Teresa Lynn Falco
Teresa Lynn Falco of Columbia died Monday, July 26, 1999, at her home. She was 43.
Police said Tuesday that her death was heat related, but officials at the Boone County Medical Examiner's Office are waiting for toxicology reports to determine the official cause of death.
Ms. Falco was born Nov. 16, 1955, in Fort Knox, Ky. to Wayne and Barbara Rutledge Carroll. She was an employee of Boyce & Bynum Laboratory and Columbia Regional Hospital in the bookkeeping and accounting department.
Ms. Falco's body was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Ms. Falco is survived by her parents, Wayne and Barbara Carroll; one son, Joseph Falco Jr. of Columbia; one daughter, Angela Falco of Columbia; one brother, Gary Carroll of Columbia; two sisters, Brenda Gerhardt and Deborah Patterson, both of Columbia; and several nieces and nephews.
One nephew died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to Camp Quality, c/o Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W., Columbia, Mo. 65202.
Elizabeth 'Liz' Kendrick
Elizabeth "Liz" Kendrick of Prairie Home died Wednesday, July 28, 1999, at Boone Hospital Center. She was 60.
Mrs. Kendrick was born Jan. 10, 1939, in Tipton to Freddie Lee and Ruth Elizabeth Sappington Hodges. She married Lee Edward Kendrick Nov. 22, 1959, to in Clarksburg.
Mrs. Kendrick worked for Shelter Insurance as a licensing administrator for a 13-state area.
She graduated in 1957 from Tipton High School. She was a member of the Missouri State Advisory Board, the Society of License Administrators and the Clarksburg Methodist Church.
Visitation for Mrs. Kendrick will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Bowlin-Cantriel Funeral Services, 100 S. Oak Street in California, Mo. Services, conducted by the Rev. Ronnie Albert, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bowlin-Cantriel Funeral Chapel. Mrs. Kendrick's body will be buried at Hickman Cemetery in Clarksburg.
Mrs. Kendrick is survived by her mother, Ruth Elizabeth Sappington Hodges of Tipton; her husband, Lee Edward Kendrick of Prairie Home; one son, Randall Lee Kendrick of Bunceton; one brother, Henry "Bud" Hodges of Clarksburg; six sisters, Dora Asahl, Lois Embry and Debra Potter of Clarksburg and Mary Schlup, Carolyn Hofstetter and Virginia Schmidt of Tipton.
Her father and one brother died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Hickman Cemetery Fund, c/o Jerry Martin, 901 S. Thomas St., California, Mo. 65018.
Lillian J. Ratcliff-Karns
Lillian J. Ratcliff-Karns of Columbia died Monday, July 26, 1999, at the Stuart House in Centralia. She was 92.Mrs. Ratcliff-Karns was born March 3, 1907, in Buchanan County to F.W. and Olive Spoor. She graduated from Easton High School in Easton and went to Platt Business School in St. Joseph. She lived in Columbia for the past nine years.She worked as a dietitian at the Savannah Cancer Hospital in Savannah, Mo., and as an assistant dietitian at Missouri Methodist Hospital in St. Joseph. She also was a supervisor at Noyes Home for Children in St. Joseph for 15 years.Mrs. Ratcliff-Karns was a member of Ebenezer Methodist Church, where she was past president of the United Methodist Women's Group. She was involved in the Huffman Quilters Group and the Friendly Neighbors Club. She also served as a past regent for the St. Joseph Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution.
In Columbia, she was a member of Community United Methodist Church and Quilters Group. She was also a member of Hallsville United Methodist Church in Hallsville.
Services, conducted by the Rev. William Wasson, will be at 11 a.m. today at Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 7000 S.E. 169 Highway, in St. Joseph. Family will receive friends at Ebenezer United Methodist Church an hour before the services. Mrs. Ratcliff-Karns will be buried at Ebenezer Cemetery.
Mrs. Ratcliff-Karns is survived by her daughter, Luella Adams of Columbia; two stepdaughters, Harriett Weaver of St. Joseph and Louise Blakely of Mililani Town, Hawaii; 12 grandchildren; and 16 great grandchildren.
Her husband, two sisters, a son and a daughter died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 7000 S.E. 169 Highway, St. Joseph, Mo. 64507; or to the Noyes Home for Children, 801 N. Noyes Blvd., St. Joseph, Mo. 64506.
Veneta Ethel Cochran
Veneta Ethel Cochran of Columbia died Tuesday, July 27, 1999, at Boone Retirement Center. She was 86.
Mrs. Cochran was born June 22, 1913, in Moberly to Charles Edward and Mary Ethel Mitchell Carter.
On January 23, 1932, she married Earl Cochran in Columbia.
Visitation for Mrs. Cochran will be 6 to 8 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Charles Parker, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Cochran is survived by five sons, Bobby Cochran of Kansas City, Carl R. Cochran of Agana, Guam, Roger Cochran of Hallsville, Tommy Cochran of Ashland and Leslie Cochran of Columbia; two daughters, Lois Goodman and Mary Sue Nichols, both of Columbia; one sister, Nellie Harrison of Hallsville; 19 grandchildren, several great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Mrs. Cochran was preceded in death by her husband, one daughter, three brothers and two sisters.
Rosie Lee Young
Rosie Lee Young of Columbia died Monday, July 26, 1999, at her home. She was 79.
Mrs. Young was born Dec. 3, 1919, in Hillshouse, Miss., to James Cushenberry and Carrie Dent O'Connor.
Mrs. Young married William Young Sr. She moved to Columbia from Lilbourn in 1980.
A member of Sugar Grove Baptist Church, Mrs. Young was the former president of the women's missionary society for the church. She was also a member of the NAACP.
Visitation for Mrs. Young will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Warren Funeral Home Chapel, 10 N. Fourth St. Services, conducted by the Rev. Harry Williams, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sugar Grove Baptist Church, 5400 E. Sugar Grove Rd. Burial will be at Rock Bridge Cemetery.
Mrs. Young is survived by nine daughters, Mattie Mae Hill and Samantha Pollard of Chicago, Birdella Young and Roberta Young of Osceola, Ark., Carrie Anderson, Gloria Smith, Sandra Turner and Judy Young of Columbia, and Dianna Ross of Phoenix, Ariz.; forty-one grandchildren and several great-grandchildren and cousins.
Her husband, two sisters, three brothers and two sons died earlier.
Dorothy Beary
Dorothy Beary of Columbia died Sunday, July 25, 1999, at her home. She was 68.
She was born May 23, 1931 in Steam Boat Springs, Colo., to Duane and Ruth Brown Turner.
Mrs. Beary graduated from Hickman High School and then attended MU and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
She married Tom S. Beary on Dec. 5, 1953, and together they owned and operated Bargain Barn in Columbia for 28 years. Mrs. Beary was a member of First Christian Church.
Visitation for Mrs. Beary will be from 3 to 4 p.m. today at Parker Funeral Service, 22 N. Tenth St. Services, conducted by the Rev. Bart Larson, will be at 4 p.m. today at Parker Funeral Service, with burial to follow at Columbia Cemetery.
Mrs. Beary is survived by two sons, Brad Beary of Columbia and Tom D. Beary of Panama City, Fla.; two daughters, Jackie Beary of Columbia and Barbara Brown of Panama City, Fla.; one brother, Duane Turner of Berrington, N.H. and three grandchildren.
Her husband and one sister died earlier.
Melva Barrett Hughes Berry
Melva Barrett Hughes Berry died Monday, July 26, 1999, in Columbia. She was 87.
Mrs. Berry was born Nov. 30, 1911, in Versailles, Mo., to James Hamilton and Mary Alice Polston Hughes. She spent all of her adult life in Versailles.
Services for Mrs. Berry will be at 10 a.m. today at Calvary Episcopal Church, 123 S. Ninth St., Columbia. Family members will receive friends following the service in the parish hall. Burial will be at 2 p.m. today at the Versailles Cemetery.
Mrs. Berry is survived by one daughter, Diane Berry O'Hagan of Columbia; one son, William F. Berry of Columbia; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Her husband died earlier.
Memorial donations may be sent to Habitat for Humanity, 1123 Wilkes Blvd., Columbia, Mo., 65201 or the Rainbow House, 2302 N. Oakland Gravel Road, Columbia, Mo. 65202.
Jeff Shikles
They called him "Dr. Jeff."
Veterinarian Jeff Shikles tended to the everyday cares and concerns of people with the same compassion he used when he treated the ailments of their pets.
He knew no strangers, for everyone was soon drawn in by his easy demeanor.
"It was hard to get things done because he was always stopping to talk to someone," said his wife, Nancy. "He could talk to strangers, he could talk to anybody. He really listened. When he would talk to you, he would look right in your eyes."
Jeffrey Shikles, 36, died Friday of a head injury. He had been working with horses on his farm outside of Columbia when one kicked him.
The people that filled his house Monday night were a testament to the lives he touched.
As family and friends gathered inside, horses flicked their tails lazily in the late evening sun while a dog scampered across the front step. Even at home, animals were everything to him.
He had dreamed of being a veterinarian since he was 12 years old. He pursued that dream at MU's School of Veterinary Medicine.
"He was driven to get that degree," said Susan Moore, his sister-in-law. "It was his passion in life."
Dr. Shikles had worked at Noah's Ark Animal Hospital since 1991 and also ran an equine practice. Sixty-hour work weeks often took him away from his family.
"He wasn't home much because he was always helping so many people out," his wife said. His love of his work didn't lessen his devotion to his children, John, 10 and Katherine, 7. Many times, John would accompany him on calls.
"He was a real family man; he always talked about his wife and kids," said Janice Butcher, who worked as Shikles' assistant at Buttonwood Animal Hospital before he went to Noah's Ark.
Dr. Shikles' relentless dedication to animals often meant late nights and long distances. He would travel to St. Louis for one client, who preferred her cats be in his hands only.
"He was so trustworthy," said Terry Chapman, one of his partners at Noah's Ark. "He wanted to take care of everything - the animal and the owner."
Dr. Shikles proved this when a co-worker brought in a cat she had found in the middle of the highway.
"He worked until well past midnight trying to fix her up," Butcher said. "He still came in early the next morning to tell me that the cat didn't make it. I was really impressed by his dedication."
His patients often became pets, as he would bring home strays or other animals given as gifts.
"He couldn't stand it," Nancy Shikles said. "He just had to bring them home." He had eight cats, six horses, five dogs and a guinea pig of his own.
Dr. Shikles spent time with the animals, connecting with them immediately, said Judy Olcott, one of Dr. Shikles' clients.
"If animals are able to sense auras about people, then there was an aura about Jeff," she said.
When Dr. Shikles wasn't working, he enjoyed athletic activities, like camping, running and working out. He is remembered by family and friends for his kindness, honesty and compassion.
"He knew everybody. We've been just inundated with hundreds of calls," Moore said. "Everybody loved him."
Dr. Shikles was also survived by his parents, Mabel and Morris Shikles, of Marshall, and an uncle, James Shikles, of Jefferson City.
Visitation will be held at the Broadway Christian Church, where Shikles was a deacon, on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral will be on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the church.
Memorials may be sent to the Veterinary Medicine Memorial Scholarship Fund, 203 Veterinary Medicine Building, Columbia, Mo. 65211.
"The only think I can think of is that there must have been a vacancy in heaven, that God needed a good veterinarian," Olcott said.
James A. Coleman
James A. Coleman of Mexico, Mo., died Monday, July 26, 1999, of cancer. He was 48.
Mr. Coleman was born to Elmer and Charlotte Burks Coleman on July 4, 1951, in Columbia.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He married Joanne M. Patterson on June 1, 1997 in Mexico, Mo. He worked at the Boone County Sheriff's Department for 11 years before working with the State of Missouri Department of Corrections, Central Missouri Correctional Center in Jefferson City.
Mr. Coleman was a member of VFW Post 280 and a former member of Missouri Police Officers Association.
Visitation for Mr. Coleman will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services, conducted by the Rev. Loyal D. Van Horn, will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. After a military service, Mr. Coleman will be buried at Elmwood Cemetery at Liberty Street and Elmwood Drive in Mexico, Mo.
He is survived by his mother, Charlotte M. Coleman of Huntsdale, Mo.; his wife, Joanne Coleman of Mexico, Mo.; two sons, Gary Coleman of Columbus, Ohio, and Timothy Coleman of Ashland; one step-son, John Patterson of Kentucky; two daughters, Samantha C. Coleman of Fulton and Anna Madge Coleman of Ashland; one step-daughter, Gale Bell of Centralia and one sister, Carol Jones of Huntsdale, Mo.
His father died earlier.
Christine Linn Hudson
Christine Linn Hudson of Columbia died Sunday, July 25, 1999, at Boone Hospital Center. She was 93.
Mrs. Hudson spent some of her free time volunteering at the Senior Center in Columbia and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in West Point, Ga.
She was born July 25, 1906, in Barstow County, Ga. to James Felton and Sallie Mae Donald Linn.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Loran McCrary, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
Mrs. Hudson is survived by one daughter, Gipsie French of Columbia; one sister, Olivia Groves of Pine Mountain Valley, Ga.; seven grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.
Three husbands died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Senior Center, 1121 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia, Mo., 65201.
Rose Marie Jacks
Rose Marie Jacks of Columbia died Saturday, July 24, 1999 at Boone Retirement Center. She was 85.
Mrs. Jacks was born on March 4, 1914 in St. Cloud, Minn., to Simon and Godfreda Oltz. She married Floyd L. Jacks in 1942.
She was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She also worked as a clerk for the Tiger Hotel in Columbia.
There will be no visitation for Mrs. Jacks because she donated her body to the MU Anatomy Department. Services will be held at a later date.
She is survived by one daughter, Jean Morrow of Holts Summit, Mo.; one sister, Martha Subitch of Appleton, Wis.; six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Her husband, one son, five brothers and three sisters died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1115 Locust St., Columbia, Mo. 65201.
Raymond Ardell Elder
Raymond Ardell Elder of Columbia died Saturday, July 24, 1999, at Truman Veterans Hospital. He was 74.
Mr. Elder was born Oct. 10, 1924, in Boone County to Marion F. and Hattie M. Marsh Elder. He married Venita G. Redman on Dec. 17, 1945, in Kansas.
Mr. Elder served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years, where he was in the 1st Special Service force. He served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
"He was a very patriotic man," his wife said. "He loved his country dearly."
Besides his devotion to the military, Mr. Elder enjoyed fishing, hunting, traveling and entering sweepstakes.
"He has won all kinds of stuff," Venita Elder said. "One time he won $1,000 from Kmart."
Visitation for Mr. Elder will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Parker Funeral Service, 22 N. Tenth St. Services, conducted by the Rev. Dennis Swearngin, will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Parker Funeral Service. The interment will be at Memorial Park Cemetery, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
Elder is survived by his wife, Venita G. Elder of Columbia; two daughters, Nancy Bishop of New Franklin and Janis McCray of Columbia; one son, Richard Elder of California, Mo.; five sisters, Helen Acton of California, Martha Daly of Columbia, Freda Parker of St. Joseph, Rosie Sims of St. Charles, and Brooksie Wyatt of Fayette; four brothers, Bob Elder of Columbia, Jerry Elder of Mississippi, Joe Elder of California, and Marion Elder of Columbia; 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Three brothers and one sister died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association of Mid-Missouri Chapter, 1121 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia, Mo. 65201, and the American Heart Association.
William Peden
William Peden was the kind of professor students never forget. As a professor emeritus of English at MU, he inspired many of them to pursue writing as career.
William H. Peden of Columbia died Friday, July 23, 1999, at Oak View Living Center in Jefferson City. He was 86.
Greg Michalson, one of his students, said he was forever influenced by Dr. Peden.
"He was one of my early mentors as a student," Michalson said. "He was the one who got me to come back here to grad school."
Michalson was in St. Louis when Dr. Peden called to tell him about the creative writing major he had just organized at MU.
"He made his students feel like they were participating in a long tradition of excellence," Michalson said. "He really had a national reputation that went beyond MU."
In addition to being a memorable teacher, Dr. Peden was a creator; he started many of the writing programs that draw students to the university today.
Dr. Peden established the University of Missouri Press and co-founded the Missouri Review, which annually awards the Peden Prize for short fiction.
The University of Missouri Press, which Dr. Peden started in 1958, now publishes more than 50 titles per year, in fields ranging from American history to short fiction. Dr. Peden retired from MU in 1978, but he remained on the Missouri Review editorial board for many years.
Michalson, who is now managing editor of Missouri Review, said Dr. Peden's commitment to the magazine in its early years helped it get off the ground.
"Bill even lent us his office before we had an office of our own," he said. "He was one of the guiding forces - particularly in the magazine's fiction, the area Missouri Review has built its reputation on."
Dr. Peden developed his love of literature at an early age and was influenced by Thomas Jefferson, his boyhood hero. He received all three of his degrees from the University of Virginia, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Jefferson.
"He studied Jefferson as an intellectual, not as a politician," said his wife, Margaret "Petch" Peden. Dr. Peden wrote two books on Jefferson as an intellectual, both of which are considered classics in the field.
Dr. Peden was born on March 22, 1913, in Long Island, N.Y., to Horatio Harwood and Catherine Hanna Peden. He spent his early years in the east, but after he moved to Columbia in 1946, Dr. Peden considered himself a "transplanted Missourian," his wife said.
The Pedens lived in Columbia and were professors at MU, but they also shared a passion for literature.
"Petch and Bill had such an idyllic marriage - they were both so devoted to literature," said Carole Patterson, a friend of the Pedens for about 25 years. "They'd sail to Europe just to sit and read on the way there."
The Pedens were married on Sept. 18, 1965, in St. Louis. They met through a mutual friend in 1965, although they both came to MU in 1946 - Petch Peden as a transfer student and Dr. Peden as a professor.
Petch and Dr. Peden both had children from previous marriages, but their families eventually blended well together, Mrs. Peden said.
"We had a very nice tradition of annual family reunions at the end of December," she said. "It was the only time we were all together, but it had a good effect of making us one big family."
Dr. Peden is survived by his wife, Margaret S. Peden of Columbia; two daughters, Sally Peden of Fairfield, Iowa, and Eliza Mitchell of Webster Groves; one stepson, Kyle Nowine of Boulder, Colo.; one stepdaughter, Kerry Dunning of Palatka, Fla.; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
One sister died earlier.
A private graveside service will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia with the Rev. Steve Wall-Smith presiding.
Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Missouri Press Endowment Fund or the Alzheimer's Association Mid-Missouri Chapter, 1121 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia, Mo. 65201.
Edward C. Lambert
Dr. Edward C. Lambert changed the face of broadcast news in Columbia and, to a certain extent, the nation. As the founder of KOMU-TV/Channel 8, he brought television news to Columbia and used the station to teach journalism students how to provide it.
Dr. Lambert died Sunday, July 25, 1999, at Boone Hospital Center. He was 89.
Dr. Lambert founded the broadcast news sequence at the Missouri School of Journalism, leading him to create KOMU-TV in 1953. Colleagues and former students of Dr. Lambert saw him as a dedicated, kind and innovative man that shaped the way broadcast news was taught at MU.
"He was one of the kindest, most committed broadcasters I met in my life," said Phill Brooks, director of Missouri Digital News.
Dr. Lambert was born Jan. 29, 1910, in What Cheer, Iowa, to Edward Gray and Elsie May King Lambert. He grew up in Iowa as a fan of the pioneers of broadcasting and developed a specific interest in war coverage.
"I was always very much interested in broadcasting," Dr. Lambert said in an interview with the Missourian in March. "It was something that was in my blood."
Dr. Lambert married Ella Cole on May 30, 1936, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He later joined the U.S. Navy and served in World War II as a lieutenant commander. After serving in the war in Europe and the South Pacific, he returned to Iowa to earn his master's degree.
When he arrived in Columbia in 1946, Dr. Lambert began a legacy at the School of Journalism that would spawn the broadcasting sequence and KOMU. He developed relationships with his students that would influence many of them into prominent careers in the field of broadcasting.
KOMU's first broadcast was on Dec. 21, 1953. As general manager and founder, Dr. Lambert developed the idea of using the station to train his students in the broadcasting sequence, putting the job of reporting the news and producing the broadcasts, in their hands.
Today, MU's broadcasting sequence remains unique; it still relies on students to produce its newscasts. There is nothing like it in the country, said Dave Dugan, a retired professor of broadcasting at MU.
"He absolutely pioneered it," Dugan said.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Lambert served as the moderator for Missouri Forum, a public affairs show broadcast on KOMU and on radio stations throughout the state. He was also news director at KFRU radio.
Several months before his death, Dr. Lambert said his greatest achievement was receiving the Gold Medal Award from the School of Journalism.
"He had a devotion to teaching the basics of journalism to his students and he sent a lot of them out into the real world," said William Taft, a retired journalism professor whom worked with Dr. Lambert.
Dr. Lambert advised and worked closely with students who would later go on to become prominent figures in the world of broadcasting, said several colleagues. Mike Wheeler, senior vice president of NBC, and Amy McCombs, who was the first female general managers of a large market broadcasting station at San Francisco's KRON, both were advised by Dr. Lambert.
Visitation for Dr. Lambert will be 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel.
Dr. Lambert is survived by his wife, Ella Lambert of Columbia; two daughters, Pamela Lambert of Columbia and Mrs. Norris (Barbara) Reichel of Dayton Beach Shores, Fla.; and four grandchildren.
One brother died earlier.
Memorials for Dr. Lambert may be sent to the Dr. Edward C. Lambert Scholarship Fund at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Bishop M.H. Williams
The pastor at St. Paul Freewill Baptist Church, who relatives say never met a stranger, lived the life he preached.
Bishop M.H. Williams of Slater died Wednesday, July 21, 1999, at his home. He was 82.
"He had something good to say about everybody," Williams' daughter Marilyn Hockaday said. "He was a very wonderful person and a great father."
Bishop Williams was born Sept. 4, 1916, in Union Hill to Sylvester and Nannie Roberts Ellis Williams. He attended school in Arrow Rock and Marshall before graduating from Hubbard High School in Sedalia.
He worked on various farms around Saline County and also did quarry work on the Missouri River.
Williams was ordained into the ministry in 1947 in the Freewill Baptist Church. He was a pastor at the Browns' Chapel Freewill Baptist Church in Arrow Rock from 1953 until 1963, Mt. Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Marshall from 1954 to 1962 and the St. Paul Freewill Baptist Church in Slater from 1963 until his retirement in October 1998.
Williams was dedicated to his work as a pastor and was always willing to lend a helping hand or give advice.
"He could talk to you and make you feel better about anything," Hockaday said. "He would also visit the sick when they were in the hospitals."
Hockaday said her father would often be the first person a patient would see after going through surgery.
Aside from his pastoral work, Williams was a member of the Marshall Ministerial Alliance, Slater Ministerial Alliance, the Slater Cemetery Board and the Slater Police Board.
Bishop Williams was elected annual bishop of the Western Missouri Freewill Baptist Association in 1967 and served in that capacity until 1994. He was elected first vice president of the Western Division of Freewill Baptist Church from 1970 until 1976 and served as the president of the Western Missouri Freewill Baptist Association from 1976 until 1982. Williams was also named senior bishop for life in 1985 by the Western Missouri Division of Freewill Baptist Inc. General Conference.
"He was an old-fashioned preacher," Hockaday said. "He was dedicated to his church."
Services for Bishop Williams, conducted by Bishop E.T. Sims, will be at 2 p.m. today at the St. Paul Freewill Baptist Church in Slate. Burial will be in the Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
Bishop Williams is survived by his wife, Mable R. Williams of Slater; three sons, Hedrick Tolefree of Kansas City, Ralph Williams of Minneapolis, and Joe Williams of Tampa; two daughters, Marilyn Hockaday of Slater and Arlene Williams of Warrensburg; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bernard F. 'Ben' Herzing
Bernard F. "Ben" Herzing of Eldon died Wednesday, July 21, 1999, on U.S. 87 near Eldon as a result of injuries suffered in a traffic accident. He was 72.
Mr. Herzing was born Aug. 7, 1926, in Freeburg to Conrad and Mary Herzing. Mr. Herzing was an Army veteran and a lifetime member of Miller County VFW Post 2442. He also was a member of Roscoe Enloe American Legion Post 5 in Jefferson City.
Mr. Herzing was retired from the Gastineau Lumber Company in New Bloomfield.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Gene Edwards, will be at 2 p.m. today at Rekus Funeral Home in Eldon. Interment with military honors will follow in Hawthorn Memorial Gardens in Jefferson City.
Visitation was held Saturday at Rekus Funeral Home.
Mr. Herzing is survived by two daughters, Glenda Golden of Osage Beach and Lori Birdsong Mealy of Columbia; one son, Richard Herzing of Columbia; two stepsons, Noel Robert Herzing of Columbia and Wilfred "Jake" Livingston of Russellville; three sisters, Delphine Jagers of St. Genevieve, Rita Nilges of Jefferson City and Arlene Wallace Pratt of Jefferson City; one bother, Clarence Herzing of Centertown; nine grandchildren; one great granddaughter; and several nieces and nephews.
Two brothers, Herbert and Jim Herzing, died earlier.
Memorial contributions can be sent to Miller County VFW Post 2442 or to Roscoe Enloe American Legion Post 5 in Jefferson City.
Howard Vincent Nichols
Family was a central part of Howard Vincent Nichols' life, so perhaps it was fitting that most of his immediate family was with him when he died Friday, July 23, 1999, at his home. He was 68.
"He was one heck of a man," said his wife, Amy Evalee Morris Nichols.
Mr. Nichols was born Aug. 7, 1930, in Columbia to Murtie Boone Rollins and Perley Everett Nichols. He lived in Columbia his whole life.
Mr. Nichols married Amy Evalee Morris on Feb. 8, 1950, in Columbia. Mr. Nichols was a self-employed painter from 1955 to 1976, and his wife said he was one of Columbia's best house painters before a disabling arthritic condition forced him to retire.
For 25 years, he battled arthritis, diabetes and other complications that eventually confined him to his recliner at home, his wife said. However, she said her husband refused to let his spirits be subdued, and he was the type of person that made life enjoyable for others.
"Everybody who knew him loved him," she said. "He was admired because not many people who suffer through the kind of pain he did could sit and laugh like he did."
Before his failing health confined him to his home, Mr. Nichols divided most of his time between hunting with his three sons and teaching his daughter to play softball.
Mr. Nichols' daughter, Jackie Kreigh, still has the first ball glove her father bought her. She said they would play "burnout" together in the backyard for hours until her hand was "beet red."
Both father and daughter were catchers in their day, and they would fire the ball back and forth to see who could withstand the most "heat." She rarely gave in, and she believes her father's work ethic and dedication rubbed off on the family.
"He let me know he was proud of me, and I really respected him," she said. "He was a tough guy, but he never lost his sense of humor."
Mr. Nichols was able to continue to deer hunt, thanks to a special chair his sons made for him, until two years ago. He took great pleasure in hunting with his three sons and close friends.
"Me and Dad were very close because I was the one who always took him hunting," said his son Vince Nichols. "I'd drive him back into the fields and put him on his stool. We put the orange on him - orange suit, orange hat - you could see him for miles."
After a heart condition confined Mr. Nichols to his home permanently, visits from his grandchildren brought him much happiness, his wife said.
She said the kids were particularly fond of Mr. Nichols' white beard, and last Christmas Eve he dressed as Santa Claus. His daughter, Jackie, dressed as Rudolph, and together they entertained several of his grandchildren.
"He brought a lot of pleasure to a lot of people," Mrs. Nichols said.
Visitation for Mr. Nichols will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. today at Nilson Funeral Home, 5611 St. Charles Road. Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Nilson Funeral Home. He will be buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, 1217 Business Loop 70 W.
Mr. Nichols is survived by his wife, Amy Evalee Morris Nichols of Columbia; one daughter, Jackie Kreigh of Columbia; three sons, Jerry Ray Nichols, David Allan Nichols and H. Vince Nichols Jr., all of Columbia; and seven grandchildren.
Three sisters and two brothers died earlier.
Memorials may be sent to the Nichols family, c/o Nilson Funeral Home, 5611 St. Charles Rd., Columbia, MO 65202.
