Ronald Ponder

Ronald Ponder, 61, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

He was born Sept. 25, 1954, in Perryville, Missouri, to Raymond A. and Dorothy Berkbigler Ponder.

The Ponder family moved to Cape Girardeau in the 1950s. Ronald was a graduate of Parkview School in Cape Girardeau. He worked many years at VIP in Cape Girardeau and Fruitland, retiring July 2014, due to health concerns.

He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau. He enjoyed camping, boating, fishing, hunting and was an avid bowler. He especially enjoyed league bowling at the Jackson Lanes.

He will be greatly missed by his siblings, nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Loving survivors include his girlfriend, Patsy Chitwood of Cape Girardeau; six siblings, Larry (Janice) Ponder of Wappapello, Missouri, Ellen (the late Bob) Bowman of Cape Girardeau, Allan Ponder of Cape Girardeau, Randy (Nancy) Ponder of Gordonville, Sharon (Chris) Benton of Jackson and Sheila (Keith) Grable of Oak Ridge; 14 nieces and nephews, Tammy Peters, Robert Bowman, Daniel Bowman, Kelly Eastman, Amanda Broach, Ryan Benton, Brooke Grable, Alyssa Grable, Shelly Hartlein, Michael Ponder, Jason Ponder, Cassie Jordan, Kim Wilder and Jimmy Stowers; 24 great-nieces and great-nephews, Lillian, Noah, Ashley, Nick, Meredith, Brittany, Dakota, Tyler, Timmy, Dylan, Destiney, Corey, Andrew, Laela, Alaina, Bethany, Luke, Carson, Caleb, Christopher, Kinleigh, James, Crystal and Amber.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a great-niece, Hayleigh Sue Ponder.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The Rev. David Hulshof will lead parish prayers at 7:30 p.m.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau, with Hulshof officiating. Burial will be at St. Michael Cemetery, near St. Joseph Catholic Church, at Apple Creek, Missouri.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to VIP, P.O. Box 831, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0831, or St. Vincent Church.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.