Dunklin County Hall of Honor to induct new members on Nov. 2

This year, eight new honorees have been selected to be inducted into the Dunklin County Hall of Honor. They will be honored in a ceremony to take place at the Dunklin County Library on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. The Dunklin County Hall of Honor is sponsored by Friends of the Dunklin County Library. The presentation ceremony will feature a piano prelude by Kennett musician and business owner, Daryl Wilcoxson. Library administrator JoNell Minton will welcome the honorees and guests, while Board President Ken Lentz will offer Introductions and presentations. The event will include readings and citations by Dunklin County Hall of Honor committee members Randall Baker, Diane Johnson and Barbara Petty. A complimentary photo of the certificate presentation will be provided to each honoree, along with a DVD of the ceremony. Refreshments will be served afterward.

The 2014 inductees are Charles Baker Brown, Carol Helene Haines Demaree, the late Jimmy Edwards (Feb. 9, 1925 - July 31, 2012), Dr. John C. McMullan, Virgil Arthur o'Connor (1898-1982), Betty Layne Pulley, Leon Pulley, and Dr. Cathy Young.

Charles Baker Brown is a graduate of Kennett High School and Central Methodist University, with a B.A. in Graduate Studies from the University of Missouri in Columbia. He is President of the Baker, Welman and Brown Insurance Agency, and a past president of the Kennett Chamber of Commerce, Kennett Lions Club, and the United Way of Kennett Board of Directors. He served with the Kennett City Council, and as mayor of Kennett from 1991-2001. Brown is a member of the Central Methodist University Board of Curators, as well as the State Insurance Advisory Board, the Missouri State Chamber of Commerce, and the Missouri Historical Society. He holds a Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award and Girl Scouts of America Gold Award. He is president of the SEMO Council Boy Scouts, Vice President of the Cotton Boll Area Girl Scouts, and board member of the St. Louis Boy Scouts Council. Brown sits on First National Bank's Board of Directors, and the Kennett Board of Public Works. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church, in Kennett.

Carol Helene Haines Demaree attended Southeastern High School in Detroit, Mich. and Stephens College in Columbia. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Merchandising. She is a Malden Community Center board member and chair of Malden's Community Betterment Committee. Demaree co-founded Chambermaids. Other accomplishments include serving as president of the Malden Chamber of Commerce; executive director and secretary of the annual Breakfast with Santa fundraiser; Malden Lions Club Citizen of the Year; Malden Business and Professional Women's Club President and 1980-1981 Woman of the Year; Bootheel Youth Museum co-founder; board member and Brown Bag volunteer leader; and member of the DeReign Club, Kinunka Club and Malden Arts Council. Demaree promoted the building of the Demaree-McDonald Nutrition Center. She has also served as a Girl Scout leader, Malden Neighborhood Chairman and area board member. She sits on the Methodist Church of Malden board, as well as the R.S.V.P. and Malden Nutrition Center boards and the University of Missouri Bootheel--Kennett Council. Demaree represents Malden on the Southeast Missouri State University Advisory Council, and co-organized the first Tammy Wynette Fourth of July Concert. She also co-directed Malden's first Miss Missouri/Miss America preliminary pageant.

The late Jimmy Edwards, born James Wiley Bullington, was a musician, singer and songwriter, who co-penned the songs "Love Bug Crawl" and "The Way to My Heart," with Jack Foshee. The tunes spent three weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at number 78. He signed with Wednesday Records and Mayflower Music. "Love Bug Crawl" was recorded in Nashville with Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer and Buddy Harman. The masters were sold to Mercury, in a deal which also landed Bullington his recording name of Jimmy Edwards. He appeared on Irvin Feld's Greatest Teenage Recording Stars tour, which starred recording greats such as Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Paul Anka, Eddie Cochran, and Danny and the Juniors. He also appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" and "Louisiana Hayride." "Love Bug Crawl" was also released in the United Kingdom, where it attracted cover versions by Marty Wilde and Wee Willie Harris. Other Edwards tunes, "My Honey," "Golden Ruby Blue," "Do That Again," "Wedding Band," "Silver Slippers," and "What Do You Want from Me," were inducted into the Rock-a-Billy Hall of Fame.

Dr. John C. McMullan attended Cotton Plant High School, and earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Arkansas State College (ASU), where he belonged to the Pi Kappa Alpha Social Fraternity and served in ASU student government, and the Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity. He also served the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) as a Second Lt., and completed Basic Artillery Training. He was also a captain in the Army Reserves. McMullan served as a Kennett Junior High School music teacher, elementary school music supervisor, and Kennett High School (KHS) band director. Under Dr. McMullan's leadership, the KHS Band participated in the Missouri Governor's Parade in Jefferson City, performing for then-Governor and Kennett native, John M. Dalton. The band also represented the state of Missouri in the Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans. McMullan holds a Master of Science Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, and a doctorate in Education/Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Mississippi. He served as Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of Kennett Public School District #39. Other accomplishments include serving in the Kennett Teachers' Association, Dunklin County Superintendents' Association, Southeast Missouri Superintendents' Association, Missouri Association of School Administrators, Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA), American Association of School Administrators, Advisory Board for the Missouri Commissioner of Education, Kennett Chamber of Commerce, Retired Teachers' Association, North Central Evaluation Committee, Arkansas State University Alumni Board, ASU Presidential Search Committee, New Century Education Corporation, Kennett Kiwanis Club, and Friends of Music Society. He also co-owned the Bootheel Music Center and Charley's Pizza. McMullan is a member and elder of the First Christian Church, in Kennett, where he has served as an organist, choir director, Sunday School superintendent, church board member, and Christian Men's Fellowship member. He is an avid Ole Miss football fan.

Virgil Arthur O'Connor was known as a community leader, philanthropist, singer and businessman. Among the businesses he owned were O'Connor Poultry House, O'Connor Creamery, O'Connor Meat Market and Grocery, O'Connor Shoe Store, O'Connor Ready to Wear, and O'Connor Realty. He served as Dunklin County Treasurer, as well as Collector for the City of Senath and Dunklin County. He was also the Senath mayor for 16 years.

Betty Layne Pulley attended Kennett High School and spent time working at Emerson Electric, in Kennett. Her accomplishments include serving as a regional coordinator for the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome program at Bootheel Healthy Start, missionary with the Carrie Brown Women's Missionary Society of St. John's African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, in Kennett. She has also served as a church steward, trustee, Sunday School superintendent, Bible School teacher, lay president, usher board president, Young People's Division director, Vacation Bible School facilitator, youth choir leader, president of the Health Ministry Missouri Conference Women's Missionary Society for the AME Fifth District, and corresponding secretary of the Missouri Conference of the Women's Missionary Society. Pulley has volunteered with the Delta Children's Home, Salvation Army and Virgie's Place. She is a 4-H Leader and vice president of the Lily of the Valley Order of the Eastern Star Chapter Number One, vice president of the Jesus, Others and You Committee, secretary of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and chair of the Dunklin County Heart Health Coalition. She belongs to the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Arthritis Foundation, Missouri Progressive Coalition, United Way of Kennett, Hattie Baker Circle Women, Missouri Democratic Women's Organization, and Democratic National Committee. She has received an Unsung Hero Award.

Leon Pulley attended Hayti Central High School and served in the U.S. Army. He is a farmer and civil rights activist. He served as a Humane Department officer for the City of Kennett for 34 years. He has also served as a school crossing guard officer. Pulley served with the U.S. National Guard 1137 Military Police Company/Operation Just Cause, and in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, as staff sergeant. He is a member of St. John's AME Church, where he has served as a steward, trustee and treasurer. He is also a member of the United Methodist Men's Church Group, NAACP, Kennett 4-H Club, Dunklin County Heart Health Coalition, and St. Matthews Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. Scottish Rite.

Dr. Cathy Young is a graduate of Senath-Hornersville High School. She earned her practical nursing license at the Delta Vocational School. She has worked in the Dunklin County Hospital intensive care unit, as well as at the late Dr. Robert Palenske's medical clinic in Hornersville. Young holds an Associate Degree in Nursing from Mississippi County Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Webster University, and a University of Missouri Master of Science in Nursing Degree, as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. In addition, she earned a post-masters degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). She was one of 12 nurses chosen as a student in the first class at UT to complete her Doctor of Nursing Science Degree, with a clinical focus. She is co-author of the first federal grant awarded to Southeast Missouri State University. She has worked to improve health care services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence, sexual abuse and assault. She was instrumental in creating one of the first Child Advocacy Centers in Missouri, the Texas Tech University FNP program, and its Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. Young also served as coordinator of the FNP graduate program at ASU. She is a volunteer at the Lake Street Mission Clinic in Paragould. Young is a 2013 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the highest award given in the field of nursing. Fewer than 50 nurses have received both Fellow recognitions, out of 3.5 million nurses.

Those interested in submitting the names of future nominees to the Dunklin County Hall of Honor may contact any Dunklin County Library branch or, in care of the Hall of Honor Committee, at the Kennett library, 209 North Main Street, Kennett, MO 63857, or 573-888-3561.