Junior Willis McSpadden

Junior Willis McSpadden, 97, of Midlothin, Texas, passed away June 29, 2022 at his son's home.

Junior was born Aug. 7, 1924, in Van Buren, Missouri, the son of Frank and Mattie Allison McSpadden.

Junior grew up on a small farm in the hills near Fremont, Missouri. Following his 11th grade year of high school, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard. During WWII, he served on the William M. Black ship in the European Campaign. Following WWII, he worked as a mountain lumberjack in Frazier, Colorado. He later worked in a sawmill near Fremont and then at Ford Garage in Van Buren. Junior spent 34 years working for the Missouri Department of Conservation as an assistant manager at Duck Creek Wildlife Area near Puxico before retiring in 1989. After retirement he moved to Greenbrier, Missouri. In 2018 he moved to Midlothin to live with his son and daughter-in-law, Galen and Debbie McSpadden.

Junior had been a member of Zalma and Oak Grove General Baptist Churches, where he had served as a deacon.

Junior and Gracie Imogene Chronister were united in marriage Nov. 23, 1946, and she preceded him in death on October 30, 2002.

Survivors include a son, Galen Willis (Debbie) McSpadden; daughter, Sandra Faye (Rudy) Pittman; grandchildren, Kelli (Terry) Tiffee, Josh (Jessica) McSpadden, Tamera (Bryan) Saunders and Kimberly (Dan) Overton; great-grandchildren; McKenli Tiffee, Talen Tiffee, Brennan Tiffee, Boston McSpadden, Cannon McSpadden, Erica Overton, Britni Zajicek, Kaitlyn Zajicek, Caleb (Cindy) Bohnsack, Kyle Overton and Braeden Zajicek; and great-great-grandsons, Aydon and Abel Bohnsack.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Chapel in Advance, Missouri.

Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Rudy Pittman, the Rev. Dan Overton, Galen McSpadden and Paul D'Amico officiating. Burial will follow at Berrong Cemetery near Gipsy, Missouri, with full military rites.