He said something like this, "In four years you will have blinked and high school will be gone." No one really believed him at that time, that's a lifetime away, four years is so long. Well now that the time has come for those students to graduate, this reporter asked a few, "Do you remember that speech?"
To my surprise they did and they all agreed that these four years flew by and it seemed like only yesterday they were freshman sitting in the auditorium listening to Mr. Mouser talk about high school and all that it had to offer them.
This past Sunday, May 12th, I sat through my first high school Baccalaureate Service since I graduated high school so many years ago. It was also Mother's Day.
The class chose their motto to be "Remember Yesterday, Dream for Tomorrow, Live for Today". They are right I remembered my past, I have dreams and I truly live for today. Most of us do this without thinking. These students are young, but they already know that life is short and they have to make each day count.
Reverend Ken Biggs from the First General Baptist Church greeted the students and introduced Revered Mike Kohlbaker from the First Assembly of God Church to offer prayer to the students and performed the invocation.
Miss Taylor Winstead did an extraordinary job reading scripture from passages such as Joshua 1:9 and Jeremiah 29:11-13. The 2013 Class speaker was Miss Brook Duckworth who also did an amazing job talking to the students and assuring them of the future.
David Dohogne of Sacred Heart Catholic Church was the main speaker and his inspirational presentation of the Bible being compared to a recipe book was exceptional. I am sure the students could relate easily to his story.
Students were given the opportunity to submit a baby photo and senior photo for the class video presentation. There were many parents and students laughing, some shedding tears, and some were merely holding back. It was all great and most of the moms were doing pretty well fighting off the tears until Joseph Greer took the stage and sang his song, "I'm Not Gonna Cry". Well that did it for many us and the tears flowed. Thank you Joseph!
Brooke Duckworth ended the beautiful ceremony with a closing prayer and a reception followed in the Fellowship Hall of the First Assembly of God Church.
It is our hope that each year students will feel they are not only welcome to participate in Baccalaureate Service, but that it is an honor to have each and every student there. We wish all of the students a safe and successful life.
Congratulations to the Class of 2013!
Mrs. Jennifer Koenig, formerly Jennifer Johns, not only earned a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a major in Organizational Administration, she graduated Summa Cum Laude! Way to go Jennifer!
She is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi (Honors Organization), Beta Gamma Sigma (Business Honors Organization) and SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise Organization) at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
When Jennifer graduated from Dexter in 2009, she had no idea what was in store for her as she headed off to college.
And to add more to her amazing story, she has raised the most precious two year old little boy, Benjamin, while attending Southeast Missouri State University along side of her husband, Jarod.
What there's more to this story? Yes, her husband, Jarod Koenig, also graduated from Southeast Missouri State University this week. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management/Human Resources with minors in Finance and Spanish. He also held the honor of Summa Cum Laude and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Eta Sigma.
Jarod graduated Valedictorian at Saxony Lutheran High School in 2009 and is the son of Brian and Dianna Koenig of Perryville. He has a younger brother, Ryan and an older brother, Tyson, who lives in Jackson, Mississippi. Jarod is employed by the Cultural Exchange Network (CENET) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Jennifer is the daughter of Kevin and Janet Johns of Dudley. She has a younger brother, Caleb, and sister, Emily. She is also employed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jackson, Missouri.
These two young people are extremely dedicated not only to their education, but their family and to their faith in God.
We congratulate both of them and wish them great success!
Written by
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Dexter, Missouri - The Dexter Chamber of Commerce will be the May Business After Hours event at Four Oaks Hospice with the theme “May Flowers”. The event will take place tomorrow (Tuesday), May 14th at 5pm-6:30pm. Four Oaks Hospice is located at 1615 Business 60 West, Suite B in Dexter.
This will be a great event that you will not want to miss!
The upcoming Business After Hours for the summer will be hosted by Productive Staffing (June 11th), National Title and Escrow (July 9th), First National Bank (August 13th), and Select Physical Therapy (September 10th).
Stoddard County, Missouri - Westbound Route 60 in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform bridge maintenance.
This section of roadway is located between Route F and Route WW.
Weather permitting, work will performed Monday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 14 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.
Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon has ordered that the U.S. and Missouri flags at state buildings in all 114 counties and the City of St. Louis be flown at half-staff on Saturday, May 11th to honor the bravery and sacrifice of Specialist Charles P. McClure.
Specialist McClure, age 21, formerly of Missouri, was a soldier in the U.S. Army serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kuwait. He died on May 2 of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in Camp Buehring, Kuwait. His funeral will be held on May 11.
“Specialist McClure served our country with bravery and dedication, and I ask all Missourians to remember his sacrifice when they see the lowered flags,” Gov. Nixon said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they mourn for him.”
Specialist McClure was assigned to the A Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat and Special Skill Badge Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge (Bar, Weapon: Rifle (Inscription: Rifle), Expert), and the Overseas Service Bar (2 awards).
Since most state building are closed over the weekend, many will fly the flag at half-mast all weekend. It is not required that any business do the same; however it is voluntary to do so.
PFC Charles P. McClure, 21 of New Bloomfield, MO, a United States Army Private First Class, passed away Thursday, May 2, 2013 while serving in Kuwait.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 11, 2013 in the Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert. Burial with military honors will follow in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Fort Leonard Wood.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2013 in the funeral home.
PFC McClure is survived by his mother: Karrie Gladden Sandfort of Columbia, MO; father: Andy McClure of Cabool, MO; four siblings: Kayce McClure of New Bloomfield, MO, Kayla McClure of Little Rock, AR, Alton McClure of Columbia, MO and Karissa Sandfort of Columbia, MO; maternal grandparents: Garry and Karen Williams of Plato, MO; maternal grandfather: Jerry D. Gladden of New Bloomfield, MO; paternal grandparents: Jim and Doris McClure of Lynchburg, MO; other relatives and friends.
You paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Thank you for your service and your dedication to our country.
