Stories from Friday, October 5, 2007

Stanley Andrew Haynes of Grayslake, Ill. passed away Aug. 31, 2007, at home. He was born on Sept. 4, 1928, in Walker, Mo., the first-born child of Irl Potter and Margaret L. (Weddle) Haynes. Stan enlisted in the United States Navy in 1948. His naval career included sea duty in connection with the Korean Conflict, two tours off Vietnam during the Vietnam War and two round-the-world cruises. ...

To prepare for this article (and one to follow in two weeks) we asked Ferry's Funeral Home and the Evergreen Memorial Chapel 25 questions we would like to get answered. They were both very generous with their time and gave detailed answers to each question. We are compiling the answers whenever possible, without identifying which establishment gave which answer. We are indebted to each business for their help...

Lyndon Irwin, from Springfield (originally from Bronaugh) has shared information on his Web page about a recent discovery of a letter written by Sidney A. Weltmer in 1914. Floyd Harlow Lawrence discovered this letter which his grandmother, Lucretia Harlow, had in her possessions. ...

Peter Nichols, who lives in Stockton, Mo., and is Past-President and present Board Member of the Missouri Folklore Society and active in the El Dorado Springs writers group, has written an unusual book. "Let the Faces Speak" is a pictorial directory of the residents of a fictitious county in Missouri from 1860-1910, Bear County is in west central Missouri where, "the Ozarks meet the prairie. It is a land of rolling hills covered with oak-hickory forests and prairies of tall grasses."...

Pumpkins are the centerpiece of fall décor according to Gaylord Moore, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension. Yet, picking the right pumpkin is, in many ways, a matter of personal preference because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. "Success in selecting a pumpkin is not about shape, but the initial quality of keeping it fresh throughout the Thanksgiving season," Moore said...

The local chapter of Ducks Unlimited has been busy this year. To celebrate, the group is having a banquet at the Eagles lodge Oct. 13. Nationally, Ducks Unlim-ited is celebrating its 70th anniversary, along with the chapter's 34th anniversary, and one of the prizes available at the banquet celebrate that fact, a Browning 12-gauge engraved with the DU 70th anniversary logo...

Fun fall activities begin for Vernon County 4-H in October, starting with the annual chicken barbecue, 5-8 p.m., Saturday, at the Vernon County fairgrounds. October events also include events like National 4-H Week, Oct. 7-13; Make A Difference Day on Oct. 27, and the Shooting Sports Awards program Oct. 28...

Cottey College is set to host internationally known Corky Siegel Chamber Blues. Based in Chicago, Ill., Corky Siegel has combined elements of blues and chamber music since 1968, and has performed with Chamber Blues around the world since 1987. Winner of multiple awards and titles including the French Government's Grand Prix du Disque and Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award, Siegel told us that he is most proud of the Lila Wallace/Readers Digest Award for chamber composition...