Obituaries
submitted by: Julia Johnson - julia.johnson63@gmail.com
 

[Alley, Audra Branam]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday    March 12, 1992

Audra A. Alley

Audra A. Alley, daughter of Edward Monroe and Octavia Frances (Orndorff) Branam, was born in Mercer County on Sept. 18,1906 and died Dec. 6, 1991 in Lincoln, Ill.

Mrs. Alley was married to Glen Alley Sept. 5, 1926 in Trenton. He preceded her in death April 25, 1984 in Lincoln, Ill. Mrs. Alley was also preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Bessie (Branam) Cordell and Mary (Branam) Shilt; one brother, Oscar Monroe Branam; and one half- brother, Terry Jones.

She is survived by a sister, Margaret Kay (Branam) Sherman of San Jose, Calif., and one brother, Donald Branam of Billings, Mont.

She is also survived by her daughter, Mildred (Alley) Raffa of Lincoln, Ill., son-in-law, John Raffa, four grandsons and two great-granddaughters.

Mrs. Alley was a member of the Catholic Church in Lincoln, Ill. Funeral services and burial were in that city.

Frances Branam and Paul and Carol Lee Branam of Princeton attended the services.

[Carpenter, Andrew Miller]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday March 12, 1992

Miller Carpenter

[Andrew] Miller Carpenter, son of H. [omer] M. [elton] and Elizabeth [Burckhart] (Miller) Carpenter, was born Nov. 13, 1910 in Mendon and died on March 4,1992 at his home in Sumner [Chariton County, Missouri].

He was an extension agent in Mercer and Carroll counties between 1935-1950; general manager of the Missouri Pfister Growers in Carrollton 1951-1968; board chairman of Bank of Rothville; former director of Missouri Independent Bankers; 1937 graduate of University of Missouri; received an honorary doctorate in business and public administration from Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar; and he was a member of the Rothville Baptist Church.

Mr. Carpenter was united in marriage on Aug. 18, 1947 to Vena Switzer.

He is survived by his wife, Vena, of the home; a son, Frederick H. Carpenter of Sumner; one daughter, Martha Carpenter Smith of Overland Park, Kan.; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. on March 6 at the Rothville Baptist Church under the direction of the Heisel-Koch Funeral Home in Mendon. The Rev. Jim Bulin officiated. Burial was in the Rothville Cemetery.

[Collins, George Harold]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday     February 8, 1996

George Collins

George Harold Collins, son of James W. and Nettie L. Collins, was born in Tarkio, Missouri, on February 28, 1920, and passed away on January 31,1996, at the Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Missouri, at the age of 75 years.

Mr. Collins was raised in the Melbourne, Missouri, community, and lived most of his adult life in Princeton, Missouri, moving to Trenton, Missouri, in February of 1995. He had been a resident of Eastview Manor in Trenton since September of last year. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Army.

Mr. Collins was united in marriage to Ruby Virginia Mullins on December 29, 1961. She survives him, of the Eastview Manor in Trenton.

Mr. Collins was preceded in death by: his parents; a stepdaughter, Gayla White; a stepson, Dale Dodson; a step-granddaughter, Lesa Ann King; four     brothers, Dewey, Dempsey, Paul and Donald Collins; and two sisters, Dorothy Maize and Ruth Hamm.

Besides his wife, Mr. Collins is survived by: two step-daughters, Sharon Owen, of Trenton, Missouri and Donna Paxton, of Marion, Iowa; one step-son, Lee Dodson, of Green Rock, Illinois;, 16 step-grandchildren; 6 step-great-grandchildren; four brothers, Ruble and Martin Collins, of Gilman City, Missouri, Lewis and Russell Collins, of Galesburg, Illinois; two sisters, Lena Mae Benson, of Gilman City, Missouri, and Pauline Wall, of Galesburg, Illinois; and by several nieces and nephews.

Graveside services and burial were held Monday, February 5,1996, at 1:00p.m., at the Princeton Cemetery. Rev. Leland Heriford officiated, under the direction of the Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Service of Princeton, Missouri,

[Collings, Eula Mildred Rankin]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday     February 27, 1992

Mildred Collings

[Eula] Mildred Collings, daughter of [Francis] Edward and Ethel (Van Vacter) Rankin, was born on August 16, 1907, in Mercer County, and died on Feb. 24, 1992, at the Princeton Care Center at the age of 84.

Mrs. Collings was a graduate of the Ravanna High School and was a member of the Princeton Baptist Church. She was employed as an LPN at the Axtell Hospital for several years.

She was married to Vernon [Hunter] Collings on Feb. 28, 1926. He preceded her in death on May 5, 1975. She was also preceded in death by her parents.

Mrs. Collings is survived by two sons, Roscoe Collings of Princeton and Clinton Edward Collings of Joplin; seven grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; two sisters, Fern Hunter and Lorene Clingingsmith, both of Princeton.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Slater Funeral Home in Trenton.

[Collings, Mollie Imo Reeves]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday     March 5, 1992

Mollie Imo Collings

Mollie Imo Collings, daughter of Ben and Martha (Driscol) Reeves, was born east of Ravanna [Mercer County, Missouri] on Nov. 7, 1889, and died on March 1,1992, at the Princeton Care Center at the age of 102 years.

She was married to Albert Collings, who preceded her in death in 1971. She was also preceded in death by her parents; two sons, Ferrill Collings, and Robert R. Collings, who was killed in action during World War II; her four brothers, Freddie, Albert, Gilbert, and John Reeves; and by her sister, Cora Hickman.

Mollie is survived by her two sons, Kenneth and Bill Collings, both of Mercer; her daughter, Dreva Fisher, also of Mercer; nine grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; and seven great great grandchildren.

She was a member of the Mercer United Methodist Church, a charter member of the American Legion Post#447 Auxiliary in Mercer, and was designated a Gold Star Mother due to her son Robert's death in World War II.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 4,1992, at 1 p.m. at the Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Chapel in Princeton with the Rev. Ron Helton officiating. Burial was in the Ravanna Cemetery.

[Combs, Sylvia Mae Goin]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday    February 27, 1992

Sylvia Mae Combs

Sylvia Mae Combs, daughter of William and Ollie (Dykes) Goin, was born near Princeton [Mercer County, Missouri] on Aug. 1,1901, and died on Feb. 19, 1992, at the Eastview Manor Nursing Home in Trenton, at the age of 90.    

Sylvia was married to Harry Granville Combs on March 19, 1924, in Princeton. Harry preceded her in death on May 2, 1984. She was also preceded in death by her two brothers, Gay and Guy Goin; and by her sister, Eva Arbuckle.

Sylvia and Harry lived most of their married life on their farm, west of Princeton, moving to Princeton in October of 1985. She was a member of the Goshen Christian Church.

Survivors include her son, Kenneth Combs of Orange, Calif.; her daughter, Phyllis Leet (and son-in-law, Richard), of Gainesville, Ga.; her five grandchildren, Richard Combs, Deborah Hamilton, Richard Leet II, Alan Leet and Dana Geiken; and by her nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Feb. 22, 1992, at 3 p.m. at the Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Chapel in Princeton with the Rev. Norris Ramsey officiating. Burial was in the Goshen Cemetery, west of Princeton.

[Craig, Alma Otto]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday    February 8, 1996

Alma Craig

Alma Craig, 82, of Des Moines, Iowa, died Thursday, January 25, at the New Oaks Care Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Mrs. Craig was born in Des Moines and lived there most of her life. She was a homemaker and a member of the Waukee Baptist Church and Volunteers of America.

Mrs. Craig is survived by: a son, John; two daughters, Louise Wright and Carol Jones; two brothers, Elmer Otto and Lester Otto, all of Des Moines; 18 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services were held Wednesday, January 31, at Hamilton's Funeral Home. Burial was in the Freedom, Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to her church.

[Ellsworth, Marian Lee, Mrs.]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday     February 29, 1996

Marion L. Ellsworth

Marion [Marian]  L. [ee] Ellsworth, Cainsville, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, February 20, 1996, at the Harrison County Community Hospital, Bethany, Missouri, at the age of 72 years. Mrs. Ellsworth was born at Mt. Moriah, Missouri [March 25, 1923] and had lived at Cainsville, Missouri since 1946.

Mrs. Ellsworth was united in marriage to Junior L. [ea] Ellsworth, September 23,1941, in Princeton, Missouri. He preceded her in death in [June 8] 1984.

Mrs. Ellsworth was a homemaker and a member of the Assembly of God Church, Cainsville, Missouri.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Ellsworth was preceded in death by a son, Pete, in 1994.

Mrs. Ellsworth is survived by: a daughter, Sharon Skroh, Cainsville, Missouri; two sisters, Betty Sparks, Belton, Missouri and Becky Parsley, Overland Park, Kansas; 5 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held Friday, February 23, 1996, at 2:00 p.m., at the Assembly of God Church, Cainsville, Missouri. Burial was in the Hamilton Cemetery, Modena, Missouri.

[Guffey, Robert William “Bob”]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday    March 5, 1992

Robert William Guffey

Robert William Guffey, son of Hugh S. and Myrtle (Ewing) Guffey, was born in Udell, Iowa, on July 30, 1910, and died on Feb. 28, 1992, at the Princeton Care Center at the age of 81 years.

Bob was married to Violet Iona Shields in April of 1980. She survives him of the home in Princeton. He is also survived by a stepson, Eugene Little, of Worland, Wyo.; a stepdaughter, Joetta Miller of Rockton, Ill.; six    step-grandchildren, Terry and Rick Preszler, Steven, Roger and Tommy Miller and Cindy Vandenburg; eleven step-great-grandchildren; and by his sister, Robelia Klein, of St. Cloud, Fla. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Thelma Guffey; and by his brother, Claude Guffey.

Bob moved to Wisconsin when he was three years old. He farmed for a number of years and was a Maintenance Employee at the Beloit College in Beloit, Wis., for 27 years. In 1981 he and his wife, Violet, moved to Mercer County. He entered the Princeton Care Center in November of 1991.

The body was cremated under the direction of the Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Service of Princeton. Memorial services and burial of the ashes will be held at a later date in Wisconsin.

[Jones, Ira Thomas “Tom”]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday    March 12, 1992

Tom Jones

Tom [Ira Thomas] Jones, son of William and Anna (Cochell) Jones was born near Lucerne, in Putnam County on Sept. 9, 1907, and passed away on March 4,1992, at the Cox Medical Center.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Gerald Jones; and by three sisters, Emma Beary, Cleo Cody and Lorene Jones.

Tom resided in Lucerne for several years where he farmed and was an auctioneer for the Princeton Sale Company. In 1946, he and his brothers, Ted and Gerald purchased the Princeton Sale Company; at this time he moved to Princeton. He lived in Princeton until July of 1989, when he and Beryl moved to Springfield.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Princeton, where he served as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher. For several years he was a member of the Princeton Rotary Club.

He was united in marriage to Beryl Mannon on April 26, 1930. Beryl survives him of the home in Springfield. Tom is also survived by his son, Jack Jones (and daughter-in-law, Marilyn), of San Diego, California; his daughter, Annie Wright (and son-in-law Harvey), of Dallas, Texas; eight grandchildren, Susan Buchholz and Rita Gurian, of Springfield, Ramona Ferguson and John Wright of Dallas, Texas, Marcella Cronin of Detroit, Mich., Beth Campbell of Jefferson City, and by Cynthia Lee and Tom Wright of Kansas City; twelve great-grandchildren; one brother, Ted Jones of Princeton; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held Saturday, March 7, at 1:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Princeton with the Rev. Harry Clifton and the Rev. Norris Ramsey officiating. Burial was in the Lucerne Cemetery.

[Reames, Cedric Allen]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday     February 8, 1996

Cedric A. Reames

Cedric A. [llen] Reames, 74, a resident of Lake Marie, Mercer, Missouri, died Monday [February 5, 1996] at Wayne County Hospital, Corydon, Iowa.

Mr. Reames was born August 26, 1921 in Trenton, Missouri, the son of Ernest O. and Letha B. Woodall Reames.

Mr. Reames attended school in Trenton and Eldon, Iowa and graduated from Valley Junction, Iowa high school. He was a truck driver for United Buckingham Trucking Company, Des Moines, Iowa, until he retired.

Mr. Reames was united in marriage to Dorothy M. Tyler, July 5,1939. She survives him, of the home.

Mr. Reames has lived in Eldon, Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa and Mercer, Missouri since 1992. He was a member of Local # 147, Teamster Union of Des Moines, Iowa.

Mr. Reames was preceded in death by: his parents; two brothers, Claude Reames and Stanley Reames; two sisters, June Reames and Mrs. Ernestine Huffman; and one grandchild.

Besides his wife, Mr. Reames is survived by: three sons, Cedric "Ted" Reames, Jr., Adel, Iowa, Tim Reames, Winterset, Iowa, and Scan T. Reames, Lake Marie, Mercer, Missouri; two brothers, William Reames, Colleyville, Texas, and Ernest Reames, Modesto, California; one sister, Mrs. Mary Jane McKee, Carlisle, Iowa; 10 grandchildren; and 5 great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the Slater Funeral Home in Trenton, Missouri. The Rev. Irvin Presser officiated. Burial was in the Trenton I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

[Rutledge, Frank Wilson]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday      February 27, 1992

Frank Wilson Rutledge

Frank Wilson Rutledge, son of James Peter and Lucy (Mason) Rutledge, was born near Princeton [Mercer County, Missouri] on Oct. 11, 1915, and died on Feb. 20, 1992, at the Decatur County Hospital in Leon, Iowa, at the age of 76 years.

In 1938, Frank married the former Ruby Grove in Albany. The couple lived on a farm near Mercer until moving to Princeton in 1990. Ruby survives him of the home in Princeton.

He was a retired farmer and also a retired employee of the Rock Island Railroad.

He was a member of the Assembly of God Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and American Legion Post, all of Princeton. During World War II, he served with the Army for three years. As a member of the Assembly of God Church, he served in numerous church capacities through the years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Leona Henley, Grace Duncan and Hortense Bloom; and two brothers, William and Mason. Frank is survived by a son, Keith (and daughter-in-law, Mary) of Trenton; his two daughters, Nylene Walker (and son-in-law, Larry) of Louisville, Ky., and Norene Corder (and son-in-law, Ronald) of Bloomington, Minn.; two granddaughters, Kristie Rutledge and Kathy Winkelman of Martinsburg; three brothers, Ray of Independence, Fred of Centerville, Kan., and James of Sedalia; three sisters, Gale Crawford of Wallowa, Ore., Mary Ann Mitchell of Kansas City, and Margaret Black of Belton.

Funeral services were held Monday, Feb. 24, 1992, at 1 p.m. at the Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Chapel in Princeton with the Rev. Howard Leasure and the Rev. Mark Cerutti officiating. Burial was in the Princeton Cemetery.   

[Sobotka, Belva Dale Thomas]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday    February 8, 1996

Belva Dale Sobotka

Belva Dale [Thomas] Sobotka passed away Friday, February 2,1996, at a nursing home in Bethany, Missouri, at the age of 97 years.

Mrs. Sobotka was born in Cainsville, Missouri and lived most of her life there until moving to Bethany in 1990. Mrs. Sobotka was a homemaker and a member of the Cainsville Christian Church. She married Edward [Earnest] Sobotka on December 16, 1922.   He preceded her in death in 1954.

Mrs. Sobotka is survived by a granddaughter, Mary Ann Elsberry, of Leon, Iowa.

Funeral services were held on Monday, February 5,1996, at 2:00 p.m., at the Christian Church in Cainsville, Missouri under the direction of Stoklosa Memorial Chapel, Cainsville, Missouri. Burial was in the Bohemian Cemetery at Cainsville, Missouri.

[Tharp, Jack Wendell]

Post Telegraph (Princeton, Missouri)

Thursday      March 5, 1992

Jack W. Tharp

Jack W. [endell] Tharp, son of Carl [Dewey] and Laura [Beatrice] Rhoades Tharp, was born May 20,1928, in Spickard [Grundy County, Missouri] and died on March 1, 1992, at his home in Spickard at the age of 63.   

Mr. Tharp, a lifelong resident of the Spickard community, was a painter. He attended the Brush rural school and was married to Dilila Kincade on May 11,1949, in Trenton.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two infant sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Dilila, of the home in Spickard; four daughters, Mrs. Steve (Patricia) Travis of Liberty, Mrs. Martin (Doris) Travis of Salina, Kan., and Mrs. Jackie Marrs and Brenda Fay Tharp, both of Spickard; two sons, Richard Tharp and Wendell Tharp, both of Spickard; two brothers, Glen Tharp of Chillicothe and W. A. Tharp of Bettendorf, Iowa; eight sisters, Mrs. Shirley Keith, Mrs. Betty Kincade and Mrs. Bill (Carolyn) Wendt, all of Chillicothe, Mrs. Franklin (Louise) Stephens of Jefferson City, Mrs. Jo Adams of Spickard, Mrs. Cecil (Nina) Persell of Mt. Carroll, Ill., Mrs. Gordon (June) Blacksmith of Indianola, Iowa, and Mrs. Larry (Kay) Crawford of Trenton; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on March 4 at the Wise and Slater Funeral Chapel in Spickard. The Rev. Leland Heriford, pastor of the Modena Baptist Church, officiated. Burial was in the North Evans Cemetery, east of Spickard.