Dearl Willhite

William Dearl Willhite, son of the late Johnny and Edna Mae (Coffman) Willhite, was born March 8, 1934, at Manes, Missouri, and passed away November 9, 2019, at his residence in Hartville, Missouri. He was 85 years, 8 months, and 1 day of age.

Dearl married Norma Faye Bennett on June 17, 1953. Four children were born to this union. Four days after they were married they moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where Dearl worked for Hercules Powder Company. He worked there until it closed in 1958. They moved back to Missouri in 1959 and bought the John Grimes farm, where they still lived at the time of Dearl’s passing.

Dearl went to work for M & G Motor Company as a parts salesman. He also drove a truck to St. Louis to pick up parts. After working there for several years, he started doing road and bridge construction work in Southeast Missouri, taking him away from home a week at a time. Norma and their oldest son, Steve, milked Holstein cows until they sold them and went to beef cattle.

While Dearl worked as foreman over the road and bridge construction in Ironton, Missouri, he was run over by a loaded earth mover. It ran over his head, mashed his hard hat and pushed him down in the muddy area. They were working the earth mover back over his legs. We never had a doubt that God’s power kept that earth mover from crushing him. After being in the hospital for a week and then spending time at home for a week, his boss called him and asked when he could come back to work. Dearl said he would be there Monday.

He worked several years in construction and decided he was tired of working away from his family. Dearl moved back home and his brother-in-law, Sonny Bennett, talked him into selling pre-arranged funerals. He went to work for Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home in Mountain Grove, Missouri, which he truly enjoyed. He made many wonderful friends. After selling pre-arranged funerals, he retired back to the farm, which he loved. He also got in lots of hunting and fishing. Dearl was a hardworking and an honest Christian man.

He had a few accidents on the farm. While roofing a shop, he fell through the roof and was unconscious until the ambulance got him to the hospital. One of his best friends, Rev. Darrell Oliphant, set and rested Dearl’s head on his lap until the ambulance got there. He also had a couple of four wheeler accidents, once running off into the pond with it.

Besides his parents, Dearl was preceded in death by a grandbaby, Britoni Cardwell, one sister, Diana Willhite, and two sons-in-law, Randy Childress and Edwin Kincheloe.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Norma, of the home, four children, Steve Willhite and wife, Dyann, of Hartville, Missouri, Sondra Kincheloe of Lebanon, Missouri, Kaylene Cardwell of Rogersville, Missouri, and Bobby Willhite and wife, Melissa, of Hartville, Missouri, four brothers, Monroe Willhite, Carl Willhite, Donald Willhite, and Leo Willhite and wife, Ilena, three sisters, Ethel Bennett, Gladys Pratt, and Alice Pratt and husband, Bill, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. He will also be missed by a host of many other relatives, friends, and his church brothers and sisters in Christ.