Archives of Community

This story was first published as “Finding Family: Loretta Prater, who grew up an only child, connects with her 15 siblings through DNA testing in her 70s” in the October 2024 issue of The Best Years. Hello, my name is Cynthia Simmons Logan. I’m calling to speak with Dr. Prater. I’m responding to an Ancestry […]

By Amanda Flinn Editor’s Note: This story was first published as “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Theresa Taylor” in the July 2024 issue of The Best Years. Theresa Taylor’s experiences with food insecurity started at a young age. Growing up in Bernie, Mo., she remembers her family getting assistance from local food banks and churches. Her […]

Elisabeth Hartsell lived as a teenage girl in Arkansas; Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Marble Hill, Mo.; Cape Girardeau and Belle, Mo., during the Great Depression. The daughter of a tenant farmer who couldn’t find work, she kept a positive perspective as she dreamt of her future, experiencing dating and getting her heart broken, going to dances […]

This story was first published in the December 2023 issue of The Best Years as “Ugly Quilt Ministry: Bedrolls help people on streets keep warm throughout winter.” In the early 2000s, the Ugly Quilt Ministry at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Cape Girardeau made 100 bedrolls out of mismatched fabrics for people who were […]

This story was published in the May 2024 issue of The Best Years as “Faces of Southeast Missouri: Amy Loomis-McDonald.” Amy Loomis-McDonald, program director of Thrive Birth to Five, says her children are the reason she does what she does. She has been a foster parent since 1996 and has four adopted children, guardianship of […]