Veleta Frances Pierce Stutts, 81 of rural Dexter died at home on August 10, 2013.
She was born to Mary Alice Gann Pierce and Jesse Davis Pierce on August 9, 1932 in Blytheville, Arkansas.
On May 24, 1949 she married James “Al” Stutts at the Stutts home in Dexter, Missouri.
Veleta graduated from Central High School in Memphis, Tennessee in 1953, from SEMO with a BA in Business Education in 1971 and received her MA in teaching from SEMO in 1980.
From 1967 – 1968, Al, Veleta and their 3 children lived in Belize City, British Honduras. Over the years, Al and Veleta returned many times to Belize and also hosted numerous visitors from Belize in their Dexter home.
Veleta was a business teacher at Puxico, Dexter and Richland High Schools. She was instrumental in establishing Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) in both Dexter and Richland. She was Teacher of the Year in 1987. She was a member of Business and Professional Womens’ Club and was Woman of the Year in 1978. She was a member of CTA, MSTA, NBEA, MBEA, AVA and MVA.
For 10 years she was on the MSTA Southeast District Public Relations Committee. She was a member of Retired Teachers Associations and Heartland Quilters Guild and also served as President of the guild.
She was a member of First Baptist Church in Dexter and enjoyed singing in the choir, including 12 of the FBC Christmas Pageants. She also sang with the Claremore, Oklahoma choir throughout Europe and at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Veleta is survived by her husband, Al Stutts, by one son and wife, Mark and Charlotte Stutts of Essex, Missouri; by two daughters and husband, Mike and Debra Ebner of Dexter, Missouri and Lisa Roberts of Dexter, Missouri; by one granddaughter, Jacqueline Owens of Wake Forest, North Carolina; and by two sisters and husband Wafe and Virginia Reed of Dexter, Missouri and Bettye Braun of Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Geneva Geraldine Hamilton and Reba Lois Eslinger and by six brothers, James Elvin Hood, Jesse Burette Pierce, Dewey Lee Pierce, Wilburn Ray Pierce, Franklin Delano Pierce and James Russell Pierce.
Visitation will be held from 1:30 P.M. until 3:00 P. M. on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.
Funeral services will then be held at 3:00 P. M. on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter with Dr. Steve Easterwood officiating.
Interment will follow in the Chalk Bluff Cemetery in Dexter.
