Elva Marie Smee, daughter of the late George Lewis Gaines and Rachel Winemiller Gaines was born on April 3, 1922 in Stoddard County and departed this life in the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter on December 30, 2011 at the age of 89.
Mrs. Smee was a member of the Friendship Baptist Church in Dexter, the former co-owner of George’s Freeze Queen in Bernie, Grandpa’s Barbecue in Dexter with her husband, George, and was a resident of Dexter.
She was united in marriage to George Franklin Smee on October 5, 1939 at Bloomfield. Mr. Smee survives of the home in Dexter.
She is survived by three sons and daughter-in-laws, Stephen and Mary Smee of Calvert City, Kentucky, Stanley and Lois Smee of Jackson and Gary and Linda Smee of Mountain City, Texas: by one daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Rondell Smiley of Bernie; by two sisters, Anna Mae Stanfill of Louisville, Kentucky and Ola Faye Gilkey of Dexter; by nine grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by three sisters, Wanda Smith, Velma Grindstaff and Pearl Gaines: by one brother, Elvis Gaines and a baby boy in infancy.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter, from 9:30 a.m.. until 11: a.m. Tuesday, January 3, 2012. Funeral services will then be conducted at 11 a.m., in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Lonny Mittag officiating. Interment will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at BloomfieldJo Ann Cookson , daughter of the late William "Short" and Imogene Hartwell Braswell, was born in Lavelle, Missouri on December 31, 1939, and passed away at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on December 28, 2011, at the age of 71.
She had lived in the Puxico and Wappapello are her whole life. She was a member of the former member of the Paucah Club in Puxico and enjoyed watching the St. Louis Cardinal and St. Louis Blues Hockey. She worked as a presser for SEMO Impints.
She is survived by two sons, Rob (Beverly) Cookson of Dexter, Missouri and Steve Cookson of Puxico, Missouri; two grandchildren, Aaron and Jared Cookson; one sister, Lana New of Jackson, Missouri. Many other friends and relatives also survive. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Bob and Gary Braswell
Visitation will be held Friday December 30, 2011 after 6 p.m., at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, Missouri.
Funeral services will be held Saturday December 31, 2011 at 11 a.m., at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, Missouri with Rev. Kenneth Lambert of Bloomfield officiating.
Burial will be in the Puxico Cemetery in Puxico, Missouri
Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter, Missouri in charge of arrangements.
Bill Hutchen, son of the late Marshall Hutchen and Alma Killian Hutchen, was born in St. Louis County on October 20, 1944, and passed away at his home in Dexter, Missouri on December 27, 2011, at the age of 67 years, 2 months and 7 days.
He had previously lived in Piedmont and Rolla and then moved to Dexter in 2008. He was a member of the Dexter Elks Lodge. He was a security guard at Tyson Food.
On September 11, 2000, Bill was married to Rita Pendergrass in Clearwater, Missouri.
He is survived by his wife Rita Pendergrass of Dexter, Missouri, mother Alma Hutchen, of House Springs, Missouri; one son, James Hutchen of House Springs, Missouri, one daughter Shannon Machett of Gerald, Missouri; two stepsons Robert Adams of Ada, Okla., and David Adams of Glascow, Missouri; two stepdaughters Dawn Adams of Marshall, Missouri and Yolanda Smith of Independence, Iowa; and five grandchildren.
There are no services scheduled at this time..
Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter, Missouri in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.watkinsfuneralhome.com
Mrs. Dowdy was a member of the Pleasant Grove Community Church at Pyletown, a home-maker and resident of rural Dexter,
She was united in marriage to Asa Dowdy on May 18, 1933 at Bloomfield. Mr. Dowdy preceded her in death on December 31, 1996.
She is survived by two sons, Asa Dowdy Jr. of Fairbanks, Alaska and John Dowdy and wife Phyllis of Dexter: by one daughter, Judi Hausner and husband Ray of Webb, Mississippi: by one brother, Robert Moore of Dawson Springs, Kentucky: by two sisters, Aileen York of Dexter and Adell Eagle of Conway, Arkansas: by eleven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by two sons, Gary Joe Dowdy and David Dowdy: by one granddaughter, Heather Dowdy: by four brothers, Raymond Moore, Roy Moore, Floyd Moore and Edwin Wooley: by three sisters, Mildred Taylor, Shirley Stegall and Ruth Young.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday, December 28, 2011. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Thursday, December 29, 2011 in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter with Rev. Tom Potter officiating.
Interment will follow in the Armstead Dowdy Cemetery.
Dorothy Whitehead, daughter of the late James Allen Whitehead and Forest Margaret Grayum Whitehead was born on May 18, 1927 at Bernie and departed this life in The Villa’s at DeSoto, Missouri on December 24, 2011 at the age of 84.
Mrs. Whitehead was a homemaker, a resident of Festus, formerly of Bernie.
She was united in marriage to Raymond Whitehead on June 26, 1946 at Piggott, Arkansas. Mr. Whitehead survives of the home.
Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Sandra Bannister of Farmington and Cathy Schanz of Festus; by five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Aline Whitehead.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie from Noon until 2 p.m., Wednesday, December 28, 2011. Funeral services will then be conducted at 2 p.m., in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Bernie with Rev. Ryan Mason officiating. Interment will follow in the Bethany Cemetery.
