Dennis Keith Fears, son of the late John Fears and Mary Neal Fears, was born on August 25, 1955 in Elgin, Illinois and departed this life on February 29, 2016 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the age of 60.
Mr. Fears worked for Federal Mogul in Production Control for fifteen years at Malden, Missouri. After retiring from Federal Mogul, he worked as a property manager. He was a resident of Clarkton, Missouri.
He is survived by one daughter, Jayme Harris and her husband Nathan of Campbell, Missouri; by one brother Mike Fears of Branson, Missouri; by three sisters, Kim Rendleman and husband Alan of Springfield, Missouri, Cindy Bowman and husband Eddie of Dexter, Missouri and Joni Burleson and husband Jeff of Dexter, Missouri; by three grandchildren, Jake Harris, Ella Harris and Stryker Harris; by several nieces and nephews and by many friends.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Ben Fears.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie, on Thursday, March 3, 2016 from 6:00 P.M. till 8:00 P.M. Graveside services will be conducted at the Bernie Cemetery on Friday, March 4, 2016 at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Tim Ingle officiating.
The Family request that donations be made to the Ben Fears Scholarship Fund, c/o Bernie High School, 516 West Main Avenue, Bernie, Missouri 63822
Arrangements are under the direction of the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home.
Eva Paralee Tipton, daughter of the late Larence Eugene Mason and Edith Opal Fields Mason, was born in Bernie, Missouri
On January 2, 1934 and departed this life at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing in Dexter, Missouri on February 28, 2016 at the age of 82.
Mrs. Tipton was a homemaker, had worked for Brown Shoe Company of Bernie, had completed her LPN and was a nurse at Malden Nursing Center & Golden Living Center of Dexter before her retirement. She was a member of Elk General Baptist Church.
She was united in marriage to Charles Dwain Tipton in Piggott, Arkansas on June 9, 1951. Mr. Tipton preceded his wife in death on November 21, 2015.
Survivors include by one son, Alonzo Darrell Tipton of Dexter; by three daughters, Eva Deane Plunkett of Williamsville, Missouri, Rebecca Jean Vineyard of Sevierville, Tennessee and Amy Lee Blough of Bernie; by two brothers, Jim Mason and L.C. Mason both of Bernie, Missouri; by three sisters, Anglee Barnes of Bernie, Missouri, Wilma Burch of Wappapello, Missouri and Linda O’Daniel of Bloomfield, Missouri; by eight grandchildren, Melissa Cruts, Latesha Mercer, Darrin Tipton, Jody Hovelmann, Julie Hopkins, Jennifer Rulapaugh, Jacob Tipton and Matthew Blough and by eight great grandchildren, Lauren Mercer, Sarah Tipton, Jaydon Rulapaugh, Jocelyn Rulapaugh, Wyatt Hopkins, Walker Hopkins, Luke Blough and Addison Hovelmann; also by other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death other than by her parents and her husband, by one son, Charles Dwain Tipton Jr., by one brother, Gene Mason, by three sisters, Mildred Hampton, Alma Poespeshil and Nina Hartle.
Friends may call at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie, Missouri on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 from 11:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.
Funeral services will then be conducted in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel at 2:00 P.M.
Interment will follow in Chalk Bluff Cemetery, Dexter, Missouri. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements.
Steve Vernon Bell Sr. (84), a longtime resident of Sikeston & Dexter, MO. passed away peacefully surrounded by family and his caregiver, Marilynn Slocum on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at his residence in Dexter.
Born February 10, 1931 in Formosa, AR he was the oldest of seven children born to the late Doy Walton and Bernice (Bowman) Bell.
He was the grandson of the late Thomas Newton and Delona Iona (Owens) Bell and Joseph E. and Myrtle Jane (Bryant) Bowman.
On January 29, 1949 in Piggott, AR he married the love of his life, Jewell Virginia Stephens, who preceded him in death October 18, 2013.
In the 1950's, Steve started as a sharecropper and was a restaurant owner. In the early 1960's, he worked as an appliance, TV and radio repairman. He later owned and operated Steve's Electronics in Sikeston, MO. By hard work and determination on May 2, 1963, he acquired his first cable television franchise in Ellington, MO. After implementing this system, he began pioneering cable television into Southeast Missouri, Northeast Arkansas, and Northwest Tennessee for rural communities as Delta Video Cable Systems. Steve along with his wife, Jewell, worked tirelessly to develop and improve cable television for the Tri-State area for the next 25 years. During his many years of working with cable systems, he served on the Board of Directors for The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and was inducted into the Cable Television Hall of Fame in 1993. The SCTE Hall of Fame comprises of SCTE members who, over the course of time, have made extraordinary contributions to the professional development, ideals and goals of the Society and the cable telecommunications industry.
After retirement, Steve went back to his roots and passion of farming purchasing farmland in Stoddard and Scott County, Missouri. Steve found great joy in taking his family and friends out for visits on the farm. When not at the farm, Steve and Jewell traveled extensively around the world and were active members in the Missouri Delta Unit Airstream Club.
Steve and Jewell always put their family first looking for ways to bring their family together. From the construction of a family lake house, to full family holidays and even a family trip to Disney World, their most prized possessions were their children and grandchildren. Steve found great joy in telling the great grandchildren about the monkeys in the backyard and slipping them dollar bills. And for all that knew him, knew that he loved telling stories. You could be certain that 50% of every story was indeed true, but you just didn’t know which 50%. What a jokester! He loved life and lived it to the fullest.
He left a lasting legacy full of wonderful memories and abundant love that will carry on for generations.
Steve leaves to cherish his memory: his son Steve Vernon Bell II and wife Janet of Dexter; three daughters, Janet Lynn Heuring of Dexter, Linda Gaye Cooper and husband Barry of Dexter, and Margaret Jo Ellen Bell of Van Buren. Four brothers; Joe Tom (Doris) Bell of Douglas, GA, Charles Dale (Carolyn) Bell of Dexter, MO, James Chester (Jeanette) Bell of Sikeston, MO and Kenneth Ray (Debbie) Bell of Bloomfield, MO. One sister; Dorothy Lavern Barnes of Portage, MI. Seven grandchildren, Eric Heuring and wife Emily, Lori Bishop and husband Kevin, Brandi Juden and husband Andrew, Brandon Church and wife Cheyenne, Kristina Bell, Julianna Bell and fiancée Cody Branch and Dylan Acevedo; seven great-grandchildren; Anna, Lydia, Luke, Charles Avery, Brittany, Aiden and Jacey; one great-great grandchild, Caiden; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by one grandson; Christopher Gerald Heuring; one brother, George Ellis Bell; one brother-in-law, Melvin Barnes; and one sister-in-law; Ethel Bell.
Visitation will take place on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter from noon until 2 p.m.
Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at 2 p.m. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Matt Johnson and Rev. Joshua Carpenter officiating.
Interment will follow in the Dexter Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Eric Heuring, Brandon Church, Kevin Bishop, Dylan Acevedo, Andrew Juden and Cody Branch.
Charles Melford Gibson, formerly of Dexter, was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on May 4, 1927 and passed away in Dallas, Texas on February 23, 2016, at the age of 88 years, 9 months, and 19 days.
Joe had spent his childhood and early adult life in Dexter. After serving his country as a supply truck driver in Korea, Charles came home and spent the remainder of his life in the trucking business, first as a truck driver, then as owner of a small trucking company. He had been a member of the Assembly of God Church in Missouri and was now a member of the Cowboy Church in Dallas Texas.
On October 22, 1944, he was married to Mayola Ellen McCamish in St. Louis, Missouri. His wife of 60 years preceded him in death on December 29, 2004.
Surviving are one daughter, Pamela K. Gibson of Lewisville, Texas; two sons, Charles Michael "Mike" Gibson of Knoxville, Tennessee, Mark A. Gibson of St. Louis, Missouri; six grandchildren; two great grandchildren; numerous friends including truckers from across the country. He was also preceded in death by one great grandson, Lance Polk of Fort Smith, Arkansas.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2016, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Laurel Land Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas.
Graveside services and interment will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in the Bernie Cemetery in Bernie, Missouri with the Rev. Mike Kohlbaker of Dexter, Missouri officiating with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter, Missouri in charge of arrangements.
Watkins & Sons Funeral Service
www.watkinsfuneralhome.com
Charles Shipman, son of the late William Earnest Shipman and Bessie Mae Allstun Shipman, was born on December 25, 1923 in Dexter, Missouri and departed this life on February 21, 2016 at his residence in Bloomfield, Missouri at the age of 92.
Mr. Shipman was a member of the Church of Christ in Bloomfield, Missouri. He had worked as a salesman for Scott County Milling Company and Cargill. He also farmed and raised cattle. He was a veteran of the United States Army serving during World War II and a member of the American Legion Post #59 in Dexter for sixty years.
On May 23, 1942, he was united in marriage to Laura Edith Jones in Dexter. Mrs. Shipman survives of the home.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, Larry Shipman and wife Jan of Dexter, Missouri, Ronnie Shipman of Phoenix, Arizona and Donnie Shipman and wife Laurie of Bloomfield, Missouri; by two daughters, Charlotte Clark Thomason and husband Frank of Dexter, Missouri and Jan Asbell and husband Jay of Ozark, Missouri; by fourteen grandchildren, twenty-two great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren; and by four step-grandchildren, six step-great-grandchildren and six step-great-great-grandchildren.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Cletus Shipman; three brothers, Willie "Bud" Shipman, Lester Shipman and Dale Shipman; and by one sister, Christine Crowe.
Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Funeral services will be conducted in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel on Friday, February 26, 2016 at 11:00 A.M. with Clyde Jacques officiating.
Interment will follow in the Hagy Cemetery in Dexter.
