Shop with a deputy

It's that time of year again! Your Bates County Deputies and staff will be out collecting donations for our annual Shop with a Deputy program! 

Each year, the Sheriff's Office collects names from various sources to contact for our program, and each year the office takes dozens of kiddos shopping for Christmas! This event that is so vital to our community would not be possible without the generosity of the people and businesses here who help donate to the Sheriff's Community Benefit Fund.

If you have it in your heart to donate, please reach out to a deputy or staff member or feel free to stop a deputy if you see him or her out and let them know you would like to donate! Staff is able to take donations in the form of cash or checks made out to "Sheriff's Community Benefit Fund".

This program is very near and dear to our hearts and we love to see the faces of all of the children who are able to participate each year! Also be on the lookout for information coming soon for our free will donation chili dinner scheduled for 12/2 after the Butler Christmas Parade!

Obituary - Doris E. Leavitt

Funeral services for Doris E. Leavitt of Owosso, Michigan formerly of Butler, Missouri will be 11 a.m. Friday, November 10, 2023 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. 

Visitation prior to services 10 - 11 a.m. Friday at the Schowengerdt Chapel. Burial in Greenlawn Cemetery in Rich Hill, Missouri. Contributions to Greenlawn Cemetery. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Doris E. Leavitt, age 91 of Owosso, Michigan formerly of Butler, Missouri died Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in Owosso. She was born December 30, 1931 to Everett Louis King Sr. and Cyenthia Louise Short King in Bates County, Missouri.

Doris is survived by her daughter, Connie Golladay (Terry) of Owosso, Michigan; a son, Rocky Leavitt of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama; as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Richard Leavitt; and four brothers, Everett Jr., Leo, Harold and Bob King.

Two arrested after fleeing from pursuit in Bates County

On 11/06/2023 Bates County Sheriff's Deputies attempted to stop a vehicle for displaying plates of another vehicle. The vehicle fled from the attempted traffic stop in rural Adrian area. 

The vehicle was driven by a male and had a female passenger. The vehicle left the roadway and attempted to hide from the deputies behind hay bales on County Road 2001. 

Deputies located the truck and began searching for the occupants who fled on foot. A flip flop was located approximately 15 feet from the vehicle in the tree line giving the deputies the direction of travel.

 
In true Cinderella fashion, deputies were determined to locate the owner of the found flip flop before midnight. 

Approximately 30 yards from the truck, deputies located the male and female laying in a dry creek bed. Indeed the female was in possession of the matching flip flop. Once in custody the female was reunited with her flip flop. Both male and female were transported to the Bates County Sheriff's Office.

The Driver was identified as, Bodie D Woods of Butler Missouri. Woods was charged with Resisting arrest by fleeing, Possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. Woods' bond was set at $100,000 Cash Only

 
The passenger was identified as, Michaela Broke Boonstra of Butler Missouri. Boonstra was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful use of Drug Paraphernalia. Boonstra's bond was set at $10,000 Cash or Surety.

Deputies were assisted by the Troopers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Adrian Police Department.

Disclaimer: Arrest records are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Obituary - Joe Jenkins

Joe Venton Jenkins, 99 of Adrian, Missouri passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at Medicalodges in Butler, Missouri surrounded by his family. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Adrian Christian Church in Adrian, Missouri. 

Burial will take place at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, in Higginsville, MO at a later date. Arrangements entrusted to Mullinax Funeral Home, Butler (660-679-0009). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Wounded Warrior Project. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.

Joe Venton Jenkins was born March 9, 1924 in Kansas City, KS to Ollie and Vibert Jenkins.

After high school he joined the United States Navy. He served in late WW2 and part of the Korean War in the Pacific. He was an aviation electrician's mate on the carrier U.S.S. Admiralty Islands.

In 1946 he married, and then went to work for Pacific Bell telephone company. In about 1951 he moved his family to a 100 year old house that sat on twenty acres in Blue Springs, MO. After that Joe went to work for Southwestern Bell telephone company and worked as a repairman, lineman, and installer.

Joe transitioned from Bell to a longtime partnership in a construction company laying underground cables. His crews went the extra mile for him, working in some very scary locations. Over mountain crests in Colorado, under any and all bridges, through poison ivy filled creek banks, they once bored under the Mississippi River in St. Louis, and across lots of empty miles of western and mid-western prairie. He was very happy on those prairies. For several years he had a pilot license.

Joe retired several years ago when his partner, Thurman Stout sold out. He farmed on 40 acres just down 18 high-way in Adrian. He built a gorgeous log cabin made from logs trucked in from Colorado, and was content there for many years.

He sold his farm about 6 or 7 years ago and bought 42' of luxury living on the road, also known as “The Bus”. He would hook up a 20' trailer behind it to haul his four-wheeler and Ford truck. Off he went every winter to Texas or Arizona. He told stories about parking in some sketchy places, but nothing scared Joe.

Four years ago a stroke ended all of his travels, and he needed full time care. He bought a motorized cart, and was able to go just about anywhere he wanted in it. Joe loved that chair. Several part time helpers cared for him, but 2 years ago he moved in with Pastor Rodney Albert and wife Lisa, in Holden, MO. Rodney and Lisa came to love Joe and they became family to him.

Time and age crept up on him in April of this year, and he needed more intensive care so he moved to Medicalodge of Butler Care Center.

Joe started slipping away on October 24. On October 25th 2023 he died peacefully in his sleep with family at his side.

Joe is survived by 6 children Cheryl True of Holden, MO, Leslie and husband Ben, of Independence, MO, Frank Jenkins and wife Linda of Lee's Summit, MO, Theron Jenkins and wife Theresa of Odessa, MO, Stacy Jenkins and wife Martha of Omaha, NE, and Joseph Jenkins, one step-son, and multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren, his sister June Ray, of Adrian, many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by Brother Lynn Jenkins. Sister Greta Preston, and parents V.A. and Ollie Jenkins.

Joe was highly regarded by people in his working life. Many many people have told his family how much they thought of him.

A plot has been reserved for him at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Higginsville, MO. His ashes will be placed there soon, and there will be a burial with full military honors. Notices will be sent out to family and friends that would like to attend.

We suspect Joe is two-stepping his way through Heaven. Boots on his feet, western hat on his head.

Bates County PWSD# 6 Election Notification

Notice Public Water

Supply District #6 of
Bates County

Filing for board members of the Public Water Supply District No. 6 of Bates County, Missouri will be held beginning December 5Th 2023 through December 26TH 2023. 

This filing period is for board members representing Sub-Districts 1 and 4. Sub-District 1 comprises portions of Summit, Spruce, Shawnee and Deepwater Townships. Sub-District 4 comprises portions of Summit, Lone Oak, and Pleasant Gap Townships.

Residents of these Sub-Districts desiring to file should do so with Cherie Taylor or Deborah Graves, Clerks at the District Office, located at 117 W. Ohio Street, Butler, Mo.

Burch & Liles Insurance presents its annual nursing home drive

 

Obituary - Jeanette Louise Rotert

Jeanette Louise Weimer Rotert, 80, of Montrose, Missouri passed away at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital on the Catholic feast of All Souls Day, Thursday, November 2, 2023. Visitation is on Friday, November 10, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Clinton. 

A recitation of the Rosary will take place at 4 p.m. and visitation will continue until 6:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, November 11, at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, with interment to follow at St. Ludger’s cemetery in Germantown, Missouri. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to Holy Rosary Catholic School or the Henry County 4-H and may be left in care of the funeral home.

Jeanette was born January 5, 1943, to Tony and Afra Weimer and was raised on the Weimer family farm near Bynumville, Missouri. She attended Pleyer School, a one-room schoolhouse, and St. Joseph High School in Salisbury. 

After graduating from high school in 1961, she moved to Kansas City and spent eight years working for the Federal Reserve Bank. While in Kansas City, she met Donald Rotert through the Catholic Redemptorist Club and they were married on July 19, 1969, at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Wien.

Donald and Jeanette lived in Clinton before moving with their sons, Steven and Gregory, to establish a family farm just north of Montrose in 1977. Jeanette worked at First National Bank in Clinton and taught craft classes at the Ben Franklin store before it closed. Her talent for arts and crafts led to her first teaching role with Mrs. Ann Deskins at Clinton Co-Operative Pre-School in 1979. In 1993, she began as the pre-K teacher at Holy Rosary Catholic School and taught there until her retirement in 2013. 

Jeanette was an active member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church and her faith was very important to her. She passed that faith on to many young people by volunteering in several activities at Holy Rosary including PTA, art and environment committees, altar sodality, confirmation coordinator and CCD to name a few. 

She was also involved in the Clinton community through Extension Clubs, Henry County 4-H, and the Henry County Retired Teachers and Retired School Personnel Association.

Everyone who knew Mrs. Rotert knew how special she was. Her students remember her big heart and her creative lessons. Parents remember her complete dedication and that she always brought out the best in each child. By her own estimation, she taught more than 950 pre-K students. 

Those who knew her – and many who didn’t – felt her loving and positive impact. Jeanette knew no stranger and had a knack for finding a common acquaintance with everyone she met.

Jeanette was preceded in death by a son, Steven Joseph Rotert; her parents; three brothers, Marion Weimer, Leroy Weimer and Wesley Weimer; brothers-in-law Charles Rotert, Cletus Rotert, Thomas Kubajak, Alvin Jurgensmeyer, and Kenneth Rotert; sisters-in-law Glenda A. Weimer, Eunice Rotert, and Delores Rotert. She is survived by her husband, Donald, of the home; son Greg and his wife Mary Ann of Columbia; brothers-in-law Vernon Rotert, Eugene and wife Roxy Rotert, and Elmer and wife Charlotte Rotert; sisters-in-law Wilma Weimer, Glenda K. Weimer, Mary Kubajak, Ellen Jurgensmeyer, and Dorothy and husband Bob Mead; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews whom she loved spending time with.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home in Clinton, Missouri.

A picturesque fall day

No objections to another pleasantly warm day with highs in the upper 60s-70s. A cold front moves through WED, but not before some areas in central MO approach 80°F. Temps cool later this week. There is a slight chance for a light sprinkle/shower, but most should remain dry.