Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

p1 Herald Review Decatur, Illinois, Thursday, June 2, 1988 Page A3 (DcemttiraL Jeffff catee 'valued moBhoGV fairmmion Kids flock to the real McCoy McGimmicks. Right now, they're beach balls, sand pails and swimming rings. Next month, it'll be something else. You know the place I talking about They sell McMuffins, Mc-ham-burgers, Mc-French fries, Mc-salads, McNuggets and Mc-Happy Meals. And the reason That's something I hate, that he never heard his father was convicted.

That would have made him real Cindy Grabbe's widow Then followed his father's trials. As her children rested on the carpeted, toy-strewn floor, she said with a small smile, "My 20s were a mess." Now she will start over again. Those plans were scrapped when bad feelings grew between Fred and his wife, Charlotte, Cindy Grabbe said. Ultimately, Charlotte Grabbe disappeared on July 24, 1981. Her husband was convicted of her murder in a retrial in April.

Jeff Grabbe would have testified against his father at the retrial had he not been missing. Fred Grabbe testified that the two pointed guns at each other the day after Charlotte Grabbe was last seen. "That's something I hate," Cindy Grabbe said Wednesday, "that he never heard his father was convicted. That would have made him real happy. He and his mother were real close." Cindy Grabbe added that the death of his mother and Jeff Grabbe's subsequent departure from farming "took something out of him." As she talked, Luke donned toy boxing gloves and playfully touched them to the belly of his 9-month-old brother, Nick.

The baby, sucking steadily on a pacifier, smiled at his brother's playfulness. Cindy Grabbe said her husband was in California on business, but would not elaborate on what the business was. "All I know is he was doing financing," she said. Jeff Grabbe was gone often, she said, spending weeks at a time on the road. One time when he came home, Nick cried because he did not recognize his father, she said.

But Jeff and Luke were closer. "Whenever his dad was home they spent a lot of time together," said Cindy Grabbe. The boy smiled. This is not the first time she has dealt with grief. She was married in 1976, at age 19, to Randy Forren.

He died about three years later in a car crash. About a year after she married Jeff Grabbejn 1980, his mother disappeared. Father cries upon hearing news MARSHALL Fred Grabbe had many differences with his son, but news of Jeffrey Grabbe's death had a deep im pact on his father. The elder Grabbe is in the Coles County Jail awaiting an August sentencing for the 1981 murder of his wife, Charlotte, on their rural Marshall farm. Jeff Grabbe testi- Fred Grabbe fied against his father at his first triaL He was scheduled to testify against him during the retrial, but disappeared while supposedly on a business trip to California.

Fred Grabbe said on the witness stand that the two pointed guns at each other Widow ponders family tragedies By JEFFREY RAYMOND Mattoon Bureau Chief MARSHALL Cindy Grabbe chased down her 9-month-old son, who was banging a plastic toy against an end table. Nearby, her 5-year-old son sat on the floor playing with his Ken doll while a small television set, tuned to a children's program, played to an inattentive audience. She was mostly calm and sometimes smiled Wednesday morning as she talked about her husband, Jeffrey Grabbe, 29, who police say was murdered in California. Cindy Grabbe had not seen her husband since the first week of January, when he left just days before her 31st birthday. She last talked to him Feb.

28 and reported him missing about a week later. Cindy Grabbe was told Tuesday afternoon that her husband's body had been found floating in the Pacific Ocean about IVz miles off the coast of Seal Beach, Calif. "He loved to play football on the weekends with the guys, and he played volleyball. He was really into sports," said Cindy Grabbe, an attractive, athletic-looking woman who teaches at the North Marshall elementary school. Her 5-year-6ld, Luke, reminded her that he also liked basketball, sometimes shooting baskets on outdoor courts in the winter.

But farming was Jeff Grabbe's main interest. He and his father, Fred Grabbe, had farmed together on the family's land near Marshall and planned on continuing that arrangement. Center scaffolding ill fefT flf' I Jeffrey Leon Grabbe Age: 29 Parents: Father Fred Grabbe and mother Charlotte were both farmers. Charlotte Grabbe was reported missing July 1981; Fred Grabbe was convicted of her murder in April 1988. Family: Married Cindy Shonk Forren on July 17, 1980.

The couple had two children, Lucas, 5, and Nicholas, 9 months. Education: Graduated Marshall High School, Class of 1976. Business: Farmed with his father when his mother was alive. Lately has not been known to have a steady job, though his wife said he was in financing. the day after Charlotte Grabbe was last seen alive, and there has been talk of an assassination plot against the father by the son.

But the bad blood could not stop Fred Grabbe's grief. "I've known my client for a number of years now," said attorney Frederick Conn of Chicago. "When they convicted him, he didn't cry. When I talked to him today, he was crying like a baby." When Conn called Wednesday morning, Fred Grabbe was already aware of news reports about his son's death. Conn, as is his policy, declined to let reporters talk to his client, and jail personnel refused to deliver a reporter's message to Fred Grabbe.

JEFFREY RAYMOND Testimony focuses on witness's credentials By SUE BROWN Herald Review Criminal Justice Writer Who's the expert? Jurors were clearly jolted Wednesday by a surprising last-minute blow a rebuttal witness struck to part of the foundation of four physicians' legal defense in the 12th day of a $3 million malpractice suit. Kalan D. Rodgers, a Decatur truck driver, is suing Drs. Herbert W. Thompson, Mary E.

Herald, Joseph T. Stroyls and Frank A. Winters, claiming their negligent care resulted in his wife's 1984 death. Brenda Rodgers lapsed into profound shock and died, at 26, at St. Mary's Hospital three days after giving birth by Cae-sarean section to the couple's only child, a son.

At conflict is testimony by Northwestern University Medical School professor and practicing pathologist Michael W. Kaufman and St. Mary's pathologist Donald E. Matthieu. Matthieu contends that Brenda Rodgers died of an intestinal obstruction that went undetected by doctors until he per- formed her autopsy and found it.

Kaufman maintains his analysis of tis- sue samples preserved from Rodgers' au- topsy led him to conclude that she died, not from an obstruction, but from a bowel inflammation resulting from an abnormal reaction to antibiotics routinely prescribed following Caesarean section. Kaufman said for that reason it was his conclusion that the attending physi- cians" "could never have reversed this situation." When Kaufman testified to his theory Friday, Robert M. Owen, one of Rodgers' attorneys, repeatedly asked the Chicago area pathologist if he has expert status that is, certification in medical microbiology to aid with such analysis. Kaufman repeatedly replied that there is no microbiology certification available to medical doctors. In a return visit Wednesday to the? witness stand to rebut Kaufman's testimony, Matthieu was asked by Owen to describe his credentials.

Along with his certification in anatomical pathology, Matthieu told jurors, he has a certification in medical microbiology, an earned status, he said, that's been available to doctors since 1983. Matthieu's credentials, and Kaufman's seeming lack of knowledge about such a speciality, cast doubt on the Chicago pathologist's earlier testimony. Jury deliberation begins today, following lawyers' closing arguments and Judge John L. Davis' instructions. Traffic rerouted when road buckles NIANTIC Traffic on Interstate 72 was rerouted onto the highway's shoulder Wednesday night because extreme heat caused the roadway to "blow up," Illinois state police said.

An Illinois Department of Transportation crew patched up the problem area in the westbound lane just east of Niantic. Traffic was rerouted from about 6:05 to 7:30 p.m. they sell millions of dollars worth of their Mc-food is because of their McGimmicks. Now I'm not saying the food at these Mc-res-taurants isn't good. It is.

Personally, I love their Big Macs. But let's face it, there are all kinds of places Prairie Talk Patti Fehrenbacher in town where you can get good food. You know it and I know it. But just try convincing a kid that a hamburger tastes just as good when it comes in a greasy brown paper bag as it does when it comes in a box covered with riddles, dot-to-dots, colorful punch-out pictures, golden arch handles and a beach ball. You can't do it.

I've been a slave to the McGimmick scene ever since my daughter Jenni was about 2 years old. It was around that time that these well-known fast food restaurants came up with the concept of the Mc-playground. We'd take little Jenni to McDonalds, order our food and choke it quickly down so we would go out to the beckoning hamburger slide and Mc-goblin merry-go-round for a half hour or until we'd had enough. Then we would drag a very unhappy child to the car and share her leftover French fries and McNuggets on the way home. One of the first signs our younger daughter Julie recognized was McDonalds.

What child wouldn't be totally fascinated with a place she sees on TV commercials where a red-headed, always-smiling clown bounces across the screen with a gang of oddball, happy-looking characters who tool around in cars that resemble hamburger-mobiles? A place where hysterically happy children and parents merrily eat their way to Mc-paradise. A good parent certainly couldn't deprive her children of suchioy. These arcn places follow you everywhere you go, too. You can't trick a kid into thinking Denny's is the only place near the interstate when McDonalds erects mile-high arches that can be seen from the next town and billboards that indicate the distance to the next McDonalds. This restaurant chain even came up with the Mc-birthday party.

We had the privilege of attending one this spring. I've never seen a happier, more exuberant bunch of kids in my life. On that particular afternoon, I would estimate there were four separate parties taking place involving perhaps 70 children. These children were treated to Mc-hats, Mc-trinkets, Mcsgames, Me-cake and Mc-ice cream. And the best part of all was that the Mc-mess was cleaned up by the employees.

I guess as long as McDonalds keeps coming up with McGimmicks, parents will keep pumping big bucks into its bank account. And our children will be happy which is nothing less than Mc-marvelous. Patti Fehrenbacher lives in Elwin with her husband Rich and two daughters. She is a homemaker. Three babies give mama bobcat fits Kitty, the female bobcat at Scovill Children's Zoo, has her paws full lately.

The three baby bobcats she gave birth to on April 26 are just now starting to give her a little bit of a challenge. Both mother and babies have been denned up since birth, but now they are beginning to come out and show their little furry faces, according to Norma Russell of Scovill Children's Zoo. "When they all come out at the same time, she has difficulty corralling them," Russell said. The three babies are healthy and doing fine, Russell said, recalling the problems the zoo had with last year's litter. Last year, the mother required medical attention shortly after giving birth 'and was unable to tend to her babies.

The babies lasted about 48 hours before dying. Zookeepers still don't know the sexes of the new bobcats, Russell said. Because they are afraid of endangering their lives, no one has gone near them yet. "We dorr want to upset her. Females who feel their babies are threatened will kUl and devour their babies," she said.

The babies will remain at Scovill until they can be sold or traded to another zoo. are installing brick blocks to the exterior walls of the new facility. General contractor for the project is J.P. Cullen Sons Inc. of Janesville, Wis.

(Photo by Herb Slodounik) Scaffolding adds a new dimension to the Decatur-Macon County Law Enforcement Center being constructed adjacent to the present courthouse. It is being used by contractors who Peweirs ounaw head! Staoei? Shaw plans to 'meet' Decatur Tate Lyle Chairman Neil M. Shaw will spend time during the next two weeks in Decatur rubbing shoulders with people in the community. "During the next two weeks he will be spending some extensive time with (Decatur) people," Mary Conway, a Tate Lyle spokeswoman in New York City, said Wednesday. Shaw indicated when he was in Decatur in April that he would return after the takeover of A.E.

Staley Mfg. Co. was completed and try to get to know the community. He met Wednesday with white-collar employees selected by lot to hear their new boss and question him. But additional meetings with union officials are not slated until next week.

He had met with union officials during his April visit. F.E. "Gene" Sharp, president of Allied Industrial Workers Local 837, said he and two other union officials, along with management personnel, are scheduled to have lunch Monday with Shaw. Shaw and other Tate Lyle personnel will remain in Decatur through Friday, then return next week to continue the transition of Staley into the company fold. -By RON INGRAM Herald Review Farm Business Writer Robert M.

Powers may return to his former post as president of A.E. Staley Mfg. Co. Powers was named president of Staley Continental the holding company for A.E. Staley and CFS Continental, in April as the corporation was battling a takeover attempt by British sugar refiner and distributor Tate Lyle PLC.

Staley Continental last month acquiesced to the $1.5 billion takeover and the deal was completed on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Powers had the duty of introducting Tate Lyle Chairman Neil M. Shaw to an auditorium filled with A.E. Staley white collar employees eager and somewhat apprehensive to learn what was in store for them and the company. Two other Tate Lyle officials accompanied Shaw to the meeting in the Staley Research Center, one of them Lynton R.

"Red" Wilson, director of Tate Lyle's North American operations and point man in the British firm's public relations blitz on Decatur when it first announced its takeover bid. Employees who spoke with the Herald Review after the meeting said Shaw made a short presentation, then was questioned on a number of subjects, among them Power's future role at Staley. Shaw responded that he and Powers were going to have some "meaningful and specific negotiations on that" in the near future. He said he has known Powers for a long time. Concerning the future power structure at Staley, Shaw said the company still will have a board of directors but it will include some Tate Lyle personnel.

He except in the case of CFS Continental where plans for construction of several warehouses have been placed on hold pending the division's sale. He said potential buyers are lined up but he did not name them. Staley research in Decatur contributes to Tate Lyle's Sucralose, a non-nutritive, low-calorie sweetener developed in a joint venture with Johnson Johnson. It has been submitted to authorities in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States for approval, Shaw said. There may be exchanges of research personnel between Decatur and the company's facilities at Redding University in England, he said.

Shaw said he did not know what the future of Staley's Horizon Chemical division will be. said there will be no overlap of management between the parent company and Staley, except in the financial area where one division of Tate Lyle might loan money to another depending on currency exchange rates. Tate Lyle has cane and beet sugar operations worldwide but had only limited involvement in production of high fructose corn sweeteners prior to acquiring Staley. Shaw told the employees that by late August or early September Tate Lyle will have moved company headquarters from Rolling Meadows back to Decatur, sold CFS Continental and made other unspecified decisions concerning the company. Concerning ongoing Staley projects, Shaw said it would be business as usual.