Columbia Daily Tribune

Dr. Don Edwards, 85, passed away at Wesley Woods Care and Rehab Center after a long battle with dementia. He was born in Columbia Missouri to Hope and Harold Edwards on September 7, 1936. His younger sister, Sharon Drake, currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Don is survived by his wife of sixty-three years, Mary Aileen Faurot Edwards; his sons, Jeffrey and wife, Lori, of Laguna Hills, California and Charles and wife, Melissa, of Canton, Georgia. His grandchildren are Alec and Sara Edwards and Amelia Boddy. Don will be memorialized as a great father, coach, mentor, and role model to his sons. Don will be missed by his many friends in Waco and other family members and friends across...

James (Jim) Ussary passed away March 10, 2022 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He was born February 20, 1936 to Clarence and Helen (Eiman) Ussary in Kansas City, Missouri. Jim attended Saint Joseph Junior College before transferring to the University of Missouri where he earned his BS (1960) and his MS (1964) in Agricultural Chemistry. His first laboratory experience was with MFA Grain and Feed Division in St. Joseph, Missouri and the MFA Oil Company is Columbia, Missouri. Jim then worked for the University of Missouri Experiment Station Chemical Laboratory before co-founding ABC Labs (now EAL) and serving as its first President in Columbia, Missouri. After leaving ABC, Jim joined ICI...

The bright candle that was Katie Trocheck Abel was extinguished much too soon on Feb. 9, 2022. Katie was only 39, but made her mark on the world every day and in every way. Cherished wife to Mark, tiger mom to Griffin and Molly, treasured first child of Tom and Kathy Hogan Trocheck, bossy big sister to Andrew Rivers Trocheck, and beloved daughter-in-law of John and Jane Abel, Katie was a force of nature. Born in Savannah, GA, except for a brief hiatus in Phoenix, AZ, Katie was a lifelong resident of Avondale Estates, GA. She graduated from St. Thomas More Catholic School in Decatur, where both their children are currently enrolled, and graduated from St. Pius X High School in 2000 in...

Dr. Christopher Robert Ross (Chris), age 69, of Manhattan, KS, died December 12, 2021 at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan, KS. Inspired by his experiences there along with the books of veterinarian James Herriot, Chris earned his Bachelor's degree followed by his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1981. After practicing in Fulton, MO, he returned to MU where he received his PhD in Physiology in 1990. He then researched and taught in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine for the next 17 years. From 2007 until his retirement in 2021, Chris served at Oklahoma State University College...

Edward A. Lightfoot died August 12, 2021 following a sudden illness at Horizons Care Center, Eckert, CO. He was born in Columbia, MO May 27, 1948 and was the son of the late William and Alice Lightfoot. He was known in his life for being a long distance cyclist, enjoying 50 to 100 mile rides just for fun. His best talent was bicycle repair and he was a good artist. He lived in Columbia MO most of his adult life, took care of his parents for many years and moved to Delta, CO in 2006 to be closer to family. Although he was a quiet and private person, everyone who knew him genuinely liked him as he was a kind and gentle person with a dry wit. He is survived by his brother, Robert...

Jo Ann Thomas, age 67, of Winona, MN, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on Friday, February 19, 2021, surrounded by her family. All those who knew and loved Jo Ann admired her strength and perseverance throughout her 25-year battle and recurrences of cancer. Jo Ann was born on July 8, 1953, in Columbia, MO, to two physicians, Dr. Helen Yeager Thomas and Dr. Horace Thomas, and received her bachelor's degree from Grinnell College in Iowa. She began her professional career as a community organizer working for People Involved in Rice County, Minnesota COACT (Citizens Organizations Acting Together), and the Land Stewardship Project. A strong feminist, she then applied her...

Our father was born Wilbur Earl Johnson on November 22, 1938 in Eliza, Illinois. He was the youngest of 9 children born to Ruby Fay (Cook) and Albert Ray Johnson. Upon the death of his parents, he was adopted by our grandparents, Lorraine (Hutcherson) and Herman Borutta. He passed away peacefully on January 16, 2021 after a brief illness, at the age of 82. Dad married our mother, Diane Springfield, on February 24, 1962. He was an active member of the Nixa and Hallsville Jaycees. He served as a firefighter, founder and captain of Boone County Fire Protection, District Station 3. He was employed for most of his career by Silvey Companies Insurance in Columbia. He spent much of his...

Frederick Theobald passed away at 94 peacefully in the presence and love of his family on September 7, 2020. Robert Frederick Theobald was born December 9, 1925 to Robert Frederick Theobald and Helen Inglemar (Hoopes) Theobald in Bloomfield, Iowa. On December 21, 1947, he was married to Julia Frances Moyer, or "Shug", because she was the sweetest woman he ever knew. He served in both the Second World War and the Korean War. He lived in the Shelby County area from 1952 to 1984 before moving to Columbus Indiana. Fred Theobald was more than this. To every friend or stranger he met, he always issued a challenge: "Tell me a story whether true or not." His legacy remains with those stories,...

Rowland Winston "Red" Concannon of Allen, Texas, passed away July 31, 2020, at the age of 98. He was born March 10, 1922, in Maplewood (St. Louis), Missouri to Francis Michael Concannon and Agnes Alice Schweizer. Rowland proudly served as a Major in the United States Army Air Corps and US Air Force from 1946 to 1962. Rowland served as communications officer. After his years in the service, he worked as telecommunications analyst for Northern Telecom until retirement. After retirement he was engaged in consulting work for MCI Telecommunications. Red enjoyed western movies, Braum's ice cream and keeping up-to-date with the latest electronic devices. He will be remembered by all who knew him...

Julia Theobald passed away at 91 peacefully in the presence and love of her family on December 2nd, 2019. Julia Frances Theobald was born November 20, 1928 in Howard Co. Missouri to Jake and Hazel (Harold) Moyer. She was married to Robert Frederick Theobald on December 21, 1947. She lived in Shelbyville, St. Paul area from 1952 to 1984 before moving to Columbus, Indiana. She was a woman rich in love and family, and was a mother to all that knew her. A born entrepreneur, she managed the businesses that she and her husband Fred ran. Their successes were built on her savvy and they grew to be a presence in many people's lives with investment and philanthropy. She managed the St Paul Softee...

Dr. Barbara Losty of Jacksonville, FL, died on September 21, 2019. She was the daughter of Drs. Henry and Mary Paul of Norwich, NY, and is survived by a brother, Denny (wife Diane) Paul of Carmel, CA and a sister, Ellen Paul, of Waterville, ME. Barbara grew up in Norwich where she graduate from Norwich High School in 1960 with a Regents Diploma with Honors Scientific. She graduate from Wellesley College with a major in psychology. After working for a year at the Fels Research Institute, Yellow Springs, Ohio, she married Dr. Thomas Losty from Pleasant Mount, PA. Tom was a graduate student at the University of Connecticut, and Barbara taught third grade for a semester. Their daughter, Ellen,...