Obituary - Judy Irene Cross

Judy Irene Cross, daughter of Estel and Nadine Umstattd, was born March 14, 1939, in Butler, Missouri. She departed this life at Appleton City Manor on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 85 years of age after a short illness. She was baptized at an early age and remained faithful to Johnstown Church of Christ throughout her life. On November 10, 1957, Judy was united in marriage to Gerald Cross and to this union two children were born.

Judy spent her early years as a stay-at-home mom and babysitting. She acquired the name “Aunt Judy“ from three very special Allen girls who call her that to this day. After her kids were older, she went to work at the Appleton City Journal. In the late 70’s, she became a full-time bookkeeper for her and Gerald’s auto repair business. She continued doing that until they sold the business in 2014. She worked part time for Bob Breon Insurance and sold real estate for a short period of time.

Judy enjoyed delivering the Little Apple. She loved going to Clinton to the Sr. Center to play cards. Judy was loved by everyone who knew her. She always saw the best in everyone. She loved her family unconditionally. She spent her life caring for other people and putting their needs ahead of hers.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Estel and Nadine; her husband Gerald of 57 years; her brother Charles Umstattd; and her beloved son “Mikey” whom she adored.

Survivors include her daughter Jackie Perry (Dane); brother-in-law Dennis Cross (Gayle); sister-in-law Debra Cross; four bonus grandchildren: Coale Perry (Chelsea), Clay Perry, Cristin Schneider (Erik) and Becky Hill (Nick); special nephew, Jeff Cross (Debbie) and special niece Kim Dains (Darrell) who she loved like her own children; three great-grandchildren, Raeah, Raeleigh, and Renner Hill along with many extended family and good friends.

Visitation for Judy will be held Saturday April 13th from 12:30 -2:00 p.m with the funeral to follow at the Hill & Sons Funeral Home LLC located at 213 W. 6th Street. 

Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol arrest abduction suspects

BOLIVAR, MO — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested two suspects in a child abduction on Tuesday evening, April 9, after a pursuit through Polk County.

The Springfield Police Department reported two-year-old Arukia Ganis missing from a retail business in Springfield at 2:52 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. She was believed to be in a black Ford F150 pickup truck with her biological parents, Frank Ganis and Arisha Caldwell.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol upgraded Arukia Ganis’ missing person status to an Amber Alert at around 4:45 p.m.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office received information from the Springfield Police Department that the suspects and the child were located south of Humansville in Polk County. Deputies responded to the area at around 5:30 p.m. and found the suspects in their vehicle.
The driver of the Ford pickup failed to stop, and the Polk County deputies initiated a pursuit.

The suspects traveled south through county roads and eventually began traveling northbound on Mo. 13. When they hit the Polk County and St. Clair County line, the suspects turned around and headed southbound on Mo. 13 while law enforcement continued to follow them.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, with the help of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, were able to stop the truck in Polk County at around 5:40 p.m.

Law enforcement found Frank Ganis and Caldwell in the vehicle, along with the missing two year old. She was unharmed.

Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Greene County Jail. They will remain in custody pending charges from the Springfield Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are so thankful we were able to find Arukia and return her to safety,

” Polk County Sheriff Danny Morrison said. “It was a positive outcome to a scary situation. We’re thankful for the exceptional help we received from both the Springfield Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. This was truly a team effort.”

El Dorado Springs names new high school wrestling coach

On behalf of the El Dorado Springs R-2 School District, it is a pleasure to introduce our new High School Wrestling Coach, Bill Gray. Bill is entering his second year as an educator in the El Dorado Springs School District and served last year as a Middle School Football Coach and as the assistant Wrestling Coach at the high school level.

Coach Gray brings in over 30 years of coaching experience that has covered college softball, high school and middle school football, and high school and middle school wrestling. He most recently served in a Head Wrestling Coaching position at Diamond High School from 2017-2022. During his time there, he coached 29 state qualifiers and six state placers.

Coach Gray is married to Jennifer Gray, who teaches high school math and they have two sons, Owen and Nathan. Owen will serve as a High School Assistant in football and wrestling, while continuing to teach Civics at El Dorado Springs High School. Nathan is currently in college and is an official for wrestling in Missouri and Kansas.

Coach Gray is excited to continue in building the program that has been established at Eldo and looks to help push further along in its path to greater excellence.

Congratulations and welcome to our new High School Wrestling Coach, Bill Gray!

MoDOT: Work Zone Awareness Week 2024

Work Zone Awareness Week 2024 Urges Drivers to “Work With Us”

As the busy road work season gets underway across Missouri, the Missouri Department of Transportation kicks off 2024 National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 15-19) with a media event in Springfield on Tuesday, April 16.

MoDOT will host a Work Zone Awareness Week Media Event at 10 am at MoDOT’s Southwest District Office, 3025 East Kearney, Springfield, 65803. Speakers will include MoDOT Southwest District Engineer Stacy Reese, MSHP Troop D Corporal Sam Carpenter and MoDOT Maintenance Supervisor Danny Bowling discussing their experiences on Missouri’s roadways.

Since 2000, 35 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty, 16 of them taking place in work zones. With over $1.4 billion in road and bridge work this year, Missouri motorists can expect to encounter a significant amount of work zones and ongoing maintenance operations during their travels this year. MoDOT is urging motorists to “Work with Us” by making smart, safe driving choices behind the wheel to protect themselves and those they share the road with, including highway workers.

Using a cell phone while driving is now against the law in Missouri. The Siddens Bening hands free law, which took effect last August, prohibits drivers from physically holding or supporting a cell phone while driving; this includes sending or receiving texts and recording or watching videos. Drivers can face criminal charges for crashes that result in property damage, injury or death.

Obituary - Ramon "Bodie" Bodenhamer

Ramon “Bodie” Bodenhamer, 85 of Drexel, Missouri passed away Sunday, April 7, 2024 at Crown Care Nursing Home in Harrisonville, Missouri surrounded by family. A visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Saturday, April 13, 2024 at Mullinax Funeral Home, Drexel Chapel (816-657-4400). Memorial services will follow at 2:00 pm Saturday, also at the chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to the Drexel Christian Church. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.

Bodie was born February 14, 1939 North of Drexel in Lisle, Missouri. The son of Ira and Dorothy Schultz Bodenhamer. He grew up in Drexel and enjoyed playing sports. He graduated from high school in 1957 and that fall he married his high school sweetheart, Joan Martino. To this union one son and two daughters were born.

Over the years Bodie worked at the Grain Elevator in Drexel, raised turkeys and hogs, along with Joan he ran Bodie’s Café, and later he went to work for Bendix.

Bodie and Joan took care of several foster children and adopted one, a son in 1979. Bodie enjoyed watching his kids play sports and was involved in the Boy Scouts. He loved the Lord and was involved in church for many years teaching, sharing, and having bible studies in the home.

Bodie was a loving husband, father, and grandpa and very much enjoyed taking his grandkids places.

Bodie was preceded in death by his parents, loving wife Joan Bodenhamer, his sister Lois Cook, and brother Ronald Bodenhamer. He is survived by his children, Brad Bodenhamer (Patti), Mitzi Kimbrough (Kevin), Tina Crumby, and Butch Bodenhamer, grandchildren, Christopher Bodenhamer, Amber Bodenhamer, Brandon Bodenhamer (Amber Ann), Melissa Bodenhamer, Chad Kimbrough (Jessica), Monica Kimbrough, Justin Kimbrough, Cody Crumby (Beth Parks), Brittany Bodenhamer, Alexia Bodenhamer, Danielle Bodenhamer, and Jessie Bodenhamer, along with ten great-grandchildren.

Records are made to be broken

RECORD BREAKER... Last Friday, Harrisonville High School sophomore Paige Cribbs broke the HHS javelin record with a throw of 129' 2" at Pitt State. Way to go Paige!

 

Mild Weather Friday

Mild weather conditions for Friday afternoon. Winds become gusty Saturday afternoon, with storms forecast late Saturday evening.

Obituary - Mark Boyer

1st Celebration of life service for Mark Boyer of Butler, Missouri will be 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the Last Harvest Cowboy Church, 219 S. Main Street, Butler, Missouri 64730. 

A 2nd Celebration of life service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Oak Grove Cemetery, 2700 W Clay Street, St. Charles, Missouri 633301. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.

Mark Boyer (nickname Catfish King), age 64 of Butler, Missouri passed away on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He was born on May 20, 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mark enjoyed sports, fishing, cooking and mowing He also enjoyed going to church and helping with church dinners.

Mark is survived by two sisters, Myra Doll (Chris) and Marsha Zotta (Greg); two brothers, Dan (Jan) and Matt (Mary); grandsons, granddaughters, nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, cousins, stepsons, and a stepdaughter. Mark was preceded in death by his mother and stepfather, Reba and Richard Mead; his father, James Boyer Sr.; his brother, Jim Boyer; his grandmother, Martha Barton; and his wife of 12 years, Vicki Boyer