Obituaries

James (Jim) William Long III, age 80, passed away Friday, May 29th, 2020 at his home in Nevada, Missouri.   Jim was born December 16, 1939 in Lamar, MO to James William Long II and Venice Hazel (Barker) Long.  Jim attended school in rural Barton County. Jim was married to JoAnn Stewart for 40 years, together they raised 4 children....

Joanna Rae (Foster) Smith, age 84, passed away Saturday, May 30, 2020, at her home in Joplin, Missouri.   Joanna was born August 19, 1935 in Dade County, MO. She was the youngest child of seven born to Grace (Head) Foster and James Claude Foster. She was raised in the Irwin area. She graduated from Lamar High School in May...

Mark Robert Garten, age 52, passed away Friday, May 29, 2020 at his home in Lamar, Missouri.   Mark was born December 30, 1967 in Kansas City, MO to William Milo Garten and Karen Kaye (Miller) Garten. Mark graduated from Lamar High School in the class of 1986. He worked as an electrician.   Survivors include his father, Bill Garten,...

Jason John Stephen, age 41, of Lamar, MO passed away Sunday May 24, 2020, at his home after a long illness. Jason was born June 19, 1978 in Marlton, NJ to William Joseph Stephen Sr. and Dorothy Elizabeth (Rahme) Stephen. Jason moved to Lamar with his family from Collings Lakes, NJ. He loved to eat Italian food and watch television,...

Cathy Lynn Soots, age 67 of Lamar, MO passed away May 23, 2020 at Cox Barton County Hospital. Cathy was born December 16, 1952 in Tulsa, OK to William Lee Hestand and Mary Sue (Weldon) Hestand.  She married Sonny Soots in Greenville, NC and he preceded her in death. She had worked as a retail clerk and was a baptist....

Watch live at 10 am Friday. Click Link below.  Facebook Live Stream William Michael "Mike" Berry, age 78, of Lamar, MO passed away May 24, 2020, at St. Luke's Nursing Center, Carthage, MO. Mike was born May 25, 1941 in Scotts Bluff, NE. He graduated from Lamar High School in the class of 1959 and received a bachelor’s degree from...

Larry Chester Horton, age 71, of Golden City, Missouri passed away May 20, 2020, at Cox Barton County Hospital.   Larry was born October 5, 1948 in Lamar, MO to Chester William Horton and Alta Mae (Wileman) Horton. He graduated from Golden City High School in 1966 and on September 26, 1970, married Velma Irene Baxter in the Little Chapel...

Leo Odell Winchester, 99, Joplin, passed away Sunday, May 17, 2020 at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mount Vernon, Missouri. He was born August 22, 1920, in Neosho, Missouri to Clyde and Bertha (Morgan) Winchester. Leo had three brothers; Clarence, Glen, and Delmar, and three sisters; Ilene, Marie, and Dorene.Leo grew up in Neosho, Missouri and later moved to Joplin,...

Lester Llewellyn Heath Jr., CWO4 (retired) passed away May 13th, 2020 after a long battle with mesothelioma cancer. Lester was a 1957 graduate of Lamar High School and joined the U.S. Navy, retiring after 32 years with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, his love for the Navy never left him.Lester was preceded in death by his wives; Dorothy...

LuEtta Marti Braker passed away May 11th, 2020, at Carrington Place in Pittsburg, Kansas, at the age of 92. She was born to Lou and Martha (Sommers) Marti on October 5th, 1927 near Bern, Kansas. After graduating from Bern High School in 1945 she worked in Sabetha, Kansas until her marriage to Raymond Braker on June 1, 1952. They made...

Lorene E. Hardy, age 93, of Liberal, MO passed away May 10, 2020, at Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg, KS.   Lorene was born October 1, 1926 in Orlando, OK to William Henry Grant and Josephine Conard (Herbert) Grant. She was saved at a young age at a county church in OK. Lorene graduated high school in Orlando, OK. On January...

Patricia "Pat" Sue Sheat, age 81, of Lamar, Missouri passed away May 4, 2020, at St. Luke's Nursing Center, Carthage, MO. Pat was born March 8, 1939 in Sheldon, MO to Claude M. Bass and Helen Mae (Mann) Bass. She was a graduate of Joplin, Missouri High School. On July 28, 1957, Pat married the love of her life, George...

Judy Ann Shelvey, age 72, died May 3, 2020, with her husband by her side, in Carthage MO. She was born October 8, 1947, in Webb City, MO to Raymond and Mamie Maynard. She met and married Roy Shelvey in 1965 in Garden Grove, CA. For much of her adult life, Judy was a salesclerk, but her real interests were...

On Friday, May 1st, 2020, Russell Wayne Cobb, loving husband, father and grandpa passed away suddenly at the age of 62.   Russell was born May 6, 1957 in St. Louis, Missouri to Chester Cobb and Sally (McKenzie) Burkhardt. In 1976 he graduated high school in Warrenton, MO., then went on the become a U.S. Marine. He married Laurie (McHenry)...

Marion Lee Giger, age 89, of Lamar, Missouri passed away Friday, May 1, 2020, at Freeman Hospital West, Joplin, Missouri after a short illness.   Marion was born October 26, 1930 in Irwin, Missouri, to Grover Marion Giger and Theo (Riddle) Giger. On September 17, 1954, Marion married Leila Ellen Clark in Kenoma, Missouri.   Marion worked as a crop...

William "Bill" Curtis Witham, age 75, of Lamar, Missouri passed away May 1, 2020, at his home.   William was born March 31,1945 in Topeka, KS to Lesley Curtis Witham and Ruth Marie (McClain) Witham. On September 16, 1986, William married Marcia L. Merritt in Richmond, MO.   William served in the United States Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967....

James Reginald Wingert, age 71, of Lamar, Missouri passed away April 24, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin.   James was born March 13, 1949 in Albert Lea, MN to Reginald C. Wingert and Kathryn Jane (Hassing) Wingert. James graduated from Golden City High School and served his country in the United States Army. On September 26, 1977, James married...

Margaret LaDean “Deana” (Coffey) Lawrence, age 93, of Lamar, MO, passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at Cox Barton County Hospital with her loving family by her side. Deana was born on June 25, 1926 in Liberal, MO, one of four children, born to Edward Coffey and Moscylene (Peal) Coffey. Deana attended Liberal High School. She married Roy J....

Heaven rejoiced Monday, April 13th when Carl Glenn Stansberry, 99, of St. Luke’s Nursing Center, Carthage MO, entered Heaven's Gates.  It’s a much louder place there now! Carl fell just short of reaching his 100th Birthday this summer, being born June 20,1920 to Edmond & Roberta (Hawkins) Stansberry. Carl left behind a legacy of love, laughter, and friendship. He made...

Melvin Junior Garringer, age 89, of Lamar, Missouri passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2020, at his home.    Junior was born February 2, 1931 in Mount Vernon, MO to Melvin Grant "Buster" Garringer and Frances Elizabeth (Fossett) Garringer. Junior graduated from Aurora High School in the class of 1950 and served his country as a Corporal in the U.S. Army...