Ray Alfred Chappell

Ray Chappell, age 89, of Bolivar, Missouri, died January 22, 2011, at Citizens Memorial Healthcare Facility in Bolivar, Missouri from kidney cancer after a long illness. He was born December 1, 1921, to Charles Garfield Chappell and Lucy Ann (Williams) Chappell on their farm near Burns, Missouri, the 7th of 9 children. He attended the McKinney School near Burns and later joined the Civilian Conservation Corps before moving to California to find work. He served as a Sergeant in the Army Air Force in the US and Hawaii during World War II. After the war, he returned to Bolivar where he met and married Jessie Faye Craig who was attending Southwest Baptist College. They were married in 1946 and together made their lives in Bolivar until her death in 1987. They had two sons, Stan and Steve. Ray was a mechanic by trade, an athlete and outdoorsman for fun. In his younger days, he played left field for the Bolivar town baseball team and later umpired youth baseball. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and continued those activities into his 80s. Ray owned and operated three full service gas stations near the Bolivar square over a period of 37 years, doing business under the Cities Service, Standard, and finally Sinclair brand, until he retired at the end of 1985. Ray also enjoyed dancing and after Jessies death he met fellow dancer Lorene Bryant and they were married in 1990. Ray was a long time member of the First Baptist Church, the American Legion, and the Bolivar Masonic Lodge. Ray was preceded in death by his first wife Jessie and their youngest son Steve; his brothers, Con, Shirl, Chester and Bud; his sisters, Wilma Chappell, Alma Griffin, and Jewell Hale; and his sister-in-law Florence Smith. He is survived by his wife Lorene, Republic, Missouri; son Stan and his wife Peggy, Overland Park, Kansas; granddaughters Abigail Chappell, DeKalb, Illinois, and Sara Deines and her husband Chris, Lincoln, Nebraska; sister June Summers and her husband Gale, Springfield, Missouri; sister-in-law Barbara Chappell, Bolivar, Missouri; sister-in-law Barbara Dixon and her husband Stanley, Alpena, Arkansas; nephew Charles Chappell and his wife Theresa, Springfield, Missouri; niece Leola Smith, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and numerous other nieces and nephews; and step great granddaughters Nicki Edwards, Mt. Vernon, Missouri, and Tawny Adamson, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Funeral services will be at 2:00pm, Friday, January 28, 2011 at the Butler Funeral Home in Bolivar, Missouri with Dr. Bill Hooper officiating. Musical selections will be How Great Thou Art and In The Garden being sung by George Baker with Susan Baker playing the piano. Burial will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in Bolivar with Military Honors provided by the Fifth District Honor Guard of the AMVETS Post #114 of Flemington, Missouri. A visitation will be held from 1:00-2:00pm Friday afternoon prior to service time at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Ron Blevins, Rand Chappell, Jim Thuston, Phil Dixon, Jeff Dixon and Harold Catt. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 3322 S. Campbell, Suite G, Springfield, Missouri 65807 or the First Baptist Church, 316 N. Main Avenue, Bolivar, Missouri 65613. PDF Printable Version

Ray Alfred Chappell

December 1, 1921 - January 22, 2011