Janice Rockhold

(From Simpson Funeral Home)

With a heart as deep and wide as the ocean, and a spirit as vibrant as the brightest star, Janice Rockhold left an indelible mark on everyone she met. Born to Leonard and Maxine Pruitt in Haines City, Florida on May 13, 1963, she brought a unique blend of creativity and humility to everything she did. Residing in Fairland, Oklahoma, Janice was a loving matriarch who found her greatest joy in the faces of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Janice was a beacon of love, a humble soul whose creative spirit resonated in every corner of her life. She found solace in the melodies of music and expressed herself through the sweeping strokes of her paintbrush. 

As an avid angler, she found peace in the quiet moments by the water, fishing rod in hand. Yet, it was the hours spent basking in the laughter and love of her children and grandchildren that truly defined Janice's life. She lived by the words of Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Janice made everyone feel cherished, and this loving spirit will live on in the hearts of those she left behind.

Janice was preceded in death by her husband Glen Rockhold; her parents, Leonard and Maxine Pruitt. She leaves behind her siblings: Theresa Pruitt, Paul Pruitt, Wayne Pruitt, and Terri Valdez; and her children: Steven Morgan, Angel Morgan, and Chris Morgan. Each of them carry a piece of Janice's enormous heart and spirited soul within them, a testament to the love and warmth she shared so generously.

Services are under the personal care and direction of Simpson Funeral Home. The family encourages relatives and friends to visit www.simpsonfh.com to share photos and memories of Janice. In honoring her life, we remember the joy she brought to ours, and in sharing our memories, we keep her loving spirit alive.

Marilyn Harrison

Mar­ilyn Con­stance Har­rison passed away peace­fully on May 17, 2026 at the age of 87. She was born August 30, 1938 to Clyde Brat­tin Mer­ritt and Mar­garet Blanche Mer­ritt (Brett) in Neo­sho, Mis­souri.

Most of Mar­ilyn’s early years were in Webb City, Mis­souri and Ott­awa, Kan­sas and she earned a Bach­elor of Sci­ence Degree in Ele­ment­ary Edu­ca­tion from Pitt­s­burgh State Uni­versity in Kan­sas in 1962. Soon after start­ing col­lege, Mar­ilyn met Myril Alfred Har­rison, the love of her life, who also resided in Ott­awa, Kan­sas. They met at the local gro­cery store and became acquain­ted when Myril began giv­ing her rides home for week­end vis­its. Myril finally asked Mar­ilyn out on a date and they were mar­ried in Ott­awa July 19, 1959.

Fol­low­ing their wed­ding, Mar­ilyn and Myril lived in Kan­sas City, Mis­souri and then Sioux City, Iowa where they star­ted a fam­ily and met many of their lifelong friends. The major­ity of their years were spent in West Des Moines, Iowa where they raised their four chil­dren.

Mar­ilyn was a ded­ic­ated mother, home maker, and super mom. She was the ulti­mate host­ess and loved to cook, bake and plan spe­cial fam­ily gath­er­ings and hol­i­days. She also loved a good game of cards and those close to her nick­named her “Wing­dinger.” She spent many years schlep­ping their four chil­dren to base­ball, bas­ket­ball, dance, scouts, church, swim­ming and music les­sons, and other activ­it­ies. She was a model of love and help­ing oth­ers and she reg­u­larly volun­teered in her com­munity, includ­ing at St. Timothy’s Epis­copal Church and St. Andrew’s Epis­copal Church where she served on the vestry.

As the kids matured, she began sub­sti­tute teach­ing for West Des Moines Schools, and served as a sec­ret­ary for Drake Uni­versity’s psy­cho­logy depart­ment in Des Moines from 1984 to 1986. She had a bit of an entre­pren­eur­ial spirit and pub­lished MacRes­cue, a word pro­cessing manual to the Mac. She earned a Mas­ter of Sci­ence Degree in edu­ca­tion from Drake Uni­versity in 1988 where she focused on Spe­cial Edu­ca­tion. She was pas­sion­ate about help­ing spe­cial needs stu­dents and served John­ston School Dis­trict as a spe­cial edu­ca­tion teacher from 1986 to 1993. Mar­ilyn was nom­in­ated for a State of Iowa Teacher of the Year award in 1992, and she was nom­in­ated and was a final­ist for a Dis­tin­guished Teacher of the Year award by the Uni­versity of Iowa in 1993. She served as a spe­cial edu­ca­tion con­sult­ant at Heart­land Area Edu­ca­tion Agency in John­ston from 1993 to 2001.

Mar­ilyn wanted noth­ing more than a lov­ing fam­ily. They enjoyed many hours boat­ing and water­ski­ing at nearby lakes and count­less camp­ing trips to many of the coun­try’s national parks. They espe­cially loved camp­ing in the moun­tains of Col­or­ado and spent their final years in Lake­wood, Col­or­ado.

Mar­ilyn is sur­vived by her four chil­dren: Chris­topher (Kristine) Har­rison, Jen­nifer Har­rison (Mike), Sarah (Stephen) Reyn­olds, and Lynn (Ben­jamin) Flach, eight grand­chil­dren, four great grand­chil­dren, and cous­ins Bill Brett, Susan Brett Herod, Mary Brett Lee and many, many friends and fam­ily mem­bers.

Mar­ilyn and Myril were insep­ar­able and had more than 70 years together until Myril passed in August of 2025. A funeral ser­vice will be held on June 5th at 11 am at St. Andrew’s Epis­copal Church. Lunch to fol­low. 5720 Urb­andale Ave Des Moines, IA 50312. Dona­tions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Found­a­tion.

Ronnie Griffoth

(From Ozark Memorial Park Crematory)

Ronnie Griffoth, 81, of Joplin, Missouri, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2026, in his home surrounded by loved ones. Born on March 2, 1945, in Joplin, Ronnie spent his life deeply connected to the community he called home.

Ronnie dedicated his career to serving the city of Joplin as a groundskeeper. His hard work and commitment to his role reflected his honest and diligent nature. Known for his love of conversation, Ronnie had a gift for connecting with people from all walks of life. He enjoyed sharing stories and engaging with those around him, leaving a lasting impression on everyone he met.

In addition to his professional life, Ronnie found joy in painting and cherished time spent with loved ones. Whether creating art or simply being surrounded by family, these moments brought him great happiness.

Ronnie is survived by his children Lisa, Rene, Ronnie, and Marty; his grandchildren Austin, Heylee, Misty, Amy, Gannon, Haven, Anthony, Alyssa, and John; as well as in laws and numerous great-grandchildren who carry forward his legacy. He was preceded in death by his brothers Ralph, Frank, and Harold; his sisters Katherine and Ruby; two granddaughters Tianna and McKayla; and his former wife Joyce Griffoth.

Ronnie’s memory will be treasured by those who knew him. His honesty, warmth, and love for life will continue to inspire all who were fortunate enough to share in his journey. May Ronnie’s memory bring comfort to those who loved him.

Arrangements are under the direction of Ozark Memorial Park of Joplin, MO

Thomas Giraldi

(From Ozark Memorial Park Crematory)

Thomas Edward Giraldi, 83, of Joplin, Missouri, passed away on May 10, 2026.

Thomas was born on March 5, 1943, to Thomas Austin Giraldi and Dorothy Jeanette Giraldi.

He was predeceased by his father and mother, brother James Giraldi, sister Nancy Collins, and sister Barbara Hopkins. He is survived by his sister Diane Pressman and sons Matthew Giraldi and Daniel Giraldi.

Thomas worked many years for Borg-Warner at its facility in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Thomas was an avid gardener and philatelist. One of his proudest accomplishments was publishing “The Postal History of the Cayman Islands,” a comprehensive book that explores the evolution of postal communications in the Cayman Islands. He enjoyed watching football, Westerns, and most movies starring either Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, or Chuck Norris.

Cremation arrangements are under the care and direction of Ozark Memorial Park Cemetery and Crematory, Joplin.

Jerry Robinson

(From Ulmer Funeral Home)

Jerry Don Robinson, 76, of Joplin, Missouri, passed away on Monday, May 25, 2026, at the Aspire Senior Living Facility in Carthage. Jerry was born in Springfield, Missouri, on August 17, 1949, to the late Floyd and Betty Robinson. Jerry had worked as a machinist at SRC. He liked to fish and go hunting when he got the chance. 

He met and fell in love with Charlotte Santos; they spent 24 loving years together. 

Jerry was survived by his son, Mike Brake and daughter, Kim Batz, both of Springfield; brother, James Robinson (Nancy) of Pacific, Missouri; sister, Joyce Lynam (James) of Conway, Missouri; four grandchildren; and one great grandchild. 

Per his wishes, Jerry will be cremated and his family will hold a private gathering at a later date.
Online condolences may be made at www.ulmerfh.com. 

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Ulmer Funeral Home.

Richard Heatherly

(From Paul Thomas Funeral Home)

Richard Wayne Heatherly of Miami, OK passed from this life Saturday, May 23, 2026 at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, MO. He was 80.

Richard was born May 6, 1946 in Cardin, OK to Carl and Helen (Tow) Heatherly. He had lived in Picher, Cardin, Commerce and Miami all his life and graduated from Picher-Cardin High School class of 1964 and attended NEO A&M College in Miami, OK. He was a longtime member of Cardin Baptist Church in Cardin, OK and was a member of Mound Valley Baptist Church, west of Miami, OK. Richard was a supervisor for Glen Berry Garment Manufacturing in Commerce, OK and Oswego, KS and had worked at Chuck’s Dairyette and Picher Express in Picher, OK, Eastwood Manor in Commerce, OK and as a Home Health Care Provider.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Helen Heatherly and maternal grandparents, Theodore and Marie Tow, 3 brothers, Mickey Heatherly, Dennis Heatherly and Theodore Heatherly and his sister=in=law, Linda Heatherly.

Survivors include 3 brothers, Larry Heatherly of Joplin, MO, Linden Heatherly and wife Ginger of Miami, OK and Chuck Heatherly and Randy Stroud of Allen, TX, 1 sister, Karlene Bayliss and husband Jerry of Quapaw, OK, 1 sister-in-law, Janice Heatherly of Joplin, MO, several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the wonderful staff at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin, Paul and Janie Heatherly Howey, Kay Miller Eubanks, Mary Couch Spicer, Kathy Hughes White, Clark Mathews, Quapaw Baptist Church and Randy Stroud.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at First Christian Church in Miami, OK. Rev. Stephen Hunter will officiate. Kristi McGowen will deliver the eulogy. Interment will be in Glen Abbey Memorial Gardens in Miami, OK. Nephews will serve as pallbearers. 

The family will receive friends from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at Paul Thomas Funeral Home Chapel in Miami, OK. The family requests family and friends wear something OU Sooners or colors to the visitation. Services have been placed in the care of Paul Thomas Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Miami, OK. Online condolences may be made at www.paulthomasfuneralhomes.com

John Birkenbach

(From Buchanan Funeral Home)

John David Birkenbach, 87, of Pierce City, MO, passed away on Sunday, May 24, 2026 following a short illness.

John was born on October 5, 1938 in Monett, MO, son of the late John and Kathleen (O’Neill”) Birkenbach. Growing up in Monett, John graduated from Monett High School with the class of 1954. Following his school years, John served his country honorably in the U.S. Army National Guard. Throughout his working years, John worked for Jumping Jacks Shoe Company, until they closed. After his retirement from Jumping Jacks, he worked for Aggieville and later Hesemann Construction. John was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and in his spare time he enjoyed farming, square dancing, traveling, gardening and spending time with his friends at Wellbaum Tire.

On June 23, 1972 in Monett, MO at the St. Lawrence Catholic Church, John was united in marriage to Mary Francis Anderson. They were blessed with over fifty-two years of wonderful memories made together until her passing on July 8, 2024.

Those left to cherish his memory are his brother, Sam Birkenbach and wife Delores, of Monett; his sisters, Mary Spivy, of Monett and Lois Hull, of Nixa; his brother-in-law, James Anderson and wife Terry, of Butterfield, MO; two sisters-in-law, Jean Whisenhunt and husband Fred, of Cassville, MO and Kay Stewart, of Purdy, MO; his extended family, including Richard and Janet Eck; Michelle and Lexi Eck, Jesse and Cari Caddell and Maci, Averi, Quinci and Tate Caddell, Kodi and Jenna Pearce and Sawyer, Ridge and Oaklen Pearce, Travis Eck and Kristin, and Tynley and Jade Eck; as well as a host of nieces and nephews and dear friends.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pierce City with Father Sanoop Thomas officiating. Visitation will be held from 6-7:00 p.m. on Friday with Rosary service to follow at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. The committal service will be held at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Monett. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions have been suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Buchanan Funeral Home.