Class of '69 Reunion

The Piggott Class of 1969 had a reunion celebrating their 40th year of freedom from High School. The following pictures were taken. If there are some faces you can't put a name to, e-mail piggottclassof70@yahoo.com for identification.



















The Class of '70 selling mugs and having a reunion of their own!

ATTENDED PIGGOTT ELEMENTARY


ATTENDED SOUTHEAST ELEMENTARY

ATTENDED POLLARD ELEMENTARY

ATTENDED ST FRANCIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

INFORMAL GROUP SHOT!

ARRIVED TOO LATE TO BE IN GROUP SHOT!







The guy in the middle never got in a group shot!

Piggott Class of 69 Reunion

The Piggott Class of 69 is having a reunion on July 3. It will begin @4:00 at the Piggott Diner. Maybe some of the Class of 70 will want to attend to check out everyone!? Hope to see you there!

Easy tick removal

Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20). The tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.

Annual Scholarship Cook Out

Our annual Scholarship Cook Out honoring the scholarship recipients was a success! Bobby Coyle, Kenna Dennis and Jake Pollard attended the cook out with Nicole Foster absent Also included in our celebration was the winner of the annual Jimmy Hanna Scholarship funded by Merita Graddy Hanna, Daniel Baldwin.

Class members present were: Joe Cole, Francine Hogard Howell, Larry Gatewood, Johnny Hickson, Etta Faye Lance, Veda Crittenden, Linda Brown Wells, Marty Vaughn Renard, Mike Howell, Donna Coyle Parks, and Betty Mead Robinson.

Jimmy Hanna Memorial Scholarship

This year's winner of the Jimmy Hanna Memorial Scholarship is Daniel Baldwin who will be attending the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and plans to go into physical therapy

Merita will be funding an annual scholarship in Jimmy's name and will be presenting it each year to a graduating senior from Piggott High School pursuing a medical career.

Scholarship Presentations

At this year's graduation on May 15, Joe Cole and Donna Coyle Parks presented our scholarships to this year's recipients. The winners of this year's Class of 70 scholarships are: Kenna Davis, Jake Pollard,Nicole Foster and Bobby Coyle. Also included in this year's presentation was the Jimmy Hanna Memorial Scholarship funded by Merita Hanna. The recipient of this scholarship is Daniel Baldwin. The following pictures were taken by Jim Parks.

Bobby Coyle
Jake Pollard
Nicole Foster
Daniel Baldwin
Kenna Dennis

On Friday May 29 we will be hosting a cook out in honor of this year's graduates. It will be at Heritage Park starting @6:00 pm. Hopefully you will be able to attend this year.

Piggott Times Subscription

Did you know that you can subscribe to the Piggott Times online? The cost is $20/yr and each page can be viewed. Go to www.piggotttimes.com

THE GROUP WHO ATTENDED SCHOLARSHIP MEETING


The scholarship committee met on March 28. It was decided that the set amount for the scholarships would be $400 no matter how many were given each year. The applications were taken to the school and will picked up around April 28 so that they will be available for our next meeting on May 2. The names of the recipients will be given to the high school and Rick will try to make arrangements to present them at graduation on May 15. $200 was collected at Jim Hanna's memorial and we will be giving a one time scholarship in his name. Merita is interested in contributing to that scholarship to make it the same amount as the ones that we give from the class.

Also discussed was the 40th class reunion for 2010. Names of classmates were divided to those who were present to check on address/e-mail addresses so that reunion information can be sent as soon as a date has been set. If any of you have a change in information, please contact Marty @ 573-718-0055.

The class of '69 will be having their 40th reunion on Friday, July 3 at the Piggott Diner. We are hoping that they will invite us to sell mugs. Even if they do not, some of us are planning to "crash" it by just showing up. We will tell them that they will be more than welcome to do the same to us next year. They will be gathering about 4pm.

Update on Judy Smart

4/13/09

Information from Linda Wells.

I just spoke with Judy. She sounds good except she does sound a little weak...I think that can be expected considering what she has been through. She told me that she was going home Wednesday (4/14/09). She is looking forward to that since she has been in the hospital for 2 months. She said the place in Poplar Bluff that she is in now has been a real blessing to her, that she could not do anything when she got there and now she is up walking, talking and a lot of things that she was not able to do before. I asked her about the places in her head and she said they went in and repaired the one that burst. The other one is so tiny that they would do more harm to her trying to fix it than if they left it alone. They told her there was only a 5% chance that it would burst. She is expected to make a full recovery and said the doctors and nurses were really impressed that she had made such improvements in such a short time, that most who had this happen to them either did not survive or it took them a much longer time to get better. She asked that we keep her on our prayer list.


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4/7/09

The trache has been removed from Judy's neck. She is able to walk around...she is walking to rehab and her memory is returning. She has a phone that we can call her and the number is 573-727-2322. This is a direct line to Judy's room.

More news about Judy Smart

Judy Smart
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center Rm 322
PO Box 88
Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

Judy still has the trach and feeding tube. They may start some therapy for her soon. The doctor is still very optimistic about Judy's recovery.

CHRISTMAS SHOTS - BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

CITY WIDE YARD SALE

Due to lack of interest and items to sell, we will not be participating in the City Wide Yard Sale in April. We plan to collect more items and have our annual fall yard sale, probably in October. This will give those of you who live out of town enough time to bring items home during the summer. You can contact Veda,598-2525 Freddie, 598-7845 or Francine, 634-6002 to store those items in our storage unit. It would be great if they are priced for a yard sale (if using masking tape on clothes, please put the prices on tags as masking tape will leave a residue if it gets as hot as it does in the storage unit in the summer!) If they are not priced, please let the person who helps you know so that we can get them priced before the yard sale.

We will have enough money in our scholarship fund to give scholarships this year. We will be having a meeting on March 28 to discuss scholarships and the next reunion. If you have suggestions for either, please contact Marty, 573-718-0055. We will set the date of the reunion as soon as we get a football schedule for 2010 so we can have a tailgate party before the home game. (starting earlier than we did in 2005!) Plan now to take some time off in October 2010 so that you can participate in all the activities that will be planned!

It has been great to keep in touch with a lot of you and have as many gatherings as we have had during the past 5 years. We are hoping that we can get class members who did not attend the 35th reunion interested in attending the 40th (especially those who live locally!)

Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Hickson

Johnny Hickson's mother passed away. Visitation will be Thursday, March 12 and the funeral is Friday, March 13.

UPDATE ON JUDY HOWARD SMART

Linda Wells writes:

Just thought I would share with you what I was told this morning at church from Susan Howard Wells concerning Judy Howard Smart. She reports that the Drs. are pleased with Judy's progress. They have moved the vent from her mouth to her throat (trachea)and the feeding tube from her nose to her stomach with the hopes that she will be more comfortable. Judy is able to move her hands, blink and do other motions in response to the caregivers and family. The other place on Judy's brain is not bleeding so the Drs. are not going to do anything about it for the time being. She does have pneumonia due to the fact they are unable to get her up and move her but the Drs. think they can over come this obstacle. Her blood sugar has gotten out of control due to the liquids they are giving her but they are working on that as well. Susan says the Drs. have high hopes for Judy. We all need to keep her in our hearts and prayers. Her address is as follows:

Judy Smart
St. Louis University Hospital
Room # ICU 533
3635 Vista
St. Louis, MO 63110

Funeral Arrangements for Mr. Hickson

Visitation for Johnny's dad will be Friday, March 6 and the funeral on March 7 at Hoggard's.

Judy Howard Smart

3/5/09

Judy had surgery yesterday and they were going to try to take her off the vent today. They say she is doing well and can follow commands. The family did not know about Judy's speech or how she was affected from the surgery. There is another spot on Judy's brain but the Dr chose not to do anything to it at this time.


Judy Howard Smart had an anerysm last week and is in a hospital in St. Louis. Her family came back home Sunday at the insistence of her doctor who says she needs to be quiet and they can't visit her right now. Apparently she and Ivan were at Wal-Mart where they had picked up her new glasses and she went to the bathroom before they were going to leave for home. Another woman came running out of the bathroom saying Judy was sick. The anerysm caused her to fall. The hospital in Poplar Bluff transferred her by helicopter to St.Louis. The doctor in St.Louis thinks she will be OK but it will take time.Debby Haywood (Judy's cousin) is the one who gave me this information. Linda Ort

I just heard that Judy suffered an anurism at PB walmart and that it will be at least 10 days before they can do surgery. I also heard she was air lifted to Cape.

Sandy Scott

As soon as more information is received it will be posted.

Thanks to the class members who keep us informed about other class members! Mike Howell called to give information as well and he says he is doing fine after his surgery.

Ice Storm '09 in Piggott AR

For our classmates that are out of the area here's a few pics of what it looks like. These were taken after the first night, it got worse after the second. Officials say that it could be 4-6 weeks until outside power will be supplied back to here. We are fortunate that Piggott forefathers had the sight to preserve our local power plant and keep it updated. It is anticipated that almost all residences will have power in the next 2-3 days supplied by our local power plant. If any of you have relatives that needs something that Linda or I can do here are our cell numbers. Fred's 870-598-7845 Linda's 870-598-7846

Message and Pictures provided by Fred Ort.

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters....S.T.R.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(I.e. It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

KEEP CALLING

If you have been trying to call Mike and getting a recording that his mailbox is full, please try again. He has been notified and was going to clean it out so he can get more messages. He is doing much better now, so don't be surprised if he answers. The last report that I had from Linda was that he is anxious to get back home, being out and about and gathering with friends again. He will have 12 weeks of physical therapy in Paragould so that will be a comitmment on his part. He has been advised to make sure he completes it because 12 weeks is nothing compared to the misery he could endure for the rest of his life if he doesn't have it.

Mike's heart attack has hit a little close to home. It has been an eye opener for some of us and is a motivation to eat right and get more exercise. Let's make it a resolution for 2009 to be more active and be aware of any "symtoms" that would indicate a problem.

Death of a Classmate's Dad

Doise Winfred Lack

PIGGOTT — Doise Winfred Lack, 85, of Corning, formerly of Piggott, passed away at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould Friday, Jan. 9, 2009.

Graveside services will be Sunday at 2 p.m. in Piggott Cemetery with interment following.

Survivors include one son, James Lack, and wife Sharlene of Kennett; one daughter, Dian Herren, and husband Douglas of Corning; three grandchildren, Tessa Dees, Melody French and Brian Herren; one great-granddaughter, Nyla Dees; and many other family and friends.

UPDATE ON MIKE'S SURGERY

January 10, 2009

I have been away from my computer so there has not been an update in a couple of days, but this is what we have now.

Patsy Loveless wries:

I talked with Lora Faye this morning and she has asked that Mike not have guests for a few days, perhaps later in the week. He is weak from the ride home from the hospital and needs a few days to recoop. Lora Faye said that Mike really seems to enjoy listening to messages that we leave on his cell phone and has asked that we continue to do that until he is up to seeing visitors.

Marty writes:

Since I do not live in Piggott and I did not have Lora Faye's number with me while I was in Piggott on Saturday, I went to check on him and to see him if I could. Mike said it was ok, so I was able to slip in for a few minutes. . . .He says he is really sore and that he misses his cigarettes! I thought he looked good considering the ordeal that he had just been through. Lora Faye has him all set up with a nice place to recover and he seems in good spirits - or as good as can be expected.

See below for telephone numbers.
The address for sending cards is 896 South 12 Avenue, Piggott, AR 72454



January 7, 2009

I just talked to Michael's mother. She told me that Michael is feeling better but is still in a lot of pain. She said he is talking much better but is still weak, as we all know he would be and will continue to be for a while. She said he has some "stuff" in his lungs that he has to cough up so it won't cause pneumonia but, of course, it hurts him to cough. If he can get that up and things continue to go well, he could possibly be moved into a room today. Michael has his cell phone but has not felt up to using it. His mother's number is 870-324-0552 if you would like to check in with her from time to time. Linda



January 5, 2009

This is to let all of you know that Mike's mother, Lora Faye, just called and said Mike's surgery was over at 2:30pm and all went well. He had
three bypasses. He is in intensive care at the time being but will be moved into a room as soon as he is able. She has his cell phone. His number is 870-598-4543. Please keep him in your prayers. Linda

Classmate's by-pass surgery

On Tuesday evening, December 30, Mike Howell was air evac from Piggott to St. Bernards. According to his mother, he had 3 heart attacks and is scheduled for triple(at least)by-pass sugery on Monday, January 5.


This is the message received this morning:

I called the hospital this morning to talk to whoever was there with him but none of the family was there at that time. The lady at hospital did tell me he was still in intensive care. The # there is 870-972-4232. If someone from his family is there and they will talk to you, you can call there.

As some of you know and I am sure some of you don't know, Mike Howell had a serious heart attach last Tuesday night. He has been in
intensive care at St. Bernard's hospital in Jonesboro since that time. Some of you have called and emailed asking about Mike. I just got off the phone with his mother, Laura Faye and she told me that he was moved into a room today (room 2000). She said considering what has happened, he is doing really good. He is feeling much better and wanted to come home but they told him "NO". He will be in room 2000 until 7am Monday morning at which time they will take him for a 3 possibly 4 bypass surgery. If all goes well, he will be in intensive care for so many hours and then will be transferred into another room. He should be released next Saturday (if all is going as expected) and will be going to his mother's home on 12th street. Mike has his cell phone with him and his number is 870-598-4543 or you can call 870-972-4100 and ask for room 2000.

e-mail received from Donna Parks after a Saturday visit with Mike:

Mike is looking really good and says that he feels good too. He seems to be ready to get the surgery over with and get on with his life. They will be doing the surgery around 7 AM on Monday, January 5, and I think they said it could last up to six hours. You can go to www.sbrmc.com and click on the Ewell link and send him email.

A message from Steve Champ.

Hey Classmates:

I pray that everyone is safe and happy this New Year’s Morning. I hope that 2008 was good to everyone, and that 2009 will be even better.

Some of ya’ll may already know that on the morning of 12-31-2008 my DAD passed away. It has been a long time in coming with all that he has gone thru in his life. His passing is eased with knowledge that he and Mom got to eat breakfast together that morning. They talked, laughed, and joked with each other. He then went back to bed to lay down and it was over.

I feel drawn closer to my family and friends now more than ever. Dad talked much about friendship these last few years. I have seen and talked to many people that were indeed his friends. A Man is rich if he has the Lord, family and friends.

I just wanted everyone to know we are doing O K and that time will ease the pain somewhat.
Have a wonderful 2009 that is the wish I have for Each of you!

Steve Champ
Charles Robley Champ

PIGGOTT — Charles Robley Champ, 92, of Piggott passed away Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008.

His parents, Charles and Lucy Case Champ, preceded him in death.

Survivors include his wife, Dovie Champ of Piggott; children, Mary Margaret Mann of Kansas City, Mo., Charles Champ of Statesboro, Ga., and Steven Champ of Piggott; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; brother, James Champ; and sister, JoNell Hopkins.

Services will be Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 10 a.m. in Hoggard & Sons Chapel in Piggott with Charles Carrens and Loy Culver officiating. Burial will follow in Piggott Cemetery. Hoggard & Sons Funeral Home of Piggott is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be at 6 tonight January 2, 2009, in the funeral home.