(From Mason-Woodard Mortuary)Frances Sue Stoneberg, born May 30, 1941 in Joplin, MO, passed to her rest June 28, 2021 in her own home.
Frances’ life was an intermingling of hardships and loves.
As a young girl, she contracted polio: a disease that kept her constricted by an iron lung and a body cast for a short time, confined to a hospital for a long time, and consigned to crutches and a wheelchair for the remainder of her life.
As a child, she was not expected to live to see adulthood. Except she did. As a young woman, she was not expected to be able to bear children. Except she did. Later in life, she was not expected to recover from heart bypass surgery. Except she did. Frances knew about physical hardship. Frances did not know how to quit.
During the time when she was a young woman, during a time when the world was accepting of neither physical disabilities or single mothers, Frances raised her children. When there were those who wanted to take her children from her, Frances stood against them with no one to stand beside her. She raised her children with a strong sense of family; and more importantly, though she experienced poverty, she never allowed her children to feel poor. Frances knew about loneliness and poverty. Frances did not know how to quit.
As an adult woman, from her youth to her old age, she lived an everyday, very common, absolutely enduring love. She loved her children, her husbands, her family, and her faith. She taught her children to do things – from preserving food to survive to how to handle snakes without fear. She traveled extensively with her husband O.L. Beckham and shared with him a life filled with hunting dogs and friendships. She had an active faith – singing in the choir in her youth and generously supporting her church as she grew older. Frances knew many kinds of love. Frances did not know how to quit. Especially in love, Frances did not know how to quit.
Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey Williams and Naomi Ison; a sister, Lavina Akers; a son, Allen Gum; and two husbands, Paul Gum and O.L. Beckham. She is survived by her husband, Charles Stoneberg, a brother, Larry Don Williams; a sister, Tammy Host; four children: Kelly West (John), Rosella Barwick (Tim), Paula Beckham, and Sam Gum (Tamara); and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, and nieces.
Graveside services will be 2:00 pm Friday July 2, 2021 at Hornet Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6:00-7:00 pm Thursday at the mortuary.
Arrangements are under the direction of Mason-Woodard Mortuary and Crematory Joplin, Missouri.
During the time when she was a young woman, during a time when the world was accepting of neither physical disabilities or single mothers, Frances raised her children. When there were those who wanted to take her children from her, Frances stood against them with no one to stand beside her. She raised her children with a strong sense of family; and more importantly, though she experienced poverty, she never allowed her children to feel poor. Frances knew about loneliness and poverty. Frances did not know how to quit.
As an adult woman, from her youth to her old age, she lived an everyday, very common, absolutely enduring love. She loved her children, her husbands, her family, and her faith. She taught her children to do things – from preserving food to survive to how to handle snakes without fear. She traveled extensively with her husband O.L. Beckham and shared with him a life filled with hunting dogs and friendships. She had an active faith – singing in the choir in her youth and generously supporting her church as she grew older. Frances knew many kinds of love. Frances did not know how to quit. Especially in love, Frances did not know how to quit.
Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey Williams and Naomi Ison; a sister, Lavina Akers; a son, Allen Gum; and two husbands, Paul Gum and O.L. Beckham. She is survived by her husband, Charles Stoneberg, a brother, Larry Don Williams; a sister, Tammy Host; four children: Kelly West (John), Rosella Barwick (Tim), Paula Beckham, and Sam Gum (Tamara); and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, and nieces.
Graveside services will be 2:00 pm Friday July 2, 2021 at Hornet Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6:00-7:00 pm Thursday at the mortuary.
Arrangements are under the direction of Mason-Woodard Mortuary and Crematory Joplin, Missouri.
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