Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002
John Patrick O'Dowd, 34
Jan 18, 2007
John Patrick O'Dowd, the son of William M. O'Dowd and Karen "Hood" Pahal, was born March 14, 1972 in St. Louis, and departed this life Jan. 16, 2007, at the age of 34 years.
John grew up in Belleville, Ill. He was a resident of the Ava area since 2000, moving here from Branson. John was a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
John was preceded in death by his father, William M. O'Dowd.
He is survived by his mother, Karen Pahal, Trish and Pat Bohn, and Moriah O'Dowd, all of Ava; Kathleen O'Dowd, Michael O'Dowd and Nancy Meyers; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends.
Services will be 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 22, in St. Leo's Catholic Church in Ava, with Father Paul Wightman officiating.
Visitation will be Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. in Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava.
Memorials may be made to Special Olympics in care of Clinkingbeard Funeral Home.
Nigel Edward Oxley
Jan 18, 2007
Nigel Edward Oxley, son of Jacob Edward Oxley and Lizzie Ray (Parker) Oxley, was born Dec. 10, 19l7, in Almartha, and departed this life Jan. 12, 2007, at the age of 89.
Nigel was a lifelong resident of the area. He was in the upholstery business for many years.
On Feb. 11, 1937, Nigel and Goldie Henley were united in marriage in Ava. Nigel and Goldie were blessed with three children.
Nigel was a member of the Ava Church of Christ.
Nigel was very involved with the Senior Citizens, DoCo sheltered workshop and very involved with the less fortunate.
Nigel was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Goldie, three sisters, Erma Stone, Ruby Alene Oxley, Reba Lockey Oxley and one grandson, Brian Jones.
He is survived by three children, Virginia Ruth Jones and husband Wendell, Forsyth, Larry Edward Oxley and wife Pam, and Marylin Reba Pellham and husband, Darrell, all of Holts Summit; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter on the way; four sisters, Allie Fry, Bakersfield, Calif., Stella Genelle Johnson, Mary Elle Crown, and Helen May Warren, and two brothers, Elmo Lyle Oxley and Carl Denver Oxley, all of California; and a host of relatives and friends.
Services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home with Brad Smith officiating.
Interment followed in the Herndon Cemetery, Almartha.
Memorials may be made to the Fairhaven Children's Home.
Zella B. Transano, 83
Jan 18, 2007
Zella B. Transano, 83, of Hurdland, Mo., passed away Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, at the Knox County Nursing Home in Edina, Mo.
She was born on April 22, 1923, in Lewistown, Mo., the daughter of Joe Dewey and Lena Leota Payne Mills.
Zella and her parents lived in Lewis, Knox and Adair counties before her marriage to Joe T. Transano on Aug. 2, 1941, in Lancaster.
While Joe was deployed during World War II, Zella worked at F.W. Woolworth's Five and Dime in Kirksville, until his return. They moved to the farm south of Hurdland, in 1942, where she worked as a farm wife until her health failed in September of 2006, and she moved to the Knox County Nursing Home.
Zella enjoyed her flowers, pets, and feeding the birds. She also enjoyed sending greeting cards, yard sales, and visiting with her dearest friends on the telephone. Zella was always considerate of the needs and feelings of others and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
Zella is survived by a son, Eddy Joe and his wife, Kay Transano, of Ava; a daughter, Joy Ann and her husband, Jim Parrish, of Hurdland; seven grandchildren, Mike and his wife, Brooke Transano, James Transano, Aaron and his wife, Heather Parrish, Janie and her husband, Paul Bergschneider, Jill and her husband, Brian Dooley, Joni Parrish-Kempf, and Jaylee Parrish; 10 great-grandchildren, Blake and Carley Transano, Faith, Abigail, Matilyn and Emma Parrish, Luke, Bethany, and Thad Bergschneider and Leighton Kempf; and a host of friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, Joe Transano, on July 31, 1992.
Funeral Services will be today (Thursday, Jan. 18) at 11 a.m. at the Doss Funeral Home in Edina, Mo., with the Rev. Jared Freemeyer officiating.
An expression of sympathy in memory of Zella B. Transano may be left to the Knox County Nursing Home or Hospice of Northeast Missouri.
A memorial may be left at or mailed to the Doss Funeral Home 208 N. 4th Street, Edina, Mo. 63537.
Paul E. Lewis, 46
Jan 18, 2007
Paul E. Lewis, 46, Ozark, met his Savior on Jan. 12, 2007, in Ozark.
Paul was born May 23, 1960, to Dave and Pat Lewis, in Prescott, Ariz.
He lived in California, until age 6, when the family moved to Ava. In 1980, after serving in the Air Force in security, he moved to Ozark to be near his parents. He was a spirited truck driver for the past 26 years. He was loved, not only by those who he called family, but by those "over the road" angels he called brothers.
Paul was preceded in death by his mother, Pat Lewis, in 2005, and a brother, David, in 1955.
He is lovingly survived by his father Dave and his wife Janice of Ozark; a sister, Teresa Bruns and husband Randy, of Nixa; grandma Jenny Osborne, of Ozark; and aunt Jeanette Pigeon, of Prescott, Ariz.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in Barnes Family Funeral Home, Ozark, with Chaplain Steve Martin officiating.
Burial will follow with full military honors at a later date in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Springfield.
Weldon Farmer, 72
Jan 18, 2007
Weldon Farmer passed away Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007, at Heart of the Ozarks Healthcare Center, Ava, at the age of 72.
Weldon was born Nov. 3, 1934, in Ozark County, to Robert Russell Farmer and Belma (Swearengin) Farmer.
On Dec. 28, 1983, Weldon and Virginia were married in Leavenworth, Kan.
In 1997, Weldon retired from General Motors in Kansas City. Later, moving back to Ozark County, Weldon and Virginia made their home in Thornfield.
Weldon was a member of the Hilltop Victory Chapel.
Mr. Farmer is survived by his wife, Virginia Farmer, of the home in Thornfield; a son, Charles Farmer, of Willard; a daughter, Cindy Daniels, of Gainesville; three stepchildren, Lee Tigue, of Kansas City, Kan., Debbie Parsley, Dallas, Texas, and Jeannie Willis, Dallas, Texas; five grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Belma Farmer, and a stepdaughter, Virginia Ann McNeely.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. today (Thursday) at Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Gainesville, with Dale Roberts officiating.
Burial will follow at Thornfield Cemetery.
Marion Alonzo Bell, 75
Jan 18, 2007
Marion Alonzo Bell, 75, died of cancer at his home in Ava on Jan. 10, 2007.
Marion was born Nov. 25, 1931, in Crystal Springs, Miss.
He received his education in the Crystal Springs Consolidated School System. He entered active military service when he was activated with the Mississippi National Guard 155th Dixie Division during the Korean War. Marion was awarded a Bronze Star for his services in Korea and an honorable discharge in 1952.
After his military service, Marion returned home to begin a career in the oil field that took him and his family all over the world. When he retired from the oil fields, as a consultant, he continued his love of travel and meeting new people by becoming a truck driver.
Marion was a member of the Harmony Baptist Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a third-degree Mason.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Alonza Bell, a wife, Janet Bell, and a wife, Mildred Fairchild Bell.
Survivors include a daughter, Vicky Bell Nienaber and husband, Mike, of Memphis, Tenn.; a son, Thomas (Tommy) Ellis Bell and wife, Sylvia, of Georgetown, Miss.; stepdaughter, Cindy Fairchild Bass and husband, Jackie, Ava; a brother, William E. Bell, Gulfport, Miss.; a sister, Jane Bell Dykes, of Madison; five grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Visitation was held from 5 to 8 p.m. at Stringer Funeral Home in Crystal Springs, Miss., on Jan. 14, and graveside services were held at Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery at 11 a.m. on Jan. 15, with Stringer Family Funeral Services in Crystal Springs in charge of arrangements.
Local arrangements were by Ava Family Funeral Home.
Theodore Lee Cooley, 87
Jan 18, 2007
Theodore Lee Cooley, son of the late William Frederick and Elsie Mable (Doane) Cooley, was born on July 6, 1919, in Dewey, Okla., and departed this life on Jan. 11, 2007, in the St. John's Hospital, Springfield, following a short illness, at the age of 87.
Lee grew up on a farm in Douglas County in the Drury area and graduated from Mtn. Grove High School in 1941. Between his junior and senior years in high school, he joined the CCCs to help his family financially and went back to school to graduate.
He joined the United States Horse Cavalry Division that later became the United States 9th Armored Division. He served his country in the European Theater, Battle of the Bulge, and spearheaded crossing the Rhine River and pushed all the way to Berlin. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 17, 1945.
Lee was united in marriage to Margaret Burge on Sept. 26, 1946, in Ava.
They moved to California in 1950 and adopted their three children while living there. They moved to London, Ark., in 1962. There they raised their children on a chicken farm along with raising foster children over the years. They moved back to the Mtn. Grove area in 1982.
In his spare time, Lee enjoyed reading and working out at the YMCA on a regular basis. He had a great sense of humor and loved making those around him laugh. He was also known as a man of his word who was highly respected.
Lee was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend. He enjoyed spending time with his family and visiting with his neighbors and many friends.
At the time of his passing, he was a member of the First Christian Church in Norwood.
He was also a member of the American Legion Post 30 in Mtn. Grove.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Lt. William "Bill" Lee Cooley, in 1978; three brothers, Orville Cooley, Landon Cooley, and Frederick Cooley; four sisters, Janice Wade, Hazel Schumann, Ida Cooley and Joan McGinnis.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Margaret Cooley, of their home; one son, Patrick Cooley and his wife, Cindy, of North Little Rock, Ark.; one daughter, Shirley Smith and her husband, Joe, of Mtn. Grove; two sisters, Frances Sutherland and Janie Hicks, both of Mtn. Grove; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m., in the Craig-Hurtt Chapel, Mtn. Grove, with the Rev. John Luther officiating, with full military honors by the American Legion Post 30.
Burial was in the New Hope Cemetery, Douglas County, under the direction of the Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home.
Floetta Elna Burch, 100
Jan 18, 2007
Floetta Elna Burch, daughter of the late Frank E. and Rebecka (Murphy) McCune, was born on Oct. 27, 1906, in Bellville, Kan., and departed this life on Jan. 10, 2007, at her residence in Vanzant following a short illness. She was 100 years old.
Floetta moved with her parents to the Mtn. Grove area at the age of 4. She grew up on a little farm south of Dunn in Texas County.
She was united in marriage to Otto Jasper Burch on Feb. 1, 1929, at her parents' home near Dunn. One son, Willard, was born to this union.
Mr. Burch passed away on July 28, 1979.
Floetta was saved at a young age and was a charter member of the General Baptist Church in Dunn. At the time of her passing, she was a member of the Prior Church in Douglas County.
She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and friend. She enjoyed taking care of her family and gardening.
Besides her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by one brother, Lynn McCune; and by two sisters, Ila Alexander and Leola Calhoun.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Willard and Ginger Burch, of Vanzant; several grandchildren; great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren; her church family; neighbors and many friends.
Funeral services were held Friday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., in the Prior Church with the Revs. Willard Burch and Frank McCune officiating.
Burial was in the Dykes Cemetery in Texas County under the direction of Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home, Mtn. Grove.
