Atha June Farris

Atha June Farris, 95, was born Dec. 10, 1920, to Ben Wesley and Florence Edna Daugherty on a farm near Lowry City. She passed away Sept. 17, 2016 in Lowry City.

June, as she preferred to be called, was one of the few remaining folk who was born before and raised during the Great Depression followed by WWII. In her early life, she lived in Texas with her parents and one sister. She lived in El Dorado Springs before moving to Lowry City with her divorced mother and a newly born brother, Ben. Her mother raised her three children on a 10-acre plot in Lowry City with a few farm animals and a huge garden. It was a meager living but not uncommon in those days.

She graduated in 1938 from Lowry City High School and then attended Southwest Missouri Baptist College in Bolivar and received her accreditation as a school teacher. She taught in several rural schools from Deepwater to Rich Hill.

On Nov. 13, 1943, June married Arthur M. Farris and was a devoted wife until Arthur’s death in January of 1997. They had shared a life together for over 53 years. She was very proud of her husband. He faithfully served his country as an Army Sergeant in WWII at Kwajaein Island in the Marshall Islands. He was working as a teletype operator and was one of the first to learn that the atomic bomb had been dropped on Japan and that they had surrendered. Following Arthur’s discharge in 1946, June and Art made their home in Kansas City where he found employment and June was a devoted housewife.

The Florence Daugherty family was raised in the Baptist Church in Lowry City where June accepted Christ as her Savior in early life. June was a devout Christian making the Lord part of her everyday life. As a Christian from early life until her death, June never wavered in her deep faith in Jesus Christ with whom she is now, alongside her beloved Arthur, mother and sister.

June felt a special strong love and bond to her niece, Joy, for being her caretaker and trustee for over nine years.

June was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Farris; mother, Florence; father, Ben; and sister, Virginia.

She is survived by one brother, Ben D. Daugherty Sr. and wife, Florene; nieces – Joy Sweigart, Linda Hulett and Donna Rice; along with a host of great nieces, nephews and many friends.

Services were held Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Sheldon-Goodrich Chapel, Osceola, with Pastor Fred Stevens officiating and Pastor Charlie Payne, eulogist. Music was  “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” “The Old Rugged Cross” and “How Great Thou Art.” Casket bearers were Darrell Moran, Dennis Strickland, Dale Moran, Randy Sheldon, Kevin Goth and Ryan Stollings.

Interment was in Lowry City Cemetery under direction of Sheldon-Goodrich Funeral Home, Osceola.