Marietta Obergoenner

Marietta "Mo" Owens Obergoenner, 57, of Cape Girardeau passed away peacefully at home Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Family, love and gospel music surrounded her as she went home to Heaven, a tragic battle with cancer shortening a phenomenal life.

A Dexter, Missouri, native, Marietta graduated from Southeast Missouri State University before going on to a successful career in sales, first in radio and then in pharmaceuticals. This was her career, but her passion was ministry and spreading the Gospel to as many people as possible.

Together with her husband, David, they used their collective broadcasting knowledge to found KHIS Radio in the spare room at their Gordonville home. Run entirely by volunteers and donations, 107.9 KHIS grew and grew, now with a permanent studio in Cape Girardeau and an additional frequency, 89.9, spreading "His Message in Your Music" across Southeast Missouri and beyond.

Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she impacted with her kindness and grace, in the people she inspired with her grit and tenacity and in her family, who loved her more than anything.

Marietta is survived by her mother, Doris (Killian) Nelson of Dexter; husband, David Obergoenner of Cape Girardeau; daughters, Whitney Steward Payne (Tyler) and Jill Obergoenner Watkins (David) of Jackson; son, Jerimy Obergoenner (Lucia) of Jackson; sister, Darla Young (Eric) of Hamilton, Ontario; and brother, Jerry Overcast Jr. (Jennifer) of Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Marietta is also survived by grandsons, Tucker Payne of Jackson, Nate Prince (Anna) of St. Peters, Missouri, Ryan Watkins of Fort Riley, Kansas, Ethan McDowell (Dana) of Cape Girardeau and Evan Watkins (Cesia) of El Paso, Texas. In addition to the family listed above, she is survived by nieces, Jennifer McGarrah (Cecil) of Heavener, Oklahoma, and Savanna Overcast of Tullahoma; nephews, Justin Christman (Lynne) of Paris, Ontario, and Chandler Overcast of Shelbyville, Tennessee; and her wonderful great-nieces and -nephews, as well as great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her stepfather, William Nelson; biological father, Jerry Overcast; brother, Dwayne Allan Owens; sister, Velva Foyle; and her grandparents.

Please join us for services Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. The visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m., with the memorial service immediately following. Pack the house, wear purple in her honor and be ready to celebrate a life well lived.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Marietta's honor to KHIS Radio, Lynwood Baptist Church or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau assisted with arrangements.