Obituaries

Phillip Wayne Purinton, age 57, of Lamar, died at his home Tuesday, January 29, 2013. Phillip was born August 3, 1955 in Kansas City, KS to Ronald & Evelyn Purinton. He had worked as a baker for Butternut Bakery in Kansas City, and also as a  self employed house painter.  Phillip loved to fish, and loved spending time with his...

Max Williams, age 79, of rural Lamar, passed away 7:40 a.m. Friday, January 25, 2013 at his home with his wife, Joanne and his son, David by his side.      Max was born May 30, 1933 at Iantha, Missouri, to Carl and Esther (Brown) Williams.  After graduating from high school, Max served in the U.S. Army from 1953 through 1955....

Frances Carolyn Gates, a resident of Lamar, Missouri since 2004, and formerly of Fort Meyers, Florida, died January 23, 2013 following a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.  Born in Utica, New York on July 17, 1926, Fran was the first of three children of Edwin Augustus and Elizabeth Louise Babcock Gruppe.  Having moved to Fayetteville, New York in 1937, she...

Maxine Francis Stilabower, age 86, of Lamar, passed Tuesday January 22, 2013 surround by her loved ones. Maxine was born July 12, 1926 at Golden City, MO to Harry Lee and Ina Allene (McCubbin) Francis. She graduated from Golden City High School in 1943.  Upon graduating high school Maxine moved with her family to California, where she worked at Douglas...

Donald Lee Rogers, Sr. age 78, of Lamar, passed away Friday, January 11, 2013 at Barton County Memorial Hospital.      Donald was born August 29, 1934, one of the nine children of C.V. and Naomi (Ashburn) Rogers.  He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Eldon Virgil Rogers and Robert Rogers.      Donald had been married to...

Martha Eileen Duffy Douglas, age 94, passed away on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at her home in Lamar, MO surrounded by her family caregivers.      Eileen was born May 14, 1918 in Pennsboro, MO, the only child of Daniel Waldo and Floy Margaret (McLerran) Duffy.  She was born the morning her soldier father sailed from New York Harbor for France...

Rebecca J. Smith, age 49, of Lamar, passed away Saturday, January 5, 2013 at Cox South Hospital in Springfield.       Shortly after Rebecca was born August 19, 1963 in Los Angeles, California, she moved with her family to Lamar where she graduated from Lamar High School in 1981.  She later earned an associates degree in business management.  Rebecca was a...

Linda Nell Bays, age 65, of Mount Vernon, Missouri passed away Sunday, January 6, 2013 at her home following a sudden illness.      Linda was born August 18, 1947 in Lamar, Missouri, one of the four children of George and Lela (Wright) Bays.  She graduated from Jasper High School in 1965 and had worked as a hairdresser for many years....

Beth Lavon Pope, age 88, of Lamar, MO, passed away Thursday, January 3, 2013 at Barton County Memorial Hospital.      Beth was born March 21, 1924 at Elwood, Nebraska, to Richard and Esther (Prather) Stewart and grew up in Kearney, Nebraska.  She met Glenn Pope and they married March 8, 1941.  Two sons and one daughter were born to this...

Clarence Eugene Carter, age 80, of Lamar, died Wednesday January 2, 2013 after a short illness. Clarence was born February 16, 1932 in Nebraska to Frank and Sarah Carter.  He was married to Janelle Irene Bell and she preceded him in death. Clarence worked as a woodcutter. Survivors include five sons; Wendall & Julie Carter of Lamar, MO, Rick &...

Linda Stilabower, 91, died New Year’s Day at Hidden Lake Care Center after a short battle with cancer. She was born June 6, 1921 in Dade County, Missouri, the daughter of Samuel and Blanche Divine. She graduated from Golden City High School in 1938. In 1941, she married George W. Stilabower in Elkton, MD. They lived in Patterson, NJ, where...

Ann Sprenkle Martinez, age 43, of Springfield, died December 29, 2012 in Springfield.  She was born August 30, 1969 in Lamar to Charles and Merle (Haile) Sprenkle.  She was a  1987 graduate of Jasper High School and graduated in 1992 from Southwest Missouri State University with a degree in Communications Management;  she worked in mortgage lending and insurance in Springfield. ...

Hazel "Val" Schwindaman, age 85, a resident at Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Lockwood, passed away Sunday, December 30, 2012 at Barton County Memorial Hospital.      Val was born July 18, 1927 on the family farm near Hiawatha, Kansas, to Frank and Ruby (Gore) Tharp.  On October 21, 1947, she married William "Chet" Schwindaman and they made their home in...

Maxine May Jeffries was born April 5, 1924 and died at the home of her daughter, Annita, Monday, December 24, 201, after a prolonged illness.     On December 14, 1945, Maxine married Kenneth Glenn Jeffries who preceded her in death April 27, 2003.  She was a faithful member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church near Avilla, Missouri.     ...

Ruth Imogene Harris was born January 17, 1919 to William Riley Harris II and Vera Edith (Welsh) Harris, on the home place south of Kenoma in Barton County, Missouri.  She graduated from Lamar High School and attended Springfield Teacher's College.  After graduation, she taught at a rural school for three years.  She married Andy Howard Davis, one of ten children,...

Josephine Langworthy Morgan, age 89, died Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at Golden Age Living Center in El Dorado, Kansas.      Josephine was born June 19, 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri to Arthur John and Georgia Myrtle (Kingsolver) Langworthy.  She graduated from Northeast High School in Kansas City, Missouri where she studied Latin and was a straight A student. On May...

Wanda M. Nelson, age 91, of Lamar died at her home Tuesday December 18, 2012 after a long illness. Mrs. Nelson was born July 7, 1921 in Allen County, KS to George Washington and Artie Jean (Tinsley) Alumbaugh.  She was retired from working with her husband and sons as office manager in the family owned Nelson Brothers Quarry, located east...

Velma May Garfield, age 96, of Lamar, passed away Sunday, December 9, 2012 at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin.      Velma was born June 29, 1916 at Watseka, Illinois, the second-born and only daughter of the six children of Harrison and Letha (Wood) Tuttle.  Due to her mother’s health, Velma took on many of the responsibilities of caring for her...

Seth Ward Bradley, age 80, of  Mission, Texas died Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at Mission Nursing Home in Mission.    Seth was born February 6, 1932 in Mosquero, New Mexico to Tell E. and Edna Mae (Keener) Bradley. He graduated from Mosquero High School.  In addition to farming for many years, Seth had worked in the aircraft industry and as...

Donna Mae Harvey, age 86, passed away Thursday, November 22, 2012 at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin.      Donna Mae was born November 21, 1926, at Milford, one of the three children of Othal and Mae (Wagaman) Gardner.  A life-long Barton County resident, Donna graduated from Lamar High School in 1943 and earned a teaching certificate from Pittsburg State.  After...