Wilma Joyce Biggerstaff of Wappapello, Missouri, daughter of the late Orbie and Georgia Lela May (Jones) Manning, was born September 22, 1938 in Arkansas and passed away on April 6, 2025 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the age of 86 years old.
Her faith was a cornerstone of her life, and she found comfort and strength in her relationship with God. She was a member of Morehouse General Baptist Church for ten years and then became a member of Richmond Chapel Church. She enjoyed raising cattle, growing flowers, bird watching, and fishing. Raking hay and bush hogging were her favorite farming activities.
She married Charles Dale Biggerstaff on June 7, 1958. They were blessed with three daughters: Tammy and (Denny) Cannell of Irondale, Missouri, Kelly and (Syd) Maness of South Carolina, and Carmen and (Wade) Hefner of Wappapello, Missouri. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren; Chad, Cassi, Kaleb, Dakota, Elizabeth, Ruby, Dylan, Savannah, Sierra, and Kathryn, 11 great granchildren; Caylee, Olivia, James, Cierra, Raven, Chazlynn, Addison, Abilene, Stetson, Charlie, and Henry, and one great- great- granchild Coraline. She is also survived by two sisters; Barbara Bergeron and Pat Hill.
She was preceded in death by her grandson, Chaz Colbert and two sisters, Becky Price and Anne Hester.
The visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, Missouri with the funeral immediately following at 2:00 p.m.
Burial will take place after the funeral services at McGee New Hope Cemetery.
Winifred Florence Garland, was born March 22, 1932, to William and Elizabeth Constable Moss in Little Easton, Dunmow Essex England, and left to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus, on April 11, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her family.
She was the fourth child of this union and is survived by one sister, Joyce, who resides in New Zealand.
Win is a survivor of the Blitz of London during World War II and was among hundreds of children who were evacuated out of London to the South of England, to protect them during the blitz, along with two of her sisters.
She married Paul Garland on April 9, 1955, in her home of Dunmow, England, on April 9, 1956, Paul was reassigned, and she made the trip ‘Across the pond’ to the United States leaving her family. She became a U.S. citizen within the first few years of arriving.
From their union they received four children, Elizabeth Kenney, Cynthia Garland, Kimberly Johnson, and a son, William Paul, who passed away shortly after birth.
She and her husband settled in Dexter, MO on July 1, 1974, after Paul’s retirement from the Air Force.
She was an employee of Westboro Shoe Company and Dexter Walmart. She retired from Southeast Hospital of Dexter, now called Mercy Health, in 2021, at the age of 89, where she worked for 39 and a half years, as a business office clerk.
The following have preceded her in death: her husband Paul E. Garland (05/30/1989), her parents, three sisters, Nell, Lillin, and Violet, and her grandsons, Greg (12/04/1979) and Danny (03/31/2022), and son-in-law, Gary Kenney, Sr. (05/06/2024).
As a young child she sang in her local church children’s choir and spoke of many fond memories during that time.
It wasn’t until she arrived in the United States that she heard about Jesus and discovered she needed Him as her Savior and Lord. In 1968, she was baptized with her daughters, Elizabeth ad Cindy, when her husband, Paul, was serving in Vietnam.
Miss Win leaves behind her three daughters, her special son-in-law, Ronnie Johnson, seven grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren, also many nieces and nephews and her family at Southwest Church of the Nazarene in Dexter, MO, where she was a member for many years and served in many roles.
The family would like to acknowledge the loving care of The Visiting Nurses Association, West Team, especially Rebecah Nall and Chaplain J.T. Thomason.
She prayed for her family daily and wanted to be sure they all knew about Jesus. No one ever left her home without a bag of food or anything she owned if they needed it. Her service to the Lord will forever be remembered by her family and those who knew her well.
She will be laid to rest, alongside her husband, in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, MO.
Visitation will be held at Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Friday, April 18, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Funeral services will then be conducted in the Mathis Funeral Home Chapel on April 18, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. with Pastor Ronnie King officiating.
Memorials may be made to the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, 17357 Star & Stripes Way, Bloomfield MO 63825.
Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is assisting with arrangements.
Charles Dale Davis, son of the late George Washington Davis and Erma Woods Davis, was born November 7, 1933, in Essex, Missouri and departed this life on April 11, 2025 at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing in Dexter, Missouri at the age of 91 years.
Mr. Davis was a former painter for International Harvester in East Moline, Illinois. He enjoyed fishing, bee keeping and loved picking up pecans. He served in The United States Army and was a resident of Puxico, Missouri.
On November 29, 1954, in Sikeston, Missouri, he was united in marriage to Weda Joyce Freeman. Mrs. Davis preceded him in death on December 22, 2015.
He is survived by three daughters, Teresa (Mark) Hubbard of Davenport, Iowa, Patti Chuculate of Hulbert, Oklahoma and Linda (Allen) Griffith of Greenfield, Indiana; by three brothers, Etsel Davis of Greenfield, Indiana, Donald Davis of Puxico, Missouri and Jeff Davis of Marble Hill, Missouri; by his sister, Thelma Irene Wilson of Greenfield, Indiana; eleven grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Other than by his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Rickie Davis; by his daughter, Lisa Harmon and by numerous brothers and sisters.
Visitation will be held at Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Funeral services will then be conducted in the Mathis Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday April 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Shane Mallard officiating. Interment will follow in Hagy Cemetery in Dexter.
Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is assisting with arrangements.
Vivian Geraldine Blackman Sturges, daughter of the late John Ernest Zimmerman and Nora Ethel McGowan Zimmerman, was born on October 26, 1930, on County Line Road just outside of Bernie, Missouri and departed this life on April 10, 2025, at Winchester Nursing Center in Bernie, Missouri at the age of 94 years, 5 months 15 days.
Mrs. Sturges grew up in Bernie, Missouri and graduated from Bernie High School in 1948. She was raised on a farm and then married a farmer. She was a partner with her husband, being secretary, manager, banker, garden grower and canner, farmer. She did it all. She also decided to take up flying, with her son, Kent and Son-in-law, Ronnie, but she was the only one that had flown solo. She was a resident of Campbell and attended Campbell Church of Christ. After moving to Winchester’s in Bernie, she attended Bernie Church of Christ.
She was united in marriage to Denzil Louis Blackman in 1948. He preceded his wife in death in 1978. She later married Rollan Sturges, and he preceded his wife in death in 2000.
Other survivors include two sons, Keith Blackman & wife Elaine of Brookland, Arkansas and Tony Blackman of Belton, Texas; by two daughters, Karen Hartwick of Campbell, Missouri and Tammy Kincade & husband Joe of Big Stone Gap, Virginia; by ten grandchildren, Shannon Hartwick of Bella Vista, Arkansas, Monica Weidenbenner of Glennonville, Missouri, Brent Blackman of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Brian Blackman of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Bryce Blackman of Bogota, Colombia, Laura Beth Horn of Harrison, Arkansas, Weston Kincade of Cleveland, Ohio, Tiffany Kincade of Rome, Italy, Ashley VanGundy of Richland, Washington, and Allen Blackman of Syracuse, New York; by fourteen great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren; also by other nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death other than by her parents, and her husbands, by one son, Kent Blackman, one daughter-in-law, Brenda Kay Adams Blackman; by one son-in-law, Ronald Dan Hartwick; by five brothers, Hershel Zimmerman, Melvin Zimmerman, Howard Zimmerman, Lloyd Zimmerman and Harold Zimmerman; by three sisters, Pearl Mickey, Dimple Miller and Marjorie Zimmerman in infancy.
Visitation will be at Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie, Missouri on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. followed by funeral services officiated by Stan Dauck. Interment will follow in Malden Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mathis Funeral Home of Bernie is assisting with all arrangements.
Doris Marie Hoopingarner, daughter of the late Fred Melton and Stella Robinson Melton, was born on February 21, 1928, in Dexter, Missouri, and departed this life on April 9, 2025, at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing in Dexter, Missouri, at the age of 97 years.
Mrs. Hoopingarner was a former seamstress for Elder’s Manufacturing in Dexter, Missouri, and a former cook at Southwest Elementary in Dexter. She was a member of First General Baptist Church in Dexter and a resident of Dexter. She enjoyed sewing, cooking and sitting on her back porch.
On February 6, 1947, in Dexter, Missouri, she was united in marriage to Marlon “Hoop” Hoopingarner. Mr. Hoopingarner preceded her in death on August 7, 2014.
She is survived by two daughters, Marla Corlew of Advance, Missouri and Rita Wilcoxon and husband Don of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; by her brother, Frank Melton of Millington, Tennessee; by her granddaughter, Shannon Corlew Bryant; and by three great grandchildren, Erin Nelson, Samuel Paul Nelson, and Nathan Nelson.
Other than by her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by five brothers, Charles Melton, Bill Melton, Harold Melton, Leamon Melton and Paul Melton; and by three sisters, Marsha Ramey, Bessie Ruth Simpson, and Erma Lee Warren.
Visitation will be held at Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow in Chalk Bluff Cemetery.
Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is assisting with arrangements.
