Gerald Winchester
NOEL, Mo. - Gerald Lewis "Casey" Winchester, 70, Noel route 2, died at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 1997, at Gravette (Ark.) Medical Center after a long illness.
Mr. Winchester was born Oct. 27, 1926, at Neosho. He was a lifetime area resident. He worked for Tri-State Gas Company in Noel, which became Empire Gas, and also worked at Tiff City Feed. He had worked at Hudson Foods in Noel for 17 years before retiring.
He was a Baptist and a member of the Sulphur Springs (Ark.) American Legion. He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include a son, Jerry Madison, the state of Oklahoma; a daughter, Gerry Lou Roark, Tulsa; two brothers, Virgil Winchester, Tiff City, and Dean Winchester, Nyssa, Ore.; two sisters, Mary Jane Bechtle, Seneca, and Wilda Palmer, Ontario, Ore.; and one grandson.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Patterson Heights Baptist Church, near Tiff City. The Rev. Sam Mitchell will officiate. Burial will be in the Anderson (Mo.) Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Jim Shaver, Paul Dunaway, Harmon Landon, Frankie Boyd, Orval Barrett and Joe Mills.
Friends may call after noon Monday at Ozark Funeral Home, Anderson, where the family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Richard Blackwood
Memorial services for Richard M. Blackwood, 43, Joplin, who died Sunday, will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Parker Mortuary.
The Rev. Ron Wade will officiate.
The body was cremated.
Dennis Christensen
Dennis K. Christensen, 69, Yankton, S.D., died Sunday, Jan. 26, 1997, at Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, after an illness. He was the father of Lori Jones, Joplin.
Mr. Christensen was born Oct. 27, 1927, near Swan Lake, S.D. He was raised in the Mayfield, S.D., area.
He was a farmer and later was self-employed in the trucking industry.
He worked for Slowey Construction and Yaggie Mills and was a salesman for Genuine Auto Parts and Yankton Auto Supply, all in the Yankton area.
He later was self-employed in consignment sales.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lions Club, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Shriners and the Consistory.
He was a veteran of the Army.
He married Shirley Nielson on June 30, 1950, near Irene, S.D. She survives.
Additional survivors include two sons, Dan Christensen and Dean Christensen, both of Mission Hill, S.D.; two additional daughters, Dianne Bahnson, Brandon, S.D., and Peggy Whalen, Larkspur, Colo.; a sister, Phyllis Neilson, Irene, S.D.; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Yankton.
The Rev. Craig J. Bock will officiate.
Burial will be in Bethlehem Cemetery, rural Irene.
Military graveside services will be conducted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 791, Yankton.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today at Ray-Lane Funeral Chapel, Yankton and from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the church.
John Gray
Dr. John P. Gray, 76, 2530 Markwardt St., died at 1:35 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, 1997, at Vencor Hospital at Kansas City, Mo., after a several-year illness.
Dr. Gray was born Oct. 10, 1920, at Los Angeles, Calif.
He was graduated with honors from Kings Point (N.Y.) Merchants Marine Academy as an engineering officer.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II and served on a sea tender, the San Pablo. He received his wings as a Navy pilot at Corpus Christi, Texas.
He served more than 20 years in the Navy Reserve and retired as a lieutenant commander.
He was graduated from Northern Illinois College of Optometry at Chicago, Ill.
He practiced optometry more than 30 years in Joplin and Neosho.
After he retired in 1974, he began a franchise chain of Mexican restaurants.
He became president of Missouri Taco Huts Inc. and president of Taco Huts of America Inc.
He was past president of the Joplin Chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association.
He was permanent director of the Missouri Restaurant Association.
He was permanent director since 1985 for United Missouri Bank of Joplin.
He married Gloria Gray in 1945 at Dallas, Texas. She survives.
Also surviving are a son, John R. Gray, Joplin; two daughters, Audrey Mitchell and Catherine Gray Johnston, both of Joplin; a brother, Dan Gray, Reno, Nev.; and five grandsons.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at First Community Church, Joplin.
Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Fort Scott (Kan.) National Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Bill Cook, Marion Weston, Roger Johnston, Willard Stout, Barrett Mitchell, Dylan Johnston and John Ulery Gray.
Family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Parker Mortuary.
Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor's choice.
Margaret Summerlin
Margaret P. Summerlin, 64, 1034 Kentucky Ave., died at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1997, at a local nursing home after a long illness.
Mrs. Summerlin was born Aug. 11, 1932, at Kirksville.
She had lived the past 10 years at Joplin. She was a homemaker.
Surviving are a son, David Summerlin, Joplin; three daughters, Diana Summerlin, Shell Knob, Christine Haws, Ventura, Calif., and Brenda Summerlin, Little Rock, Ark.; and three grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at McGuire Cemetery, south of Shell Knob. James Terral, minister, will officiate.
Arrangements are under the direction of Mason-Woodard Mortuary.
Emory Fry
LAMAR, Mo. - Emory "Stu" Fry, 85, Lamar, died at 9:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, 1997, at Barton County Memorial Hospital, Lamar, after a long illness.
Mr. Fry was born July 14, 1911, in the state of Arkansas.
He had lived in Barton and Dade counties for 80 years.
He was a retired farmer and was a member of First Christian Church, Lamar.
He married Lucile Boles on Oct. 10, 1937, at Milford.
She died Aug. 21, 1989.
He married Beverly Soma on June 2, 1990, in Lamar. She survives.
Additional survivors include a son, J.E. Fry, Canyon Lake, Texas; three daughters, Hannah Oeltjen and Nancy Nentrup, both of Lockwood, and Mary Lou Long, Springfield; two stepsons, James Soma, Lamar, and Jeff Soma, Deer Park, Texas; three stepdaughters, Jenice Gaither and Jerri Townsley, both of Lamar, and Jackie Gath, McCune, Kan.; 13 grandchildren; 14 stepgrandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Daniel Funeral Home. Mike Gage, minister, will officiate.
Burial will be in Lake Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Contributions may be made to St. John's Hospice in Joplin or the American Cancer Society, in care of the funeral home.
Micheal Grashorn / Matthew Grashorn
SHELDON, Mo. - Micheal Harley Grashorn and Matthew Scott Grashorn, infant sons of Robert Grashorn and Cassandra Hodson, both of Sheldon, were stillborn Monday night, Jan. 27, 1997, at Freeman Hospital West, Joplin.
Additional survivors include a half sister, Mary Riggs, Ida Grove, Iowa; maternal grandmother and step-grandfather, Robin and Ronald Spencer, Sheldon, and maternal grandfather, Kenneth Hodson, Neosho; paternal grandmother, Karen Bobert, Trenton; and maternal great-grandparents, William and Velda Kline, Neosho, and Verna Hodson, Seneca.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Lohmeyer-Konantz Funeral Home, Lamar.
The Rev. John Dille will officiate.
Burial will be in Sheldon Cemetery.
