JOSEPH R. MCDONALD

JACKSON -- Joseph R. McDonald, 75, of Springfield, died Thursday, Aug. 15, 1991, after an extended illness.

He was born Sept. 7, 1915, on the family farm between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, son of James T. and Elizabeth Huntley McDonald.

He married the former Marguerite Johnson of Cape Girardeau.

He attended Jackson schools and College High School in Cape Girardeau. He received a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 1937. He later received a master's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

At Southeast, he played on the basketball team and was a member of the first championship team in 1936.

He taught and coached at Franklin School in Cape Girardeau. He served in the Navy in the European theater during World War II.

Following three seasons as basketball coach at Southeast, he attended Southern Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., graduating with a bachelor's degree in theology.

He served churches in Independence and Hannibal, completed his theology degree at St. Paul's Theological Seminary in Kansas City and filled the "Baptist Chair" at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield for several years.

He then accepted a position with the University of Missouri-Rolla in the counseling department, serving there until his retirement in 1979.

He was active in the First Baptist Church of Springfield, where he taught the Men's Bible Class.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, James E. McDonald of Thousand Oaks, Calif., John R. "Jack" McDonald of Webster Groves; two daughters, Barbara Calwhite of Joplin, Patricia Morrison of Springfield; a brother, James H. McDonald of Jackson; two sisters, Evelyn Donnell of Crystal City, Elizabeth Mitter of Sappington, and nine grandchildren.

His twin brother, Dr. Eugene McDonald of Jackson, died in 1990.

Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Greenlawn South Funeral Home in Springfield.

Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home of Jackson is in charge of arrangements.