Letha Fern’s Obituary Letha Fern Oelrichs, 87, of Mora, died Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Good Samaritan Care Center, Cole Camp. She was born on October 1, 1931, in Stokley, Missouri, near LaMonte, a daughter of Earl Bert and Pearl Viola (Staats) Clevenger. She attended Stokley grade school and was baptized in 1936 at Blackwater Chapel near LaMonte.
She finished 8th grade at Elder Ridge near Sweet Springs and graduated from Sweet Springs High School in 1949. In 1950, Fern graduated from Central Business College in Sedalia. She was a secretary for Shryack-Wright Wholesale Grocer in Sedalia.
On November 9, 1952, at Blackwater Chapel in LaMonte, she was united in marriage to Roland Lester Oelrichs. This union was blessed with the gift of three children, Randy, Tom, and Susan. In the spring of 1953, she moved to Boston, where her husband was stationed while in the Navy, and worked for New England Mutual Insurance.
She moved back late in 1953 and worked again for Shryack-Wright until her son, Randy, was born in 1954. She then worked on the farm, milking cows, feeding chickens, delivering eggs to customers, and making lunches for the farmhands and other workers. She also worked in the garden and canned.
She was a member of the Young Homemakers Club, Grin-n-Squares Square Dance Club, and a 4H project leader for Bunker Hill and Lake Creek Lamplighters. She was a faithful member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, where she taught Sunday school and was a record keeper, circle member and member of the WELCA. For several years, she baked and decorated cakes for many weddings and other events.
She loved to quilt, watch Cardinals baseball, going to square dances with her husband, Roland, playing cards, and entertaining family and friends. She is survived by two sons, Randy Oelrichs and his wife, Linda, and Tom Oelrichs and his wife, Kathy, all of Mora; her daughter, Susan Rusk and her husband, Todd, of Mora; a sister, Nadine Hurd of Sweet Springs; three sisters-in-law, Florine Hobein of Cole Camp, ElVera Zimmerschied and her husband, Don, of Mora, and Irene Oelrichs of Sedalia; eight grandchildren, Russell Oelrichs, Kyle Oelrichs and his wife Katie, Clark Oelrichs and his wife Christine, Emily Kullman and her husband Eric, Erin Oelrichs, Allen Oelrichs and his wife Christina, Tyler Rusk, and Brendan Rusk and fiancé Darian; and nine great-grandchildren, Ava, Dane, Connor Evan, Allison, Grant, Hudson, Ainsley, Cooper, and Jaxon. She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Pearl Clevenger, her husband, Roland Oelrichs on January 12, 2019, a brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Emogene Clevenger, and a brother-in-law, Bill Hurd.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, with Pastor Stephen Zeller officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Cemetery, Cole Camp. The family will receive friends from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the church.
The family suggests memorial contributions be given to Activities at the Good Samaritan Care Center in care of the Fox Funeral Home, PO Box 37, Cole Camp, MO 65325. Pallbearers will be Russ Oelrichs, Kyle Oelrichs, Clark Oelrichs, Eric Kullman, Allen Oelrichs, Tyler Rusk, and Brendan Rusk.
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