Howard Payne

SIKESTON - Howard J. Payne, 70, died Dec. 15, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center.

Born Nov. 28, 1933, son of the late Alonzo Edgar and Sarah Frances Griffen Payne, he lived all of his early life in Morehouse, where he attended elementary and high school. He worked for one year at the International Shoe Co. in Sikeston before beginning his career with the U.S. Air Force on Feb. 14, 1952.

He was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base for 13 weeks of basic training and attended Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for eight weeks of basic medical training. Payne was then stationed at Forbes Air Base in Topeka, Kan., where he worked on obstetrics and dependents' wards for five years. He was then transferred to Clark Air Base in the Philippines where he worked in obstetrics for 18 months.

After returning to the United States, Payne was stationed at Kelly Air Base, Texas. He attended the N.C.O. Prep School at Fairfield Air Station in California, where he earned the Commander's Award. In 1961, he attended the Aerospace Medical Center at Gunter Air Base, Ala., for advanced medical training. He was again stationed at Clark Air Base, Philippines, where he worked in obstetrics and pediatric wards for two years.

Payne transferred to the Blytheville (Ark.) Air Base where he was a medical and pharmacy technician for five years. He attended the Presidio of Monterey Language School in California, after which he was stationed at Moody Air Base in Georgia for one year. He was then stationed at Campion Air Base, Alaska, for one year. His last station of duty was at the Altus Air Base in Oklahoma, where he retired with the rank of tech sergeant after serving his country for 21 years, 7 months. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force, retiring on Oct. 1, 1973.

Payne then made his home in Blytheville and attended Cotton-Boll Tech in Burdette, Ark., where he received two certificates in architectural drafting in July 1976.

Payne worked in the housekeeping department at Missouri Delta Medical Center and attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he was a certified member of the National executive Housekeepers Association in 1983.

He was also co-owner and manger of the Sheri-Dan Hallmark in Sikeston and was a hotel manager for Budgetel Inns Inc. until retiring in 1991. He attended North Acres General Baptist Church and was a member of Henry Meldrum American Legion Post 114 in Sikeston.

On Sept. 9, 1978, in Sikeston, he married Carol R. Randolph who survives.

Other survivors include: one son, Philip Howard Payne of Gosnell, Ark.; one daughter, Kay Ohmer of Gosnell; three grandsons, Kevin Crocker of Gosnell, Casper Brock Payne of Blytheville and Anthony Wayne Evans of Dexter; one granddaughter, Stacy Michelle Fulks of Gosnell; two great-grandchildren, Dylan Scott Riggs and Sara Nicole Riggs of Selmer, Tenn.; and several nephews and nieces.

Seven brothers and one sister preceded him in death.

Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston, where services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Burial will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield.

Pallbearers will be: Buster Payne, Butch Payne, Jim May III, Roger Giltner Sr., Charles Klughart and Lonnie Lejune.

Memorial contributions

may be sent to the

Missouri Veterans Home

2400 Veterans Memorial Drive

Cape Girardeau, MO 63703

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