LaVerne Upchurch

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- LaVerne Alene Upchurch, 94, of Glenallen passed away Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at her home.

Born on Oct. 15, 1921, she was the third daughter of Otto and May Lambert Woods. She married Winferd Upchurch on Nov. 9, 1944, in Corning, Arkansas. He passed away March 6, 2012.

After graduating from Lutesville (Missouri) High School, LaVerne worked for the Bollinger County Extension office as a secretary. During World War II, she worked in St. Louis at the U.S. Cartridge Co. ordnance plant. Following the war, she and Winferd purchased a farm west of Glenallen, where they raised their family and worked together through difficulty and joy.

LaVerne felt great satisfaction in growing a bountiful garden to provide for her family, raising chickens for eggs to sell and use, and for several years, preparing, selling and delivering locally creamy Jersey milk.

A gracious hostess, LaVerne fed hay hands, neighbors and family. She always seemed to have a full cookie jar.

At age 13, LaVerne was baptized and became a lifelong member of Glenallen United Methodist Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher and church treasurer. She loved music, flowers, reading and especially children. She will be lovingly remembered for putting others first, for her kindness, cheerfulness, sense of humor and enduring strength.

She is survived by two of the three children from her union with Winferd, Sharon Jean (Dwight) Robbins of Fredericktown, Missouri, and Steven (Marcia Thiele) Upchurch of Glenallen; seven grandchildren, Michael Dwight (Tonya) Robbins, Lara Merielle (Robert) Owens, Jonathan Lynn Robbins, Robert Oscar (Tiffany) Upchurch, Karen Rose (T.J.) Null, Matt Winferd (Lacy) Upchurch and Jenna Dawn (Lucas) Simmons; and 16 great-grandchildren, Mya and Anna Robbins, Matt and Drew Owens, Daniel, Ethan, Ariel, Jared and Cole Upchurch, Levi, Dinah and Lydia Null, Heidi and Zeke Upchurch and Abbigail and Garret Simmons. Also surviving her is one sister, Ruth Chenoweth of Cape Girardeau, and two sisters-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Woods and Jacquelyn (Keith) Huffman, both of Ironton, Missouri.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Winferd Lynn Upchurch; two brothers, Lester and Hugh Woods; and two sisters, Helen Spence and Bernadine Peters.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Missouri.

The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Glenallen United Methodist Church. The Rev. Kim Mitchell and grandson, Bob Upchurch, will officiate. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery near Marble Hill.

Donations may be made in her memory to Glenallen United Methodist Church.