Elsie Burge, daughter of the late Lee and Jenny Oler Harris, was born in White Oak, Missouri on September 23, 1915, and passed away at her home in Puxico, Missouri on March 5, 2012, at the age of 96 years, 5 months and 11 days.
Elsie moved to Puxico as a young girl and remained there throughout her life as a pillar of her community. She was a member of the First Christian Church in Puxico and the Christian Women's Fellowship. She was a former member of the Business & Professional Women organization. She and her husband were co-owners of Burge Electric and Burge Drilling Company. Elsie enjoyed traveling and being with family.
She was married to Arlie "Hoss" Burge in Piggott, Arkansas. He preceded her in death on March 23, 1985.
Surviving are two daughters, Barbara Boone of Leesburg, Florida and Judy Arnold of Poplar Bluff; two sons and spouses, Bill and Nelda Burge of Puxico, Floyd and Valjeane of Poplar Bluff, one son-in-law, Jack Kinnaman of Missouri; 19 grandchildren and spouses - Paul Ludwig, Pam and Perry Hubbert, Kelly and David Kirkpatrick, Lynn and Tom Wasson, Brenda and Steven Kinnaman, Anne Woker, Art and Kim Kinnaman, Paula and Tom Grattan, Laura Burge, Brad Wallace, Gina and Lonnie Underberg, Boyd and Katy Wallace, David and Melissa
Burge, Scott and Kelly Burge, Aaron Burge, Misty and Michael Wiseman, Bobby and Janice Arnold, Tony and Debbie Arnold and Cheri Morgan; 34 great-grandchildren; and ten great-great grandchildren. Other relatives and friends also survive.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Phyllis Kinnaman; by two sons, Kenneth Brantley and Arlie Ray Burge; one granddaughter, Patty Hon; one brother, Ansel Harris; and three sisters, Opal Harris, Louise Snider and Tincy Cookson.
Visitation will be held after 6 p.m., Friday, March 9, 2012 at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, Missouri. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m., Saturday, March 10, 2012, at the Watkins and Sons Chapel in Puxico with the Rev. Wiley McGhee and the Rev. Ray Placher, both of Puxico, officiating.
Interment will be in Puxico Cemetery with Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements.
Pat Thomason, daughter of the late John Harvey Thomason and Flossie Evans Thomason was born on June 1, 1936 in Leachville, Arkansas, and departed this life at the Golden Living Center in Dexter, Missouri on March 4, 2012 at the age of 75 years.
Survivors include two brothers, DeWayne Thomason of Daytona Beach, Florida and Bobby Thomason of Elk Ridge, Maryland; and by one sister, Faye Peacock of Dexter.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Gene Thomason and Jerry Thomason; and by one sister Jewell Batchelor.
Friends may call from 12 noon until 2 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 2011 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m., at the Hagy Cemetery in Dexter, Missouri with Rev. Kenneth Shelton officiating. Interment will follow in the Hagy Cemetery.
Oscar Vernon Ayers, Jr., son of the late Oscar Vernon, Sr. and Dessie Jane Godwin Ayers, was born in Sikeston, Missouri on August 3, 1934, and passed away at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on March 3, 2012, at the age of 77 years and 7 months.
He had lived in Sikeston before moving to Dexter, Missouri 40 years ago. He had worked as a pipefitter and was a member of the Pipefitters Local 562 in St. Louis. He was a member of Semo Son Riders Christian Motorcycle Group and Murray Lane Baptist Church in Sikeston.
On March 5, 1959, he was married to Kay Heather in Sikeston.
Surviving are his wife, Kay Ayers of Dexter; by two daughters and spouses, Angela & Mike Watkins, Andrea & Don Backfisch all of Dexter; four grandchildren and spouses, Daniel and Danelle Backfisch, Heather and Dan Mustain, Alex and Marybeth Watkins, Nate Watkins; by one great granddaughter, Falyn Marie Watkins; niece and husband, Karen & Ted Recker; and a nephew and wife, Larry and Teri Spivey; and one sister-in-law, Niva Spivey. Other family and friends also survive.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Doris Jean Spivey, and brother-in-law, Louis Spivey.
Visitation will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, March 5, 2012, at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, March 5, 2012, at Watkins and Sons Chapel in Dexter with the Rev. Mike Watkins of Dexter officiating.
Interment will be in the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Missouri with Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements.
Jeffrey Livesay, son of Bonnie Cochran Livesay of Dexter and the late George Ben Livesay was born on April 27, 1959 in Anna, Illinois and died on February 28, 2012 in Scott City at the age of 52.
Mr. Livesay was a Veteran of the United States Navy, a former truck driver for WW Wood in Dudley and was resident of Essex.
On July 9, 2005 he was united in marriage to Lisa Gail Smith in Bloomfield. Mrs. Livesay survives of their home in Essex.
Besides his wife and mother, he is survived by one son, Wes Livesay of Bloomfield; by one daughter, Brittany Conner Livesay of Bloomfield; by three step daughters, Jennifer Palmer, Rebecca Boner and Patricia Neeley, all of Dexter; by one sister, Angie Livesay of Puxico and by six grandchildren.
Besides his father, he was preceded in death by one grandson.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter from 5 until 8 p.m., Thursday, March 1, 2012. A grave-side service will be conducted at 3 p.m., Friday, March 2, 2012 at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield with Rev. Ray Rowland officiating.
Ruth N. Wood, daughter of the late Henry Hickerson and Jennie Caraway Hickerson was born on December 24, 1925 at Wardell and departed this life in the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center at Dexter on February 24, 2012 at the age of 86.
Mrs. Wood was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dexter, a former public school educator, working in various school districts, the former assistant Librarian at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar and a resident of Dexter.
She was united in marriage to Dr. Wayne Wood on January 13, 1945 in Blytheville, Arkansas. Dr. Wood survives of the home in Dexter.
Besides her husband, she is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Maria and Tim Chamberlain of Dexter; by two grandchildren and their spouses, Wesley and Allison Tolbert of Houston, Texas and Emily and Dr. Brad Crow of Danville, California; by two step grandchildren, Ashley Thomas of Tallahassee, Florida and Beau Chamberlain of Owensboro, Kentucky; by two great-grandchildren, Sarah Tolbert and Lydia Tolbert: by one step-great-grandchild, Brayden Thomas; by a niece who was raised in the home as a daughter, Sue Foster and husband Ernest of Mountain View.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by one son-in-law, Rev. Duke Tolbert, by three brothers, Rudolph Hickerson, Theodore Hickerson and Dallas Hickerson; and by two sisters, Opal Willoughby and Gladys Ephlin.
Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m., Thursday, March 1, 2012 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will then be conducted at 11 a.m., in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Don Kennedy officiating.
Interment will follow in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield.
