Obituaries

Shirlee Lue Miller, age 78, of Joplin, Missouri passed away Saturday, March 26, 2016 at her home following a long illness.      Shirlee and her twin sister, Sharron, were born September 30, 1937 in Saint Francis, Kansas to Glenn and Gladys (Fisher) Shaul.  In 1947, the Shaul family moved to Lamar, Missouri where Shirlee graduated from high school.  On November...

Lloyd Albert VanGilder, age 85, of Lamar, passed away Friday, March 25, 2016 following a brief illness.      Lloyd was born June 14, 1930 in Lamar, one of four sons of J.T. and Opal (Reiley) VanGilder.  Lloyd’s work ethic and sense of responsibility was evident throughout his life. He entered the U.S. Army in 1952 and served in Korea. Lloyd...

James Marion Fast, age 82, of Lamar, passed away Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at his home following a long illness.      Jim was born May 7, 1933 near Iantha, Missouri, the second of four children of Monte Cristo and Alice (Miller) Fast.  He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Jack Fast; a sister, Patricia Johnson; a son,...

Margaret Rose Couch, age 100, of Lamar, Missouri, died Monday, March 21, 2016 at Truman Healthcare Center.      On October 12, 1915 Margaret Rose Sheppard was the first of five daughters to be born to Hayden and Grace (Moore) Sheppard of Kenoma, Barton County, Missouri.  She would begin her lifelong calling in the nursing field 18 years later after graduating...

Frank O. Hildebrand, age 83, of Lamar, Missouri went home to be with the Lord Thursday, March 17, 2016 at his home surrounded by his family.      Frank was born February 6, 1933 in Wyandotte, Oklahoma, one of the eight children of Sam and Alice (Harris) Hildebrand.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Pauline (Hildebrand)...

Robert Paul Nelson, age 81, of Lamar, Missouri passed away Friday, March 11, 2016 at Mercy Hospital in Joplin following a lengthy illness.      Robert was born January 12, 1935 in College Springs, Iowa to Paul and Monterey Nelson.  He graduated from high school in Clearmont, Missouri and proudly served his country for six years in the Army National Guard. ...

Colee Townsley-Grubb, age 26, of Joplin, Missouri passed away Thursday, March 10, 2016 at Freeman West Hospital.      Colee was born April 14, 1989 in Lamar to Lance and Jerri (Soma) Townsley.  She graduated from Lamar High School in 2007 before attending MSU and later pursued a degree in radiology at Missouri Southern.  In addition to being a devoted wife...

Abel Dale Herbert, son of Jonathan Herbert and Bessie Howard, was stillborn, March 5, 2016 at Mercy Hospital, Joplin, Missouri.   He is survived by his parents; one sister, Autumn Nilcole; paternal grandparents, Jimmy Herbert, state of Washington, Carol Lutz, state of Mississippi, maternal grandparents, Johnnie Howard and Awanda Howard of Lamar, Missouri; great-grandparents, James and Anna Tremaine of Cool,...

Julia Anne Carter, age 58, of Lamar, Missouri passed Friday, March 4, 2016 at Freeman Hospital West, Joplin, Missouri.      Julia was born to William “Bill” Heathman and Mary Anne (Davenport) Heathman, August 2, 1957 at Nevada, Missouri.  She graduated high school at Metz, Missouri and on September 10, 1975, she married Wendell E. Carter.  Julia was a homemaker and...

David Loyd Arles, age 56, of Golden City, Missouri, passed away Thursday, February 25, 2016 at his home.      David was born April 4, 1959 at Arkansas City, Kansas to Oscar and Wilma (Spurgeon) Arles.  He had lived in several states and graduated from Luezinger High School in Hawthorne, California.      Survivors include his five brothers and their families, Kenneth...

Flint Allen Limberg, Sr., age 53, of Lamar, passed away at 2:39 a.m. Saturday morning, February 27, 2016 at Freeman West Hospital following a two-year illness.      Flint was born August 8, 1962 in Cuba, Missouri, one of the six children of Johnny and Rose Marie (Burns) Limberg.  He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Elvin Limberg;...

Beverly Mae Soma-Fry, age 80, of Lamar, passed away with her family at her side Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at Barton County Memorial Hospital.       Beverly was born May 27, 1935 at the family home in Kiron, Iowa to the late Harry and Edith (Larson) Lindstrom.  After graduating from Kiron High School she married her soldier, Merrill Soma on August...

Ora Katherine Eccher, age 90, of rural Lamar, passed away Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at Truman Healthcare Center where she had been a resident for the past five years.      Katherine was born December 14, 1925, in Neosho County, Kansas, one of the nine children of Karl and Verfie (Reeve) Spurling.  On November 29, 1941, she married Henry Abraham Eccher...

Johnie Homer Kerney, 79, formerly of Lamar, MO and Pekin, IL, went home to be with the Lord on February 13, 2016 with his family by his side.      Johnie was born July 25, 1936 near Jasper, to Willis and Iola G. (Cones) Kerney.  Johnie attended Webb City Schools and then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps 1953 – 1955. ...

Gerald Lee “Jerry” Carrier, age 70, of Lamar, passed away Saturday, February 6, 2016 at Freeman West Hospital surrounded by his family.    Jerry was born December 9, 1945 at Ottawa, Illinois where he spent his childhood.  Entering in the U.S. Navy in 1963, he proudly served aboard the USS Charles R. Ware, completing his tour of duty in 1966. ...

Judith “Judy” Annette Van Dorn, age 72, of Mindenmines, Missouri passed away Sunday, January 31, 2016 at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.      Judy was born April 17, 1943 at Pittsburg, Kansas and graduated Cherokee Kansas High School. She was raised by her grandparents Paul and Minnie Dietz and an uncle Bill Dietz. On June 18, 1966 she married...

Wayne L. “Weiner” Zaerr, age 68, of Lamar, Missouri, died Thursday, January 28, 2016 at Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg, Kansas.      Wayne was born September 8, 1947 at the old Mt. Carmel Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas, to Fred and Marie (Wood) Zaerr. He graduated Liberal High School in 1965 and on October 23, 1982, he married Linda Sue Burns at...

Audrey Alberta Younger, affectionately known as “A.J.” Jackie” or “Granny” passed away Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at Barton County Memorial Hospital.      Jackie was born September 12, 1924 in East Prairie, Missouri to John O’Flynn and Ollie Jackson. Her Irish ancestry, tenacity, work ethic and devout Christian faith were great assets as she grew up during the depression and throughout...

Leonard Lewis "Joe" Marti, age 85, of Lamar, peacefully passed away Friday, January 15, 2016 at Via Christi Village with loved ones by his side.      Joe was born September 11, 1930, in Barton County, Missouri, the fifth of the eight children of Fred and Anna (Kaufman) Marti.  In addition to being a life-long farmer, Joe had also worked for...

Diane Sue Kirby, age 61, of Sheldon, Missouri, died January 7, 2016 at Freeman Hospital West after a short illness.      Diane was born July 10, 1954 at Miller, Missouri to Louis Wiley Estes an Elnora Gene (Mobley) Estes.  She graduated from Miller High School.  She married Kenneth Stockton and together they had five children.  They later divorced and he...