Horace E. Thomas
The Yale-trained doctor's career of service didn't end when he stopped practicing in 1985.
Tireless surgeon and volunteer house-builder Horace E. Thomas died Tuesday, March 6, 2001, at his home. He was 90.
Despite his successes - he could perform just about any kind of surgery - he was a modest man. His curriculum vitae didn't include his numerous awards, such as the MU Alumni Service Award and the Boone County Medical Society's Physician of the Year Award.
He received his master's degree from Harvard in 1934 and interned at Yale's prestigious New Haven Hospital under Harvey Cushing, who is considered the 20th century's greatest neurosurgeon.
Dr. Thomas then took his surgical expertise to the Army, serving from 1940 to 1946 and working at several military hospitals in places as diverse as Georgia, California and Australia.
In 1947, he came to Columbia to stay. Dr. Thomas married Helen Elizabeth Yeager in 1949.
He practiced medicine from 1947 to 1985, when he retired at age 75. He worked at Boone Hospital Center, Columbia Regional Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and Keller Memorial Hospital in Fayette.
Then Dr. Thomas traded his surgeon's mask for a hard hat as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Even after getting sick last December, he continued exercising at a gym until a few weeks ago.
"He modeled how to grow old in a way," said his daughter Davika Thomas. "His sense of ethics was really modeled for us too."
"We all admired the ethical way he lived his life," said his daughter Nancy Thomas. Dr. Thomas was one of the last true "general surgeons," meaning he could perform surgery on everything but the ears, nose and throat.
"I think he is the one surgeon in this community who really deserved the title of complete general surgeon," said Dr. Frank Dexheimer, a colleague who knew him since 1960. Dexheimer remembered Dr. Thomas treating a construction worker who fell on his head, causing a blood clot in his brain. Dr. Thomas performed surgery inside the man's skull and removed the clot.
"Little old Columbia, Missouri, had never seen anything like that," Dexheimer said. "He was a hell of a fine surgeon, and a hell of a fine man."
Despite his surgical mastery, Dr. Thomas often charged considerably less than he could have, and sometimes charged nothing for those who couldn't afford it.
"He didn't care," Dexheimer said. "He didn't think the money was that important." "This community owes that man's memory a tremendous amount," said Dr. John Tinsley, a colleague who knew Dr. Thomas since 1950.
After his retirement, he donated both his work and money to Habitat for Humanity. He also made large donations to several universities, including money to begin MU's medical ethics program.
When Habitat's used-building supply store, ReStore, opened up, Dr. Thomas volunteered there every Tuesday until early this year.
"We were glad to have him working for us," said Uel Blank, ReStore's manager. "I think everyone whom he worked with grew to like working with him very much. I felt honored to have him working for us."
Dr. Thomas's hard work applied to both his profession and around the house. Nancy Thomas said he would mow the family's 4-acre yard even in 90-degree heat.
"Working in the yard was a big part of his life," she said.
At Dr. Thomas' request, there will be no funeral or memorial service. The family will hold a gathering from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Fireside Lounge in the Lenoir Community Center, 3612 Lenoir St., to share memories and celebrate his life.
Dr. Thomas was born Sept. 18, 1910, in Le Mars, Iowa, to David Edward Thomas and Rose Brewster Thomas. His wife died earlier. Dr. Thomas is survived by his five daughters, Mary Thomas of Galveston, Texas, Jo Ann Thomas of Winona, Minn., Carol Thomas of Columbia, Davika Thomas of Columbia, and Nancy Thomas of Berkeley, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to the Show Me Central Habitat for Humanity, 1906 Monroe St., Columbia, Mo. 65201.
William H. Jones
William H. Jones of San Bernardino, Calif., died Sunday, March 4, 2001, of cancer. He was 64.
Mr. Jones was born Aug. 10, 1936, to Fred Jones and Ethel Vinson. He graduated from Douglass High School in Columbia.
He was self-employed as a horse trainer in San Bernardino, and was well-respected for his horse-handling abilities, Gerald Blakey, his cousin said.
"He was a very easygoing and kindhearted person," Blakey said.
Nettie Jordan of Columbia was a close friend of Mr. Jones.
"He was just a great friend, kind of like one of our children," Jordan said. "He was kind of like from the old school. He'd come around and do things without being asked.
"And he loved to cook. He'd always make homemade biscuits. We're really going to miss him," she said.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Ray Warren, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Luke United Methodist Church, 204 E. Ash. Mr. Jones' body will be cremated.
Mr. Jones is survived by his mother, Ethel Vinson of Columbia; one brother, Ted Jones of Columbia; and one sister, Betty Gail Moore of Washington D.C.
His father and brother died earlier.
Margaret L. Old
Margaret L. Old of Ashland died Tuesday, March 6, 2001, at Ashland Healthcare. She was 80.
Mrs. Old was born April 10, 1920, in Whoop Up, Mo. to Trocy Estil Gilpin and Nellie Martin Gilpin. She graduated from Ashland High School and was a cashier at Missouri Bookstore. A member of the Ashland Baptist Church, Mrs. Old married Allan Old on Nov. 18, 1939.
Max Bowden met Mrs. Old when he moved to Ashland in 1957, and has been her friend ever since. "She was very active in the church," he said. "She regularly attended Sunday school classes."
Visitation for Mrs. Old will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Robinson Funeral Home, 601 N. Henry Clay Blvd. in Ashland. Services, conducted by the Rev. Don Snyder, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Robinson Funeral Home. Burial will be at Nashville Cemetery, 355 W. Nashville Church Rd., in Ashland.
Mrs. Old is survived by two sons, Larry Old of Hartsburg and Terry Old of Holts Summit; one brother, Lonnie Gilpin of Ashland; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Her husband, sister and two brothers died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to either Nashville Cemetery, Rt. N Nashville Church Rd., Ashland, MO., 65010 or Missouri River Home Health and Hospice, c/o Option Care, 3210 Bluff Creek Dr., Columbia, Mo., 65201.
Judy Lee Gill
Judy Lee Gill of Columbia died Monday, Feb. 19, 2001, at her home. She was 60.
Relatives remember Ms. Gill for her honesty and unique spirit.
"Having Judy in our family has been a blessing and taught us so much," her niece Kim Taggart said in a written memorial. "She did not just remind us to be appreciative of things we had that she didn't; she simply taught us a different perspective in life."
Ms. Gill enjoyed history, both of the United States and of her own family. She rarely forgot a date or phone number. She enjoyed Pepsi, "Days of Our Lives" and quiz programs. She was also a rare soul who actually enjoyed a visit to the dentist, Taggart said.
"Her nieces and nephews thought so much of her," said her mother, Margaret Gill.
Ms. Gill spent time playing board games and cards with them, and she had a knack for remembering details about others such as their favorite colors.
"She really was a loving daughter," her mother said.
Ms. Gill was born March 5, 1940, in Jefferson City to Clyde F. and Margaret L. Edwards Gill. She was a member of the Nashville Baptist Church.
"I know that every member of our family will continue to look at things in a different way - Judy's way - with her simplicity and sense of humor," Taggart said in the memorial she wrote.
Visitation for Ms. Gill was Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001, at Memorial Funeral Home. Services, conducted by the Rev. Ken Collins, were Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001, at Nashville Baptist Church.
Ms. Gill is survived by her mother; a brother, David Gill of Ashland; a sister, Janice Ellsworth of Elkhorn, Wis.; and four nieces and a nephew.
Her father died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Nashville Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, Rt. N Nashville Church Road, Ashland, Mo. 65010.
Lahmon Proctor Pace
Lahmon Proctor Pace of Columbia died Monday, March 5, 2001, at Boone Hospital Center. He was 72.
Mr. Pace was born on Jan. 23, 1929, in Ashland to M. Proctor and Ella Pitts Pace. He graduated from Hickman High School in 1947.
He served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War for almost four years. He married Una M. Buescher on Feb. 7, 1959, in Columbia.
Mr. Pace was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and BPOE Elks #594 in Columbia.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Michael Keith, will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Pace is survived by his wife; two daughters, Heather Pace and Hollis Foster, both of Columbia; a stepdaughter, Linda LaVere Cole of Landers, Calif.; a brother, M.D. Pace of Columbia; five sisters, Dorothy Nichols, Pauline White, Ella Mae Glascock and Roberta Gardner, all of Columbia, and Della Faye Pauley of Rocky Mount; and two grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to the charity of the donor's choice.
Eva M. Tremaine
Eva M. Tremaine of Columbia died on Monday, March 5, 2001. She was 73.
Mrs. Tremaine was born on May 12, 1927, in Columbia to Fred and Lunda Frances Kerans Papen. She married Arthur M. Tremaine on Nov. 8, 1946, in Columbia.
Although her education ended in grade school because of strains on her family during the Great Depression, she loved to learn and was always teaching herself, said her daughter Linda Tremaine.
"She was always striving for improvement," her daughter said. "She had a really high IQ. I think she said she had been tested at 140."
Mrs. Tremaine was a housewife and homemaker, and she collected her thoughts in journals, her daughter said.
She was an avid reader, her husband said.
"She liked to cook and cut recipes out of the newspaper and then read," he said.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Jim Smith, will be at 3 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Tremaine is survived by her husband; two sons, Arthur "Fred" Tremaine and David W. Tremaine, both of Columbia; two daughters, Charlotte Tremaine and Linda Tremaine, both of Columbia; a brother, James Papen of Columbia; two sisters, Reba Meadows of Columbia and Ruby Reel of Marion, N.C.; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Two brothers and one sister died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 33 E. Broadway, Suite 100, Columbia, Mo. 65203, or to the American Lung Association, 1118 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63139-3196.
Morton Mills
Morton Mills of Moberly died Sunday, March 4, 2001, at the North Village Nursing Center in Moberly. He was 80.
Mr. Mills was born Aug. 31, 1920, in Boone County to Thomas and Roy Ellen Mize Mills. He married Ila Pearl Saterfield on May 21, 1938.
After serving in the Army during World War II, Mr. Mills worked for Todin Construction until his retirement.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Jim Tolliver, will be at 1 p.m. today at Meador & Son Funeral Home, at the corner of Rollins and Sneed streets in Centralia. Burial will follow at the City of Centralia Cemetery.
Mr. Mills is survived by his wife; one son, Morton Mills of Centralia; one brother, John Mills of Belton; three sisters, Anna L. Joiner and Pearl Ray, both of Kansas City, and Bonnie Kahl of Lebanon, Tenn.; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Two daughters, four brothers and two sisters died earlier.
John Storm
John Storm of Columbia died on Saturday, March 3, 2001. He was 81.
According to his daughter Jean Walker, Mr. Storm was very patriotic. He was one of the last veterans that hung out his flag at all holidays, she said.
He joined the Army in 1941 and was stationed in Newfoundland. After returning to the United States, Mr. Storm joined the U.S. Air Force Transport Command. He retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1969.
"He loved airplanes," Walker said. He could name them by the sound, she said.
Mr. Storm loved spaceships, too. He worked Minneapolis Honeywell Aerospace Division until his retirement. He also watched every single episode of "Star Trek," Walker said.
Mr. Storm was born on June 20, 1919, in Willmar, Minn., to James and Amelia L'Herault Storm. He graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1941. He was a member of Kappa Eta Kappa, Kappa Eta Nu and Tau Beta Pi. On June 10, 1941, he married Marion Forestal in Minneapolis.
He returned to the University of Minnesota on a fellowship in 1946, and graduated with a master's degree in science in electrical engineering in 1949.
Mr. Storm moved to Columbia in 1990 and worked for H&R Block. He earned an Enrolled Agent Certificate in 1998 at the age of 78.
He was a member of Columbia United Church of Christ.
Visitation for Mr. Storm will be from 2 to 3 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services will follow at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Fred Brandenburg officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Storm is survived by his wife; one daughter, Jean Walker of Columbia; one sister, Olive Parker of Tucson, Ariz.; and two grandchildren.
Memorials can be sent to Columbia United Church of Christ Building Fund, 3201 I-70 Drive NW, Columbia, MO 65202.
Clara Fern Moore
As a farmer's wife, Clara Fern Moore of Columbia spent many years performing jobs such as picking blackberries.
"She raised white leghorn chickens and sold eggs," her daughter Luci Dannar said about a few of her mother's typical chores.
Mrs. Moore, of Columbia, died Sunday, March 4, 2001, at Columbia Regional Hospital. She was 99.
She enjoyed quilting and crocheting, which she learned at the age of 65. Nettie Caldwell, 98, a longtime friend and neighbor, taught her to crochet.
"She was an awfully nice person," Caldwell said. "She was like a sister to me."
Mrs. Moore was born Nov. 7, 1901, in Iowa City, Iowa, to Colvert and Lucy Jane Adams Simons. She married E.P. Moore in Norwood on Sept. 24, 1916.
"She prayed her son Virgil home from World War II," Dannar said.
Mrs. Moore was a member of Church of Christ in Arkansas.
Visitation for Mrs. Moore will be from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. John Foley, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Funeral Home. She will be buried in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Moore is survived by two sons, Virgil Ray Moore and Frank Allen Moore, both of Columbia; one daughter, Luci Isabelle Dannar of Columbia; one sister, Esther Forehand of Brookland, Ark.; nine grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by five brothers; two sisters; and one granddaughter, Kathe Dannar Brady.
Memorials may be sent to Wonderland Camp for the physically and mentally challenged, 18591 Miller Circle, Rocky Mount, Mo. 65072.
Barbara Carol Brady
Barbara Carol Brady of Columbia died Sunday, March 4, 2001, at Columbia Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of cancer. She was 57.
Mrs. Brady was born on March 17, 1943, in St. Louis to John Henry Maine and Virginia Kneale.
She married Robert Brady on Oct. 28, 2000. They worked together at Central Missouri Shelter Enterprises.
"We just kind of moved along together," said Robert Brady. "We swapped cigarettes and stuff like that. I'd take her to work and soon we were drinking out of each others' hands. We decided we liked each other pretty good."
"She was a delightful lady," said Bruce Young, Mrs. Brady's boss at Shelter Enterprises. "We're sure going to miss her. She was someone you could always count on."
Mrs. Brady collected rocks and coins and was an avid gardener and artist. "A sketch artist," her husband said. "She drew a portrait of me and you wouldn't believe it. I hung it in the bathroom ... and a friend came over and he said it was like I was in there staring at him. That's how good she is, and she did it in twenty minutes."
Mrs. Brady was a member of Oak Tower Chapel.
"She contributed to several things associated with children," said her mother, Virginia Kneale. "All of my memories of her are pretty special."
Visitation for Mrs. Brady will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 W. Business Loop 70. Services, conducted by the Rev. Martha Benningfield and the Rev. Wil Topash, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Funeral Home.
Mrs. Brady is survived by her mother; a son, Kenneth Newton of Los Angeles; two daughters, Cynthia Lowe of Oak Grove and Betty Jenkins of Rochester, N.Y.; a sister, Cathy Maine of Fullerton; and seven grandchildren.
Her father and a brother died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 33 E. Broadway, Suite 100, Columbia, Mo. 65203 or the Disabled Veterans Association, c/o Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Bus. 70 W, Columbia, Mo. 65202.
Ruth Irene Burnett
Ruth Irene Burnett of Columbia died Friday, March 2, 2001, at Boone Retirement Center after a lengthy illness. She was 79.
Mrs. Burnett was born May 17, 1921, in Hartsburg to Walter Lester and Daisy Ethel Arnold Bledsoe. Mrs. Burnett worked in the bakery department of Briggs & Dailey Grocery Store in Moberly until her retirement.
She married Harold Thomas Burnett on July 15, 1939, in Jefferson City.
"She was an avid quilter and loved crafts and gardening," her sister, Allene Bledsoe, said. "She was a very active person, always involved in something."
Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Robinson Funeral Home, 601 N. Henry Clay Blvd. in Ashland. Services, conducted by the Rev. Kenneth Peery, will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at Bonds Chapel Cemetery in Hartsburg.
Mrs. Burnett is survived by a son, Marvin Burnett of Defiance; a daughter, Ann Drebing of Wickenburg, Ariz.; a sister, Allene Bledsoe of Columbia; and two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Her husband, two brothers and three sisters died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to Bonds Chapel Cemetery, c/o James Allen, 20560 S. Route A, Hartsburg, Mo. 65039.
Edna Marie Cornett
Edna Marie Cornett of Columbia, formerly of Eldon, died Friday, March 2, 2001, at her daughter's home. She was 61.
Mrs. Cornett was born in Little Rock, Ark., on Feb. 18, 1940, to Edward and Mamie Sherard. She married Franklin J. Cornett on Sept. 22, 1956. He died in 1977. On July 12, 1979, Mrs. Cornett married Lee Jennings. Jennings died in 1992.
Mrs. Cornett was a homemaker who raised seven children.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rekus Funeral Home in Eldon, and services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Cornett is survived by two daughters, Wanda Nixon of Columbia and Mary Reagan of Lake Ozark; four sons, Wayne Cornett of Independence, Jesse Jennings of Columbia, and James and Steve Cornett, both of Eldon; a sister, Mary Pruitt of Eldon; a brother, Junior Woods of Eldon; 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A daughter, three grandchildren and a brother died earlier.
Eugene Garland Hill
Eugene Garland Hill of Columbia died Friday, March 2, 2001. He was 58.
Mr. Hill was born in Owensboro, Ky. to Garland and Pearl Cline Hill on Aug. 15, 1942.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Visitation for Mr. Hill will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Lewis Rogers, will follow at the funeral home.
Burial with military honors will be held at a later date at Old Union Cemetery.
Mr. Hill is survived by his stepfather, James "Shorty" Thomas Pearl of Columbia; four brothers, David Hill of Evansville, Ind., Clarence Hill of Owensboro, Ky., and Tommy Pearl and Benny Pearl, both of Columbia; three sisters, Jenny Pearl of Kingdom City, Mo., and Wilma Williams and Becky Martin, both of Columbia; and several nieces and nephews.
His parents died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Eugene Garland Hill Memorial Fund, c/o Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W., Columbia, Mo. 65202.
Clara Marie Erickson
Clara Marie Erickson of Columbia died Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001. She was 88.
Mrs. Erickson was born Jan. 13, 1913, in Granby to John Bryant and Ruby Elvira Miller McNeely. She received a teaching certificate from Southwest Baptist University in 1933 and began teaching elementary school. On June 4, 1944, she married Leonard R. Erickson in Granby.
Mrs. Erickson had lived in Columbia since 1957 and was active in the community. She was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church and worked in the Little Bonne Femme Baptist Association, an organization of 24 Baptist churches in the Columbia area.
Mrs. Erickson worked for 20 years at Parkade Elementary School in Columbia, teaching kindergarten and first grade. She also served as the assistant to three principals. Mrs. Erickson retired from Parkade in 1978.
"All the school kids were really important to her," said her daughter Pat Parish.
Mrs. Erickson was also involved with Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional honorary society of female educators. She served as the local president of Columbia's Beta chapter and as the second vice president for the state of Missouri chapter. In 1999, Mrs. Erickson received the Delta State Achievement Award for her service to the organization.
The Boone County Unit of Retired Teachers was another part of Mrs. Erickson's life of service. She was an active member and served as the president of the group.
Mrs. Erickson's service activities earned her the Life Service Award from Southwest Baptist University in 1998.
"She had a positive influence on my life through her church work, organizations and career," said her daughter Marilyn Skipper, also a retired teacher. "We did a lot together - it was Delta Kappa Gamma if it wasn't church or retired teachers."
Parish said she would remember her mother as a teacher and a cook. Mrs. Erickson baked seven loaves of bread every Saturday until a few months before her death.
Visitation for Mrs. Erickson was held Saturday. Services will be conducted by the Rev. Chris Cook and the Rev. David Goode at 2 p.m. today at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 3100 Pioneer Drive. Mrs. Erickson will be buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, 1217 W. Business Loop 70.
Mrs. Erickson is survived by two daughters, Marilyn J. Skipper of Columbia and Patricia Ann Parish of Amite, La.; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Her husband, one brother and two sisters died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to Emanuel Baptist Church, 3100 Pioneer Drive, Columbia, Mo. 65205.
Douglas Scherer
Douglas Dean Scherer of Jacksonville, Fla., died Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001, of pancreatic cancer. He was 45.
Mr. Scherer was born Jan. 24, 1956, in El Paso, Texas, to Arvel "Gene" and Lola "Ginny" Arnett Scherer.
"He was a very family-oriented person," his mother said. "He loved to get together during the year with the family. He did a lot of woodworking. He was a very outgoing person."
Mr. Scherer lived in Columbia and attended Columbia public schools from 5th grade until his graduation from Hickman High School.
He was a veteran of the Navy, retiring in 1997 after 22 1/2 years.
Visitation for Mr. Scherer will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 West. Services, conducted by the Rev. Don Jefferson, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Scherer is survived by his wife, Nenita Scherer of Jacksonville; his mother, Lola Virginia Scherer of Columbia; three daughters, Bella Manza of Sacramento, Calif., Christi M. King and Antoinette M. Vidiri, both of Blue Springs; four sisters, Karla Elliott, Kay Rauscher and Sandra Thomas, all of Columbia, and Kerri Scherer of Schaumburg, Ill.; six grandchildren; and 13 nieces and nephews.
His father died earlier.
Meccie J. Welch
Meccie J. Welch of Columbia died Friday, March 2, 2001, at her home. She was 91.
Mrs. Welch was born Nov. 21, 1909, in Pikeville, Ky., to Frank Johnson and Mattie Blackburn Johnson. She married Elbridge D. Welch on July 14, 1935, in Mossy Bottom, Ky. Mrs. Welch was a homemaker.
Mrs. Welch moved to Columbia in 1947, because her husband had a construction and engineering business here.
She loved flowers and watching them bloom. Mrs. Welch also loved vegetable gardening, said her son, Larry Welch.
"She liked all kinds of outdoor magazines and anything to do with nature," he said. "Wild birds. She had bird feeders all over the place.
"She had a pet peeve with all the deer, because they actually would get up on the deck. She was a caring, old-fashioned person."
Visitation for Mrs. Welch will be from noon to 1 p.m. Monday at Robinson Funeral Home, 601 N. Henry Clay Blvd. in Ashland. Services, conducted by the Rev. Rod Casey, will follow at the same location.
Mrs. Welch is survived by two sons, E.D. Welch of Ashland and Larry Welch of Columbia; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Her husband, three brothers and three sisters died earlier.
Roger L. Cook
Roger L. Cook of Ashland died Thursday, March 1, 2001, at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City. He was 64.
Mr. Cook was born Sept. 7, 1936, in Kansas City to Copeland and Rachael F. Roth Cook. Following graduation from Ashland High School, he joined the U.S. Navy. He later moved to Bloomington, Ill., where he worked as a police officer for 16 years. In 1970, he returned to Ashland and worked in sales. He opened Cook Trucking Co. nine years later, which he owned and operated until his death.
Mr. Cook married Deloris Jean Wills in 1956. He then married Patricia Jo Murray in 1973.
Visitation and services, conducted by the Rev. Don Snyder, were held Friday and Saturday at Robinson Funeral Home in Ashland. Mr. Cook was buried at New Salem Cemetery in Ashland.
Mr. Cook is survived by a daughter, Breenalee Cook of Ashland; two sons, Randy Lee Cook of Bloomington and Danny L. Cook of Pekin, Ill.; a special friend, Joyce Theiss of Auxvasse; and three grandchildren.
His parents died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Children's Miracle Network or to the Central Missouri Stroke Association.
