Obituary - Mary Sophia Ireland

Mary Sophia Ireland, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully after a full and wonderful life on the evening of Thursday, January 2, 2025, at the age of 90. She was born to John Page and Virginia Lee Weisinger on September 6, 1934, in Quincy, Illinois.

Mary grew up in a close, loving family. Her father was in the U.S. Air Force, and because of that, the family traveled throughout the United States. She and her brother Merle attended schools in South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Alaska. Among her fondest memories were skiing on Mt. Rainier, traveling the Yukon, and spending summers on her grandparents’ farm in Barry, Illinois, reconnecting with an extensive number of aunts and uncles and cousins. She loved her parents and brother fiercely and at each one's passing, missed them dearly all the rest of her life.

Mary’s family lived in Miami, Oklahoma, when she met Ray E. Ireland, and they were united in marriage on July 12, 1952, and were married for 30 years and 9 months, until Ray’s passing.

Mary’s life will be defined by unwavering devotion to her role as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, as well as to her faith and her community.

Mary was a kind, compassionate, and strong woman dedicated to serving her community and her church and caring for those in need. Her love for her family, friends, and her Lord and Savior was deep and abiding and her presence was a true blessing to all who knew her, most importantly lifting others up through her prayers.

Mary was employed by Missouri Public Service, Utili-Corp United, where she was named the first woman District Manager in the history of the company. She retired in 1998 after 31 years of service. She served on the Board of Directors of National Women in Energy, the Board of Directors of Chamber of Commerce, Nevada Area Economic Development Commission, appointed by the Governor of the State of Missouri to serve on the Missouri Family Trust. In addition, Mary served as Mayor of Nevada from 1998 to 2002, received Woman of Distinction Award from Nevada Soroptimist International, served as an officer in Dianas MFWC, was a life-long and faithful member of the United Methodist Church, where she served on the board and taught Sunday School for 17 years, served as president of the United Methodist Women, and was a member of the Women’s Prayer Shawl Group.

Mary was a proud member of the Nevada Rotary Club, where she had served as president and was honored with the Paul Harris Award. She was a past board member of Girl Scouts Ozark Council and was the recipient of the council’s Woman of Distinction Award. Mary also served as president and a member of the Board of Directors of YMCA, past board member of United Way, the Vernon County Salvation Army, and the Vernon County Mental Health Board.

Mary leaves to cherish her memory, 3 daughters, Jana Rae Ireland & husband, Mike, of Nevada, Missouri, Mary Jo Easterday & husband, Paul, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Jean Page Ireland, of Nevada, Missouri; 1 son, John M. Ireland, of Moore, Oklahoma; 8 grandchildren, Caleb Brown, of Charlotte, North Carolina, Lindsay Lawrence & husband, Alec, of Plain City, Ohio, Mary Lauren Bigham & husband, Jim, of Plain City, Ohio, Victoria Krohn & husband, Stephon, of Moore, Oklahoma, 2ndLt Johnathon Ireland USMC, of Quantico, Virginia, Benjamin Sommer, of Moore, Oklahoma, Matthew Sommer & wife, Sydney Claire, of Oklahoma City, and Haley Mae Ireland, of Moore, Oklahoma;10 great-grandchildren, Shea and Abigail Brown, Robert Scott, Sean, and Seth Lawrence, Michael Bigham, Turner, Emilia, James, and Lynlee Krohn.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John & Virginia Weisinger; her beloved husband, Ray E. Ireland; brother, Merle Weisinger; and nephew, Michael Wayne Weisinger.

Mary will be remembered with love, gratitude, and admiration for her remarkable life of faith, service, and dedication to her family and community.

Family suggests contributions to the United Methodist Church, 500 South College, Nevada, MO 64772, in Mary’s memory.

Serving as pallbearers, Caleb Brown, 2ndLt Johnathon Ireland USMC, Benjamin Sommer, Matthew Sommer, Stephon Krohn, Mark Mendenhall, Lee Mendenhall and Bill Denman. Serving as honorary pallbearers, Paul Easterday, Mike Smith, Alec Lawrence, and Jim Bigham.

Friends may call from 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM, Friday, January 10, 2025, at the Ferry Funeral Home, located at 301 S. Washington, Nevada, Missouri. Family will receive friends, from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM, on Saturday, January 11, 2025, in the sanctuary of the United Methodist Church, located at 500 S. College St., Nevada, Missouri, with Pastor Michelle Whitlock officiating. The funeral service will begin immediately following at 1:00 PM. Private graveside burial rites will follow at the Newton Burial Park, in Nevada, Missouri.

Services under the direction of the John M. Ireland and Son Funeral Home & Chapel, Moore, Oklahoma and Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada, Missouri

 

News from City of Adrian: A Message From Countywide Disposal

Attention Countywide Disposal Customers:

Safety of our employees and those in our communities is our #1 priority. Keep in mind our trucks are very heavy and do not do well in slick conditions. The roads in our southern area are nothing but ice with colder temps ahead. Our northern routes have too much snow to pass through safely.

• Rural Customers: Monday and Tuesday routes will be suspended until next week. We will pick up two weeks worth of trash next week. We plan to run all Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday routes as normal.
• Customers inside city limits of towns we serve: If the roads have been salted we will pickup Monday customers on Tuesday, Tuesday-Friday customers will be as usual.
• Commercial Customers: Monday customers will be picked up on Tuesday, Tuesday-Friday customers will be picked up as usual.

This is all subject to change and we appreciate your understanding, our team wants to work as bad as you want your trash gone. But safety is our top priority.

Thank you, Lee McLain and Countywide Team

Flip through this week's News-Shopper!

 

Follow this link to flip through the pages https://online.fliphtml5.com/xgttb/epag/

Slightly warmer this weekend

 

Bates County Sheriff's Deputy involved in two vehicle accident

At approximately 630pm last night, a deputy had just exited off I49 at Adrian. The Deputy was stopped at the stop sign getting ready to turn onto 18 Highway. 

The Deputy’s patrol vehicle was struck by a vehicle who had exited I49 and failed to stop.

The Deputy was not injured nor was the driver of the other vehicle. The Missouri State Highway Patrol was called to investigate the accident and was assisted by Adrian Police Department.

Very cold conditions through Wednesday

The completely unnecessary weather with very cold temperatures and wind chills are expected to continue the next two days with highs in the in the teens and lower 20s and lows ranging from 5 above to 5 below zero. Wind chill values the next two mornings will range from 5 below to 15 below zero!

Obituary - Janice Marie Harrison

Janice Marie Harrison, lovingly known as Jan, passed away on January 4, 2025, at Centerpoint Hospital in Independence, Missouri, surrounded by her children.

Born on February 8, 1954, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Shirley and James Johnson, she was the eldest of seven children and a cornerstone of her family.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, Shirley and James Johnson, and her brothers, Michael Johnson and William Johnson. She is survived by her devoted husband of 52 years, Michael Harrison, whom she married on February 11, 1972 just 3 days after her 18th birthday. Together, they built a beautiful life, raising two children, Jason Harrison and Amanda Harrison. She is survived by both children, daughter in law August Harrison, brother David Johnson, brother John Johnson (Vicky), sister Cindy Johnson, and sister Cathy Renshaw (Darren).

Jan’s legacy lives on through her seven cherished grandchildren: Lucas, Trinity, Beckett, Maddox, Gibson, Frankie, and Azel, each of whom she adored deeply.

A proud graduate of Ozark High School, Jan embraced a life filled with hard work and passion. She began her career at the Zenith Plant in the 1970s and later worked at the second-ever Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri. In the 1980s, she transitioned to a role as an insurance claims adjuster for GAB. Then, at the age of 37, she made a bold and inspiring career change by joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW Local 124. Jan graduated with perfect attendance in 1996 and specialized in fiber optics, earning immense respect for her knowledge and skill. She retired in 2011, just shy of her 20-year mark with the IBEW.

Jan’s talents extended far beyond her professional life. She was an accomplished seamstress, creating everything from clothes and dolls to baby blankets and robes for her loved ones. She always loved capturing moments as the photographer. She found joy in beadwork, crafting beautiful jewelry, and her true passion lay in genealogy, where she spent decades researching the histories of her family and friends.

Jan will be remembered for her kindness, creativity, and loving nature. Her colored pancakes, made with love for family and friends, were a simple yet profound expression of her care. Her love for fishing and fishing stories. Her calls, letters, and catch-ups are second to none. She touched countless lives and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of Jan’s life will be held on January 11, 2025, at Cullen Funeral Home in Raymore, Missouri. Visitation will begin at 2 PM, followed by the celebration of life at 2:30 PM. The family asks if anyone would like to present a story- please contact daughter, Amanda Harrison. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the DAV (Disabled American Veterans), a cause Jan passionately supported.

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Inc., Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278

Obituary - Desiree E. Johnson

Desiree E. Johnson, age 31, of Raymore, Missouri passed away unexpectedly on January 1, 2025.

Desiree was born in Kansas City, Missouri on January 22, 1993, the daughter of Maurice Johnson and Jessica Waite. Desiree attended Belton public schools for the entirety of her education. 

During her years at Belton High School, she dedicated time to varsity volleyball and set records in varsity softball. Over the years she earned countless accolades, including academic and athletic letters, achieved honor roll, and importantly made many, many friends. In addition to school athletics, she spent most of her spare time playing in competitive softball tournaments and/or club volleyball tournaments for organizations in the Kansas City area. To ask anyone who knew her, she was the light in any room she entered and was quick to make someone laugh. 

In 2015, Desiree was blessed with her son, Luke. He became the center of her world and she dedicated herself to becoming his mom and number one fan. In their short time together, they were able to share many experiences including vacations, festivals, street fairs, Christmas light viewings each year, and countless other traditions they built as a family. Family was everything to Desiree, so holiday celebrations were some of the biggest moments she and Luke shared, especially Christmas, and Luke’s favorite Halloween. 

She never missed the opportunity to dress up with him (and spend months talking about, and visiting stores with, animatronics). All of Luke’s school buddies loved Miss Desiree – she was the fun mom that would help at school celebrations, always present and invested. Desiree was a Cub Scout Leader in Troop #124 in Raymore where she loved all the scouts like her own and they loved her. 

She spent several seasons as a volunteer softball coach for Raymore Recreation, where she built strong relationships with the team and had the opportunity to stress the importance of responsibility, teamwork, independence, and create a safe space for the girls. Most recently she was Assistant Coach for Luke’s basketball team, a new experience they were both enjoying for the first time this season.

Desiree was preceded in death by her paternal grandmother, Mary Witherspoon.

She is survived by her loving and amazing son, Luke Johnson; her partner, Shawn Sidwell; mother, Jessica Ward (Kareen); father, Maurice Johnson; maternal grandparents, Larry and Phyllis Banks and step-paternal grandmother Sonja Expose; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. The relationships she had with Larry, Phyllis, and Sonja (Granny) can’t be explained with words. She was so close to all of them. She is dearly loved and will be truly missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Luke’s Future Fund c/o Jessica Ward. If you would like to make a donation, you can Venmo @Jessica-Ward-19, or a collection box will be available at the visitation for checks. All funds will be allocated to an account for Luke’s use in his future endeavors.

A Celebration of Life visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 10, 2025, at Cullen Funeral Home, Inc., 612 W. Foxwood Dr., Raymore, Missouri 64083. The family has requested Kansas City Chiefs Red Friday attire for the visitation (if you would like to). For anyone who would like to continue celebrating her life and memory after the service, there will be a gathering at Johnny’s in Raymore.

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Inc., Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278