Joe Sewell

(From Ozark Funeral Home)

Joe Bill Sewell, age 74, of Purdy, Missouri, passed away at his home on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Son of James Robert and Lillie (Hill) Sewell, Joe was born on April 8, 1948, in Manilla, Arkansas. 

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Joe served proudly and honorably in the United States Navy. 

On August 23, 1972, he married the love of his life Charlet Eutsler; she preceded him in death in 2018. 

Joe enjoyed farming, tinkering, and just about anything that required him to be outside. Joe loved the outdoors, even cleaning up yards in his spare time.

Joe is survived by three children, Kevin Sewell, of Alma, Arkansas, Tammye Buckley, of Stella, Missouri, Teresa Fields, of Cassville, Missouri; five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; three sisters and three brothers.

In addition to his parents and wife, Joe was preceded in death by one sister and four brothers.

Memorial contributions in honor of Joe Bill Sewell may be made to the family and entrusted to White Funeral home & Crematory, P.O. Box 890, Cassville, MO 65625.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of White Funeral home & Crematory of Cassville.

Ronnie Eichelberger

(From Parker Mortuary)

Ronnie Ray Eichelberger, age 63, Riverton, KS, passed away suddenly on Monday, November 28th, 2022.

Ronnie was born on June 15th, 1959 in Joplin, MO to the late union Frankie and Annie (Cass) Eichelberger. He graduated in 1978 from Memorial High School in Joplin. 

He worked at Consumers Market for a number of years and met the love of his life, Debbie Hartshorn. He married Debbie on August 22nd, 1981 at Tennessee Prairie Church in Galena, KS. 

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In 1983 he started truck driving for J.B. Hunt and then worked for Standard Transportation for 23 years. He loved his family and friends more than anything. If he wasn’t trucking, then he was traveling all around the U.S. with his beloved wife. Together they visited 48 states. Ronnie enjoyed watching movies with his son, Grant, listening to music with his son, Miles, and golfing with his brother, Terry. He loved his grandchildren and they knew how to work Ronnie. He could quote just about any and every tv show or movie anytime. Ronnie will be deeply missed by his friends and family.

Ronnie is survived by his wife of the home, Debbie Eichelberger; two sons, Miles and Grant Eichelberger; four brothers and sisters, Christina Crosby, Terry Eichelberger, Donnie Eichelberger, and Mary Sue Jones; mother, Mary Eichelberger; and two grandchildren, Adaline and Jensen.

Memorial visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 30th, 2022 at Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary Chapel from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Memorial service will be held Thursday, December 1st, 2022 at House of Prayer with time to be announced soon.

Cremation arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Parker Mortuary.

Wilma Clark

(From Ozark Funeral Home)

Mrs. Wilma Dean “Bug” Clark, 87, of Jay, Oklahoma, departed this life on Monday, November 28, 2022, in the comfort of her home, after a recent decline in health.

Wilma entered this life on August 28, 1935, in rural Delaware County, Oklahoma, daughter of the late Henry and Sylvia (Rockwood) Gann. She was raised near Southwest City and was a 1953, graduate of Southwest City High School. 

On June 24, 1953, she was united in marriage to William Lee “Bill” Clark and to this union four sons were born. They resided in Wichita, Kansas for fifteen years where Wilma drove a school bus for the Wichita School District and Bill worked for Boeing. 

In 1970, they moved their family back home to Jay, Oklahoma. For several years Wilma worked as a bookkeeper and tax preparer. In her retirement years she worked at the Ozark Funeral Home in Southwest City assisting with visitations. She enjoyed working the polls for area elections and collecting money on Memorial weekend at Southwest City Cemetery. She was a talented seamstress and loved to crochet.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Bill Clark on July 14, 1994; two sons, Kevin and Theron Clark; three brothers, Austin, Nathan and John Gann; and two sisters, Pauleen Kissire and Stella Schoonover.

Wilma is survived by two sons, Rick Clark and wife, Lisa, of Rogers, Arkansas and Shane Clark and wife, Annetta, of Jay, Oklahoma; a daughter in-law, Debbie Clark of Southwest City; two former daughter in-laws, Angela Cockrill and husband, Brian, of Bella Vista and Adela Clark Evans of Jay; fourteen grandchildren, Jared, Janae, Colby, Cody, Dustin, Megan, Lauren, Nathan, Katelynn, Keisha, Brittany, Alyssa, Taylor and Brandon; twenty eight great grandchildren, Krystal, William, Dakota, Jordan, Jewellia, Beckham, Brooks, Solomon, Steffen, Theron, Raylan, Aarilynn, Caleb, Eden, Natalyn, Whitney, Leslie, Taylor, Heath, Mikaela, Alaina, Kale, Rose, Marshall, Logan, EmmaGayle, Judson and Evelyn; four great-great grandchildren, Rylin, Briar, Haidyn and Gabriel; as well as a host of other family and friends.

Funeral services are 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning, December 1, 2022 at First Baptist Church in Southwest City with Bro. Bob Cartwright and Bro. Ricky Williams officiating. Burial will follow at Southwest City Cemetery. 

Those honoring her life by serving as pallbearers are Dustin Clark, Jared Clark, Nathan Clark, Colby Clark, Cody Clark and Brandon Cockrill with Megan, Lauren, Katelynn, Alyssa, Taylor, Janae, Keisha and Brittany serving as honorary pallbearers. 

The family will receive friends on Wednesday evening from 5-7:00 p.m. in the Southwest City Chapel of the Ozark Funeral Homes. Memorials are being directed to the Southwest City Care Fund c/o the funeral home. On-line condolences may be sent to the family through our website, www.ozarkfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of the Ozark Funeral Home in Southwest City, Missouri.    

Ann Wilson

(From Housh-Goodwin Funeral Home)

Elizabeth Ann Wilson passed peacefully early Thanksgiving morning with her children at her side. “Ann” was taken from this world due to complications from heart surgery.

She was born in Joplin on September 5, 1949 and grew up on a farm in Sarcoxie, MO with her loving brothers Keith and Stanley. A graduate of Sarcoxie High School and Missouri Southern, family and friends will remember her kind heart, her tough spirit, and her motherly love. She was often looked to for solving problems and giving advice. 

Ann was always up for an adventure, whether it was tackling traffic on her drives into Chicago to visit her daughter Tiffany, camping in national parks where her daughter Tara worked as a ranger, or traveling to music festivals to listen to her son-in-law Jon perform. She spent every day this past year entertaining her first grandson, Thain, making him laugh like only a grandma could. 

Ann loved a good thrift store and garage sale, collecting interesting & rare objects as a hobby. She also had a love for live music and dancing. An educator in local school districts for over 30 years, Ann taught grades pre-K to 12. Everywhere she went in town she would run into former students.

Ann is survived by daughters Tiffany Wilson (Jonathan) and Tara Wilson-Kurz (Seth); grandson Thain; brother Keith Garber (Katrina); aunt Laura Kaylor; cousins Pam Barngrover (Brian) and Alan Kaylor (Gail); nieces Karen Golding (Mikel) and Dr. Sarah Beers (Geoffrey), along with many close friends who she considered family.

Embracing Ann on the other side are her mother & father, Kathleen and George Garber, brother Stanley Garber, Granny Edna Garber, uncle Loren Kaylor and many other close family, friends, and pets.

Per Ann’s wishes, no visitation or funeral will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Bluegrass Ambassadors, continuing Ann’s passion for music and educating children. https://bluegrassambassadors.org/donate.

Cremation arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Housh-Goodwin Funeral Home in Sarcoxie, Missouri.

Freda Van

(From Simpson Funeral Home)

Freda “Nams” Van was born on August 28, 1940 in Joplin, Missouri to Harry and Wilma Thompson. She passed away on November 25, 2022 at the age of 82 in Joplin, Missouri.

Freda was a member of the Waco Christian Church and served in Sunday school and the nursery for over 50 years. She enjoyed reading and always baked the best sugar cookies for Easter that she decorated herself. 

Freda was always on the go. She recently went to the Pumpkin Nights at Silver Dollar City. She had a lunch group she ate with monthly and attended an exercise group at the Carl Junction Community Center.








Freda was an only child. She was known as "Nams" to those who loved her.

Freda adored her grandchildren and great grandchildren, who she always enjoyed spoiling. She was very involved in their lives and loved attending their sporting events. She was their biggest fan.

Freda was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Wilma "Vera" Thompson.

Freda is survived by her daughter, Joanna Howard & husband Dennis of Carl Junction; grandchildren, Bradley Kirk Howard of West Virginia and Nicholas Ryan Howard & wife Brianna, Ashley Nicole Cloven & husband Dalton, all of Carl Junction; great grandchildren, Liam Ryan Howard, Bennett Michael Pern Cloven, and Silas Brinnick Howard.

A visitation will be held on November 30, 2022 from 6:00-7:30 PM at Simpson Funeral Home in Carl Junction, Missouri. There will be a private family graveside service at Mt Hope Cemetery.

Services are under the personal care and direction of Simpson Funeral Home in Carl Junction. The family encourages relatives and friends to visit www.simpsonfh.com to share photos and memories of Freda.

Evelyn Schroter

(From Parker Mortuary)

Evelyn Jean Hilliard Schroter, age 79, Joplin, passed away on Friday, November 25, 2022 at Mercy of Joplin.

Evelyn was born April 10, 1943 in West Hartford, CT, daughter of the late Douglas Parker Hilliard and Doris Isabell (Anderson) Hilliard. She graduated from Conard High School in West Harford before attending SUNY University in Albany, NY. She moved to Joplin 34 years ago. She had many interests. She belonged to the Orchid Society of the Ozarks, The Springfield orchid society and at one time the Tulsa orchid society. She was also a member of the Friendly Neighbors club and the Social Order of the Beauceant. She loved spending time with family, and friends and will be greatly missed by many.

In addition to her parents, Evelyn was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret “Maggie” Thurston.

Survivors include her children, Jean Schroter of Joplin, Donna Schroter of Ballston Spa, NY, and Scott Schroter of Riverview, FL; grandchildren, Brenna Kay Schroter, Alec Charles Schroter, Damon Charles Schroter ; sisters, Beth Fontana of Tampa, FL and Lois Thompson of West Hartford, CT; brother, Russell Hilliard of Lake George, NY; several nieces and nephews.

Memorial service will be Friday, December 2, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. in the Parker Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Alan McCamey officiating.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.

Ed Sneed

(From Ulmer Funeral Home)

Edward Montee Sneed, 90, of Carthage, MO, passed away on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, MO.

Ed was born near Girard KS on April 29, 1932, to Everett Sneed and Anna Myrtle Stevens Sneed

Ed was the next to youngest of five boys and three girls: James Sneed, Clarence Sneed, Louise Sneed Granneman, Everett Sneed, Wilma Sneed Ragonese, Earl Sneed, and Edith Sneed Long. All of his siblings preceded him in death.

He attended school at Girard, KS, and Mindenmines, MO then transferred to Jasper, MO to finish high school

Ed worked during high school at the IGA grocery store in Jasper. A clerk at the store, Ruth, said she was attracted to his “sparkling” brown eyes and admired him for standing up for what was right and not going along with the crowd.

Following graduation, he served two years in the army at Fort Sill, OK, as a Physical Training Instructor, Staff Sergeant.

Ed married his high school sweetheart, Winifred Ruth Scott, on May 2, 1954, at the Jasper Methodist Church after he served in the army. They had four children: Montee, Vicki, Michael, and Steven.

He developed a strong work ethic as a young boy with jobs ranging from working in a grocery store, to delivering milk and to selling Saturday Evening Posts.

His jobs included heavy construction with Snyder Construction, sales with Thomas Fruit company, a sales manager with Leggett & Platt, owner and operator of Ed’s Skelly Station, and ended his career as a furniture manufacturer representative for several companies including Schneider Furniture, Sunline Furniture and Coolbrooke.

Good customer service and sales were major skills Ed practiced in several of his jobs. As a furniture sales representative, it was common practice for him to sell Ruth’s sofas out of their family room and living room. His children were taught those values during lengthy dinner conversations.

He retired in 1994, but his selling techniques didn’t as dinner guests were often offered the “freshest or best” dishes prepared from his garden produce. A meal was generally followed by an offer of a toothpick and chewing gum.

He filled his retirement with a big garden which fed the neighborhood, woodworking, penmaking, and knife collecting.

Ed had a passion for hunting doves, quail, and ducks. He also liked trap shooting, skeet shooting and sporting clays. He shared his enthusiasm and knowledge as a hunter education instructor for Missouri Department of Conservation for more than 30 years.

Ed had a beautiful voice, developed throughout his life. He had a great capacity to remember words and melodies of songs. It was not uncommon to launch into a love ballad for Ruth, which always brought a smile. Later in life he sang with the Tri-County Statesmen barbershop chorus.

Ed was a 32nd Degree – Scottish Rite. He was a 50-year Mason and a Pastmaster.

He was a member of the American Legion.

He was preceded in death by his wife Winifred Ruth Scott Sneed. He is survived by his children and their spouses, Montee and Anne Sneed of Columbia, TN; Brent and Vicki Hillsman of Schell City, MO; Michael Sneed of Carthage, Steven and Karen Sneed of Norman, OK; his grandchildren and their spouses, Alice and Andrew Miller of Hoover, AL, Tyler and Lori Hillsman of Kansas City, MO, Thomas and Courtney Sneed, Columbia, TN, Matthew Hillsman of Kansas City, MO, Cameron Thompson of Moore, OK and Cayton Thompson of Moore, OK; Ed’s great grandchildren, Ellie and Arlo Hillsman of Kansas City, MO, Sadie Ruth, Molly, and Eliza Miller of Hoover, AL and Patrick and Dorothy Sneed of Columbia, TN.

Services for Edward Montee Sneed will be 2 p.m. Saturday, December 3, 2022, at Ulmer Funeral Home in Carthage, Missouri. A visitation will be held Friday evening, December 2, 2022, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Burial will follow the service at Park Cemetery in Carthage, Missouri.

Ed’s family wish to recognize and thank the staff of Oak Pointe Assisted Living in Carthage for their care and thoughtfulness.

Memorials may be sent to Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church in care of Ulmer Funeral Home.

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