Stories from Tuesday, December 27, 2022

James “Jim” Russell, son of the late Roscoe Russell and Nena Buchanan Russell, was born near Bernie, Missouri, on June 2, 1930, and departed this life at his residence in Dexter, Missouri, on December 18, 2022, at the age of 92 years. Mr. Russell was very community driven, he served 39 years in the United States Army and Missouri National Guard, serving deployments in Korea, Honduras, and Panama. ...

Junior Ray Pyle, son of the late Charley “Pete” Pyle and Geraldine Cooper Pyle, was born on February 14, 1948, in Dunklin County, Missouri, and departed this life on December 25, 2022, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of 74 years...

James L Darby, 95, formerly of Dexter, passed away on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. James was born near Essex on January 14, 1927 to Grace M. Grim Darby and John “Albert” Darby. James graduated from Essex High School then served in the Army from 1945-46. He married Margrite Moore on January 31, 1947 and she preceded him in death on October 14, 2001. He later married Pansy Link on January 18, 2003. Pansy died on April 17, 2020...

Pauletta Darlene Beck, 73,  passed away December 14, 2022.  Visitation was Monday, December 19, 2022 at Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie, Missouri from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m . Funeral Services will then be conducted in the Mathis Funeral Chapel in Bernie starting at 2 p.m.  Interment will follow in Bernie Cemetery.  Mathis Funeral Home of Bernie is assisted family with arrangements...

Fritz Asher Whitmer, son of the late Fritz Whitmer and Gertrue Raines Womble, was born on June 29, 1942, in Parma, Missouri, and departed this life on December 21, 2022, at the age of 80. No services are planned. Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter assisted with arrangements...

Thomas Dement, son of the late Oscar Lee Dement and Georgia Deroush Dement, was born on October 20, 1954, in Dexter, Missouri, and departed this life on December 20, 2022, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, at the age of 68. Funeral services were conducted at the Lighthouse Christian Church on Monday, December 26, 2022. Interment followed in Hagy Cemetery...

Brian Keith Barnes, son of the Grady O’Dell Barnes and Nancy Imogene Tate Barnes, was born on September 29, 1965, in Sikeston, Missouri, and departed this life on December 22, 2022, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, at the age of 57. Funeral services were conducted at Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie on Wednesday, December 28, 2022. Interment followed in the Bernie Cemetery...

The Dexter Board of Aldermen held a special meeting to discuss the upcoming sewer project in the city. The city is looking at a major upgrade to its water treatment system in order to meet updated regulations put in place by the state of Missouri and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)...

The Dexter School Board elected to table a diesel fuel bid and approved the 2022/23 school calendar at its December meeting. Assistant Superintendent Gavin Miller presented the fuel bid information to the board. Miller said he sent out requests for bids on the fuel, which the district normally purchases a year supply at a time. However, Miller said this time the bids came back significantly higher than last year’s. He said the district paid $2.63 a gallon on the last purchase...

“It’s a dog’s life” means more to two Southeast Missouri ladies than just the turn of a phrase. Malden Animal Control Officer Becky Poole and Dexter resident Amanda Oliver come to the rescue often for stray dogs in the area. “I’m taking 17 dogs to Davenport, Iowa Saturday,” Poole says. “It’s a long trip...