Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror, Steelville, Crawford Co. MO
Local Obituaries for the Week Oct. 6, 2005
Theodore John Bommer
Theodore John Bommer, Lt., Colonel, Retired and Civil Engineer, died
Tuesday, September 20, 2005, at the age of 93 years.
Mr. Bommer was born November 1, 1911 to the family of Adam and Annie
Bommer in Bourbon, Missouri on their farm in the Forest Hill
neighborhood. He attended Forest Hill grade school and two years at
the Bourbon High School. He graduated from high school in 1930 at
the Granite City Community High School. He went on to further his
education at the Missouri School of Mines in Rolla, Missouri,
graduating in 1937 with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Mr. Bommer's first job was working for the Missouri State Health
Department as a Public Health Engineer. In this capacity he was sent
to further his education at the University of Michigan's graduate
school. He was then sent to Dexter, Missouri where he was assigned
to a Health Unit covering four counties in Southeast Missouri.
Mr. Bommer left the Health Department and went to the Army Ordnance
District in St. Louis. In this capacity he was sent to Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania to attend Ordnance School. He was then sent to Houston,
Texas where he was an Ordnance Inspector on large ammunition.
WWII started and being in the reserves, Mr. Bommer was called to
active duty as a 2nd Lieutenant at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. His
first assignment was at the Arkansas Ordnance Plant in Little Rock
where he was their utility officer. From there he went to Aberdeen,
Maryland and then to Camp Plauche, Louisiana. Mr. Bommer was then
sent overseas to New Guinea, then the Philippines and on to Tokyo,
Japan. As the war ended, he came home and was assigned various
places in civil service in St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Bommer was called back to active duty in the Army Ordnance Corps
during the Korean War and was assigned to the ammunition command at
Joliet, Illinois. After one year duty he was then sent to Seoul,
Korea where he was assigned to the 60th Ordnance Group. Being a
Civil Engineer, he was assigned the task of rebuilding the damaged
churches and orphan homes in the Seoul area. He returned home in
1948 and was discharged at Fort Ord, California.
Mr. Bommer then worked as a Civil Engineer writing
specifications for the St. Louis District Engineer Contracts. In
1959 he then worked for the John Cochran Veteran's Hospital in St.
Louis as a supervisory engineer officer. In 1968 he transferred to
the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command in the Mart Building in St.
Louis, a Chief of the Installation Engineer Division. In 1972 he was
made Facilities Engineer at the U.S. Army St. Louis Area Support
Center at Granite City, Illinois where he remained until his
retirement from civil service in January 1978. He retired as a Lt.
Colonel from the Army on November 1, 1971 after 33 years service,
both on duty in the U.S. Army and Reserves.
Among the survivors are his wife of 47 years, Audrey
(Sarhage) Bommer; three sons, Terry G. (Ann) Bommer of Chesterfield,
Jerry C. (Lila) Bommer of Franklin, Idaho, Scott T. (Sue) Bommer of
St. Charles; a daughter, Dawn E. (Frank) Arrigo of Bourbon; and
seven grandchildren, Josh, Emily, Lauren, Jesse, Zach, Ben and Cara.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 24,
2005 at the Chapel of the Eaton Funeral Home with interment and full
military honors at the Bourbon Cemetery.
James E. Callahan
James Edwin Callahan was born Tuesday, July 6, 1926, at
Cherryville, Missouri to the union of Fred Cordell Callahan and Lola
Callahan (nee Worley).
He passed away Thursday, September 29, 2005 at his home
in Steelville, Missouri at the age of 79 years, 2 months and 23 days
of colon and liver cancer.
On June 12, 1949, James was united in marriage to
Phyllis Ann Gravatt at the First Baptist Church in Steelville,
Missouri. This union was blessed with one daughter, Denise Ann
Callahan of Ballwin, Missouri.
Part of James early life was spent in the Missouri
Baptist Children's Home, Bridgeton, Missouri, and from the age of
five, he was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. T.M. Worley.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church of
Steelville, 32nd degree Mason, and a member of the Eastern Star.
After graduating from the University of Missouri in 1949, James
taught vocational agriculture at Greenville and Union, Missouri for
11 years. James then served with the Soil Conservation Service, U.
S. Department of Agriculture for 27 years. James moved through the
ranks and retired as a Coordinator and returned with Phyllis to
Steelville, Missouri in September, 1987.
He was also a professional photographer, specializing in
natural life photographs. James received numerous awards for his
photography. His peers described him as a self-motivated man, leader
of men, innovator, motivator of people, and visionary for the
future. James knew how to cut government red tape and get the job
done.
He was preceded in death by his twin sisters, half
sister Margaret Faye Cassidy, and his parents.
Those who survive to mourn his passing from this life
are his loving wife, Phyllis Ann Callahan of their home in
Steelville, Missouri; daughter Denise Ann Callahan of Ballwin,
Missouri; and friend of the family, Carol Bock of Ballwin, Missouri.
Three half sisters, Luci Martin and husband Jerry
Martin, Elizabeth Ann Halbert and husband Ken all of Steelville,
Missouri, Nancy Sue Frizzell and husband Billy of Salem, Missouri.
Brother-in-law and sister-in-law Bill and Bernice
Scofield of Houston, Texas, nephews and nieces, Dick Rogers of
Boise, Idaho, John Rogers of Fort Leavinworth, Kansas, Tom Gravatt
of Springfield, Illinois, Randy Scofield of Sugarland, Texas, Gary
Scofield of Denver, Colorado, Sandy McGuire of Dallas, Texas;
cousins, relatives, friends; and his dogs, Kelly and Katie.
Visitation was Saturday, October 1, 2005 from 4 p.m. to
8 p.m. at the Britton Bros. Funeral Home, Steelville, Missouri.
Funeral services were held Sunday, October 2, 2005 in the Britton
Chapel with Rev. Kevin Farr officiating. Musical selections, "In The
Garden" and "Heaven Came Down," were provided by Wanda Ransom on the
organ.
Committal prayers and internment was in the Steelville
Cemetery, Steelville, Missouri. Those honoring Jim as pallbearer
were Terry Beckham, Ken Halbert, Scott Halbert, Jerry Martin, Joe
Midyett and Johnny Ransom.
Honorary pallbearers were Maurice Cape, Tom Gravatt,
Sandy McGuire, Dick Rogers, John Rogers, Randy Scofleld and Gary
Scofield.
All arrangements were entrusted to the care of Britton
Funeral Home, Steelville, Missouri.
Lovie May Latham
Lovie May Latham, formally residing in Indian Hills,
passed away on October 3, 2005.
Beloved mother of Frieda Evelyn Libhart (deceased),
Elmer Lee Ash Jr. and David Ray Ash.
She had five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Visitation at the Baue Funeral Home, St. Charles,
Missouri, Wednesday, October 5, 2005 from 4-8 p.m.
Services were Thursday at Baue. Interment at the Mount
Lebanon Cemetery.
Udo Wolfgang Nickel
Udo Wolfgang Nickel of Cuba, was born May 9, 1928 at
Berlin, Germany to the union of Leo Nickel and Lisbath Nickel nee
Plew and left from this life on Friday, September 30, 2005 at Phelps
County Regional Medical Center in Rolla at the age of 77 years, 4
months and 21 days.
Nick was a mechanic and served in the Army during WWII
from August 1949 until January 1953 as a pilot.
Nick is preceded in death by his parents.
Those who survive to mourn his passing are his many
friends.
Graveside service with full military honors was held
Monday, October 3, 2005 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
The family is being served by Britton Funeral Home of
Cuba, Missouri.
James Cleo Ransom
James Cleo Ransom of Elkhart, Illinois, age 64, passed
away on September 30, 2005. He was born on February 13, 1941 at
Scotia, Missouri, the son of Ernest and Frieda Weber Ransom.
On May 21, 1983 he was united in marriage to Gillette M.
MacKinnon at Elkhart, Illinois.
Mr. Ransom was a custom framer and artist at Miss
Jessie's Gallery in Elkhart.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two
stepbrothers, Richard and Lester; two stepsisters, Edna and Opal.
Mr. Ransom was a member of Elkhart Christian Church.
Those who survive to mourn his passing are his wife,
Gillette M. Ransom of Elkhart, IL, two sons, Allen (Pam) Ransom of
Union, Mo., Eric (Adriana) Ransom of Golden Valley, MN; two
daughters, Jamie Ransom of Springfield, Mo. and Tina (Dennis) Hymer
of Stafford, Mo.; one step-son, Joseph Whiting of Elkhart, IL; two
sisters, Wanda (Don) Stein of Bourbon, Mo. and Linda (Gene) Avery of
Bourbon, Mo.; one brother, Curt (Kathy) Ransom of Silex, Mo.; five
grandchildren, Shalon Doney, Melissa Doney, Caleb Ransom, Sydney
Ransom, Alexandra Whiting; one great-grandchild, Ashlon Doney, other
relatives and many friends.
Visitation was held on Tuesday, October 4, 4-7 p.m. at
Elkhart Christian Church Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Mt.
Pleasant handling arrangements. Services were held at 10:30 a.m. on
October 5, 2005 at Elkhart Christian Church, Robert Twist and
Michael Drake officiating. Interment was in Elkhart Cemetery.
Otis Louis Renner
Otis Louis Renner was born April 30, 1935 at St. Louis,
Missouri, to the union of Ernest Louis Renner and Sarah Catherine
Renner nee Smith, and passed away on October 1, 2005 at Heritage
Park, Rolla, Missouri at the age of 70 years 5 months and 1 day.
On February 2, 1959 Otis was united in marriage to
Beverly Ann Hallemann at St. Louis, Missouri. Four children, Lynn,
Chris, Dawn and Jeff, were born to this union. Otis and Beverly had
33 years of a happy marriage.
Otis worked as a pipe fitter for National Lead in St.
Louis and retired from Brown Shoe Co. in Steelville.
Those who survive to mourn his passing from this life
are two sons, Chris Renner and wife Christine, Jeff Renner; two
daughters, Lynn Williams and husband Darryl, Dawn Orr and husband
Daren; sister Katherine Thompson; grandchildren Donny Williams,
Juanita Lynn Ann Williams, Andrew Louis Christopher Renner, Kyle
David Renner, Amanda Dawn Orr, Kiah DiAnn Orr, Matthew Dale Renner,
Tanner Shawn Renner, Saffron Deone Orr, Benjamen Renner and Jonathon
David Renner; three great grandchildren; other relatives and many
friends.
Otis was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great
grandfather, brother, and a good friend to all who knew him and will
be sadly missed by all.
Visitation for Otis was held Wednesday, October 5 at
Britton Funeral Home in Cuba, Missouri from 5-8 p.m. Graveside
service will be held Thursday, October 6 at Meramec Hills Cemetery,
Cuba, Missouri.
All arrangements under the direction of Britton Funeral
Home, Cuba, Missouri.
Reprinted with permission from the Obituary page of the
Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror Web site.
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