The Marion Star from Marion, Ohio • 2

THE! Page 2 A WEDNESDAY, December 10, 2003 ObituariesN ews Obituaries New shooting added to 1-270 investigation Paul E. Owens FULTON Paul E. Owens, age 83, of Fulton, died Tuesday evening, Dec. 9, 2003, at the Morrow County Hospital. Arrangements are pending at Gompf Funeral Service in Card-in gton.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gompffh.com Betty J. Harden FT. MYERS, Fla. Betty J. Harden, 77, Fort Myers, died from stroke while celebrating Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with family and former husband, Fred M.

Harden, Guadalajara, Mexico. Betty was partner of Harden Music Stores in Marion, is survived by Susan Leers, Chicago, Fred Mike Harden, Boston, Scott and Vincent Harden, Ft. Myers. Urye 'Bill' fribble Audrey Patrick MARION Audrey Patrick, 100, Marion, passed away at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec.

8, 2003, at her residence. Born Feb. 9, 1903, in Enon, W.Va, she was the daughter of the late Wallace and Pearl (Rae) Cutlip. On Dec. 10, 1921, in Camden-on-Gauley, W.Va., she married Glennie Vernon Patrick; he died Dec.

21, 1973, in Marion. A homemaker, she attended the Kensington Place Church of the Nazarene. She is survived by two sons, Russell Patrick of New Plymouth, Lee Patrick of Metamora, three daughters, Frances Patrick, Wilma Patrick and Edie Patrick, all of Marion; a sister, Erma Griffith of West Virginia; 21 grandchildren and numerous great and great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Vernon Patrick, a daughter, Violet Southward, two brothers and two sisters. The funeral is 1 p.m.

Friday at Boyd Funeral Home with the Rev. John Wildman officiating. Burial is in Grand Prairie Cemetery. Friends may call 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Indian Holiness Mission, P.O. Box 130, Chambers, AZ 86502-0130. COLUMBUS (AP) Ballistics tests have linked the bullet that pierced a van at a used car lot with five others recovered from shootings around a nearby stretch of interstate The shooting at the Paydays lot on U.S. Highway 23 increases to 15 the number of cases under investigation. The bullet hole in the van was noticed by a passerby on Nov.

15, 10 days before a woman was killed while driving on nearby Interstate 270, where most of the shootings happened. It is the sixth recovered bullet that police have matched through ballistic tests, Franklin County sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Martin said. Although the rest of the shootings could not be linked through bullet testing, police believe they all are related. On Monday, workers put up cameras on 1-270 in an attempt to find who is behind the shootings. said.

She was the only person hit in the shootings. Police have received 1,520 tips about the shootings. They asked people to compare the times and dates of the shootings with the habits of individuals they suspect may be involved. Police noted potential suspects would be able to come and go at all hours with little supervision and without drawing attention of family or friends. Martin said the investigating task force is notified of any shootings in the general area of the southern stretch of the highway.

He said investigators were evaluating a report that someone pointed a handgun at a woman. Another report made Tuesday turned out to be a truck backfiring, he said. Police are offering a $20,000 award for information leading to an arrest and charges. The site of the latest linked shooting is in a commercial strip on a four-lane highway just over a mile north of 1-270, near fast food restaurants and car parts stores. A passer-by reported a hole in the van to the car lot owner, a police report said.

When police initially investigated, they gave the lot owner the bullet, which had been found on the ground, the report said. After the shootings started happening, the owner returned the bullet to investigators, Martin said. Car lot manager Darrell Bentley said Tuesday he did not remember when he reported the bullet hole to police and declined further comment. At least two shootings along I-270 have happened since Nov. 25, when Gail Knisley, 62, was killed as she was being driven to a doctor's appointment, authorities William E.

Beckley MARION William E. Beck-ley, age 84, formerly of Rich-wood, died at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Maplewood Nursing Home. Born July 24, 1919, he was the son of the late George Beckley and Eva Beckley Smith.

On May 5, 1942, he married Mildred Beckley and she survives. He retired in the early 1980s as a welding superintendent with the former Marion Power Shovel Co. He was of the Catholic faith, loved hunting very much, enjoyed welding as a hobby and fixing farm equipment and volunteered years ago with a fire department in Jal, N.M. He is survived by a son, Richard Beckley of Columbus; a daughter, Patsy Ann Wagner, Schulenburg, Texas; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The funeral is 10 a.m.

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at Boyd Funeral Home with the Rev. Father Michael Nimocks officiating. Burial in Price Cemetery. Friends may call 5-7 p.m.

Thursday at the funeral home. Board honors member, extends treasurer contract MOUNT GILEAD Urye "Bill" Tribble, 88, of Marion Street, Mount Gilead, died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, in Knox Community Hospital He was born in Athens, Ala, Nov. 23, 1915, the son of the late Steve and Tommie Hardiman Tribble. He served as a medic in the U.S.

Army during World War II. Bill worked for the B.F. Goodrich Tire Co. in Akron for 33 years until retiring. He had been active in the High Street Christian Church in Akron before moving here in 1978.

He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, travel and meeting people. He is survived by his wife, Betty L. McKee Tribble, whom he married Oct. 17, 1948; a daughter, Patricia A. Tribble of Mount Gilead, Ohio; nieces and nephews.

A son, James M. Tribble, brothers John, Cortez, James, Robert, Como, Steve and Perry and sisters Louise Cox and Zel-pha Smith also preceded him in death. Friends may call at the Snyder Funeral Home in Mount Gilead on Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. The Rev. Dr.

Tom Madden will conduct funeral services Friday at 2 p.m. in the McGowan-Reid Santos Funeral Home, 247 Stow Road, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Friends may call there one hour prior to services. Burial with military honors will be in Oakwood Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.snyderfuneralhomes.com BYJ0HNJARVIS The Marion Star MARION In addition to approving an agreement with the Marion Education Association, Marion City Schools Board of Education on Tuesday honored a board member and approved a contract for the district's treasurer.

Superintendent Bill Zwick presented board member Patri Floyd-Hairr described her experience on the board as a "pleasure. It's been very eye-opening adding she was interested in "how the media has taken such an interest" in the district. She said City Schools is "on the verge of making some great strides in Ohio" and doesn't want "to leave our kids behind The board also approved a two-year contract for treasurer Bob Wood effective the organizational meeting in January 2004 through the organizational meeting of January 2006. Wood's annual salary is $60,000. He previously was under a six-month contract for $30,000.

Zwick said he wanted to provide additional information regarding the 10-mill, five-year emergency operating levy the district is seeking March 2, 2004, to try to avoid a projected $4.4 million shortfall for the end of fiscal 2005. He said the levy would "get us about three good years before we get back into deficit." Another emergency operating levy comes up for renewal in 2006, which the board will consider at that time. "Our goal again is to keep the state out," he said, alluding to a mostly state official-appointed panel that would be formed to oversee the district's finances if it enters fiscal emergency. School districts in Ohio that fail to balance their budgets and whose voters have not approved a levy that would raise enough money in the next fiscal year to eliminate the deficit are declared to be in fiscal emergency. The board entered executive session to receive an update on the negotiations.

Reporter John Jarvis: 740-375-5154 or jjarvisnncogannett.com cia loyd-Hairr with a plaque recognizing her for service to the board. Floyd-Hairr was appointed to the board last spring to fill the unex FLOYO-HAIRR pired term of a board member who resigned. Board member Ted McKin-niss praised his colleague, saying her term "although short was impressive." Keith H. Holland LARUE Keith H. Holland, 75, of LaRue, died at 6:40 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, at Memorial Hospital of Union County, Marysville. He was born May 11, 1928, in Hardin County, to the late John Herbert and Opal (Daly) Holland. On Sept. 11, 1949, he married Patricia Clark in Hepburn; she survives in LaRue.

A retired farmer, he also sold and repaired farm buildings. He was a member of Hepburn United Methodist Church, Lathan Lodge 154 Kenton Elks Lodge 157 and a former Dudlay Township trustee. He enjoyed flying airplanes. He is survived by two daughters, Joan Finocchiaro of Oak-dale, Calif, and Susan Cooper of Kenton; five grandchildren, Michael and Pf c. Scott Holland, Emily, Hannah and Sarah Cooper; one brother, Ray Holland of Crestline; and three sisters, Mary Kay (James) Carey of LaRue, Dorothy Stoughton of Tipp City, and Reba Coats of Kenton.

He was preceded in death by a son, Mark Holland. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at Price Funeral Home in Kenton with Pastor Dennis Livingston officiating. Burial will follow in Grove Cemetery.

Friends may call 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions can be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in care of the funeral home. Robert Frederick Berry Teachers from Page 1 A On 9 URBANA Robert Frederick Berry, 59, died Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, in his Urbana residence.

He was born in Columbus on Oct. 14, 1944, the son of Edwin F. and Doris (Brintlinger) Berry. He was a United States Army veteran and was employed by Kroger for 32 years as a meat cutter. He is survived by his mother; two daughters and a son-in-law, I Did you know 1 that The Marion btartirstreDorted Pauline Dickason MARION Pauline Dickason, age 57, 491 Olney died at 2 a.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at her residence. Born April 24, 1946, she was the daughter of Ralph and the late Fleeta Tabitha (Dunlap) Dorsey. On June 5, 1989, in Pembroke, she married Lewis R. Dickason, and he survives in Marion.

A resident of Marion for 12 years, she formerly lived in Smithers, W.Va. She was employed as a baker at Meijer for 12 years and was a member of the Moose and Eagles lodges, and the Army and Navy Club. She is survived by a daughter, Mistie Mathes, Nitro, W.Va.; a brother, Bob Dorsey, Smithers, W.Va., two sisters, Eva Damron, Gauley Bridge, W.Va., and Arlene Johnson, Lookout, W.Va.; and one grandchild. She was preceded in death by a son, Eric Tolley. There will be no calling hours observed and burial will be at a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to the charity of the donor's choice. Boyd Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. Phyllis Irene Draudt MARYSVILLE Phyllis Irene Draudt, age 77, of Marysville, died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at the Spring Meadows Care Center in Woodstock following an extended illness. Phyllis was a loving home-maker and devoted wife and mother.

She had attended Emmanuel Baptist Church in recent years and formerly attended the Marysville Missionary Baptist Church. Her greatest joy came from taking care of her family and her home. She was born April 26, 1926, in Marion, to the late Jesse Lee and Grace Redmond Warrick and was raised by her loving grandparents, William and Sarah Gornflo Redmond. 1- Andrea Berry of Marion and Tracey and Dan Roush of Delaware; one son and daughter-in-law, Troy and Julie Berry of Columbus; two sisters, Jo Offers teachers a $13,000 deferred retirement incentive until March 1. The goal of the retirement incentive is to save the district money by encouraging teachers near retirement who have higher salaries than younger teachers to retire.

Zwick said the aim is to reduce the amount of budget cuts the board has to make to help head off a projected $4.4 million general fund deficit projected for the end of the next fiscal year. He said the board will have to make about $3 million in cuts in the next fiscal year's budget regardless of whether a 10-mill, five-year emergency property tax levy is passed by voters in March 2004. The district would allow a 3.9-mill emergency operating levy to expire in 2004 and incorporate the revenue that would be lost from that in the new levy. "Now we can start working toward our next project, and that is passing a levy in March," Zwick said. Sandy Hypes, an eighth-grade teacher at Taft Middle School who is in her 31st year of teaching, said she is bothered that a City Schools system where she received her education and that "was so good" is being allowed to "go right down the tubes." Of the agreement negotiated by teams representing the union and the board, she said, "I think they've reached a point where there is nowhere else to go with this.

I think they're saying this is the best they can do." She said she feels the deferred retirement incentive puts teachers such as herself in an uncomfortable position. year in education, has concern for young teachers. "Some of the finest teachers" in the district are young teachers who will be the first to be laid off when RIFs are implemented, he said. Teachers with the least seniority generally are the first to be laid off under a RIF. He praised the union's negotiating team for spending "endless hours" in working toward the agreement.

Bob Gherman, president of the board of education, said the board and administration is "happy that we can put this behind us now" and focus on seeking passage of the emergency property tax levy. The union's ratification followed its Sept. 30 rejection by a vote of 161 to 68 of a similar contract proposal. At that time, teachers called on the school board to freeze administrators' salaries, as well, and include administrators when considering any reduction in force to cut district expenditures. Some noted that the board has approved a RIF policy for administrators since the previous ratification vote.

Teachers, whose contract expired at midnight Sept. 30, continued to work under the previous agreement. The previous contract was reached through a session with a federal mediator in September 2002. That pact included a 4 percent increase in the base salary of the teachers salary schedule. Parker said after the MEA rejected the proposal Sept.

30 the two sides met four times. Reporter John Jarvis: 740-375-5154 or jjarvisnncogannett.com this story on its Web page? Check www.MarionStar.com for breaking news as it happens. to reduce the number of cuts that have to be made to balance the budget, but some teachers aren't ready to retire. Parker, later by telephone, said, "Our main focus, of course, was saving teachers' jobs. We believe smaller class size is a better education." Taft Middle School teacher Marlene Temple said she also has concerns about the larger class sizes that would result from a reduction in force.

Temple added that she has concerns about the district hiring administrators from outside the district and the state, who she said "don't have the vested interest that we do." Parker said he's sad to know that young teachers probably will lose their jobs when the board does a reduction in force and understands the feelings of teachers such as Hypes. Teachers have an economic incentive as well to stay through their 35th year, too. They can increase their retirement pension to 88 percent of their three highest-paid years compared to the 63 percent they would receive if they retire after their 30th year, for example. Larry Merchant, driver's education coordinator at Harding High School and former longtime baseball coach in his 37th Anne Berry ot berry Columbus and Patricia Berry of Peebles; one brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Cathy Berry of Youngstown; and four grandchildren, Scott and Courtney Cumutte and Kendra and Chellsea Berry. A gathering of friends and family will be held on Saturday, Dec.

13, 2003, from 2-4 p.m. in the Littleton Rue Funeral Home, Urbana Funeral service to begin at 4 p.m. with the Rev. Weston Jones officiating. Inurnment will be in the Walnut Grove Cemetery, Worthington.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association West Central Ohio, 133 W. Church St, Urbana OH 43078. Condolences may be expressed at www.littleonandrue.com A. Jean Miller PORTSMOUTH A. Jean Miller, age 90, of Portsmouth and formerly of Marion, died Monday, Dec.

8, 2003, at a Wheelersburg nursing home. Born April 5, 1913, in Marion, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Ada Thrush Paulus. Twice married, she first married Lynn Derby McMahan and he preceded her in death. She then married Floyd E. Miller and he also preceded her in death.

A 1931 graduate of St. Mary's School, she was a retired bookkeeper for Huber Manufacturing Co. and Dr. Carroll Conklin in Marion. She was a member of St.

Mary Catholic Church and the Daughters of Isabelle. She is survived by a son, Robert and his wife Lois McMahan of Macomb, a daughter, Marilyn J. Finn of Portsmouth; stepdaughters, Linda Oswald of Albuquerque, N.M. and Sharon Blakely of Mount Vernon; seven grandchildren, Mary Lynne Finn, Michael Finn, Jeanne Finn, Laura McMahan, Ton Oswald, Emily Oswald, and Amanda Oswald; seven great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by three brothers, Joseph, Robert and John Paulus, and a sister, Patricia Chapman.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Marion, with the Rev. Father Michael Nimocks officiating.

Burial to follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Marion. Calling hours will not be observed. Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.

Correction Teachers and administrators know the incentive is intended The first paragraph in the 1A story about Marion City Schools incorrectly indicated the district had seen an increase in enrollment in Tuesday's edition of the Star. The wording should have indicated fewer students are in the district. The district has seen a loss of $3 million in state funding due to a decrease in enrollment of 600 students over the last several years. Call 740-387-0400 to subscribe to The Marion Star Survivors include her husband of more than 53 years, Robert A. Draudt, to whom she was married on June 10, 1950, at the home of her mother-and-fa-ther-in-law on Wolford-Maskill Road; two daughters, Janet Draudt, a resident of Spring Meadows Care Center, and Carol (Allen) Yeoman, Raymond; two grandchildren, Tanya M.

(Daniel) Smith, Marysville, and Rob E. (Shannon) Cunningham, Rich-wood; two great-grandchildren: Zane and Zoe Smith; three foster great-grandchildren, Gary, Austin, and Bryan; a half-brother: Ronald (Martha) Warrick, Marion; and her half sister, Barbara Dennison, Caledonia, Mich Services will be held Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at 11 am at the Mannasmith-Hale Funeral Home, 621 West Fifth St, Marysville, OH 43040. Pastor David Elmore will officiate and burial will take place at the Marion Cemetery. Friends may call from 5-8 p.m.

on Thursday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Spring Meadows Care Center in care of the funeral home. ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH for your Medicare Supplement Insurance Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee offers Plan Age 65 at $70.75 per month Affordable Quotes Available for All Ages 'Ohio residents. (2003) formula non-smoker estimated-age monthly bank draft rate for Policy Form ATNC2A, ATNC-2B, ATNC-2C, ATNC-2E, ATNC-2F, ATNC-2G Neither Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee nor its Agents are associated with Medicare or the Federal Government. Call Gene at Insurance Services 1-800-783-4678 or 1-740-666-9208 Serving Marion, Mt Gilead, Bucyrus, Galion Gone Commercial Residential i i i it One Area FREE" Includes: Pre-spotting i Aryone with questions concerning an obituary should call The Marion Star newsroom at with purchase of 2 areas (must present coupon) Deodorizing I Some Restrictions I Apply.

I Licensed Insured I Shampooing Soil Extraction 740-244-2811.