Junior Roweton

Alvia Junior Roweton, 82, passed away on Saturday, September 16th, 2023, at Cox South Hospital. He was the husband of Kathy Roweton. They shared 32 years of marriage together. Junior was born in Halfway, Missouri, on September 8th, 1941, to Alvia Roweton and Irene Ragsdale Roweton. He graduated from Halfway High School and then attended Southwest Baptist College and Drury University on a basketball scholarship. He received his Master’s Degree from Drury University and later a Specialist Degree from Tulsa University. He started his teaching career in the Springfield School District, teaching and coaching at Cherokee Junior High before transferring to Parkview where he was the assistant coach for the Legendary “Jolly Green Giant” Parkview teams. Later he transferred to Reed Junior High. While teaching and coaching in Springfield he started his farm operation in Halfway, Missouri. His farms led him to move to Bolivar and in 1981 he took a job at Bolivar as a teacher and girls’ basketball coach for the Bolivar Lady Liberators. In his first and only season the 1982 girls’ basketball team won the class 3 state title. The next year he became the first Athletic Director for Bolivar High School and served as Assistant principal. In 1985 he became the principal at Halfway High School and served in that role until he retired from education in 1994. In retirement he coached the Bolivar Boys Basketball team in 1996 and 1997. In 1996 The Liberators won the Central Ozark Conference and in 1997 the Liberators won its’ first ever Blue and Gold Championship. He retired from education for good after this and focused on growing and managing his farm until his death. Junior was a member of the Halfway Missionary Baptist Church where he was saved. He enjoyed working on the farm, hunting and fishing, early morning coffee with the coffee shop gang at Brenda’s, watching his grand kids play ball, talking to his sons on the phone, and Sunday night dinners with the entire family which took place for the last 26 years. He will be remembered and loved as a teacher, coach, principal, businessman, cattleman, friend, Husband, Father, and Papa. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alvia and Irene Roweton, and two children, Rachelle Roweton and Jared Roweton. Junior is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kathy Roweton, and sons Brad Roweton (Alisson Roweton), Kane Wildforster, Lance Roweton (Katie Roweton), and Brock Roweton (Jaime Roweton). He is survived by his grandchildren Chase Roweton, Jack Roweton, Avery Roweton, Cora Roweton, Russell Roweton, Heidi Roweton, Taylor Roweton, Blu Wildforster, Turner Roweton, and Jared Roweton. He is also survived by sisters JoAn Johnson (Bill Johnson) and Sharon Richter (Kent Richter) as well as a nephew Jeff Johnson, and Nieces Amy Jackson and Allison Potter (Martin Potter). Funeral Services will be held at: 1:00 PM on Wednesday September 20, 2023 at Butler Funeral Home in Bolivar. A visitation will take place at the Funeral Home from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, prior to the service. Burial will follow at Crestview Memorial Gardens in Bolivar.

Junior Roweton

September 8, 1941 - September 16, 2023