Archives of Community

Collecting: Nancy Sims, Books

For Nancy Sims of Cape Girardeau, reading has always been an intergenerational endeavor. As a child, her grandfather often bought her comic books, which ignited her lifelong love of reading. When her children were younger, she bought a newspaper everyday and they read it together, especially enjoying the comics. Now, Sims has four grandchildren and […]
3 months ago

meet along the way: Kristi Meyr

This story was first published as “Community Cookbook: Make a beef and broccoli bowl With Kristi Meyr from New Wells” in the January 2025 issue of The Best Years.   Kristi Meyr, born and raised in Jackson, moved to New Wells after marrying Brad Meyr in 2000. The couple, along with their four children, live […]
4 months ago

meet along the way: Charlotte Slinkard

By Alexis Engelhart This story was first published as “Book About Cape Girardeau Garners Attention of the French: Town in Moulins considers naming street after Cape Girardeau’s founder’s father” in the March 2025 issue of The Best Years.   A native of the city of Cape Girardeau and docent at the Cape River Heritage Museum, […]
4 months ago

meet along the way: Brenda Robinson-Echols

This story was first published as “Community Cookbook: Make Chicken Spaghetti with Brenda Robinson-Echols of Sikeston, Mo.” in the April 2025 issue of The Best Years. Brenda Robinson-Echols of Sikeston, Mo., has always had a love for her community. It’s where she was born — delivered in a house down the street by a midwife […]
4 months ago

meet along the way: Simmaly Mahathath

This story was first published as “Community Cookbook: Make spicy beef salad with Simmaly Mahathath of Perryville, Mo.” in the July 2025 issue of The Best Years.  Simmaly Mahathath, her husband Bounliem and their seven children came to Perryville, Mo., in September 1979, through local sponsorship from the Daughters of Charity in Perryville through St. […]
4 months ago

meet along the way: Deborah Drummond

This story was first published in the June 2025 issue of The Best Years as “Community Cookbook: Deborah Drummond of Jamaica makes curry chicken with potatoes and yellow lentil rice.”    Deborah Drummond grew up in Jamaica and learned to cook curry chicken from a young age. The oldest child of three in a single-parent […]
5 months ago

meet along the way: Brenda Newbern

This story was first published as “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Brenda Newbern” in the June 2025 issue of The Best Years. Brenda Newbern, manager of Parks and Recreation Tourism Division for the City of Cape Girardeau, was born and raised in Cape Girardeau. She worked her first job at Cape’s public library and then entered […]
5 months ago

Epic Fails: Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out

We’ve all been there: We do something that’s not as graceful as we might have hoped, or something doesn’t turn out the way we imagined it. It happens to the best of us. Here, seven women offer up their embarrassing moments, in solidarity.   On a nice day, I was practicing my cartwheels. Soon, on […]
6 months ago

meet along the way: Sonja Davis

This story was first published in the May 2025 issue of The Best Years as “Community Cookbook: Make Chicken and Dumplings With Sonja Davis.” Sonja Davis of Jackson grew up learning the ropes of farm life. Her dad raised cattle and pigs on his 500-acre farm. Chickens were ordered in the spring and butchered in […]
6 months ago

meet along the way: Melissa Turner

This story was first published in the Community Cookbook series in the February 2025 issue of The Best Years. Every Sunday, Melissa Turner of Jackson prepares food for the week ahead. She chops veggies, cooks meat and makes a casserole to be eaten on Monday. A few years ago, she added soup to the schedule […]
7 months ago