Stories from Tuesday, December 14, 2021

July 10, 1947 – Dec. 13, 2021 Shirley Ann (Yeakley) Meyer, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri went home to be with our Lord Dec. 13, 2021. She died peacefully with family at her side in Poplar Bluff. Shirley was born in Yellow Springs, Ohio on July 10, 1947. She attended Yellow Springs High School until her family moved to Xenia her junior year, where she graduated from Xenia High School. She attended the Max M. Fisher Business College of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio...

Rev. Dale Emery, 84, died peacefully at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Dale was born on Dec. 2, 1936, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri to Arthur and Reba (Robinson) Emery. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1962 with a BSEd degree and from the Saint Paul School of Theology in 1975. ...

Briana Michelle Succaw, 27, of Poplar Bluff, went to be with God on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Briana was born Feb. 10, 1994 in Poplar Bluff, to Brian Harwell and Tina Succaw. She loved all of her family dearly, especially her babies Teagan, Easton and Riley. Briana loved food, Sprite Zero, spending money and loved helping anyone she could, no matter what the need...

The annual Poplar Bluff Christmas Bird Count will take place Monday, Dec. 20, and organizers are seeking volunteers to help with the event. The count, according to complier Bruce Beck, has been conducted locally for more than 25 years. Data from the Poplar Bluff count, as well as those across the country, is sent to the National Audubon Society and is used to help understand birds and their environment...

CAMPBELL, Mo. — Hillis C. Borders, 83, of Campbell, Missouri, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 at his residence in Campbell. Hillis, son of Hillis Obie and Emma Blanche Whitehead Borders, was born Saturday, March 19, 1938, in Campbell. He was a farmer; a member of the Bethany General Baptist Church; served as a delegate for MFA Propone and served as board member on the Union Township...

Butler County cheerleaders are among the best in the state, and they have the awards to prove it. Poplar Bluff High School Mules cheerleaders captured first in their division at the state competition this weekend at Southeast Missouri State University. Neelyville Tigers varsity cheerleaders brought home second place in the Class 1-Small division...

Jody Morris NEELYVILLE, Mo. — Jody Leroy Morris, 46, of Neelyville, Missouri, passed away on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will take place at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, at the Fowler & Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville. A graveside service will immediately follow on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Kinsey Cemetery with Donnie Fowler officiating...

BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT A resident of County Road 276 at Neelyville reported at 2:16 a.m. Friday, Dec. 10, that two of her vehicles had been stolen. _ Makayla Clark reported at 6:11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, that her vehicle was stolen while parked at Heartland Express in the 4000 block of South Westwood Boulevard...

DEXTER, Mo. — Marty Thompson, 77, daughter of the late Bud Stanley and Betty Wheeler Stanley, was born March 21, 1944, in Corning, Arkansas, and departed this life Dec. 13, 2021, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Mrs. Thompson was a former educator for 33 years and taught fourth grade at Dexter Public Schools in Dexter, Missouri. ...

Robert L. “Bob” Whitfield was born Nov. 15, 1929, in Mangum, Oklahoma to the late L.M. and Beulah Whitfield. He passed away peacefully at home Dec. 13, 2021. On Nov. 8, 1951, he married Jean Bennett. She preceded him in death Oct. 10, 2001. He also was preceded in death by a son, Robert Lewis, Junior; a granddaughter, K’Leigh Frances and her father, Fred Stenger; and six siblings...

Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their Southeast Missouri home as storms raged across the middle of the country. To prove they were in their “safe space” with the storm approaching Friday evening, the girls’ mom texted her Aunt Sandy a photo of the three in and next to the bathtub — all of them smiling, 9-year-old Annistyn holding her favorite doll...