Marzella Catherine Skelton, daughter of the late John Franklin and Mary Catherine Smith Heldermon was born in Bridgeport, Oklahoma on September 14, 1914, and passed away at the Puxico Nursing and Rehab Center in Puxico, Missouri on April 1, 2012, at the age of 97.
She moved to Puxico in 1940. She has been a member of the Puxico Christian Church for 63 years. She enjoyed writing poetry, quilting and singing.
On September 11, 1940 she was married to Fred Skelton in Sarah, Oklahoma. After 53 years of marriage, Fred passed away January 22, 1993.
Surviving are two daughters and sons-in –law, Doris Ann and Charles Hedspeth of Puxico and Reita Fay and Phil LeBeau of Dexter; five grandchildren and spouses, Delisa and Eric Sitze, Tracy and Brian Robison, Clint and Hannah LeBeau, Kurt and Lindsay LeBeau, Weston and Ashley LeBeau; five great-grandchildren, Natalie and Dylan Sitze, Caleb and Logan Robison, and Grayson LeBeau. Other relatives and friends also survive.
She was preceded in death by four brothers, Tommy, Prentiss, Frank and Ernest Heldermon; three half-brothers, Odes, Earl and Albert Heldermon; one sister, Oneta Heldermon Sisco and one half-sister, Etta Heldermon Weiss.
Visitation will be held at 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at the Puxico Christian Church in Puxico. Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at the Puxico Christian Church with the Rev. Wiley McGhee, the Rev. Todd Allen of Poplar Bluff and the Rev. Bobby Nordack of Puxico, officiating.
Interment will be in the Puxico Cemetery in Puxico, Missouri with Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Puxico, in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hessling was a heavy equipment operator and a resident of Dexter.
On December 26, 1936 he was united in marriage to Freddie Pearl Hessling at New Madrid, Missouri. Mrs. Hessling preceded him in death on January 26, 2006.
He is survived by five sons, Ralph Hessling Jr., Ronnie Ray Hessling, Everett Hessling, Gary W. Hessling all of Dexter and Gerald Hessling of Bloomfield; by one brother, George Hessling of Granite City, Illinois; by one sister, Grace Davis of Sikeston; by six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Besides his wife and parents he was preceded in death by one daughter, Vonda Jean Hessling.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter from 5 until 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Funeral services will be conducted at 1030 a.m., Thursday, April 5, 2012 in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter with Rev. Kenneth Biggs officiating. Interment will follow in the Dexter Cemetery.
Donations may be made to memorial of your choice.
Lorane Robert Blunt, son of the late Henry Blunt and Violet Summers Blunt, was born on December 26, 1924 in Aid, Missouri and departed this life on March 30, 2012, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter at the age of 87.
Mr. Blunt was a Veteran of the United States Army serving in World War II. He was a carpenter and a resident of Dexter.
On June 11, 1948, he was united in marriage to Beryl Williams in Dexter. Mrs. Blunt preceded him in death on March 3, 2002.
He is survived by one son, Scott Blunt of Dexter; by one daughter, Sharon Redd of Memphis, Tennessee; by two brothers, Raymond Blunt of Poplar Bluff, Missouri and J. W. Blunt of Wappapello; by four sisters, Nancy Kalmbach of Swartz Creek, Michigan, Wilma Tanner of Burton, Michigan, Anna Mae Lambert of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Patsy Clubb of Kinder, Missouri; by five grandchildren, Rebekah Massey of Bloomfield, Rachel Blunt of Cape Girardeau, Amanda Leistikow of Memphis, Tennessee, Amber Bell of Hernando, Mississippi and Caleb Blunt of Dexter; by two step-grandchildren, Kimmy Moore of Bernie and Corey Bennett of Dexter; by five great-grandchildren.
Besides his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Alfred Blunt and Henry “Bud” Blunt and by three sisters, Mary Lou Gay, Opal Ward and Gladys Dixon.
Friends may call at from 1 until 3 p.m., Monday, April 2, 2012 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will then be conducted at 3 p.m., Monday, April 2, 2012, in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Quintin Davis officiating.
Interment will follow in the Sadler Chapel Cemetery with Full Military Honors.
Bertha Mooney, daughter of the late Tom and Myrtle Lee Burns Whitworth was born in Clinton, Arkansas on July 29, 1928, and passed away at the Missouri Southern Health Care in Dexter, Missouri on March 31, 2012, at the age of 83.
She had lived in Clinton, Arkansas before moving to Bernie. She was of the Pentecostal Faith. She had worked as a cook for workers on the river barges.
Surviving are one son, Edward Thomas Mooney of St. Charles and one daughter, Deborah Barnes of Bernie; three grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, by one brother, Pete Whitworth of Illinois, and two sisters, Irene Dugan and Edna Wallace, both of Parma; other relatives and friends also survive.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, Opal, Porter and Chestell.
Visitation will be held after 12 p.m., Monday, April 2, 2012, at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Parma.
Funeral services will be held on ar 1 p.m., Monday, April 2, 2012, at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Parma.
Interment will be in the Bernie Cemetery in Bernie, Missouri.
Martha L. Ward, daughter of the late Albert S. and Mollie C. Carnes Lincoln, was born in Wappapello, Missouri on November 20, 1918, and passed away at the Puxico Nursing Center on March 28, 2012, at the age of 93 years, 4 months and 8 days.
Martha lived in the Wappapello area all her life. She was a member of the New Life Baptist Church in Wappapello and enjoyed gardening and sewing.
She was married to Leffie E. Ward on April 21, 1936, in Wappapello. He preceded her in death on June 13, 1986.
Surviving are one son and spouse, Carroll and Shelby Ward of Puxico; two daughters and spouses, Barbara and David Lafferty of Alton, Illinois and E. Joyce and Jim Johnson of Poplar Bluff; by four grandchildren, Del Ward, Jimmy Johnson, Brad Lafferty, Julie McFarland; four great-grandchildren, Chris Ward, Andrew Lafferty, Jena Lafferty, Matthew McFarland; and two great great grandchildren, Carson Ward and Maddalyn Ward.
She was preceded in death by one sister, Nellie Benhoff, two brothers, Elmer C. Lincoln, B. Frank Lincoln; a grandson, Jonathan Johnson and great great grandson, Jonathan Johnson.
Visitation will be held from 6 until 8 p.m., Friday, March 30, 2012, from at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the Watkins and Sons Chapel in Puxico with Chaplain Brad Lafferty of St. Charles, Missouri and Rev. Kenneth Lambert of Bloomfield, Missouri officiating.
Interment will be in Puxico Cemetery in Puxico, Missouri with Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements.
