Willa (Buchanan) Gover

Willa (Buchanan) Gover, of Osceola, Mo., passed away Sept. 18, 2008, at the age of 91. She was born Dec. 19. 1916, in Osceola, Mo., to Warren Wesley Buchanan and Beulah Fay (Hursh). Willa's mother Beulah Fay "Boots" (Hursh) Buchanan died in 1918 in Montana during the influenza epidemic. She died 11 days before Willa's second birthday. Willa and her dad moved back to Osceola, where her grandmother, Nettie (Blum) Buchanan helped reared her. After graduation she worked as a bookkeeper for Osage Valley Telephone Co., in Osceola, and several neighboring towns for six years and then worked for Dr. T.H. Douglas.

On Aug. 22, 1942, Willa was united in marriage to Woodrow "Dutch" Gover, and continued to work for Dr. Douglas until Dutch was discharged from the Navy in 1945. To this union three children were born, Judy, Susan and Debbie.

In 1946 Willa and Dutch bought a farm near Taberville, Mo. They raised polled hereford cattle, hogs, chickens, and one shetland pony named Dusty, whom, they thought they would have to take him to the nursing home with them (he lived that long).

In 1965 Willa and Dutch joined the United Methodist Church, in Rockville, Mo., then later transferred their membership to the Methodist Church in El Dorado Springs, Mo.

Willa was a homemaker and loved to sew and knit. She would always fix big dinners on Sundays for all of her family. Then in 1978 she started working for the Department of Revenue.

Willa was preceded in death by her parents Warren and Beulah Buchanan, her husband, Dutch, of 59 years, and a great-grandson, Johnathan Michael Simon. She is survived by half-sister, Sue Ella Touts and half-brother Warren Wisley Buchanan Jr.; three daughters, Judy Cargill and husband Jim, of El Dorado Springs, Mo., Susan Rains and husband Kenny, of Nevada, and Debbie Cross and husband Jeff, of Appleton City, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Tracy (Domer) Mays, Aaron Rains, Tara Simon Williams, Chad Cargill, Steven Cross, Kelli Cross, Derek Cross; 11 great grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Clara Glover, and several nieces and nephews.

Services were held Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Sheldon Chapel, with Jim Smith officiating. Interment was in Osceola Cemetery, in Osceola. Pallbearers were: Chad Cargill, Derek Cross, Chase Domer, Aaron Rains, Steven Cross, Ridge Simon, and Lakelyn Simon. Arrangements by Sheldon Funeral Home, El Dorado Springs, Mo.