Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror, Steelville, Crawford Co. MO Local Obituaries for the Week of September 28, 2011 Ella Mae Cowan Ella Mae Cowan, a lifetime resident of St. James, Missouri, was born and grew up in Red Bird, Missouri, daughter of George and Lena Smith and passed away September 22, 2011 at the Cuba Manor Nursing Home at the age of 88 years, 7 months and 10 days. She married Robert Elmo Cowan on June 28, 1947 at Cuba Baptist Church and they lived their lives on the Cowan family farm near High Gate, Missouri. Ella Mae graduated from St. James High School, attended Central Missouri State and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in Education.  She taught school in Tarkeo, High Gate, St. James, Bland and Belle. She held a variety of jobs, including working at an ammunition plant in St. Louis, serving as Secretary for the Maries County Farm Bureau, Supervisor for Missouri Home Health Services and Census Worker. She regularly served as an election poll worker in Vichy, Missouri. As a farm wife and mother, her interests included sewing, quilting, cooking, music and family. She was an active supporter of 4-H, FFA, band and County Extension programs. She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Elmo Cowan; sisters, Beatrice Zinn, Katherine Zweig, Nora Johnson and brother, George Smith. She is survived by her seven children, Jo Ann Webb of Columbia, Missouri, Rena Cowan of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, Robert Cowan Jr. of Memphis, Tennessee, Cheryl Oehlert of St. Louis, Missouri, Dwight Cowan of Germantown, Tennessee, Leita Scott of Bismarck, Missouri and Eric Cowan of Kirkwood, Missouri; 18 grandchildren, Adrien Webb, Andrew Webb, Alex Scott, April Huizenga, Robert Cowan III, Reed Cowan, Kelly Cowan, Shawn Cowan, Robyn Fries, Michelle Cowan, Krista Cowan, Jason Cowan, Kacie Scott, Landon Scott, Caitlin Cowan, Christopher Cowan, Claire Cowan and Sarah Cowan; by two step grandchildren, Warren Scott and James Scott; five great grand- children, Noah Webb, Molly Webb, Daniel Webb, Colin Huizenga and Quinn Huizenga; sister, Mildred Brown of Rolla, Missouri and brother, Leroy Smith of St. James, Missouri; other relatives and friends. Pallbearers were grandsons Adrien Webb, Andrew Webb, Shawn Cowan, Christopher Cowan, Jason Cowan and Reed Cowan. A memorial celebration of life was at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 24, 2011 with visitation from 5-8 p.m. on Friday evening, and burial service at High Gate Baptist Church Cemetery with Mike Smith officiating. Arrangements under the direction of the James and Gahr Mortuary of St. James, Missouri. Patsy Lee “Pat” Simmerly Patsy Lee “Pat” Simmerly of Springfield, Missouri, was born November 26, 1938 in Neponset, Illinois to Robert and Alice (Crockett) Clarke and passed away on Monday, July 11, 2011 in Cox South Hospital at the age of 72. Raised in Elmira, Illinois, when she was 12 years old the family moved to Perry, Missouri where Pat attended Greenlawn Country School and Perry High School, graduating in 1956. After graduation Pat would stay with her father in a boarding house in St. Louis during the week while they worked, going home on the weekends. She married Vernon N. Simmerly on May 25, 1957 in Bourbon, Missouri. Pat and Vernon lived in St. Louis the first few years of their marriage. Around 1965 they moved to the Sullivan-Bourbon area. In 1977 Pat and Vernon divorced, at that time she moved to southern Missouri. At the age of 57 Pat returned to college to study Business Administration and Accounting, graduating in 1993. After graduation she was employed by National Valuation Services as a secretary, working there full time until March of this year. Pat found pleasure in sewing, bowling, reading, music, cooking, being with family and friends and her job. She was preceded in death by parents, Robert and Alice Clarke and her sister Wendy Clarke. She is survived by two sons, Daniel Simmerly and wife Lisa of Bourbon, Missouri and David Simmerly and wife Sandra of Kissee Mills, Missouri; two daughters, Charlotte Hall and husband Bob and Julie Harrelson, all of Springfield, Missouri; six grandchildren, Nicole Simmerly, Whitney Bridgeman and husband Tom and Lauren Simmerly, all of Bourbon, Missouri, Samantha Oberkramer and husband Scott of Idaho, Ryan Sherby of North Carolina and Erik Sherby of Springfield, Missouri; one great granddaughter, Addie Oberkramer; three sisters,  Roberta De Ornellis and husband Tom of Centralia, Missouri, Marjorie Sharkey of Bourbon, Missouri and Vada Valley and husband Marvin of Bakersfield, California; one brother, Terry Clarke of Arlington, Texas, other relatives and friends. A graveside service and inurnment will take place at 11 a.m. on October 8, 2011 in the Bourbon Cemetery, Bourbon, Missouri. Arrangements under the direction of the Eaton Funeral Home. Robert “Bob” Ware Robert “Bob” Ware of Bourbon, Missouri was born on December 13, 1948 in rural Benton, Missouri in Crawford County to Estel Raymond and Rosella Marie (Chapman) Ware and passed away on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at the age of 62 years, 9 months and 4 days. His parents owned and operated the Circle N Malt Shop in Bourbon and Bob first started working there in 1961.  He was a graduate of Bourbon High School and later honorably served his country during the Vietnam War attaining the rank of SP5. Bob returned to Bourbon where he worked with his parents until 1973 when he purchased Circle N from them. Bob dedicated his life to the restaurant; however he did enjoy the outdoors and spending time on the river, boating and fishing. He also found pleasure in building and fixing things and was an avid Cardinals baseball fan. He is survived by two sons, Joshua Ware of Bloomington, Illinois and Justin Ware of Hazelwood, Missouri; two brothers, Leonard and Lawrence Ware, both of Bourbon, Missouri; three sisters, Bernice Quinton of the state of Arkansas, Kathy Rigas of the state of Florida and Elaine Steuernagel of Bourbon, Missouri; three granddaughters; Frederica Schultz-Ware, Lila Shultz-Ware and Kiara Ware; other relatives and friends. Visitation was held from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday evening, September 21, 2011, at the Eaton Funeral Home in Sullivan, Missouri. Funeral services were conducted at 11 a.m., Thursday, September 22, 2011 from the Eaton Funeral Home in Sullivan, Missouri. with interment in the Delhi Cemetery with full military honors. Arrangements under the direction of the Eaton Funeral Home in Sullivan, Missouri. Reprinted with permission from the Obituary page of the Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror Web site. ************************************************ Copyright. 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