JAMES E. OWEN

James Owen

James E. Owen, 91, of Rushvillle died at 8:50 a.m. March 29, 2018, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.

He was born Dec. 28, 1926, in Deer Ridge, Mo., a son of James E. and Nena Maureen Wildman Owen Sr. He married Mary Elizabeth “Beth” Smith on Feb. 21, 1947, in La Belle, Mo. She survives.

Also surviving are three children, Larry (and partner Diana Rounds) Owen of Rushville, Jeffrey Owen of Springfield and Elizabeth “Liz” (and Jon) Ingles of Camden; 15 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one son, Richard “Rick” Owen; one grandson, Adam Maliongas; one brother, David (and Maxine) Owen; and one sister, Leota “Sally” (and Robert) Best.

He graduated from La Belle High School and entered the United States Navy, serving from March 2, 1945, to Aug. 26, 1946. He first farmed with his dad and other farmers in Lewis County, Mo., before moving to Chicago. In Chicago, he farmed and worked for the VandenBoom Farm and also David Forsythe. In 1954, his family moved to Rushville, where he worked on the Hess Farm as a dairyman and farmer. In 1960, he began his career with Rushville Farmer’s Elevator and retired from Schuyler–Brown FS in 1988. After retirement, he worked part-time at Bartlow Brothers in Rushville for the next eight years.

He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Rushville and served as Master of the Rushville Lodge #9 A.F. & A.M. He was a coach for Rushville Little League.

Services were held Tuesday at the Wood Funeral Home in Rushville. Burial was in the Rushville City Cemetery with military rites by the U.S. Navy Burial Detail and the Schuyler American Legion Post #4.

Memorials may be made to Culbertson Memorial Hospital Foundation or Hope Blooms.

Condolences may be sent to www.woodfh.net.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 4/4/2018