West Plains

Funeral Services for Bessie Ernestine Vaughn, 97, West Plains, Missouri, will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 20, 2012, at Carter Funeral Home Chapel, West Plains, with Reverend Glenn Murray officiating, under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains.

She was born the daughter of the late John Henry Williams and Mary Rosetta Earls Williams, on August 26, 1914 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas and died June 18, 2012 in West Plains, Missouri.

She was united in marriage September 2, 1932 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas to Burnis R. Vaughn, who preceded her in death January 7, 1994.

She is survived by two sisters, Margaret Morgan, West Plains, and Tressie Quimby, Thayer, Missouri; two special nieces, Phyllis Parrett, Mountain Home, Arkansas and Jeanne Starman, Columbia, Missouri, and many other nieces and nephews.

Robert Lee Rieger died Friday morning, June 15, 2012 in his home in Marshfield, Missouri, after a long struggle with kidney failure. He was 76 years old.

Robert was born on April 13, 1936, in Dora, Missouri to the late Stephen Nathaniel and Sara Jane (Hale) Rieger. He was a proud graduate from Dora High School where he played shortstop on the baseball team.

In June of 1959, Robert married Linda Kay Hixon in Dora, Missouri. They enjoyed almost 42 years of marriage before she passed away with one of those years spent running a cafe and gas station together in Caulfield, Missouri. Robert was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to hunt and fish and be outdoors. While he was an excellent angler he was especially proud of his skills as a hunter. He began hunting at 9 years of age to help provide for the family and only missed one deer season the rest of his life. He was also proud that he could provide for his family. He started out as a surveyor with the Missouri Highway Department and would proudly point out the highways and roads that he had surveyed. He then came to work for Sho-Me Power where he stayed until he retired in 1999. A man of many talents, he was very talented artist and musician. He could play the guitar and banjo and entertained his grandson on many occasions with the harmonica.

Robert was a strong Christian and was at peace with the Lord at his time of death. He was baptized and described feeling the Holy Spirit wash through him. He was a member of the Marshfield United Methodist Church and until Linda Kay’s illness prevented them from going he attended church regularly.

Robert Lee Rieger is survived by his daughter and her husband Teresa Rieger Housholder and Keith Housholder of Marshfield, and his grandson, Christopher Lance Housholder also of Marshfield. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his two sisters, Lena Pauline Rieger and Betty Ileen Beecher and his brother, Horace Neil Rieger.

Robert’s funeral service will begin 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at Carter Funeral Home located at 1316 Porter Wagoner Boulevard in West Plains, MO 65775. Visitation will be held at Fraker Funeral Home located at 1131 State Highway A in Marshfield, Missouri, beginning 6:00 p.m. on June 17, 2012. He will then be taken to Carter Funeral Home where he will lay in wait until the services on Tuesday. He will then be laid to rest next to his wife and with his family at the Hale Cemetery in Dora, Missouri, located right across the road from the land where he grew up.

Funeral Services for Dudley Eugene Edwards will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at Carter Funeral Home Chapel, West Plains.

He was born the son of the late Robert L. Edwards and Pearl E. Harris Edwards, on April 27, 1939 in Fulton, Missouri and died June 2, 2012 in West Plains, Missouri.

He was united in marriage November 24, 1972 in Affton, Missouri to Barbara Edwards.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Edwards, of the home, West Plains, Missouri; four children, Martha Yarbrough, husband, Chris, Jefferson City, Missouri, Kathleen Koppitz, husband, Richard, Springfield, Missouri, Deborah Romans, husband, Charlie, West Plains, Missouri, and Terri Baker, Fulton, Missouri; one sister, Annie Ratliff, husband, Kenny, Columbia, Missouri; one brother, Charles Edwards, wife, Betty, Columbia, Missouri; fourteen grandchildren, and twenty great grandchildren.

Graveside services for Windell Ray Epley will be on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 1:00 p.m in Oak Lawn Cemetery.

Windell was born on July 31, 1932 in Dora, Missouri to parents Hurvul and Jessie Epley. He died on May 23 in West Vue Nursing Center at the age of 79.

He was educated in the Dora school system and enjoyed spending time with his seven siblings, riding horses, and listening to gospel and country music. Windell was a member of the Church of God for all his youth.

Windell was employed at Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas before moving to West Plains, Missouri. There he became employed with Cloud Oak Flooring, Purina Feed, and Southwest Truck Body. He retired from Southwest in 1993 and devoted his time to his family and the family farm, raising angus cattle

Windell met the love of his life, Dorothy Lou Lowe and the two entered the union of marriage on November 5, 1968. To this union were born two daughters, Reta Kay Epley Crass, and husband Jerry, West Plains, and Dianna Raye Epley Locke, and husband John, West Plains. The couple had two grandchildren, Kevin Crass, Springfield, Missouri and Makenna Locke, West Plains

Funeral Services for Lena May McClellan, 94, West Plains, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, May 21, 2012, at Carter Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverends Marcus Allen and James Duddridge officiating, under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains.

She was born the daughter of the late Charles McClellan and Gertie Eubank , on June 9, 1917 in Pomona, Missouri and died May 18, 2012 in West Plains, Missouri.

She is survived by two brothers, Ralph McClellan, Grand Prairie, Texas and Fred McClellan, wife, Delores, West Plains, Missouri; one sister, Fern Alvis, husband, Ray, Pomona, Missouri, and one sister-in-law, Ida McClellan, Willow Springs, Missouri, and many nieces and nephews.

Frances C. Trunk, 72, West Plains, formerly of Peoria, Illinois, died May 12, 2012 at National Health Care, West Plains.

She was born the daughter of the late Leland Hatten and Irene Tisdale Hatten, on January 3, 1940 in Sierra County, California, and died May 5, 2012 in West Plains, Missouri.

She was united in marriage March 7, 1965 in Peoria, Illinois to Edward Raymond Trunk, who preceded her in death March 30, 2003.

She is survived by four brothers, Leland Hatten, his wife, Rosalee, and Ernest Hatten, wife, Donna, both of East Peoria, Illinois, Robert Hatten, Kansas City, Missouri, and Charles Hatten, Spring Branch, Texas; one sister, Patsy Jones, South, Roxana, Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.

She was a graduate of Limestone Township High School in Bartonville, Illinois.

Local arrangements were under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains. Online condolences may be made at: carterfuneralhomeinc.com.

Funeral services for Leslie Leck Thompson, 64, Granite City, Illinois, formerly of West Plains, will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 4, 2012, at Carter Funeral Home Chapel, West Plains, with Pastor Barry Shepard officiating, under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains.

He was born the son of the late Everett Thompson and Alberta Yockum Thompson, on April 19, 1948 in West Plains, Missouri and died May 1, 2012 in Granite City, Illinois.

He was united in marriage September 13, 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri to Sharon Strutton.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon Strutton Thompson, of the home, Granite City, Illinois; four children, Angela Thebeau, Alton, Illinois, Nancy Arnold, Granite City, Illinois, Debra Ray, Granite City, Illinois, and Benjamin Thompson, wife, Rebecca, Granite City, Illinois; one brother, Charles Thompson, Leavenworth, Kansas; one sister, Nancy Counts, husband, Gerald, West Plains, Missouri; eleven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.

Funeral Services for Walter Glen Underwood, 82, Thayer, Missouri, will be 2:00pm Saturday, April 28, 2012, at the Carter Funeral Home Chapel, West Plains with Brother Bill Bales officiating under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains.

He was born the son of the late Thomas Huston Underwood and Bessie Ellen Forest Underwood, on June 2, 1929 in Alton, Missouri and died April 25, 2012 in West Plains, Missouri

He is survived by one brother, George Underwood, Pomona, Missouri; one sister, Henrietta Deutchlander; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Thomas Huston Underwood and Bessie Ellen Forest Underwood; one brother, Harris Underwood; four sisters, Marie Edwards, Reta Teague, Nancy Dobbs Warden and Ruth Underwood who died in infancy.

He was a Veteran of the United States Army having served in the Korean Conflict and was a machinist for the Small Electric Motor Company in Granite City, Illinois for ten years.

Family visitation will be Noon-2PM Saturday

Burial will be in Howell Memorial Park under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains.

Funeral Services for Johnny Robert Knowles, 85, West Plains, Missouri, will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 23, 2012, at the First Baptist Church, under the direction of Carter Funeral Home Inc.

Visitation will be 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Sunday, April 22, 2012, at the Carter Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in the Howell Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, to the Gideons or to Riverways Hospice and may be left at Carter Funeral Home.

Johnny Robert Knowles, the son of the late Thomas Milzie Knowles and Hester Roberta “Bertie” Cheatham, was born January 16, 1927 in Calico Rock, Arkansas. He entered into eternal rest April 19, 2012 at his home in West Plains, Missouri at the age of 85 years.

After graduating from Melbourne High School with the Class of