Lancaster Eagle-Gazette from Lancaster, Ohio • 5

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Friday, July 2, 20045A Obituaries ON THIS DAY Rex Peterson Rex M. Peterson, 83, of Lancaster, died Wednesday, June 30, 2004, at OSU Medical Center. Rex was a World War II Army veteran. He retired from the maintenance depart ty at a cost of $12 million. 30 YEARS AGO Merri Lynn Wooster, of Baltimore, was crowned Miss Firefighter 1974 at the Queen's Dance in the local Eagle's Lodge.

40 YEARS AGO Jack A. Nuckols was named manager of S.S. Kresge on West Main Street. Edna Rowers Edna Deana Flowers, 81, of the Elkton Community, died on Wednesday, June 30, 2004, at Maury Regional Hospital, Columbia, Tfena She was born in Middleburg on Nov. 28, 1922, and her parents were the late Joseph and Phebe Jones Green.

Survivors are husband, Kenneth Russell Flowers Sr. of Elk-ton, Tenn; five sons, Philip Flowers of Thornville, Ohio, Robert Flowers of Parrottsville, Andy Flowers of Prospect, Mark Flowers and Keith Flowers, both of Petersburg, Tenn; four daughters, Susan Haney of six grandchildren; six greatgrandchildren; sisters, Ema-line Pihl of Las Vegas and Hilda M. Stutzman of Tucson; brother, Clifford Peterson of St. George, Utah; and daughter-in-law, Loreen Peterson. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary; parents, Christopher Marius and Martha (Reber) Peterson; son, Dennis; and six sisters.

No visitation or services will be held as cremation has taken place. Memorials may be given to FairHoPe Hospice and Palliative Care, 1111 E. Main Lancaster 43130, in his memory. Arrangements are by Sheridan Funeral Home. DeFuniak Springs, Janet Cunningham of Birmingham, Jean Young of Lewisburg, Tenn, and Kathy Merrell of Freeport, Fla; 29 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by three sons, Kenneth Russell Flowers Richard Eddie Flowers and Daniel Shane Flowers; and one daughter, Joyce Elaine Ogg. Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday, July 2, 2004, at Carr and Er-win Funeral Home with burial in Antioch Cemetery, Limestone County, Ala Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Carr and Erwin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ment of Stuck Mold and also worked at the Lancaster Ice Plant. Survivors include son, James (Janet) Peterson of Pleasantville; daughter, Candy (Vance) Martin of Circleville; Last Vietnam POW pilot retires from military Looking Back 10 YEARS AGO Fairfield County District Library patrons began using the library's self-checkout machines for the facility's books and other printed publications. 20 YEARS AGO The Rushcreek Conservancy District was building a flood control dam in Fairfield County and two in Perry Coun- Today in History The Associated Press Today is Friday, July 2, the 184th day of 2004. There are 182 days left in the year. Highlight in History: On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that "these United Colonies are, and of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States." On this date: In 1881, President Garfield was shot by Charles J.

Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died the following September. In 1890, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act In 1926, the United States Army Air Corps was created. In 1937, aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator. In 1961, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, Idaho. In 1964, 40 years ago, President Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.

In 1976, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was not inherently cruel or hundred people attending the ceremony when he poked fun at his predicament. "When you're getting run out of town on a rail, get in front and make it look like a In 1989, former Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko died in Moscow at age 79. In 2001, Robert Tools received the world's first self-contained artificial heart in Louisville, Ky. (He lived 151 days with the device.) In 2002, American adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world as he returned to western Australia Today's Birthdays: Country singer Marvin Rainwater is 79. Actor Brock Peters is 77.

Former Philippine first lady Imel-da Marcos is 75. Jazz musician Ahmad Jamal is 74. Actor Robert Ito is 73. Actress Polly Holliday is 67. Former White House chief of staff John Su-nunu is 65.

Actor Ron Silver is 58. Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Johnson, is 57. Actor Saul Rubinek is 56. Rock musician Roy Bit-tan (Bruce Springsteen the Street Band) is 55. Rock musician Gene Taylor (The Blasters) is 52.

Actress-model Jerry Hall is 48. Actor Jimmy McNichol is 43. Rock musician Dave Parsons (Bush) is 39. Actress Yancy Butler is 34. Singer Michelle Branch is 21.

Actress Vanessa Lee Chester is 20. Actress Lindsay Lohan is 18. Mechenbier By JAMES HANNAH Associated Press Writer DAYTON With the exception of six years as a POW during the Vietnam War, Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier has flown Air Force fighter jets and other military aircraft for the past 44 years.

Now, he's facing a world without planes. On Wednesday, the last Vietnam POW flying for the U.S. military called it a career and folded up his wings reluctantly. Mechenbier, who reached the Air Force's mandatory retirement age for his rank at 62, was honored at a ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. "If we didn't have an age-limit law, General Mechenbier would not step down," said Gregory Martin, commander of Air Force Materiel Command.

Mechenbier agreed, and drew laughs from the several lost in 1968. Mechenbier called it the high point of his career. "That is probably the single most emotional, memorable thing I've done in 44 years," he said. "And I felt good about it." Born in Morgantown, W.Va., as the oldest of eight children, Mechenbier grew up in Albuquerque, N.M., and Dayton before being accepted at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1960, losing a $5 bet to his father who wagered his son would get in.

In 1966, Mechenbier was assigned to a fighter jet squadron in South Vietnam and was shot down in his F-4 on his 113th mission. As he floated to earth, Mechenbier watched helplessly as about 100 enemy soldiers fired at him from the ground below. "The good news is they hit the parachute, but they missed me," he recalled. Mechenbier's back was bro ken in the fall, and then he was sent to Hoa Lo prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton." He was tortured his shoulders dislocated and for the next six years endured life as a POW before being released in 1973 and resuming his duties with the Air Force. For a year, Mechenbier was in a cell at the Hanoi Hilton 15 feet away from now-Sen.

John McCain. The two communicated with each other by writing on the bottoms of porcelain plates with lead spoons. Mechenbier later developed a series of hand signals to communicate with fellow POWs. He would stand on the shoulders of his cellmate for hours flashing signals through the prison's air vents. Mechenbier said his ordeal taught him not to take anything for granted.

"For six years, there was no hot water. There was no water unless you put a bucket down in a well to get it," he said. "There was no electricity." parade. Welcome to my parade," he said. Letters of congratulations from President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were read during the ceremony.

Mechenbier's voice broke with emotion as he ended his speech with a reference to the Star-Spangled Banner. "Flying will be the greatest void to fill," he said. Mechenbier made his final flight three weeks ago when he returned to Hanoi to fly home remains thought to be those of two fallen comrades, occupants of an Army helicopter and Air Force plane Aurora firm gets contract for prescription drug program Pre-Planning Available Family Owned Operated Since 1903 COLUMBUS (AP) A northeast Ohio company got the contract to administer the state's prescription drug program for elderly and low-income residents, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said Thursday. Envision Pharmaceutical Services of Aurora beat out three other vendors for the contract. The company will be paid $239,000 to start the program and will collect transaction fees from $10 million appropriated by the Legislature when it authorized the program, said Jon Allen, department spokesman.

The program, known as Ohio's Best Rx, could provide discounts to as many as 1.7 million Ohioans. Those covered would include people 60 and older and those at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level about $22,450 for an individual or $46,000 for a family of four. Once the program is fully implemented, it will be funded through rebates provided by participating drug makers and the $1 fee that recipients pay for each prescription filled, Allen said. Envision will receive $1 per transaction for the first 1 million, 95 cents each for the next 4 million and 80 cents for each transaction after that. The contract runs through June 2009, but transaction fees will be renegotiated in July 2007, the department said.

Funeral Home 222 S. Columbus Lancaster 653-4633 PGTQY CONTEST Sophie San Francisco, CA $10,000.00 winner Your poem could win $10,000 1 175 prizes totalling $58,000 to be awarded All amateur poets invited Find out the secrets off getting published Learn how to gain national exposure Discover how to immediately publish your poetry on the Internet Let the world hear your message! Your fresh, original poetic talent is highly sought-after Enter Now! I mum I i i mi iiiiiiii i jr JH tWL III I'll Angelina A. Philadelphia, PA $1,000.00 winner 1 Send ONLY ONE poem, on any subject, in any style Your poem should be 20 lines or less Complete this form and attach it to your poem Entries must be postmarked within 10 days The International Library of Poetry has just announced that over 1 175 prizes, totalling $58,000.00, will be awarded in the International Open Amateur Poetry Contest. Most of the prizes will go to new, unpublished poets who have never before entered or expected to win any type of writing competition. 1 1 i.

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