All Obituaries

Orval Ray Funk, age 76, formerly of the Rich Hill and Hume area, passed away April 25, 2023.  Orval was born August 29, 1946, the son of William Newton Funk and Cecil Lucas in Lamar, Missouri. Orval worked as a dairy farmer and spent the last year of his life at the Butler Center. Orval was preceded in death by his parents, William and Cecil; and two brothers, Gale Lucas and Harry Funk. Graveside service 10 am, Friday, May 26, 2023 at the Green Lawn Cemetery in Rich Hill, Missouri.

John William Short, age 78 of Rich Hill passed away on Monday, May 15, 2023 at his home with his family by his side.   John was born January 18, 1945 to John Henry and Alice Short in Amoret, MO where he grew up with his 9 siblings.  He graduated from Miami High School in 1963.  He then joined the Army where he served in the artillery division.  When discharged from the Army, John returned home and worked in the construction field until his retirement.  On September...

Sharon K. Heckadon Holsworth went to be with the Lord on November 8, 2022.  She was born on December 8, 1942 to Vada Hobson Heckadon and Melvin Heckadon, along with seven other brothers and sisters who proceeded her in death along with her parents.  Harland was her last brother and he passed away on the morning of the same day that Sharon passed that evening. Sharon attended a country school named Reavley School for part of her grade school years.  When the schools were...

Wilma Marcine Weedin Taylor, age 85 of Rich Hill, Missouri passed away Saturday, April 22, 2023 at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Born on January 7, 1938 in Butler, MO. Marcine lived in a small home in New Home Township with her parents Sam and Goldie (Robertson) Weedin, and elder brother Marion Weedin for several years, where her father farmed and ran his own sawmill. The family then moved to Sprague in Howard Township to the family farm, settled by her...

Frances Norann Brooks passed away peacefully on March 9, 2023 surrounded by family at St. Luke's Hospice Hospital. Born August 16, 1938 on the farm of her parents David and Frances Brooks south of Hume, MO, Norann was the oldest of the six children. She attended Brush College in a one room school house her elementary years, walking to school one mile each day. When it closed she attended Hume R-8 School graduating as Valedictorian in the Class of 1956. Her classmates remained close...

Richard L. Skocy 9/18/1923-3/10/2023 Richard was born to Anton and Juliette on September18, 1923 in Joliet, Illinois. On September 10, 1942, Richard enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and served in World War II. He participated in action against the enemy in New Georgia, British Island, and Okinawa in Japan. He was honorably discharged on November 19, 1945. In Richard’s lifetime, he did a variety of general labor jobs, from bartending as a teenager, to serving as a volunteer...

Janet Elizabeth Copeland, 75, passed away on January 8th, 2023.  Janet Elizabeth Fox was born on April 6th, 1947 to Tommy and Elizabeth (Manchester) Fox in Nevada, Missouri, the first of two daughters.  Tommy and Elizabeth moved their young family to Grandview, Missouri for better job opportunities.  They bought a house and raised their two girls there.  They lived there until Tommy’s death in 1999.   Janet and her sister, Nancy J went to Grandview public...

Alan Eugene Wheatley, 100, of Rich Hill, Mo., passed away on January 5, 2023, at his home.   Alan Eugene Wheatley was born on November 29, 1922, at home in Rich Hill, Mo., to Fred and Nell Wheatley, the fourth of nine children. Life was never dull on the family farm, and with siblings, friends, and cousins always around, adventure abounded. At the age of two, Alan tumbled from the loft of the family barn and landed head first in a bucket of eggs, breaking his fall and saving his...

Wayne Phillip Wheatley passed away on November 28, 2022 at Medicalodge Nursing Home in Butler, MO.  Wayne was born a twin on April 23, 1925, one of nine children to Fred and Nell Ayer Wheatley on the family farm. It is still up for discussion who was born first—but we think it was very close. Wayne attended Mission Branch and then Rich Hill High School, graduating in 1944.  The roller skating rink in Rich Hill was a popular place on Saturday nights with Wayne and Warren and...

Walter William Mellenbruch, age 80, was born June 7, 1942 to William Vernon and Syrelda Irene (Stoddard)Mellenbruch at their country home west of Rich Hill. He passed on to Heaven on November 25, 2022 at his own country home, not a mile from where he was born. Walt graduated from Rich Hill High School in 1960, and began dating “the girl next door,” Norma Lea Drysdale. Since red was his favorite color, she was a good choice with her bright red hair. He and Norma Lea weremarried in...