Jeannie Cantrell
Jeannie Cantrell, age 90, of Nixa, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017. She was born Aug. 26, 1927 in Morton, Ark., the daughter of Claude and Emma (Morphew) Stripling.
Her father and grandfather owned rice paddies in Arkansas where Jeannie grew up. She along with her parents and younger sister formed a quartet that sang all over Arkansas. At the age of 16 the family moved to Ellington, where Jeannie met and married Lester Beck. During the 27 years they were married five children were born. Jeannie loved her life as a Pastor’s wife, teaching Sunday school, Children’s Church, playing the piano, organ, and playing the accordion and singing duets with her oldest daughter, Donna. Later Jeannie collected dolls and they were indeed her second life for over 30 years. She also enjoyed gardening.
Jeannie is survived by the family she loved so dearly: five children and their spouses, Donna and Mike Boden of Ozark, Ken and Deb Beck of Ellington, Diane and Ken Anderson of Ozark, Karen and Steven Butts of Ozark, and Kristi and Arlen Thompson of Louisburg, Kan.; fourteen grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; a sister, Judy Watson (Dav) of Milton, Fla.; two nieces and two nephews.
She was preceded in death by husbands, Lester Beck, Richard Whittaker, and Bill Cantrell, a sister Joyce Sloss and her parents.
A funeral service was held 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, in Adams Funeral Home, Ozark. Burial followed in White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Springfield.
