Butler County Missouri Obituary file name obit .txt transcribed from newspaper clipping saved by the parent of Carla Dunlap K. Trnascribed by Mary Hudson mahud@fidnet.com July and later in the year 2000. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMITH, Edith Mrs Edith Smith, 43, year old resident of Bernie and wife of Ralph A. smith, died at the Poplar Bluff Hospital at 3:14 yesterday afternoon following a lingering illness. Funeral plans will be completed on arrival of out of town relatives, the service will be conducted by the Duffey-Rainey Undertaking Company of Bernie. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HILDRICH, Alvin Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at the Nazarene Church in Broseley for Alvin Hildrich, 48, who was fatally burned last Friday while working at his home. Hildrich was dismantling old car bodies with a cutting torch when a gasoline tank on one of the cars exploded. He was brought to the Brandon Hospital here and died Sunday morning. His body was badly burned. Surviving are the widow; six children; Mrs. Carl Jennings, Dexter; Jack, in the Navy; Raymond, Eldon, Valene and Margaret at home; two grandchildren; his mother, Mrs. Mary Hildrich of Broseley; two brothers, Joe Hildrich of Broseley and Francis Hildrich of U.S. Army; and four sisters, Mrs. Rosie Brown, Mrs, Louis Mitchell and Mrs. Fredilee Mihic of St. Louis and Mrs. Josephine Saltzman of Fisk. The body was to be returned to the family home this afternoon from White Funeral Home at Fisk and will remain at the home until funeral time tomorrow. The Rev. Oden Coats and the Rev. Norman Palmer will officiate at services and burial will be Brown Cemetery near Broseley. ----------------------------------------------------------- SMITH, Ada B. Fisk-- Mrs. Ada Bloys Smith. 57-year-old city treasurer of Fisk, died unexpectedly of a heart attract in the General Baptist Hospital at Enid, Okla., yesterday. She was on her way to California when she was stricken. Born in Stoddard County Nov. 12, 1901, she had been a resident of Butler county for about 20 years. She was a member of the Landreth Chapel General Baptist Church, was a past Noble Grand of the Fisk Rebekah lodge and was secretary of that body at the time of her death. On July 31, 1950, she was married to Harve Smith, who survives. Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Louise Stucker of Fisk; three step daughters; Mrs. Icamay Clay and Miss Doris June Smith, both of San Bernardino, Calif., and Mrs Beulah Mcdonald of San Gabriel, Calif; and a sister, Mrs. Homer Bridges of Arbyrd. Services will be held at 2;00 Sunday afternoon in the Fisk General Baptist Church conducted by the Rev. W. T. White. Burial will be in the Shain Memorial cemetery under the direction of White Funeral Home. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BROWN, Charles F. Fisk-- Charles F. Brown, aged 85, farmer residing Route 1,Fisk, died Sept. 12 at his home after residing in this county 61 years. Born March 8, 1877 in Illinois, he was married to Fannie Thompson. He leaves two daughter, Sarah Russell of Fisk and Ella Mae Stricker of Imperial, Mo., and a son, Henry Brown of Fisk; 12 grand children and 16 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at the Little Vine general Baptist Church at 2 Saturday afternoon, the Rev. W. T. White officiating. Burial will be in Mole Hill cemetery,White Services. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- JONES, Junior, age 15, son of Mr. and Mrs Virgil Jones of Broseley, on of the four young men victims of the grade crossing accident Wednesday night. Funeral services were to be held at 2 this afternoon at the Broseley school gymnasium and burial will follow in Brown Chapel cemetery. The four, as well as Billy Joe Freeman, fifth one in the cab of the pickup truck were students at Broseley school. Billy Joe is recovering at the Poplar bluff hospital. Too many visitors yesterday upset him somewhat and a "No Visitors" sign was placed on his hospital room door. ---------------------------------- JAMES, Bobby Gene RIEPE, Arthur CORNELL, Jack JONES, Junior 1800 PERSONS AT FUNERAL OF WRECK VICTIMS More than 1800 persons jammed the Broseley high school gymnasium and adjoining rooms of the Broseley school yesterday afternoon for the funeral services for Bobby Gene James, Arthur Riepe, Jack Cornell and Junior Jones, local youths fatally injured in a train-automobile crash at the Missouri Pacific crossing of Butler county Route AA east of Poplar Bluff Thursday night. More than 1100 persons crowded into the gymnasium itself where the caskets of the four boys and the flowers filled the entire south end of the big room. The join services conducted by Rev. Odin Coats and the Rev. O.G. Swain were under the direction of the Frank-Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff and the Watkins Funeral Service of Dexter. Sixty-eight flower girls and 24 pallbearers assisted in the service and simultaneous burial in the Brown Chapel cemetery nearby. All the boys were students in the pickup truck in which they were riding crashed into the side of the diesel engine of a Missouri Pacific train at the crossing directly across Highway 60 opposite the highway leading to Wappapello Lake. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BATTEN, Cecil Cecil M. Batten, 55, resident of Fisk community, died at the VA Hospital last night. He spent most of his life in Butler county, having been born at Malden March 18, 1907, and then the family moved to this county a few years later. He was never married. he served in WWII. Survivors include one brother, Bill Batten of Greenville; two sisters, Pearl Pettypool and Inez Lindsay, both of Fisk. Funeral services will be at 2:30 Sunday afternoon at the White Chapel in Fisk, the Rev. W.T. White officiating. Burial in Shain Memorial cemetery. (hand written June 1, 1962) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- McCLEARN, Minnie Opal Opal (HALL) Ledbetter McClearn St.Louis--Opal" Ledbetter" Mc Clearn, 78, of St.Louis, foraerly of Qulin, died Thursday at St.Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis. Mrs. McClearn was a homemaker and retired cook. She was of the Pentecostal faith. She was born Mar. 23rd 1912 and later remarried to a Mr. Mike McClearn who preceded her in death. Survivors include 3 daughters: Junental(June)DeGeare, of High Ridge, MO., Patricia (Patsy) Walton of Eureka, MO. and Mary Agnes Hudson of Newburg, MO. and one son William (Sonny) Ledbetter of St. Louis,MO. Other survivors are 3 brothers: Hubert and George Hall, of Qulin, and Tom Hall of Bonner Springs, KS. three sisters: Myra Luepke of St.Louis, Hazel Scott of Qulin and Katherine Rudder of Marshall TX. 16 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren. Her parents, one son, one daughter and one granddaugher preceded her in death. Visitation will be at 3:p.m. today at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. Services will be conducted at 1:p.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Rev. Leroy Maxey officiating. Burial will be in Qulin Cemetery. (hand written in September, 09 1990) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- McGHEE, Hattie Mrs. Hattie Jane McGhee, 93 year-old pioneer Wayne County resident, died at Springfield, MO., at 2:30 Saturday afternoon from an illness attributed to the infirmities of age. Born December 30, 1868 at Farmington she spent most of her life in the Williamsville area of Wayne County. She and the late Dr. John L. McGhee were married March 6 1894. He died in 1920. Active in civic affairs in Williamsville for many years, she had been a Democratic committee woman in Wayne County for years. She belonged to the First Baptist Church in Williamsville since 1894 and had been church clerk for 60 years. Mrs. McGhee had been a newspaper correspondent for 35 years. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs Lela Haynie of Springfield, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. The Rev. Victor Knodell and the Rev. Arlie Parker will officiate at services to be held at the First Baptist Church in Williamsville at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon under the direction of the Coder Funeral Home of Williamsville. Burial will be in the Williamsville Cemetery. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARKMAN, Nannie Mrs. Nannie Sparkman, 87, died this morning at the home of her son, Leslie S. Sparkman between Fisk and Broseley. She leaves, in addition to her son Leslie, another son, William Sparkman, Poplar Bluff, and a daughter, Mrs. Kate harper, of West Point, Miss. The body was removed to the Greer Croy and Fitch Funeral Home where services were incomplete pending arrival of relatives. PART TWO Funeral services for Mrs. Nannie Sparkman, 87, who died Saturday morning at her home on Route 1, Fisk, were held yesterday afternoon at 1:30 in the Greer Croy and Fitch Chapel with the Rev. N.E. Hicks officiating. Burial was in Sparkman Cemetery. The pallbearers were grandsons. (hand written 1952) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAYBERRY, John H. Funeral services for John Henry Mayberry, 77-year-old retired Broseley district farmer who died following a heart attack here last Wednesday morning, were conducted at the Broseley Church of Christ at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Clarence Medlin and H.D. Hooker mininsters of the Church of Christ, officiated at the services directed by Frank-Cotrell, Burial wa in the Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Leslie Sparkman, Stearling and Ira Lane, Sam E. Woolard, Burley Gulledge and Boyd Griffin. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HONNICUT, Mary J. Mrs. Mary J. Honnicutt, 74-year old resident of three miles south of Fisk, died at her home yesterday. She had lived in Butler County most of her life. Born in Tennessee, Aug. 29, 1886, she leaves two daughters, Mrs. Aliene Gamble and Mrs. Thelma Fields, both of Fisk; one son, Emil Honnicutt, Rockledge, Fla., and one brother, Gene Beene, Fisk. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in White's Funeral Home at Fisk. The Rev. Will Whitwell will officiate and burial will be in the Marble Hill Cemetery ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- REASONS, Emma Jane Mrs. Emma Jane Reasons, aged 75 of Fisk, died March 30 at Poplar Bluff Hospital. She had resided in this county 40 years. Born April 26, 1887 in White county, Ill, she was married on Aug. 17, 1910, to Tom Reasons of Asherville. She leaves her husband; two brothers, Arthur Guard of Fisk and Jesse Guard of Louisville, KY. Funeral services were at Fisk General Baptist Church at 2 this afternoon, the Rev. W. T. White officiating. Burial in Shain Memorial Cemetery, White services. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEAL, Andrew J. Andrew Jackson Neal, resident of 104 South C, in East Poplar bluff, was dead on arrival at the Lucy Lee Hospital yesterday afternoon at 3, following an attack at his home. He had resided here five years, but spent most of his life around Broseley, where he was born March 2, 1893. He was a farmer. He leaves the widow, Edna Neal of Poplar Bluff, six children; Sylvia Blackburn of Aurora, Ill,; Mamie, Robert, Harrison, Allen Dale, Enoch Ray, all at home; one grandchild. Funeral services will be Sunday at 2: in the afternoon at Brown Chapel church near Broseley, with the pastor officiating.Burial will be in Brown Chapel cemetery, Watkins and Sons service. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- REASONS , T.A. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. today for Thomas Austin Reasons, 82-year-old retired farmer of the Fisk area who died Thursday at the Lucy Lee Hospital. (hand written here 2th of Oct 64) Mr. Reasons was born on Sept. 13, 1883, in Eldorado, Ill. He was married on Aug. 17. 1910, to the former Miss Emma Jane Gard. She died on Dec. 30, 1963. He had been a resident of Butler County since 1907. Mr. Reasons is survived by nieces and nephews. Rites were held in the Fisk General Baptist Church with the rev. Woodrow Peck officiating. The Funeral was under the direction of the White Funeral Home of Fisk. Burial was in Shain Memorial Cemetery. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PARKS, John T. Dudley -- John T. Parks, Jr. 41 of Dudley died yesterday afternoon at Poplar Bluff Hospital. Services will be held Wednesday at the Watkins and son Chapel in Dexter with burial in Brown Chapel cemetery at Broseley. He was a painter.In 1938 he married the former Delores Abney of Broseley, who survives. Other survivors include two daughters; Mrs. Patsy Anders of Cape Girardeau and Brenda at home; two sons; Darral and Jerry, both at home. his parents, Mr.and Mrs.John Parks of Dudley' four brothers; Millard of Dudley, Clarence of Pontiac,Mich., George of Huntington, Ind., and Clyde of Phoenix, AZ.; and four sisters;Mrs. Dorothy Crowe and Mrs. Berneice Carpenter of Pontiac, Mich, Mrs. PollyMiller of Pucuch, Ky., and Mrs. Laverne King of St. Louis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIPKINS, Lester Funeral services for Lester Pipkins, 79-year-old retired laborer and resident of Fisk who died Wednesday in the Poplar Bluff Hospital, will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the Fisk Assembly of God Church. The Rev. R. McCallister will officiate and burial will be in the Shain Memorial Cemetery under the direction of White's Funeral Home ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- GARVER, Edith Mrs. Edith May Garver, 590-year-old resident of 409 Karen Drive, died en route here from Imperial, Mo., early today after being stricken while visiting a son there. In failing health for a number of years, Mrs. Garver had been visiting her son, George David Garver, in Imperial over the Christmas holiday. She became seriously ill two days ago and an attending physician advised her to return to Poplar Bluff. She left Imperial in an ambulance at 1:30 am. today and apparently died en route. She was dead on arrival at the Poplar bluff Hospital at 6 a.m. today. Born Dec. 2, 1906, at Broseley, she had made her home in Broseley community most of her life and was a member of the Brown Chapel General Baptist Church. She was married to the late Oscar Garver who preceded her in death some five or six years ago. Among the survivors are two sons, George David Garver, imperial, and Curtis Boyer, Flint Mich., three grandchildren; one brother Elmer Warren, Poplar Bluff, and three sisters, Mrs Velma Scott, Naylor, an dMrs Opal Toeliner and Miss Bertha Warren, both of Poplar Bluff. The body was removed to the Greer Croy and Fitch Funeral Chapel where funeral arrangements were reported incomplete early today pending arrival of relatives. It is understood the services will be held in the Brown Chapel General Baptist Church, Broseley, but the date and hour were not established. --------------------------- Services for Mrs. Edith Garver, 59-year-old resident of 409 Karen Drive, who died Saturday, were held at 1 p.m. yesterday at Brown Chapel Church. The Rev. Oden Coats officiated and burial was in the Brown Chapel Cemetery under the direction o fGreer Croy and Fitch. (hand Written - died New Year Day 1966.