Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror, Steelville, Crawford Co. MO
Local Obituaries for the Week of November 2, 2004
Virginia Letitia Cope
Virginia Letitia Cope (nee Tufft) was born Monday, April 6, 1925 at
Washington, D. C., a daughter of the late Harry Earl Tufft and
Rosa (Melander) Tufft.
Virginia attended Woodrow Wilson High School and the Cochoran
School of Art in D.C. Prior to relocating to Missouri, she was an interior
designer and portrait artist. Drawing and painting has always been one of
her favorite hobbies, and after her formal training she was so good at art
that she was commissioned to paint a portrait of Mrs. Nixon and her
daughter, Julie.
She worked in an upscale decorating shop in Georgetown, D.C.
and decorated the homes of federal legislators and Eisenhower's yacht. Her
favorite friends in D.C. were artists, musicians, and theater directors.
Virginia had three daughters and often they were her models
and frequently posed for her art classes. She, quote, "often would drag
them to art museums, theater shows and concerts." She instilled a
sensitive awareness of arts and culture in each of them in which they have
always been very grateful for it.
Other of Virginia's hobbies were cooking and gardening. Her
favorite possessions were her copper pots and her favorite cookbook
authors were James Beard and Julia Child. She always managed to make
things grow and her creativity in later years was expressed in lap quilts,
which she hand-stitched and embroidered.
Virginia was a good friend, generous to others, and a very
emotional person who depended on those around her. She was very fond of
Steelville and the people, always commenting that the town and her friends
understood her.
In addition to her parents, Virginia was preceded in death by
her sister June Christine Woodside.
Those who remain to mourn her passing are her three daughters,
Eileen Avis of West Palm Beach, Florida, Amy Linda Cope of St. James,
Missouri, and Mary Beth Graf of California, Pennsylvania, eight
grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; other relatives and many
friends.
Memorial services were held for Virginia Letitia Cope on
Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 2 p.m. at the Britton Chapel, Steelville,
Missouri, with Rev. Bob Coleman officiating. Interment was in California,
Pennsylvania.
All arrangements were entrusted to Britton Funeral Home,
Steelville, Missouri.
Montie M. Sorrell
Montie M. Sorrell (Willis) was born December 20, 1918, near
Richland, Missouri. She was the daughter of Henry B. and Palestine Deberry
Willis. Mrs. Sorrell passed away on October 29, 2004, in Johnson City,
Tennessee, at the age of 85 years, 10 months, and 8 days.
On June 6, 1936, Mrs. Sorrell was married to Martin C.
Sorrell, who preceded her in death on February 27, 1976. Two brothers,
Clarence W. Willis and Cecil A. Willis and a sister, Florence I. Henson,
also preceded her in death. She is survived by nephews, step-nieces,
step-nephews, and many friends.
Mrs. Sorrell had lived in Cuba, Missouri, since the 1970s.
Declining health during the summer of 2004 caused her to move to Tennessee
to be near two of her nephews and their families. While in Cuba, she was a
member of the Cuba Church of Christ, where she taught Sunday School
classes and also served in many benevolent works. She was particularly
active in visitation and service to local nursing homes.
One of Montie's lifelong joys was travel. She and her husband
Martin used each year's vacation to visit different states. After
retirement from Brown Shoe Company in 1982, she joined the Cuba Go Club
and regularly participated in their trips and activities. Another passion
was gardening, which she continued until her last years.
There will be a memorial service for Montie M. Sorrell at the
Cuba Church of Christ, on 1 p.m., Sunday November 14, 2004. Her ashes will
be buried beside her husband Martin in the Lea Cemetery, Leasburg,
Missouri.
Roberta Bertha West
Roberta B. West nee Baur of Viburnum, Missouri departed this
life in peace at the home of her daughter Lyda Hyde at 12 noon on
Wednesday, October 20, 2004 at the age of 100 years, 1 months and 13 days.
Roberta was born Wednesday, September 7, 1904 on the Driver
homestead near Saline County, Missouri. She was the first born child of
four, all daughters of Robert and Amanda Melvin Driver Baur. Roberta was
baptized into Christ Jesus on Easter Sunday 1918 at the Slater Baptist
Church.
After graduation as Valedictorian of the 1922 Slater High
School, she attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. By
teaching rural schools during the regular term and summer terms in college
and some correspondence courses, she earned the B.A. Degree at William
Jewel College at Liberty, Missouri in 1927 and a Masters Degree at the
University of Missouri at Columbia in 1930. That fall Roberta became head
of the Foreign Language Department of William Mayfield College at Marble
Hill, Missouri.
Roberta came to Chinook, Montana to teach French and English
Literature and Geography. This is where she met her husband to be, Harold
C. West, a graduate of Great Falls Business College and at that time and
for 42 more years, a member of Blaine County Courthouse official staff.
In 1932 Harold and Roberta were married. Roberta gave birth to
a daughter, Arlee Faith in 1939. Harold and Roberta also fostered two
sisters, Lyda and Dana in 1959. Roberta continued teaching as needed until
the girls graduated. Roberta was a student volunteer in the John Mott
movement and in 1959 by the unanimous decision of the judges at Princeton
University became the recipient of the first John M. Templeton prize for
Genius.
Roberta wrote for The Upper Room, the World Methodist
Encyclopedia, the Denver Area News section of the Together Magazine, the
United Methodist Reporter, the Free Will Co. Laborist and since 1982, the
Quad County Star, Viburnum, Missouri.
She was an avid and enthusiastic writer. Her publications
included in 1964-1991 researching and writing the Montana Methodist Church
history; 1967 she was a contributor to Methodist History; 1974 author of
Faith, Hope, Love in the West, author of Northern Montana History, 3
volumes; and in 1975 author of Brother Van by Those Who Knew Him.
Harold West passed away in 1977 and then Roberta moved back to
Missouri to be near her family. She became a member of the Free Will
Baptist Church of Viburnum, Missouri.
In addition to her parents and husband, Roberta was preceded
in death by two sisters, Carrie Taylor and Zoe Baur.
Among those who remain to mourn her passing from this life are
her three daughters, Arle Lohof and husband Armand of Billings, Montana,
Lyda Hyde and husband Don of Viburnum, Missouri, and Danna Burns and Randy
Pryor of Bixby, Missouri; one sister, Mary Ogle of Viburnum, Missouri; six
grandchildren, Ann Condon, Alan Lohof, Shannon Burns, Roberta Faye
Schmidt, Isaiah Hyde, and Justin Grant; four great grandchildren; nieces;
nephews; cousins; other relatives and many friends.
Roberta Bertha West (nee Baur) lay in state 5-9 p.m. Friday,
October 22, 2004 at the Free Will Baptist Church in Viburnum, Missouri
where funeral services were held on Saturday, October 23, at 10:30 a.m.
with Rev. Cletus Nichols officiating. Musical selections were provided by
soloists, Hilda Nichols and Armand Lohof and pianist, Dawn Girard and Arle
Lohof.
Serving as pallbearers were Larry Ragsdale, Radis Setzer,
James Floyd Wallen, Kyle Wallen, Roger Wallen and Stan Wallen.
Committal prayers and interment were in the Fayette City
Cemetery, Fayette, Missouri.
All arrangements wee under the direction of the Britton
Funeral Home of Steelville, Missouri.
Reprinted with permission from the Obituary page of the
Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror Web site.
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