John E. Buckner
John Edward Buckner, 78, Fair Grove, died at 1:25 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001, in Cox Medical Center South, Springfield, after a brief illness. He was born Oct. 23, 1922, near Fair Grove, the son of Charles Robert and Leona Bell Jones Buckner. He was a lifelong resident of the Fair Grove and Pleasant Hope area and had lived for more than 60 years on the farm where he resided with his wife, Mable Buckner, who preceded him in death in 1983. He was a member of the Union Grove Baptist Church near his home and was a retired farmer and stockman. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Marie Medley; and two brothers, Ervin Buckner and Earl Buckner. Surviving are two sisters, Madge Pinegar of Springfield and Mabel Carter of Kissee Mills, as well as other close family members: Carl Buckner of Fair Grove, Martha Hale and Charlene Crites, both of Bolivar, Alice Pulliam, Loretta Albaugh, Ed Pinegar and Charles Buckner, all of Springfield, Darlene Mincks of Carthage, Kenneth Buckner of Stockton, Kathryn Pointer of Charleston, S.C., Larry Hillenburg, Jimmy Hillenburg and Brenda Laney, all of Pleasant Hope, Mike Carter of Memphis, Tenn., Kelly Carter of Dallas, Texas, and Terese Bertine of Anchorage, Alaska. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. DeWayne Burdette officiating. Musical soloist will be Louise Dukes with Linda Crawford as the pianist. Burial will be in Union Grove Cemetery, southeast of Pleasant Hope. Casketbearers will be Jeff Christian, David McCroskey, Dewey Ramey, Larry Laney, Larry Hillenburg and Jackie Crawford. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the charity of the donor's choice.
Carl M. Carson
Carl M. Carson, 79, Bolivar, died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001, at Citizens Memorial Health Care Facility. The cause was cancer. He and his wife, the former Anna Reynolds of Bolivar, had lived on a farm five miles northwest of Bolivar since 1961. He was born in Corbin City, Kan., which lies just south of Cherryvale in the southeastern part of the state. The family worked on farms in the area. Mr. Carson went to school in Cherryvale, including Cherryvale High School, and enlisted in the navy in 1940. He was a seaman on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and sank that ship and several others. Mr. Carson was below decks when the first bombs hit on that Sunday morning 60 years ago and the Arizona began to sink. He made his way into the No. 2 gun turret, which housed three of the ship's huge 14-inch guns, and then climbed to the top and out the hatch. The harbor was filled with smoke and fire, he recalled later, and all was chaos. Later he was blown into the water by another bomb and then rescued by a fellow seaman. His lungs ruptured, Mr. Carson passed into unconsciousness at that point and remembered nothing more until he woke up in an oxygen tent in a hospital on shore. After spending several weeks in the hospital to recuperate from his injuries, Mr. Carson rejoined the fleet and spent the rest of the war in the Pacific, part of the time being stationed on a supply ship. He also did a stint helping operate the airstrip on the otherwise uninhabited island of Palmyra in the South Pacific. He was promoted to chief petty officer. In 1955, Mr. Carson, who had never married, was working as a navy recruiter at the post office in Jefferson City. Also working there, in the Bureau of Public Roads, was Anna Reynolds, who had grown up beside the S-curves on Mo. 32 west of Bolivar. They met, began dating and were married Jan. 20, 1956. The Carsons lived in the Philippines when he was assigned there by the Navy, and later at a Navy base in California. His death came a week before the couple's 45th anniversary. All during his years in the Navy, Mr. Carson dreamed of having a farm someplace back in the Midwest when he retired. In 1961, when he left the service, he and his wife bought the 160 acres on a gravel road which they still owned at the time of his death. At first, the Carsons had a dairy operation and then became beef producers. While in the Navy, Mr. Carson taught a shop class and was always fascinated by machinery, particularly farm machinery, and shop tools. At one time, he owned three tractors, two pickups, a van and a car, and in his professional-size shop on the farm, he had more than 20 portable circular saws, in addition to many other power tools. Mr. Carson never returned to Pearl Harbor after the war and had never seen the shining USS Arizona memorial built atop the relics of the ship until last fall when he and his wife were taken back as guests of National Geographic. The sight of the memorial and the ruined ship in which so many of his friends are entombed proved to be a painful and torturous emotional experience for the retired Navy man. "I'm glad I went back," he was to say later, "but I don't ever want to go again." Surviving, besides his wife, are two brothers and their wives, Robert and Ilona Carson, who live on a farm adjoining that of Carl and Anna, and Jerry Lee and Kitty Carson of Dearing, Kan.; a sister, Joan Robinett of Coffeyville, Kan.; a sister-in-law, Luella Anderson, Bolivar; and several nieces, nephews and cousins, most of whom live in Kansas. Services were Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Virgil Kearney officiating. Musical soloist was Dr. David Hacker with Carol Krueger as pianist. Burial was in Barren Creek Cemetery west of Bolivar. Casketbearers were Jim Brown, Bob Beason, Ray Potts, Keith Parminter, Jack Glendenning and Tim Ragain.
Ralph L. Childress
Ralph L. Childress, 74, Bolivar, died at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2001, at Cox Medical Center, Springfield, after a six-month illness. He was born Feb. 28, 1926, near Aldrich, the son of Julen and Addie Waggoner Childress. He was a charter member of the Southside Missionary Baptist Church in Bolivar and had retired from the Southwest Electric Cooperative after 41 years of service. He was also the co-owner with his wife, Mary, of Childress Music in Bolivar. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He enjoyed life to the fullest and liked everyone he met. He always had a mile and humorous story for his friends. Survivors include his wife, Mary, of the home; two daughters and their husbands, Lisa and Brett Jarvis and Barbara and Dusty McMurren, all of Bolivar; a son and his wife, Jerry and Barbara Childress of Linthicum Heights, Md.; two sisters, Edith Graves of Bolivar and Velma Tummons of Elsworth, Kan.; a brother, Clifford Childress of Springfield; and one granddaughter. He was a loving, devoted husband, father and grandfather, and will be sadly missed by all who knew him We take comfort in knowing he is no longer in pain and is now in the arms of a loving God. Services were Thursday, Jan. 4, in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Gayland Lightfoot officiating. Music was provided by Alan Roberts, Mike Rowan, Nathan Hoffer and David Barham. Burial was in Greenwood Cemetery. Casketbearers were Charley Ealy, Kenneth Childress, Glenn Childress, John McGinnis, Floyd Carpenter and John Shuler. Full military honors were conducted by the Galmey V.F.W. Post No. 9638. Memorial contributions may be made to the Southside Missionary Baptist Church in care of Butler Funeral Home, P.O. Box 11, Bolivar, MO 65613.
Veneva Courtney
Veneva Courtney was born March 18, 1925, at St. Frances Hospital in Topeka, Kan., the daughter of Vern Warren Bowman and Minnie Laverne Stafford.
She passed away at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2001, at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield at the age of 75 years, 9 months, and 29 days.
Many of her first memories were not of Topeka but of the great depression and living in southern Missouri near Pea Ridge, Ark.
Near Pea Ridge, Neva, her two sisters, and her brother learned to live off the land with their mom, raising chickens and hogs and taking fish from Sugar Creek.
Later she learned that working in the poultry factory in Pea Ridge wasn't her calling.
Her father found work in Burlington, Kan., and the family reunited. Her brother, Warren, soon went off to war, and Neva went to work for Southwestern Bell.
Shortly after, Neva went to a dance in Burlington, Kan., and met Joe Courtney.
A short courtship turned into a marriage proposal and a trip to the justice of the peace on March 24, 1944.
She now became a farmer's wife.
Neva and Joe began farming near Burlington, Kan., and continued to farm in Coffey County.
Neva and Joe had a daughter, Wilma, in June 1945 and a son, Jim, in December 1950.
Both children graduated from Waverly High School in Waverly, Kan.
After the kids graduated, they sold the Waverly farm and moved to Lebo, Kan.
In 1973, Joe retired, they sold the farm and moved to Bolivar.
They had already found their next love-camping.
For more than 25 years they enjoyed camping with their friends.
Neva goes before us but will not be forgotten.
Surviving are her two children, Wilma Williams and her husband, Duane, of Bolivar and James V. Courtney and his wife, Cindy, of Overland Park, Kan.; and her two sisters, Cora Mae Bowen of El Dorado Springs and her twin sister, Veneta Francis of Topeka, Kan.
Also surviving are her four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services were Saturday, Jan. 20, in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Mark Shaffer officiating.
Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery in Bolivar.
Casketbearers were Charles Bowen, Kevin Bowen, Gene Carlton, Andy Anderson, Douglas Williams, Gary Short and Father John West.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Community United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 375, Buffalo, MO 65622.
Nancy Brown Cowan
Nancy Ann Brown Cowan, 47, Coos Bay, Ore., formerly of Bolivar, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, in Ava. She was born Feb. 24, 1953, in Albuquerque, N.M., the daughter of Ora Ann and Donald B. Brown. She graduated in 1971 from the American High School in Heidelberg, Germany, and later from Southwest Missouri State University with a B.S. in education, majoring in German and minoring in Spanish. She was a former teacher at Ava High School and Bolivar High School. She was preceded in death by her father, Donald B. Brown. Survivors include her husband, Verdell Cowan; her mother, Ann Brown of Bolivar; a son, Tyler Simmons, and a daughter, Kelly Simmons, both of Bolivar; a brother, Steve Brown, and his wife, Paula, of Osage Beach; a grandson, Andrew Mauck of Bolivar; and several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Services were Tuesday, Jan. 30, in Pitts Chapel with Elder J.D. Baker officiating. Music was provided by Ervin Deithley, Dana Barbo and Charles Braithwait, accompanied by Candy Baker. Burial will be at a later date in Greenwood Cemetery.
Junior Cribbs
Junior Cribbs, 85, Brighton, died at 1:18 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, 2001, in St. John's Regional Health Center, Springfield.
He was a retired carpenter and stockman.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in Brighton Cemetery under the direction of Greenlawn Funeral Home North, Springfield. Visitation will be from 7 to 8 p.m. today (Wednesday) in the funeral home.
Rose Marie Entlicher
Rose Marie Entlicher, 73, died at 12:55 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, 2001, at her home south of Bolivar after a short illness. She was born July 3, 1927, in Falls City, Neb., the daughter of Willis and Elsie Ball Wood. She had been a resident of Bolivar for several years, moving here from Denver, Colo. She was preceded in death by her parents. Surviving is her husband, Rudolph of the home; one son, Richard Shurtleff of Richland; one stepson, Ronald Entlicher, and one stepdaughter, Brenda Ross, both of Bolivar; three grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. Also a host of other relatives and many friends. Services were Monday, Jan. 15, in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel with Greg Ankrom officiating. Musical selections were "Amazing Grace" and "Peace in the Valley." Burial was in the Slagle Cemetery south of Bolivar under the direction of the Butler Funeral Home. Casketbearers were Dannie Hubbert, Keith Smith, Lewis McBride, Phillip Rose, David Francka and Terry Stewart.
Edwin A. Erven
Edwin Allen Erven, 80, Bolivar, died Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2001, in Parkview Health Care Facility following a lengthy illness. He was born Aug. 26, 1920, in Goodson to Homer and Bessie Frances Naselroad Erven. He graduated from Emma D. School and served in the U. S. Army and the Naval Reserves. He was a member of Strafford Masonic Lodge No. 608 and the 4-H and Lindley Creek Missionary Baptist Church. He is survived by two sons, Larry Erven of Branson and John Erven of Bolivar; three daughters, Lana Thomas and Linda Newton, both of Springfield, and Louise Stewart of Chapin, S.C.; three brothers, Orel Erven of Goodson, Monford Carter and Vernon Carter, both of Half Way; a sister, Willa Strader of Bolivar; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and three sisters. Services were Friday, Jan. 12, in Pitts Chapel with Bro. Dennis Spear officiating. Burial followed in Mt. View Cemetery with military honors provided by Am Vets Post No. 114. Music was provided by Kara and Chad Owens. Pallbearers were grandsons Jeff Chastain, Shawn Newton, Jeremy Wilson, Chris Erven, Chad Owens, Paul Elmer, Tyler Morehead and Chris Annin.
Molly B. Floyd
Molly Bell Floyd, 88, Humansville, died Monday, Jan. 29, 2001, in Big Spring Care Center. The daughter of Jess L. and Myrtle Shivers Eyre, she was born May 3, 1912, at Kansas City. She married Walter Floyd Oct. 20, 1934. He preceded her in death July 21, 1988. A former resident of Flemington, she was a homemaker and a member of the United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Gordon Eyre; a sister, Virginia Anders; and an infant sister. Survivors include two children and their spouses, Wanda and Bill Garretson of Humansville and Kenneth and Mary Floyd of Flemington; a sister, Dorothy Davis of Kansas City; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Services will be at 2:00 p.m. today (Wednesday) in Murray Chapel, Humansville, with the Rev. Bob McQueen officiating. Music will be by Bob and Sandy Lovett. Pallbearers will be Randy Garretson, Bob Lovett, Ben Coleman, Dorman Coppage, Gary Davis and Bob Butcher. Interment will follow in Humansville Cemetery.
Margaret C. Geivet
Margaret C. Geivet, 72, Bolivar, died at 5:03 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2001, in Cox Medical Center South, Springfield. She was born Oct. 25, 1928, in Oklahoma to Wadie and Peal Phipps Gaines. On Dec. 23, 1945, she was united in marriage to Lloyd Geivet, and to this union a daughter was born. She had been a secretary for the Missouri Department of Family Services and had owned Geivet's Goody Shop in Galmy. Survivors include her husband, Lloyd, of the home; a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Kerry Brand of Greensboro, Ga.; a half-brother, Preston Gaines of Deerfield; three stepbrothers, Bill Mesplay of Winslow, Ark., Ronnie Mesplay of DeBary, Fla., and Jim Mesplay of Chicago, Ill.; four stepsisters, Linda Braun, Charmion Fanning and Betty Hendrix, all of Independence, and Dorothy Armstrong of Tacoma, Wash.; her stepmother, Dorothy Hampton of Nevada; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents. Services were Saturday, Jan. 13, in Pitts Chapel with the Rev. Jim Earson and Pastor Paul Cofer officiating. Burial followed in Greenfield Cemetery, Jerico Springs.
