Rev. Stephen Francis

The Rev. Stephen Gil "Steve" Francis, 67, of Jackson died Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

He was born April 17, 1947, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Emery Louis and Dorothy Estelle Jones Francis Sr. He and Sandra Kaye Brown were married Dec. 31, 1968, in Conway, Arkansas.

Steve was a member and deacon of Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. He was ordained to the gospel ministry June 8, 1969, at Beacon Baptist Church in Blytheville, Arkansas.

During his ministry he pastored Baptist churches in Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi. He came to Jackson as a bi-vocational state missionary, pastoring at Dayspring Missionary Baptist Church. He was employed at Schnucks Food and Drug from 1994 until the present time. Steve loved to sing at nursing homes and play his autoharp. He was a former chaplain at the Missouri Veterans Home. He was an avid fisherman.

Survivors include his wife, Sandra Francis of Jackson; two sons, Matthew (Melony) Francis of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, and Mark Francis of Jackson; a brother, Emery (Linda) Francis Jr. of Sherwood, Arkansas; two sisters, Susan Francis of Blytheville and Lisa Colclasure of Rogers, Arkansas; seven grandchildren, Gunnar Cooper, Cassandra Francis, Graci Francis, Taylor Davidson, Shelby Francis, Skylar Francis and Samara Francis; and a great-grandchild, Gavin Cooper.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, and from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hillcreek Cemetery near Plumerville, Arkansas.

Memorial contributions may be given to Hillcreek Cemetery or to the Kenneth R. Brown Scholarship Fund, c/o Central Baptist College, 1501 College Ave., Conway, AR 72034.

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