Kenneth “Coach” Walker, son of the late Floyd Walker and Audrey Fritts Walker, was born in Saginaw, Michigan on September 4, 1944 and departed this life at his residence in Holts Summit, Missouri on June 8, 2020 with his loving family by his side. Mr. Walker was 75.
Mr. Walker was a 1963 graduate of Bernie High School and went on to earn his Bachelors of Arts degree from Southwest Baptist College. After graduation he joined the United States Army and was a member of the 101st Airborne Division. He received 2 purple hearts, the bronze star, Army commendation medal and numerous citations.
Ken’s great passion and ‘true’ love was the game of basketball. He was a lifelong coach and enjoyed imparting his knowledge of sports with the younger generation. He was a faithful member of the YMCA and was known to stop his workout to assist a kid on their technique regardless of the sport. He was a loving father and grandfather and they will greatly miss his presence in their lives.
Survivors include one son, Meritt Evan Walker & wife Nancy of Columbia, Missouri; by one daughter, Kenna Rae Walker of Holts Summit, Missouri; by his ex-wife, Valerie Walker of Jefferson City, Missouri; by three sisters, Elaine Castro & husband Alejo, Ruth Ann Maderak and Vicky Sayers & husband Richard all of Bernie, Missouri; by four grandchildren, Kymber Walker, Tavis Walker, Evan Walker and Rhys Walker; by one great-granddaughter, Kailani Cooper. Also by other relatives and many friends.
He was preceded in death other than by his parents, by one brother, Floyd “Butchie” Walker; by one sister-in-law, Inez Walker and one brother-in-law, Gary Maderak.
Visitation to be held on Saturday June 13, 2020 at Houser-Millard Funeral Directors in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 at Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie, Missouri from 11:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. Full Military Honors will be held at 1:00 P.M. at Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie, Missouri.
Mathis Funeral Home of Bernie in charge of all arrangements.
Debbie Ann Spence, daughter of the late Frank Kirkpatrick and Doris Chandler Kirkpatrick, was born on January 25, 1957 in Elgin, Illinois, and departed this life on June 9, 2020 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the age of 63 years.
Mrs. Spence was a former stocker for Walmart. She was a member of Landmark Pentecostal Church in Malden, Missouri and a resident of Dexter, Missouri.
She was united in marriage to Walter Spence on August 20, 1979 in Bloomfield, Missouri. Mr. Spence survives of their home in Dexter.
In addition to her husband, Walter, she is survived by her son, Jonathan Spence and wife Mica of Dexter; by her daughter, Heather Spence of Dexter; by three brothers, Butch Kirkpatrick and wife Dorinda of Toledo, Illinois, Doug Kirkpatrick and wife Debbie of Dexter, and Brian Kirkpatrick of Campbell; by two sister, Brenda Wilkerson and husband Jim of Bloomfield and Lois Kirkpatrick of McKinney, Texas; by four grandchildren, Hannah Spence, Makayla Spence, Michael Spence and Sara Spence; and by many nieces and nephews.
Graveside services will be conducted at Dexter Cemetery on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Leroy Young officiating.
Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is in charge of all arrangements.
On Sunday, June 7, 2020, Therma Launius, loving mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully at the age of 86 at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing in Dexter, Missouri.
Therma was born on August 14, 1933 in Stoddard County, Missouri to Uless and Virgie Harget. On August 24, 1972, she married John Launius to whom she was wed for 36 years.
Therma was a people person and one of her greatest joys was visiting with family and friends. She had a kind and compassionate spirit, and friends would say what a beautiful lady she was inside and out. She was also known for her quick wit, and when anyone would ask her how she was doing, she would smile and reply “mean as ever”! She greatly loved her family, friends and her caregivers at Cypress Point.
Therma was a fabulous cook and she would often share her gift with others by making and decorating cakes for family weddings and special occasions. She greatly enjoyed crocheting, making jewelry and creating wreaths. She never had idle hands and she was an avid reader. When her children were young, one of her favorite activities was taking them to the sand dunes in Albuquerque to hunt arrowheads on Sunday after Mass. She devoted much of her time and energy to her children where she was a Girl Scout leader and room mother for all 5 of her children.
She was blessed with a strong faith in God and was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Dexter.
She was not afraid of hard work. She and her husband John raised cattle, and she could often be found right beside him at the head catcher for immunizations. She did like to “name” a few of her favorite cows, even though she knew they would be leaving at some point. Her husband John, lovingly called her “Big Red”, in reference to her big red hairdo. For many years, she worked as a waitress, where her welcoming personality and friendly smile made her a favorite among customers. She was also part owner of a Mexican restaurant in Bloomfield. One of the things she instilled in her children was to always be respectful and courteous to waitresses, and to tip well!
Her proudest accomplishments were being a good wife and mother. She was supportive of all her children, encouraging kindness and generosity. If her children or the grandkids needed her, she was always there for them with a smile and hug. She was fun to be around, always laughing and cutting up, and she will always be remembered as the most loving mother and grandmother. We will greatly miss her nightly calls, “Goodnight, I love you”.
In addition to her husband John and her parents, she was predeceased by two sons, James L. Webber, an infant and Jeffrey B. Webber; by her sister, Carolyn Blake and by two brothers, Bob Harget and Gary Harget.
She is survived by four daughters, Cathy (Gene) Kirby of Dexter, Mary (Bob) Armour of Poplar Bluff, Theresa Brown of Bernie, and Ann (Nelson) Berbling of Sikeston. As well as one son, Raymond L. Webber III of Bloomfield. She is also survived by twelve grandchildren, Shelly McMullin, Tina Wolfinger, Denise Brown, Dennis Brown Jr., Tara Webber, Matt Webber, Mandy Pratt, Katie Pratt, Mark Pratt, Jon Berbling, Neil Berbling, and Chris Berbling; by eighteen great-grandchildren; by six great-great-grandchildren; and by many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Cypress Point for the wonderful care she received while residing there.
Visitation will be held at Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Funeral services will then be conducted in the Mathis Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. with Pastor Justin Sponaugle officiating. Interment will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield on Friday, June 12, 2020.
Memorials may be made to 18 Fore Life, c/o Scott Kruse, 705 Laurie Circle, Dexter, Missouri 63841 or Faith Lutheran Church, 1002 Saddle Spur Road, Dexter, Missouri 63841.
Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is in charge of all arrangements.
The exciting moments of pregnancy have turned to sorrow and heartbreaking loss with the death of our sweet baby girl, Hailey Elizabeth Marshall, born in heaven on May 29th, 2020 at 32 weeks gestation.
She leaves behind her loving family who will always keep her memory alive.
Her parents: Jeffery and Mary Elizabeth Marshall, brothers: Jace & Maxwell Marshall, grandparents: Wes & Mary Grim and Cindy Marshall, great grandma: Glenys Duckworth, and uncle and aunt: Jamie & Honor Warren.
Memorial services will be held on her due date: July 22, 2020 for close family & friends to honor her memory.
Thomas Eugene Bischof, 69, of Bloomfield, Missouri passed away June 4th, 2020 at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Tom was born to Charles and Cecilia Bischof on November 3rd, 1950 in St Louis, Missouri. He graduated from St. Louis University High School in 1969, received a BA degree from University Missouri at Columbia in 1972, a BS degree from Saint Louis University in 1974, and a JD degree from University of Missouri – Kansas City.
He married Elizabeth Welborn in 1983 and they lived with their family in Aquilla, Missouri from 1983 to 1999. The family moved to Bloomfield in 1999.
He leaves as his legacy two daughters: Robin Elizabeth Bischof of St Louis, Missouri and Megan Briney Bischof of Greenville, South Carolina. He also leaves to cherish his memory five siblings: William Bischof of St Louis MO, Edward (Monica) Bischof of Morro Bay, CA, Karen (Carl) Daffron of Vandalia MO, Steve (Marian) Bischof of Madison MS, and Christine (Dave) Hester of Marblehead MA. He will be missed by two brothers-in-law: Briney (Sue) Welborn of Bloomfield, MO and Kip Welborn (Quinn Grimes) of St. Louis, MO. He also leaves many nieces and nephews and their families; Ryan (Heather) Daffron, Sarah (Jerad) Robinson, Jonathan (Ashley) Bischof, Anne Marie Bischof, Winston Bischof, Emily Bischof, Samuel (Taniya) Hester, Charles Hester, Frank Hester, and Natalie Welborn. He was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Cecilia Bischof. He will always be remembered for the deep love and dedication he had for his entire family. He was known for his passion for fishing, gardening, and the environment. At his farm in Aquilla he planted over 500 dogwood, pine, and walnut trees.
Tom was a lawyer and a financial planner until he retired in 2018. In the 1970s, he worked as an attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1982, he joined the Powell Ringer Law Firm of Dexter, Missouri. In the late 1990s he started working as a financial advisor with Bagby Wealth Management and continued there until his retirement.
He was passionate in his belief that individuals could have a positive impact on important issues such as climate change and social justice. He demonstrated this belief through his work with environmental organizations, the Democratic Party, the Rotary Club, the Regional Healthcare Foundation, and his time as a Bloomfield City Councilman.
Services will be held at the Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter, Missouri on Monday, June 8th, 2020. Visitation will run from 10am to 12pm followed by a Celebration of Life service at 12pm. There will be reception immediately following the service. Memorials may be made to the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, the Stoddard County Democratic Club, or the Regional Healthcare Foundation’s Mother-to-Mother program.
