Oral W. Francis
September 17, 1919 - December 24, 2014
Oral W. Francis, age 95 of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, December 23, 2014 in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Born September 17, 1919 in rural La Plata, Missouri, he was the son of Edgar and Ada (Newton) Francis. On April 8, 1951 he was united in marriage to Ethel Beal who preceded him in death.
Also preceding him in death were his parents, one sister, Hazel and one brother, Erby.
Surviving are two sons, Allen Francis and wife Annette of St. Joseph, Missouri and Howard Francis of Kirksville, Missouri; three grandchildren, Paul and Aza Francis and Olga Stanton; and several nieces and nephews.
Oral was a 1938 graduate of La Plata High School. From 1941 to 1943 he was a group leader supervising 30 people in the final assembly of the B-26 medium bomber at the Glenn L. Martin Company. He served in the United States Army from 1944 to 1946. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Agriculture, and later taught Vocational Agriculture in Kirksville from 1955 to 1967. Oral lived on his farm, 6 miles northeast of Kirksville, since 1951.
Oral was a member of the Adair County Young Farmers Association, American Legion Post #20, Senior Circle, Adair County Historical Society, Farm Bureau, and served on the Soils and Crops Conference planning committee.
Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Sunday, December 28, 2014 at the La Plata Christian Church in La Plata, Missouri. Officiating will be Pastor John Gorham.
Burial will be in New Harmony Cemetery, east of La Plata, Missouri. Pallbearers will be Tom Primmer, Joe Zeigler, Gary Mathes, Tim Watson, Kelly O’Haver, and Dean Adkins.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral service beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the church.
Memorials in memory of Oral W. Francis may be made to the New Harmony Cemetery. They may be sent to or left at Travis Funeral Chapel, 125 S. Church St., La Plata, Missouri 63549.
E-Memorial Book and Condolences
Signed by: ray francis on December 28, 2014 #
Howard, Allen, & the rest of our family. We are praying for you all today. We are there with you today in our hearts and sad that we can't be there in person. The leash that ties me to my own hospital isn't very long.
Uncle Oral was a good man. Always willing to help others. He was a man that was constantly learning all he could. Always taking notes on the notebook always in his pocket. The teacher in him was always evident. I don't think I was ever with him that he didn't pull out a note or an object from his pocket to share what he had learned with others.
Love,
Ray, Cherrie Francis and Family
