Bernice Yates, Emma Oliver and Virginia Schwab and a son-in-law, James Dutra...

Opal Caroline Wilson, 90, of Shell Knob, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Eagle Rock. She was born June 13, 1930 in Shell Knob, the daughter of Charly C. and Susie (Call) Cooper. On June 28, 1948, in Barry County, she was united in marriage to Phillip Elias Wilson, who preceded her in death on Nov. 21, 2012. Also preceding her in death were two brothers, Fred and Velmer Cooper...

Carol Woods, 70, of Cassville, passed away at her home on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. She was born Sept. 24, 1950, in Lebanon, Ore. In 1996, she was united in marriage to Monte Woods in Cassville; he survives. She, together with her sisters, owned and operated numerous restaurants in this area. She was a member of the McDowell Community Church...

’Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the newsroom, Typing hands were a’clatter with Santa wishes to zoom through. Each year we ask second-graders their wishes for toys, And most of them tell us they were good girls and boys. There are 338 letters we will deliver this year,...

The holiday originally set aside to recognize and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ is nothing like it was nearly eight decades ago when this country was wrapped deep in conducting its part of World War II. In these modern times you would have thought the time to observe this special holiday has started several weeks ago...

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) confirmed Monday that the 2021 MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships will not be held at the University of Missouri due to continued questions and uncertainty of venue availability relative to COVID-19...

The hottest basketball team in the area — without question — is the Purdy boys squad. The Eagles improved to 8-0 on the season Friday with a decisive, 52-19 win over Cassville in a game where Purdy was a step quicker on the floor all night long and held the Wildcats to just 5 second-half points...

The ultimate sign of respect for any prep athlete is to be named to the All-State team. The list contain the names of athletes that have not only excelled at during the regular season, but also displayed their talents in a playoff run. For Cassville, six athletes made the Class 3 list, including: Jericho Farris, Jaiden Reibert, Patrick Dunker, Drake Reese, Zach Coenen and Zach Carney...

Wayne Hendrix, Barry County southern commissioner, was honored during a party on Monday for his three terms, or 12 years, in the position.

Meet Hugo, the Haven of the Ozarks Pet of the Week.

The substance of Christmas is communication. Angels communicated with Mary and Joseph concerning the birth of Jesus. The shepherds communicated Christ immediately; “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:20). If you know the story of the miraculous birth of Jesus, you ought to tell it to others.   ...

Beginning Jan. 5, Cassville High School will be returning to a five-day-per-week seated student attendance schedule. As a result of the recent adjustments by the Centers for Disease Control and the modified quarantine guidance from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, as well as the Barry County Health Department, district administrators said they believe this provides the school great options to keep staff and students safe while also offering in-person learning. ...

Allisha Vore-Reeves, RN at Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville, Ark., received a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 16.

Jessica Quick, RN at Mercy in Cassville, received a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from Echo Bishop, LPN, on Thursday.

Jimmy Fancher, left, as Joseph, Theresa VanHoecke, center, as Mary, and Brock Cross, as a shepherd, performed a live nativity as part of the Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch Christmas display Friday through Sunday.

The Cassville school district implemented a new program for its high school students last year, Jobs for American Graduates (JAG), and one of this year’s students has set a high mark for future participants. The program aims to help students get jobs after they graduate by developing employability and survival skills for after high school...

First Christian Church offered a new take on the journey to Bethlehem, with the three wise men showing up in a camel-coordinated barrel train instead of trekking through the desert in sandals. For more photos from the event, go to: www.cassville-democrat.com/gallery/37974...

The Cassville Mr. and Miss Merry Christmas candidates have been named, with winners set to be announced in January. With four grades and eight students, only two can be crowned. The virtual Mr. and Miss Merry Christmas assembly will be held on Jan. 15, 2021, at 1:15 p.m. It will be on Facebook live on the Cassville school Facebook page...

  Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick has announced that he has been named Legislative Chair for the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST). As legislative chair, he will serve on the Executive Committee. “As Treasurer, advocating to our federal delegation for sound fiscal policy, growing programs that help all Missourians save for the future and expanding access to unclaimed property is a priority,” Fitzpatrick said. ...

Three patrons of the Cassville school district spoke Thursday at the school board’s monthly meeting, asking board members to reconsider the district’s month-old masking mandate for students. Amanda Tucker, parent of two girls at the district was the first to speak. ...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) had been dipping, but this week it rose up to almost 150 just days before Christmas. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,238 (+142) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Camp Barnabas at Teas Trail lost a girls cabin to a structure fire on Tuesday after some winterizing clean-up efforts went awry. Monett Rural and Monett City Fire responded to a call of a structure fire at Camp Barnabas in rural Purdy at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday...