Otto Herman Hager
Otto Herman Hager was a country boy. His fondness for the outdoors stayed with him throughout his life, and his talents for fishing and hunting were well-known.
Mr. Hager of Columbia died Wednesday, April 10, 2002. He was 90.
Mr. Hager was born in Henley, Mo., on Feb. 16, 1912, to John Peter and Mary Edna Gress Hager. He married Frances Fern Noel on Oct. 2, 1974, in Columbia.
Mr. Hager built, owned and operated Hager Radiator Service, which was originally on Madison Avenue in Columbia.
Mr. Hager's son, Tom Noel, said the store was the first of its kind in Columbia. After Mr. Hager retired in 1979, the store retained his name.
When he wasn't running his store, Mr. Hager could be found making fishing lures or using them to catch big fish.
"People used to call and ask where the best fishing was because he was so well-known," Philip Noel, his son, said.
Philip also said his father would make thousands of lures and ship them to Georgia and Alabama, where they were sold. He said people would see Mr. Hager catch a good-sized fish and would ask him how he did it. He would give them a homemade lure and show them a few tricks of the trade.
Mr. Hager also volunteered much of his time to the community. He was a member of the United Church of Christ in Jefferson City, and he served as an honorary deputy sheriff in Boone County. As a volunteer with the sheriff's department, he rode around with deputies while they were on patrol.
"He saw things that hurt society, and he wanted to do his part to help society," Tom Noel said.
In addition to being a businessman, fisherman and active member of the community, Mr. Hager was a devoted husband and father.
"He was very caring man. He gave good advice and was very involved," said Larry Noel, his son. "And he loved my mother a great deal. He would do anything for her."
Visitation for Mr. Hager will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Parker Funeral Service, 22 N. Tenth St., in Columbia. Services, conducted by the Rev. Steve Buchholz, will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Mr. Hager is survived by his wife, Frances Fern Hager of Columbia; three sons, Larry L. Noel, Philip F. Noel and Thomas E. Noel, all of Columbia; one sister, Elizabeth Roark of Jefferson City; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
One brother, John Hager, and one sister, Lucille Shellman, died earlier.
Mary Ann Luecke
Mary Ann Luecke continued giving to her community until her last day.
Mrs. Luecke of Columbia died Sunday, April 7, 2002. She was 69.
Mrs. Luecke was born May 14, 1932, in Cincinnati to Ernest and Gertrude Westendorf Demoret. She graduated from Our Lady of Angels in Cincinnati in 1950 and married Richard Harry Luecke on June 3, 1953.
In 1967, the Lueckes came to Columbia, where Richard Luecke had been hired to teach chemical engineering at MU.
Mrs. Luecke did some teaching of her own. She began working with students at the University YMCA/YWCA in 1975.
"She taught students fairness, to get involved and give of themselves," said her daughter Connie Roetker.
Mrs. Luecke encouraged the students to volunteer for a variety of projects, three of which she helped start: Communiversity, Camp Mudd and Boone County Tenants.
Communiversity was a program that taught Columbia residents such varied skills as wine tasting and sign language. Camp Mudd was a summer camp run by MU students to give children from low-income backgrounds a place to go for the summer. Boone County Tenants was a renter's advocate phone line that helped resolve conflicts between tenants and landlords.
All of these projects benefited the community and MU students.
"She became their mom away from home," Roetker said.
Mrs. Luecke had five children of her own.
"She taught me how to look at the world," said her son Greg Luecke. "To see that people are good to begin with, to give people a second chance and the benefit of the doubt."
She also instilled in her family a deep sense of involvement.
"We were frequently involved in community projects," Greg Luecke said. "And we were at quite a few civil rights protests."
In 1989, she retired from the YMCA but remained an active member of the board of directors.
Mrs. Luecke was a grandmother of six, traveled the world and never stopped volunteering.
"She was not the kind of grandmother who baked cookies," Roetker said, "but the kind who bought the kids water guns for Christmas."
In 1995, Mrs. Luecke began working as an administrator for the Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity. Her most recent passion was the "Women's Build" Habitat project. It involved houses built entirely by women, from plumbers to electricians.
"Her sense of giving back to the community was very high," Roetker said. "She loved all people and wanted to help them."
Services, conducted by the Rev. James Bryan, will be at 4 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
Mrs. Luecke is survived by three sons, Brad Luecke of Columbia, Greg Luecke of Ames, Iowa, and Mark Luecke of Bellingham, Wash.; two daughters, Genise Luecke of Shawnee, Kan., and Connie Roetker of Cincinnati; a brother, James Demoret of LaPorte, Ind.; and six grandchildren.
Her parents, a brother and two sisters died earlier.
Memorials can be sent to Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity, 1906 Monroe St., Columbia, Mo. 65201.
Nellie Scruggs
Nellie Irene Davis Scruggs of Hartsburg died Tuesday, April 9, 2002, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. She was 94.
Mrs. Scruggs was born in Mercer County on Sept. 23, 1907, to Jesse B. and Eva L. Davis. She married George Scruggs of Kansas City in August 1922. He died July 3, 1961.
Mrs. Scruggs was a member of the Goshen Primitive Baptist Church in Wilton and the Order of the Eastern Star #309 in Ashland. She was also a member of the Foster Grandparent Program in Columbia, and she worked as a childcare worker at Woodhaven in Columbia.
Visitation will be today from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Robinson Funeral Home, 601 N. Henry Clay Blvd., in Ashland. Elders Marvine Tolle and Wallace Johnson will conduct the service immediately following the visitation. Burial will follow at the New Salem Cemetery in Ashland.
Mrs. Scruggs is survived by a son, James E. Scruggs of Gallatin, Tenn.; a daughter, Kathryn Crump of Hartsburg; a brother, Raymond Davis of Mercer; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, one daughter, Eva Jean Scruggs; one grandson, Lowell Crump; two sisters and one brother died earlier.
Queen Smith
Queen Smith of Columbia died Tuesday, April 9, 2002, at West Village Manor. She was 100.
Miss Smith was born in Columbia on Dec. 7, 1901, to Stanley N. and Kitty Inglehart Smith. She was a graduate of MU with degrees in arts and journalism. She also received a degree in piano from Stephens College and completed graduate work in music at Columbia College.
Miss Smith worked as an editor of the social page and a reporter for the Columbia Daily Tribune from 1922 to 1945 and taught at the MU School of Journalism from 1947 to 1964. She was also editor of the woman's page at the Columbia Missourian before retiring in 1965.
Miss Smith was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Pi Beta Phi sorority, the Mary Marshall Gordon Circle of the Kings Daughters and the Fortnightly Club and was an honorary member of the Columbia College Board of Trustees.
Visitation for Miss Smith will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Dick Ramsey, will follow at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Columbia Cemetery.
Miss Smith is survived by her longtime companion Shirley Broadus of Columbia.
A sister, Lucille Smith, and a goddaughter died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church, 100 Hitt St., Columbia, Mo. 65201.
John Bowman
John Walter Bowman of Columbia died Tuesday, April 9, 2002, at Boone Hospital Center. He was 86.
Mr. Bowman was born in Jacksonville, Mo., on Jan. 11, 1916, to Reuben Abraham and Annie Pearl Bowman. He attended school in Jacksonville. On Dec. 21, 1935, he married Jewell Maxine Burnam in Moberly.
During World War II, Mr. Bowman served with the Navy's Pacific fleet. He was a deacon of Parkade Baptist Church in Columbia and former owner of Boone County Glass Company.
"John was an A-1 kind of guy," Jack Blaylock, charter member of Parkade Baptist Church, said.
Blaylock said Mr. Bowman was an active participant in the church and the community. He also coached the church men's softball team.
Visitation for Mr. Bowman will from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by his son, Kevin Bowman, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will be at Sunset Cemetery in Moberly.
Mr. Bowman is survived by his son, Kevin Bowman of Millstadt, Ill.; a sister, Mildred Farris of Moberly; two grandchildren, Zachary and Carly; and several nieces and nephews.
His wife died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 30638, Columbia, Mo. 65205.
M.D. Pace
M.D. Pace of Columbia died Tuesday, April 9, 2002, at Boone Hospital Center. He was 88.
Mr. Pace was born July 3, 1913, in Boone County to Micajah Proctor and Ella Pitts Pace.
He married Nina B. Burnett on March 27, 1936, in Ashland.
Mr. Pace retired from the data-processing department at MU.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Jim Bryan, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Pace is survived by a son, Jim Pace of Mission Hills, Kan.; two daughters, Deanna Jacobs of Columbia and Jean Ellen Abraham of Kansas City; five sisters, Dorothy Nichols, Pauline White, Ella Mae Glascock and Roberta Gardner, all of Columbia, and Della Faye Pauley of Lake Ozark; six grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.
His wife and a brother, Lahmon Pace, died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Nina B. Pace Flower Fund, c/o Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. Ninth St., Columbia, MO 65201.
David William Head
David William Head was not a traditional family man.
He never married and never had any children. Still, he was thought of as a father by many of his nieces and nephews, said his niece Debby Duermeyer.
"He was my other father," she said.
Mr. Head of Rocheport died Saturday, April 6, 2002. He was 88.
Duermeyer said her uncle was a family man who was defined by his patience and desire to help people.
"He was always thinking of others rather than himself," Duermeyer said.
She said Mr. Head fulfilled a father-like role in teaching Duermeyer to drive.
"I'll remember the patience he had with this little tomboy following him around at his heels," Duermeyer said.
Mr. Head was born Dec. 14, 1913, in Springfield, Mo., to Willard B. and Netha G. Moore Head.
Mr. Head was with the U.S. Army Air Corps and worked in a civilian conservation corps camp until 1939. Throughout his life, Mr. Head worked as a mechanic and he retired in 1975 from the MU power plant. He was a member of Sulphur Springs Baptist Church, Harrisburg Saddle Club, VFW Post, American Legion, Fayette Senior Center and the Boonville Senior Center.
Mr. Head was also passionate about vintage cars, steam engines and horses. His interest in horses was especially intense. Despite being hospitalized once after being thrown by a horse, he continued to ride.
Mr. Head is survived by his brother, Loren Head of Ashland, and numerous nieces and nephews.
His parents died earlier, as did his sister Elnora Kinty and his brothers James Head, Lester Head and Bill Head.
Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W., Columbia, Mo., 65202. Services, officiated by the Rev. Fred Brandenburg, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Funeral Home.
Memorials can be sent to Fayette Senior Center or Boonville Senior Center, c/o Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W., Columbia, Mo., 65202.
Kenneth J. Paulson
Kenneth J. Paulson of Lee's Summit died Sunday, March 24, 2002, at Jefferson Health Care in Lee's Summit. He was 80.
Mr. Paulson was born March 21, 1922, in Upsala, Minn. He and his family moved to Estherville, Iowa, that same year, where Mr. Paulson was educated in Estherville schools and a junior college.
Mr. Paulson served in World War II from 1942 to 1945 aboard the USS Twitty. He married Margaret Hasars Kulhman in 1949. She survives.
In 1975, Mr. Paulson and his wife moved to a farm near Harrisburg. He raised cattle and worked for the MU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab for 17 years before retiring in 1992. They moved to Lee's Summit in 1996.
Mr. Paulson is also survived by two sons, Larry Paulson of Nashport, Ohio, and Loren Paulson of Lee's Summit; one brother, Orville Paulson of Estherville, Iowa; one sister, Donna Grove of Sioux City, Iowa; three grandchildren, Terra Marie Barrows, Tiffany Nicole Paulson and Tony Anita Paulson; and one great-granddaughter, Alaina Marie Barrows.
Services were held March 27 at Lee's Summit Christian Church.
Memorials may be sent to the Lee's Summit Christian Church, 800 N.E. Tudor Road, Lee's Summit, Mo., 65086-5549, or to Jefferson Health Care, 615 Southwest Oldman Parkway, Lee's Summit, Mo., 64081.
Alex Kallas
Alex Kallas of Columbia died Saturday, April 6, 2002, at University Hospital. He was 79.
Mr. Kallas was born in Greece on April 2, 1923, to Vasilios and Roxanne Gourmanos Kouloukatses. He married Froso Darlagiannis in 1950 and moved to the United States in 1954. Mr. Kallas was retired and had lived in Columbia since 1988. He was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church of Mid-Missouri.
His yard was his pride and joy, and he looked forward to summer every year. He played soccer in his younger days and enjoyed solving Greek crossword puzzles.
Visitation for Mr. Kallas will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Parker Funeral Service, 22 N. Tenth St., with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Calvary Episcopal Church, 123 S. Ninth St. Burial will be at Columbia Cemetery. Mr. Kallas is survived by his wife, Froso Kallas; two daughters, Elizabeth Ligonis of Cape Girardeau and Roxanne Liras of Columbia; and four grandchildren.
Three brothers died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, Mid-Missouri, 901 W. Broadway, Columbia, Mo., 65203.
Murrell Wilson
Murrell Wilson of Columbia died Thursday, April 4, 2002, at his home. He was 82.
Mr. Wilson was born Dec. 9, 1919, in St. Louis to Murrell and Josephine Haller Wilson.
Mr. Wilson was raised in Brentwood. He moved to Wright City and was valedictorian of his high school class. On a Sears and Roebuck scholarship, he earned a four-year degree in agriculture from MU in 1941.
Mr. Wilson held season tickets to Tiger football games for 55 years and was a member of the Quarterback Club. He is the benefactor of several college scholarships. He was also a member of the American Legion, Columbia Jaycees and the Mizzou Alumni Association.
Mr. Wilson met his wife, Beulah Hayes, in Columbia, and they were married May 11, 1941.
Soon after their wedding, the couple moved to Fort Sill, Okla., while Mr. Wilson served in the Army during World War II. He trained in one of the last horse-drawn regiments of the U.S. Cavalry. He was proud of his service and often flew the American flag.
Mr. Wilson was known for his business sense as a real estate agent and contributed to training manuals on real estate and financial management. A leader in small business enterprise, he founded Exchangors Inc. He was owner and founder of American Real Estate and Insurance Company.
Mr. Wilson enjoyed hunting on the family farm near Hartsburg and fishing at Lake Beulah, Lake of the Ozarks and Bennet Springs. He taught his family to catch and clean trout. His education in agriculture lead him to become an conservationist. He founded the Wilson Tree Farm and was active in Missouri wildlife habitat protection.
He traveled the world and enjoyed experiences such as hot air balloon rides, riding off-road vehicles and target shooting. He explored his family heritage in Germany with his wife and cruised much of the Pacific and Caribbean with 22 family members.
At age 70, Mr. Wilson rivaled his grandchildren in computer literacy. His motto in life was to "learn something new every day." A scholar in many fields and patron of local arts, he loved playing the saxophone and listening to music of all types - especially jazz, classical and the church hand bell choir.
Family members said they will most remember him as an example to live by - good humored, dedicated to family, passionate in his quest for knowledge and devoted to God and country.
Visitation for Mr. Wilson will be at 2 p.m. today at Broadway Christian Church, 2601 W. Broadway. Services, conducted by the Rev. Rick Frost, will follow at 3 p.m. at the church. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Wilson is survived by his wife; a son, Murrell Wilson of Dallas; two daughters, Jennie Griffth of Columbia and Kathy Murray of Hartsburg; a brother, Joel Wilson of Dallas; a sister, Joan Alford of Melbourne, Fla.; 10 grandchildren, Scott Griffith of Santa Monica, Calif., Steve Griffith of Dayton, Ohio, Sarah Griffith of Princeton, N.J., Aaron Murray of Warrensburg, Drew Wilson and Elizabeth Janbaz of Grapevine, Texas, and Susan Griffith, Stuart Griffith, Katie Wilson and Jennifer Murray, all of Columbia; and two great-grandchildren, Andrew Murray of Warrensburg and Alexander Griffith of Dayton.
Memorials can be sent to Broadway Christian Church Education Fund, 2601 W. Broadway, Columbia, Mo. 65203.
Mabel L. Crane
Mabel Lee Crane of Columbia died Friday, April 5, 2002, at Columbia Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. She was 91.
Mrs. Crane was born Aug. 1, 1910, in Fyan to William Joshua and Mary Anderson Ricks. On July 25, 1929, she married Henry Curtis Crane in St. Louis.
She graduated from Hickman High School in 1929. She owned and operated Crane's Variety Store in Thayer.
In the early 1970s, Mrs. Crane became the first director of the Southwest Office of Aging. She also started the first senior citizens meal programs and Funds and Friends.
She was a member of United Methodist Church in Thayer and attended Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church. She was also a member of Rebekah Lodge.
She moved to Columbia where her nephew, William Ricks, and niece, Laura Beth Purcell, cared for her.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Michael Keith, will be at 1 p.m. today at Memorial Park Cemetery, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
Survivors include four nieces, Shirley Ricks of Columbia and three who live in California; a nephew, Herbert Elrey Pealer of Rolla; two grand-nieces, Susan Walker of Columbia and Julie Ricks-Doneen of Idaho; and three grand-nephews, Curt Ricks of Columbia, Jeffrey Purcell of Brookfield and Charles Walker of Ohio.
Her husband; a sister, Hazel Christian; a nephew, William Ricks; and two nieces, Laura Beth Purcell and Betty Purdy, died earlier.
Memorials can be sent to Community Hospice of America, 3600 I-70 Drive S.E., Suite H, Columbia, Mo. 65201 or Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church, 702 Wilkes Blvd., Columbia, Mo. 65201.
Oreatha L. Drew
Oreatha Lucille "Rita" Drew of Kansas City died Wednesday, April 3, 2002, at Boone Hospital Center. She was 72.
Miss Drew was born Feb. 14, 1930, to George and Lorene Wright Drew in Boonville. She attended the Boonville schools until 1947, when her father died and her mother moved the family to Montclair, N.J. Miss Drew graduated from Montclair High School.
She was a member of Baptist congregations throughout her life, including Morgan Street Baptist Church in Boonville, Union Baptist Church in Montclair and Second Baptist Church in Kansas City.
She attended Hampton Institute in Hampton, Va., and Rutgers University in Newark, N.J. She graduated from the Lewis School of Business in Montclair. She worked at AT&T in Basking Ridge, N.J., for 29 years before retiring as operations manager.
She was involved with the YMCA in New Jersey and the Truman Medical Center Auxiliary Board of Directors in Kansas City.
She was also an ardent bridge player and a member of the Veledaz Social Club.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at H.T. May and Son Funeral Home, 405 Sycamore St. in Boonville. Services, conducted by the Rev. Rendall Jones of Kansas City, will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the St. Matthew AME Church, 309 Spruce St. in Boonville. Burial will be in Sunset Hills Cemetery.
Survivors include two brothers, Harold Drew of Morris Plains, N.J., and George Drew of Upper Montclair, N.J.; three sisters, Virginia Wilson and Hirene Williams, both of Boonville, and Judy Drew of Ellenwood, Ga.; a dear friend, Becky Bowen of East Orange, Ga.; 12 nieces and nephews; eight great-nieces and great-nephews; and many cousins.
Two sisters and two brothers died earlier.
Carol A. Rhodes
Carol Applegate Rhodes of Hallsville died Wednesday, April 3, 2002, at Columbia Manor Care Center. She was 59.
Ms. Rhodes was born Sept. 4, 1942, in Neptune, N.J., to Charles Abijah and Dorothy Davis Applegate. She received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Rowan University in New Jersey and a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ms. Rhodes taught in the Monroeville public schools for 25 years and worked for the past 12 years at Jack's Gourmet Restaurant.
She is survived by a brother, Kenneth Applegate of Columbia. Her parents and a brother, Richard Applegate, died earlier.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Bart Larson, will be at 2 p.m. today at Memorial Park Cemetery, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
Memorials can be sent to Mid River Hospice Memorial Fund, 3210 Bluff Creek Drive, Columbia, Mo. 65201.
