Verba Louise Ross

Verba Louise Ross, 83 Kirbyville, Missouri

Kissee-Schofield-Eakins Funeral Home

15945 U.S. Hwy. 160

P.O. Box 1027

Phone:  (417) 546-6250

www.ksefuneralhome.net

Obituary

Verba Louise Ross

May 8, 1939 – November 4, 2022

            Verba Louise Ross, 83, passed away at 1:45 pm from complications of cancer on the 4th November, 2022 while in hospice care at home in Kirbyville, Missouri. A graveside service will be at 1:00 P.M., Wednesday, November 9, 2022 in the Miriam Cemetery, Maryville, Missouri.

Louise was born on Monday, May 8, 1939 in Tarkio, Missouri.  She was the second youngest of Jessie L. and Verba M. Reeves (Crawford).  Growing up on a working farm, Louise’s father died when she was young, so she and her many siblings pitched in wherever they could to help ends meet.  The family took in laundry, cooked, cleaned, and canned for the neighbors.  When old enough, she worked as an operator on the rural telephone switchboard and, along with her mother, was a waitress at a diner in Maryville, Missouri. Louise attended Hopkins High School and graduated in 1957.  After graduating, she took a job working in the hospital kitchen in Maryville.  It was there, in 1958, that she met the love of her life, Donald Eugene Ross, and they were married in Maryville on October 4, 1959.

Shortly after Louise and Donnie were married, they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska to start their life together.  Along with starting a family and being a homemaker, Louise had various jobs during the 14 years they lived in Lincoln.  This included working as a clerk at Woolworths and as a shipping clerk at Hovland-Swanson. During this time, she and Donnie were also involved in the community as members of the Nebraska land Communications Emergency Team (aka the E-Team) which aided in functions such as storm tracking, search and rescue, emergency response, and Special Police.

In 1974, Louise and Don moved the family to Wilber, Nebraska where Don began his career in Law Enforcement, where he eventually became the Chief of Police.  Louise found employment at the local nursing home for several years until an opportunity presented itself.  Farmland Foods opened a new pork processing plant in 1975 and Louise was among the first to work there. Moving up the ranks, she performed many various tasks to include the being part of the safety and emergency response program, a trainer, and a floor manager; she retired with over 20 years of service. During this time, she was also a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician for the City of Wilber.

Louise had several ways to spend her leisure hours.  She was an avid reader, made beautiful cross-stich towels, blankets, and quilts. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, and greatly enjoyed the relaxation of camping and hiking, especially in the Ozarks of Missouri.  In 1997, Louise and Donnie decided it was time to retire.  The natural location for them to retire was the place they vacationed the most, the Ozarks. So, in 1999, they packed up and moved to a small acreage in Taney County, Missouri. From there, they continued their love of camping, to include becoming Texas snowbirds for many years.

Left to cherish Louise’s memory is her sister, Deloris Reeves of Tarkio Missouri, her son, Randy Ross of Kirbyville, MO; her son, Raymond Ross and his wife Dena of Papillion, NE; and her daughter, Donna Ross of Kirbyville, MO.  She will be greatly missed by her six grandchildren, James Ross, Andrew Ross, Virginia Matheny Ross, Allison Ross, Charles Schoenhofer, Jarod Schoenhofer, and seven great-grandchildren.

Services are under the direction of the Kissee-Schofield-Eakins Funeral Home, Forsyth, Mo.