Ava Vest

Ava Vest, 92, of Fair Play, passed away on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at Springfield Mercy Hospital after a short bout with pneumonia. She was with her sister, her children, their families and friends at her time of passing. A lifelong resident of Fair Play being born there on September 28, 1932, and spent her entire life there except for a short amount of time in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. She enjoyed Fair Play and its people like they were part of her family. She was able to live at home for the last few years with the daily support given by her daughter, Patsy (Vest) Johnson, who provided daily care and transportation as needed. Ava was the daughter of Fairy and Blanch (Tolbert) Pummill of Fair Play, and one of seven children born to them. The one surviving member of the Pummill family is her sister, Linda Procter Wescot, currently of Weaubleau, Missouri. She and her siblings attended the Fair Play school system as well as all her children and several of her grandchildren, many of her great-grandchildren, and several great-great-grandchildren. She and her husband, Wayne, were avid supporters of the Fair Play school systems and especially the sport teams. She met and married Wayne Vest on January 21, 1948, in Fair Play. Their union produced 11 children to the world, Jimmy, Ricky, Becky, Bobby, Shirley, Patsy, Kathy, Cindy, Randy, Debbie, and Marsha. She was able to enjoy all her children and families as they lived close to the Fair Play area and daily visits were common. Ava was an active member of the Fair Play Baptist Church in earlier years, and in later years supported the Aldrich United Methodist Church with several members of her immediate family and friends. Ava was very busy with her children and worked mainly as a homemaker, but also held various jobs around Fair Play and Polk County areas, most of which were helping others with domestic and household chores, assisting several elderly people and families with their day-to-day life and efforts to live well and stay active. These coupled with many other jobs at various businesses in the area to support her and Wayne’s large family. In her years after Wayne’s death in 2002, she enjoyed time with her sisters, Wilma and Ruby, at times called The Golden Girls, on weekly, and at times, daily trips around the area to find places for eating lunch out, but really enjoyed the outing for the weekly garage sales in the area. Her other main enjoyments in life were being involved with the grandchildren, their school activities and anything that involved children. She knew and watched most of the local children that walk to and from school and enjoyed watching and waving at the school buses to and from the schoolhouse daily. She also kept track of the incoming buses from other towns, and knew what activity was always at the schoolhouse. Ava was preceded in death by her father and mother, five of her seven siblings, her husband, Wayne (2002), still born daughter, Shirley (1958), and her son Ricky (2009). Ava is survived by one sister, Linda Procter Wescoat and husband Art of Weaubleau; sons, Jim and wife Beverly of Bolivar, Bobby and wife Pat of Bolivar, and Randy and wife Melissa of Humansville; daughters, Becky Magana of Humansville, Patsy Johnson of Fair Play, Kathy Vest of Bolivar, Cindy Rowell of Bolivar, Debbie and husband Johnny Hollenbeck of Bolivar, and Marsha and husband Bob Durst of Fair Play. With the respective families there are 20 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. These plus several nieces and nephews of which she was very close to and often had weekly visits from. The family extends many thanks to the doctors and staff of CMH for their care and services extended to the Vest Family.

Ava Vest

September 28, 1932 - October 12, 2024