Obituaries

Funeral services for Geraldine Bebee of Winfield, will be at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 2025 at Carter-Ricks Funeral Home near Winfield. Rev. Kris Hagemeier, pastor of the Elsberry First Christian Church in Elsberry, will officiate with burial in Whispering Winds Cemetery near Winfield.

A Mass of Christian burial for William Louis "Bill" Kroeger of Elsberry, was held Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elsberry. Fr. Charles Tichacek, church pastor, officiated. Burial followed in New Hope Cemetery near Elsberry. Serving as pallbearers were Jordan Powell, Scott Kroeger, Nick Price, Andrew Beckemeier, Nick Gremaud and Doug Dodson. Honorary pallbearers were Ron Kroeger and Patrick Kroeger.

John M. Burger, 75, passed away Thursday, Dec. 9, 2024 at Maple Grove Lodge in Louisiana, with his loving family at his side. John was born Feb. 16, 1949 to Geraldine Colbert and Floyd Burger in Louisiana. He was raised in Elsberry, where he attended local schools. After graduating from high school, John entered the U.S. Coast Guard, honorably serving his country two years in Hawaii and two years in Peoria, Ill. While in Peoria, John met and later married Carla. This union was blessed with a son, Shawn and a daughter, Heather. John worked for the Corp of Engineers out of Rockport, Ill., for 24 years, until he retired. He was also a proud member of the Elsberry Masonic Lodge for over 20 years.

Kathleen "Kathie" Ann Knebel, 80, of Troy, passed away Sunday Dec. 8, 2024 at her residence in Troy. She was born Sept. 6, 1944 in St. Louis and was the daughter of Robert Joseph and Rosemary H. (Kistner) Brand. Kathie married Lawrence Knebel Jan. 31, 1975 in Clayton.

Betty Wilcockson, 85, of Troy, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 at Mercy Hospital in Troy. She was born Sept. 5, 1939 in Jonesboro, Ark. to Elvis and Mary (Barber) Beck. Betty grew up with her six siblings on a farm and knew what sharing and thinking of others meant. For a short time, the family relocated to Illinois and the entire family worked in an apple orchard. They later moved back to Walnut Ridge, Ark. on a farm.

Funeral services for James Donald Gant of Troy, were noon Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 at Carter-Ricks Funeral Home near Winfield. Rev. Mike Ryan, pastor of Horseshoe Bend Baptist Church in Lake Ozark, officiated with burial in Whispering Winds Cemetery near Winfield.