OBITUARIES

Stephanie Lin Cossairt

Stephanie Lin Cossairt

May 6, 2025

Stephanie Lin Cossairt passed away May 6, 2025, in Ashland, Missouri at the home of her mother and stepfather. She was 50 years old.

Stephanie was born in Springfield, Missouri on July 13, 1974. She is the daughter of Stephen Louis Cossairt and Nita Ruth Pace Purcell. She was a graduate of Logan-Rogersville High School and attended Ozarks Technical Community College.

Along...

Emma "Kathleen" Klemme

Emma "Kathleen" Klemme

May 3, 2025

Emma “Kathleen” Klemme, 92, of Columbia, passed away on Saturday, May 3, 2025, after a short but courageous battle with colon cancer at home with her loving family by her side.

Kathleen was born in Wilton, Missouri on October 31, 1932, to Derby and Ida (Sapp) McDow. On September 1, 1951, she married Paul “PK” Klemme in Harrison, Arkansas. He passed...

Janice Elaine Holland

Janice Elaine Holland

Apr 29, 2025

Janice Elaine (Hancock) Holland, of Milton, FL, formerly of the Kansas City area, peacefully passed away April 29, 2025, at the age of 81 surrounded by her three sons and their families.

Janice was born on June 19, 1943, in Trenton, MO, the second child of six (and only daughter) of Lowery Chesten and Cleoria Mae (Garriott) Hancock. She graduated from...

Vera "Gertrude" Sappington

Vera "Gertrude" Sappington

Apr 17, 2025

Vera “Gertrude” Sappington, 94, of Ashland, Missouri peacefully passed away at her son’s home in Columbia surrounded by her family.

Gertrude was born in Ashland (Fox Hollow), Missouri on April 9, 1931, a daughter of the late Lloyd and Lena (Pauley) Wilson. She attended four one-room schoolhouses from the first through the eighth grades, graduating from Ashland High School in 1950....

Wilson James Tyree

Wilson James Tyree

Apr 16, 2025

Wilson James “Butch” Tyree, 67, of Poplar Bluff, MO formerly of Ashland, MO passed away at Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital on April 16, 2025.

Butch was born in Jefferson City, MO on January 8, 1958, a son of Ronald Allen, Sr. and Wanda (Turpin) Clevenger. He attended Southern Boone R-1 High School and lived in Ashland for 46 years before moving...

John Burdett Henderson

John Burdett Henderson

Apr 4, 2025

John B. Henderson, 87, of Jefferson City, MO passed away April 4, 2025, at River City Living Community.

John was born on April 14, 1937, a son of the late Robert and Ruby Hassler Henderson. John was employed with Cheeseborough Ponds prior to retirement. He was a member of New Salem Baptist Church in Ashland and enjoyed Bible study.

He is survived...

Robert Michael Bruns

Robert Michael Bruns

Apr 1, 2025



Robert Michael “Bob” Bruns, 80, died peacefully at his home in Ashland, MO on April 1, 2025.

He was born on October 12, 1944, in St. Louis, MO to Isabelle and Bernard Bruns, who preceded him in death as well as five siblings: Bud Bruns, Mary Jane Bruns Hellman, Don Bruns, Joe Bruns, Patty Bruns Wyble and daughter Elizabeth Bruns Costello.

Bob...

Frances Gwen Duvall

Frances Gwen Duvall

Mar 28, 2025

Frances Gwen Duvall, 80, of Hartsburg, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2025, at home with her loving husband by her side.

Frances was born to the late Bill and Ellen Frances (Latimer) Crane on February 1, 1945, in Sapp, Missouri. On June 1, 1962, she married Clifton Duvall in Columbia. She had previously been a member of Nashville Baptist Church....

Lawson "Doug" Douglas Baylous

Lawson "Doug" Douglas Baylous

Mar 9, 2025

Lawson Douglas “Doug” Baylous was born December 14, 1948 in Inmon VA to Lawson and Nellie (Anderson) Baylous. Doug passed away March 9, 2025 at the Truman Veterans Hospital.

Doug graduated from Plant City High School (Florida) in 1968 and served in the Vietnam War. Doug was awarded a Bronze Star Medal while in service to his country. After returning home...

Julia "Julie" Catherine Taggart

Julia "Julie" Catherine Taggart

Feb 13, 2025

Julia Catherine “Julie” Taggart, 55, of Arcata, CA, formerly from Ashland, MO passed away on February 13, 2025.

 She was born on January 14, 1970, in Columbia, MO to Roger “Rex” Taggart and Ila “Lois” Ashlock. Julie graduated with the class of 1988 from Southern Boone County R-1 High School. After high school she attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville,...

Donald "Pappa Don" Hilgedick

Donald "Pappa Don" Hilgedick

Feb 10, 2025

Donald Julius Hilgedick, lovingly known as “Pappa Don” passed away at Glasgow Gardens on Monday, February 10, 2025, at the age of 95.

He was born in Boone County, Hartsburg, Missouri on June 14, 1929. He was the fifth child of six born to Otto F. and Hulda Marie Meyer Hilgedick. His family moved to the country just outside of Hartsburg...

Liselotte Johanna Nichols

Liselotte Johanna Nichols

Feb 10, 2025

Liselotte J Nichols, (Grandma German), 92, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Feb. 10th, 2025, in Columbia, MO. She was born May 3rd, 1932, in Mannheim, Germany to Christian and Katharina (Knapp) Rey.

She along with the family escaped France at the outbreak of the war. They survived the bombings and Hitler's reign. She married Derby P. Nichols...

Brenda Lee Sherman

Brenda Lee Sherman

Jan 31, 2025

Brenda Lee Sherman, age 57, of Hartsburg, Missouri, passed away on January 31, 2025, at home. 

She was born on January 5, 1968, to the late Ralph Lloyd and Katheryn Ann (Hampton) Claxton in Columbia, Missouri. She married Chuck Sherman on January 9, 1998, in Russellville, Arkansas and he survives of the home. 

Brenda grew up and attended high school in Dover,...

Larry Keith Marshall

Larry Keith Marshall

Jan 19, 2025

Larry Keith Marshall, 81, of Ashland, passed away on January 19, 2025. He was born in the small town of Blue Eye, Arkansas, on July 3, 1943. The almost firecracker was the oldest of three boys born to Henry and Lois Martin Marshall. They moved to Fulton, Missouri, when Larry was in junior high school. The family’s youngest son was...

Gail Perkins

Gail Perkins

Jan 19, 2025

Gail E. Perkins, 77, of Columbia, MO passed away Sunday, January 19, 2025, with her daughter Sunny and family by her side.

Gail was born in Sheridan, WY on March 18, 1947, to Galen and Alma Burns.

She married Sonny Perkins. Their union gave them one daughter, Sunny Nicole of Ashland, MO.

Gail worked at Columbia Insurance Group for over 40 years. She...

John Patrick Smith

John Patrick Smith

Jan 18, 2025

John Patrick Smith, age 74, of Hartsburg, MO passed away January 18, 2025, at Hartsburg surrounded by his family.

John Pat was born in Jefferson City, MO on January 11, 1951, a son of Charles and Agnes Marie St. George Smith. He married his wife of 54 years Karen Old on April 17, 1970, at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.

He was a...

Jimmy Dean Bittle, Sr.

Jimmy Dean Bittle, Sr.

Jan 13, 2025

Jimmy Dean Bittle, Sr., age 87, of Millersburg, MO passed away surrounded by his family at his son’s home in Hartsburg on January 13, 2025.

Jimmy was born on December 25, 1937, in Wilton, MO, a son of the late Alfred and Trellis Nichols Bittle. He married Margaret Frances Sapp on November 20, 1954, and she preceded him in death on...

Deborah Ann Snider

Deborah Ann Snider

Jan 10, 2025

Debroah Anne Duck-Snider of Peoria, Illinois passed away on January 10th, 2025, at her home with her partner of 30 plus years Billy D. Thomas II of Peoria, Illinois at their home in Ashland, Missouri, leaving a void her family cannot fill. She was beloved mother to Tonya R. Jones and Donnie F. Cottrell, Jr. of Peoria, Illinois.

She was born...

David Victor Fleming

David Victor Fleming

Jan 10, 2025

David Victor Fleming, age 70, of rural Fulton, Missouri passed away unexpectedly on January 10, 2025, at the University of Missouri Hospital.

David was born in Spokane, Washington on October 31, 1954. He married Barbara Jane Fowler on November 1, 1975, in Spokane and she survives at their home.

He earned his MBA from the University of Missouri and was employed by...

Jill G. Hansen

Jill G. Hansen

Dec 28, 2024

Jill Gruenkemeyer Hansen 68, of Ashland, Missouri, passed away on December 28, 2024. 

Jill was born on May 2, 1956, to H. C. “Dutch” and Betty Hopper Gruenkemeyer in Danville IL. Her father, a railroader, moved the family to Crete, Ill. before moving to Kansas City, MO. Jill graduated from Winnetonka HS in 1974 and the University of Missouri in 1978...