Juanita Evelyn Ward Sifford of Puxico, Missouri, daughter of the late Willard Dell and Mary Katherine Greer Ward, was born on August 2, 1923, in Detroit, Michigan and passed away on September 6, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the age of 89 years, 1 month and 4 days.
She had lived most of her life in Puxico, Missouri. She was a member of the Puxico Christian Church and Order of the Eastern Star, Puxico Chapter No. 422. She had been a beautician and owned and operated her own shop.
On November 30, 1941, she was married to John "Square" Albert Sifford in Puxico, Missouri. He preceded her in death on September 10, 1999.
Surviving are one daughter & spouse, Mary Ann & Jeannie McKifford of Sikeston, Missouri; one son, Jeffrey Wayne Sifford of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; 2 grandchildren & spouses, John R. & Stephanie Sifford of Groton, Connecticut, Thomas B. & Issa Sifford of Bossier City, Louisiana; one brother, Louis Ward of Grand Junction, Colorado; and one sister, Carolyn Dillard of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Other relatives and family also survive. She was preceded in death by one great grandson, Thor Morines Sifford, four sisters, Hope Schmidt, Mary Groy, Frances Page and Ruthie Tilton.
Visitation will be held on Sunday September 9, 2012, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, Missouri. Eastern Star Services will be held at 7:00 pm at the funeral home.
Graveside services will be held Monday, September 10, 2012, at 11:00 am at the Puxico Cemetery in Puxico, Missouri with the Rev. Ricky White of Poplar Bluff, Missouri officiating.
Interment will follow in the Puxico Cemetery with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements
Stella White, daughter of the late Dallas Creed and Montie Boone Creed, was born on October 2, 1918, in Senath, Dunklin County, Missouri, and died on September 3, 2012, at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter at the age of 93.
On March 16, 1946, she was united in marriage to Richard M. White in Flint, Michigan. She and her husband owned and operated Marquette Wallpaper and Paint in Marquette, Michigan.
Mrs. White was a resident of Dexter and a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Dexter.
She was preceded in death by her husband and is survived by one step-son, Richard Jack White, of Portland, Oregon.
Graveside services will be conducted Thursday, September 6, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at the Senath Cemetery in Senath, Missouri, by Rev. Roger Wooten. Arrangements are being handled by Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home, Dexter, Missouri.
Daisy Speer daughter of Willard Eubanks of Bloomfield and the late Ruth Hornbuckle Eubanks was born on October 3, 1944 in Manila, Arkansas and died on September 1, 2012 at her residence in Dexter at the age of 67.
Mrs. Speer was a resident of Dexter and a member of the Faith Fellowship Church in Dexter.
Besides her father she is survived by one son, Travis Hudson of Dexter; by five daughters, Sheila Edwards of Dexter, Paula McCoy of Zalma, Sherry Grimm of Dexter, Ronda Preston of Florida and Shanna Volezquez of Sikeston; by three brothers; Willis Eubanks, Doyle Eubanks and Jerry Eubanks all of Bloomfield; by one sister, Pat Lindsey of Mississippi; by eleven grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.
Besides her mother one brother, Donnie Eubanks, preceded her in death.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 from 12:30 P.M. until 2:00 P.M. Funeral services will then be conducted on Wednesday at 2:00 P.M. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Bill Pennington officiating. Interment will follow in the Gravel Hill cemetery near Bloomfield.
Josephine Lee daughter, of the late Benjamin Hill and Clara Chasteen Hill, was born on April 16, 1934 in Dudley, Missouri and died on September 2, 2012 at the Golden Living Center in Dexter at the age of 78.
She was a graduate of the Puxico High School class of 1950. On June 13, 1953 she was united in marriage to Bill Lee in Yuma, Arizona. They lived near the Marine base at camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. After Mr. Lee’s service in the Marines, they made their home in St. Louis, Missouri for thirty-six years. After retirement they moved to Dexter. She enjoyed sewing, playing the piano, writing poetry and other hobbies.
She had a love for the Lord. Before entering high school, she had an early conversion and joined Rockhill Baptist Church, and was baptized. When she came from St. Louis, she chose Sadler Chapel United Methodist Church as her home church.
Besides her husband, she is survived by one daughter and son in law, Mickey and husband C.E. Tuley of Dexter; by one sister, Bessie Bridges of Puxico, Missouri and by one granddaughter, Jennifer Rowland of St. Louis, Missouri.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother, William Hill and by one granddaughter, JoAnna Lee Tuley.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Monday, September 3, 2012 from 5:00P.M.-8:00P.M. Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Pastor Sue Welborn and Pastor Dave Fowler officiating. Interment will follow in the Sadler Chapel cemetery.
Rev. William (Bill) Pitts Sr., son of Ruby Tunnell Pitts of El Reno, Oklahoma and the late James Robert Pitts Sr. was born on August 16, 1941 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and departed this life in the Golden Living Center in Dexter on September 3, 2012 at the age of 71.
Rev. Pitts was a minister in the Assembly Of God Church for forty one years, pastoring churches in Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force, a Eagle Scout and recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award.
He was united in marriage to Lenora Ann Long on January 5, 1961 at Worthington. Mrs. Pitts preceded him in death on January 26, 2007.
He is survived by one son, William E. Pitts Jr. of El Reno, Oklahoma: by three daughters, Ruby Lenora Pitts of Kansas City, Billie Shelton of Dexter and Lisa Renee Marsh of Columbia: by his mother, Ruby Pitts of El Reno, Oklahoma: by two brothers, Roy Allen Pitts of Edmond, Oklahoma and Thomas Edward Pitts of El Reno, Oklahoma: by one sister, Sally Sue Sims of Lawton, Oklahoma: by eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Besides his wife and father, he was preceded in death by one brother, James Robert Pitts Jr.
Friends may call at the Glad Tidings Assembly Of God Church in Moberly, from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M., Wednesday, September 5, 2012. Funeral services will then be conducted at 10:00 A.M., Thursday, September 6, 2012 in the Glad Tidings Assembly Of God Church with Rev, Manuel Shultz officiating. Interment will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Jacksonville with Full Military Honors.
Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Dexter in charge of arrangements.
