Funeral services for Imogene Davis Stephens, 87, West Plains, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, November 4, 2013, in the Rose Chapel at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.
Mrs. Stephens died peacefully at 3:30 a.m., Friday, November 1, 2013, at Pleasant Valley Manor.
She was born November 28, 1925, in Howell County, Missouri into the family of James Madison Davis and Sarah Eva Lamons Davis. On July 18, 1945, she was married at the First Baptist Church in Bolivar, Missouri, to Sgt. William Henry Stephens, who preceded her in death on September 28, 1998. Except for the time away during the war and for college, the couple resided in the Lebo Community, south of West Plains, where Imogene was a life long resident.
Imogene received her education at Valley Star School, West Plains High School, Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Drury College in Springfield on August 14, 1963. She began her career teaching grades 1 through 8 in the one room schools of Mott and Orchard Grove. She retired after thirty years teaching at South Fork Elementary School. Mrs. Stephens was a much-loved first grade teacher to many of the residents of the South Fork community.
A charter member of Bethel Baptist Church, she served the church as a teacher and clerk for many years. She was also active for many years in the Lebo Community Extension Club and the Rebekah Lodge of West Plains. She was an active member of her church, Delta Kappa Gamma Xi Chapter for educators, retired teachers of West Plains and the Class of 1943 alumni group at the time of her death.
Imogene and Billy were the parents of three daughters, Kaye Wells, husband Bill, El Dorado, Arkansas, Sara McCrackin, husband, Gary, West Plains and Joy Pohl, husband Steve, Dover, Arkansas; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, James McCrackin, wife, Misty, their son Jacob and daughter Megan of West Plains, Stephen McCrackin, wife, Misty, their daughters Reagan and Madelyn of the St. Louis area, Kacy Wells Murray, husband, Michael, their sons Wells and Davis of Bentonville, Arkansas, Michael Pohl, Goodyear, Arizona and Kristen Pohl, Little Rock, Arkansas. Imogene will be fondly remembered for the many Christmas and Independence Day celebrations at Grandma's house through the years.
She is survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law Betty Davis of the State of Michigan, Nellie Stephens Roberts of the State of Kansas and Virginia Stephens Keefer of the State of California, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister and brother-in-law, Opal and John Walker, sister and brother-in-law, Alice and John McCrory, brother and sister-in-law, Mott and Glenna Davis, and brothers Avrell and Kermit.
Mrs. Stephens will lie in state from 4:00 p.m., Sunday, until service time at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. Burial will be at the Stuart Union Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Bethel Baptist Church, Stuart Union Cemetery or Evergreen Cemetery, and may be left at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.