Obituaries

Ferne Lucille Roberts, age 92, of Lamar, passed away Thursday morning, January 11, 2018, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin.      Ferne was born May 4, 1925, at her family home in Boston, Missouri, to Glenn and Tressie (Whicker) Brown. After graduating from Lamar High School in 1943, she attended Pittsburg State College and worked in the drafting department at Finley...

Steven Ray Smith, age 68 of Sheldon, Missouri, died Saturday morning, January 6, 2018 at Truman Healthcare Center. He was born November 18, 1949 in Joplin, Missouri to Charles and Pauline Smith.    On May 12, 1996 he married Shelly Ryder in Springfield, Missouri. He was a heavy machinery operator, a carpenter, and a Jack-of-all-trades.      Steve leaves behind his...

Joan Louise Smith, age 78, of Sheldon, Missouri died at her home, Saturday, December 30, 2017 after a short illness.      Joan was born December 25, 1939 at Sheldon to Travis and Necie (Ambler) Wells.  She had worked for Fox Deluxe Pizza, as a waitress and most recently in the dietary department at Nevada Regional Hospital until her retirement.  Joan...

Michael Kirkpatrick, age 55, of Alvarado, Texas, formerly of Kenoma, Missouri, passed away Friday, December 29, 2017 at Huguley Hospital, Burleson, Texas.    Mike was born November 15, 1962, in Gillette, Wyoming, the youngest of the five children of Wayne, Sr. and Darlene (Lamberton) Kirkpatrick. He was preceded in death by his father; two brothers, Jack Kirkpatrick and Wayne “Butch”...

Charles Royal Brooks, age 89, of Lamar, passed away Friday, December 29, 2017, at his home following a short illness.      Charlie was born December 14, 1928, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Leslie and Dorothy Brooks. On August 31, 1952, at St. James Church near Milford, Missouri, he married the love of his life, Ina Mae Kelley. They made their...

Jackie Soma, age 56, of Altamont, Kansas, unexpectedly passed away Saturday, December 23, 2017, at her home. Jackie was born May 16, 1961, in Luverne, Minnesota, the youngest of the five children of Merrill and Beverly (Lindstrom) Soma. After moving with her family to Missouri, she graduated from Lamar High School in 1979. Jackie later married Dwight Gath, and together...

June Nettie Cross, age 92, of Lamar, passed away Sunday morning, December 17, 2017, at Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Lockwood.      June was born June 30, 1925, in Dickinson County, Iowa, the youngest of the four children of Norman and Minnie (Rust) Huehn. She moved with her family to Minnesota where she graduated from Round Lake High School in...

Delbert See Phipps, age 91, of Carthage, Missouri, passed away at 5:23 p.m. Saturday evening, December 16, 2017, at Joplin Gardens, where he received outstanding care. Delbert was born October 21, 1926, at Lamar, Missouri, to John William and Nellie Mae (Baldridge) Phipps. After graduating from Lamar High School, he joined the U.S. Army, serving a year of overseas duty...

Vera Marie Leivan, age 77, of rural Lamar, unexpectedly passed away Monday, December 11, 2017, at Freeman West Hospital following a short illness.      Vera was born March 16, 1940, in Fort Scott, Kansas, grew up in the Kansas City area and graduated from Raytown High School. Always creative and personable, she excelled and enjoyed working for Hallmark Cards in...

Brenda Rose Harvey, age 59, of rural Lamar, passed away Saturday December 9, 2017 after a hard fought battle with gastric cancer, surrounded by her family at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin.   Brenda was born November 17, 1958 in Lamar, Missouri.  She was the youngest of three children born to Russell and Doris (Morgan) Onstott.  Brenda was a proud...

J      Jerry Wayne Phipps, age 61, of Lamar, Missouri, passed away, Saturday, December 9, 2017 at Mercy Hospital, Joplin after a long illness.      Jerry was born June 18, 1956 in Lamar, Missouri to Amos Leroy Phipps and Reba Lois (Stump) Phipps. He was a 1974 graduate of Lamar High School. Jerry married Connie Houston on June 26, 1976...

Fred Jay Marti, age 64, of Hannibal, Missouri, passed away Tuesday night, November 28, 2017, at his home.      Fred was born November 20, 1953, in Lamar, Missouri, one of the eight children of Dale and Corrine (Stewart) Marti.  He graduated from Liberal High School in 1971 and had lived in Hannibal, Missouri for the past 25 years.  His affinity...

Robert Dean Stratton, age 90, of rural Golden City, Missouri, passed away Wednesday night, November 22, 2017, with Maxine, his wife of 68 years, at his side at Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Lockwood, Missouri.      Dean was born on November 11, 1927 on the family farm near Golden City, the first of three children of Vern and Elizabeth (Kentner)...

Mariam L. Dice, age 73, of Lamar, passed away Sunday afternoon, November 19, 2017, surrounded by her family at her home.      Mariam was born September 18, 1944, at Benton, Illinois, to Dillard and Coy (Wiggins) Browning.  She was married to Bill Dice for 26 years and later to Eugene Amatto for a short time.  Mariam was preceded in death...

Lois Duncan, age 87, of rural Lamar, passed away Sunday, November 5, 2017, at Truman Healthcare Center.       Lois was born November 19, 1929, in Barton County to Jesse and Ethel (Mead) Lowe.   On January 26, 1946, at Girard, Kansas, she married Bob Duncan and they made their home and farmed in Barton County.  They had shared 57 years together...

Timothy Todd Daniels, age 52, of rural Lamar, unexpectedly passed away Friday, November 3, 2017, at his home.      Todd was born October 17, 1965, in Opelika, Alabama, to Fred Rhoden and Carolyn Griffin.  Moving with his family to the Kansas City area as a child, he graduated from Raytown South High School.  Before an automobile accident left him disabled,...

Penni Dianne Lehman, age 64, of Lamar, passed away early Friday morning, November 3, 2017, at Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Lockwood.       Penni was born October 15, 1953, in Lamar, the first of the five children of Roy and Thelma (Johnston) Lehman.  After graduating from Lamar High School in 1971, she went on to earn a bachelor of science...

Lisa Joann Johnson, age 50, of Liberal, Missouri, passed away Monday, October 23, 2017, at her home, after a sudden illness.      Lisa was born March 26, 1967, in Doniphan, Missouri, to Marion and Whanita (Millwood) Shelton.  On February 15, 1995, at Mt. Vernon, Missouri, she married Darrell Johnson and they later moved to Liberal to be near family.  Darrell...

Ava Elizabeth Bronson, precious baby girl of Bobby and Kimberly (Gardner) Bronson, was born into the arms of Jesus at 1:39 pm on October 13, 2017 at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, MO.     In addition to her parents, Ava is survived by her two big sisters, Molly and Sophie Bronson, of the home in Lamar, Missouri.  She was also...

Homer Charles “Shorty” Lathrop was born August 2, 1929, the fifth of 10 children to Homer R. and Marguerite (Mallory) Lathrop on the family farm, South East of Sheldon, Missouri and passed away October 13, 2017 at his home.  He attended Rockdale Country School.      As a boy, he worked alongside his father and brothers on the family farm and...