Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror, Steelville, Crawford Co. MO Local Obituaries for the Week updated December 28, 2006 Margaret Victorine Branson Margaret Victorine Branson nee Royer was born May 13, 1923 in Cuba, Missouri to Isaac and Victorine Royer and passed away October 16, 2006 at Depaul Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She was married to Ralph A. Branson, the son of Charles and Sophie Branson of Cuba, Missouri, on June 1, 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. Margaret worked as an executive secretary for several companies in St. Louis, Missouri such as Ralston Purina, St. Louis Music, Bettendorf-Rapp (Schnucks) and Community Federal (Bank of America). She also worked as a nurse’s aid at St. Louis City Hospital for several years during and after WWII. She was very active with the Cuba Alumni, her church, schools and children’s groups and choirs. She was preceded in death by her parents, Isaac and Victorine Royer; her husband, Ralph A. Branson; five brothers, Lloyd, Julian, Williard, Maniam and Charles; and one sister, Laurene Kratschmer. Margaret is survived by children, Margaret Patricia Bonzo, Ralph A. Branson Jr. and Gregory Charles Branson; grandchildren; great grandchildren; nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. Services were held at Stephan Memorial Methodist Church with arrangements provided by Ortmann-Stipanovich. Interment at Laurel Hills Memorial Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri. Barbara Clendenin Barbara Clendenin was born Saturday, December 2, 1906, the daughter of William C. and Julia Carpenter Harman on a farm her grandparents, Job and Catherine Harman homesteaded in Crawford County in 1859 and passed away Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla, Missouri at the age of 100 years and 18 days. Barbara met her future husband, Walter Clendenin, when they both were working at Pevely Dairy in St. Louis, Missouri. They were married June 9, 1923 in East St. Louis, Illinois. When the economic depression following World War II sank into the Great Depression of the 1930s, Barbara and Walter bought the old Job Harman home place and hired her father to build them a house. The family moved into their country home in the fall of 1929. They lived there for 12 years, where Barbara kept the home fires burning while Walter worked in St. Louis and could come home on weekends. Barbara had a love for her family and gardening. She always made sure there was plenty to eat and always maintained a rock garden, flowers and goldfish ponds to have a bright surrounding. When work picked up during WWII, the family moved back to St. Louis in 1942. Barbara went to work at the Small Arms Plant making tracer bullets. When the war was over she went back to homemaking. Walter retired in 1964 and they moved back to the Steelville area where Walter died March 17, 1986 after nearly 63 years of marriage. Barbara continued to live alone all these years within one mile of where she was born. She enjoyed seeing her family, especially on her 100th birthday, just a few days ago and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. She was preceded in death by one daughter, Alice Moon and husband Joseph; five brothers, Lee, Earnest, Harvey, Bill and Jessie; three sisters, Adelia Parker, Beulah Scott and Madge Center. Those left to mourn her passing are two sons, Thomas Clendenin and wife Betsy of Bland, Missouri and Donald Clendenin and wife Ardith of Lake Pomme DeTerre, Missouri; one daughter, Grace Foehrweiser and husband Gerald of Steelville, Missouri; 10 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren and eight great great grandchildren. Funeral services were held Friday, December 22, 2006 in the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home with Rev. Jerry Beers officiating. Special music of “One Day at a Time” was sung by Jerry Beers. Committal prayers and burial was in the Liberty Cemetery with Roger, Gary and Jamie Foehrweiser, Chad Nulph, David Moon and Chris Clendenin serving as casket bearers. The family was served by the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home of Steelville, Missouri. Festus Kreamalmyer Festus Glenn Kreamalmyer of Steelville, Missouri was born on Friday, March 15, 1918 in Cherryville, Missouri to Daniel Kreamalmyer and Carrie Cummins Kreamalmyer. He passed away on Sunday, December 17, 2006 at the Gibbs Care Center, at the age of 88 years, 9 months and 2 days. Festus married Dolores Vera Brand on June 14, 1952 in Steelville, Missouri and to this union one daughter, Linda, was born. Festus for a few years was a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Black Jack, Missouri. He later was the manager for Steelville Telephone Exchange, Inc. for 20 years before retirement. He also raised Angus cattle on his farm. He had attended the Cherryville Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Kenneth Kreamalmyer; half brothers, Wayne Kreamalmyer and wife Lillian, Arthur Kreamalmyer and Albert Kreamalmyer; half sisters, Florence Worley and husband Theodore, Minnie Dotson and husband Emmett and Carrie Kreamalmyer. Those who remain to mourn his passing are his wife Dolores of the home; one daughter, Linda Louis-Van Reed and husband Bruce of St. Louis, Missouri; nephew, Dan Kreamalmyer and wife Lisa of Steelville, Missouri; nieces, Judy Helmering and Kary Lynn Kreamalmyer, all of Steelville, Missouri; great nephews, cousins and many friends. Visitation was Tuesday, December 19, 2006 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Hutson Funeral Home, Steelville, Missouri. Funeral service was Tuesday, December 19, 2006 at 2 p.m. at the Hutson Funeral Home, Steelville, Missouri with Rev. Delmar Hutson officiating. Burial was in the Freeman Cemetery, Cherryville, Missouri with pallbearers Bruce Van Reed, Dan Kreamalmyer, Harry Martin, Bob Richardson, Joe Alexander and Richard Conaway. All directions were under the direction of the Hutson Funeral Home, Steelville, Missouri. Reprinted with permission from the Obituary page of the Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror Web site. ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Winnie Brooks ====================================================================