Obituaries
Death of Paul Skeans
Paul Skeans, 80, of Ozark, MO passed away on July 23, 2023. He was born on March 13, 1943, in Ashland, Kentucky.
Paul graduated from Northeastern Oklahoma State University in 1966 and signed with the Miami Dolphins. He was a teacher, coach, and administrator for over 40 years in Florida, Missouri, and Illinois. Paul was a teacher and coach at Mountain Grove, Jefferson City, and Central Missouri State University. He served as head football coach for several high schools including stops at Houston, Southwest High School (Miami, Florida) and two tenures as head football coach at Ozark High School.
Paul also served as an administrator at Ozark and was a superintendent for 21 years at the South Callaway School District in Mokane, Missouri, and Gillespie Community Unit School District No.7 in Gillespie. Paul had a gift for building relationships with people whether they were a colleague, coach, or friend. He believed in the people he worked with and the players he coached.
Paul enjoyed collecting classic cars, riding bikes on the Katy Trail, and in recent years started a small vineyard and bottled wine from the grapes he grew on his 40-acre farm.
He is survived by Suzanne Skeans; sons, Will and John; daughter-in-law, Amy; and grandchildren, Olivia and Eric.
No formal services are planned at this time. A gathering to celebrate Paul’s life will be held at a later date. Cremation is in the care of Holden Cremation and Funeral Service, Sparta.
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Lois Ilaine Erspamer Sawyer, 94 of Gillespie, died at her residence on Monday, November 25, 2024, at 9:51 am. She was born on February 9, 1930, in Gillespie to Louis Poi and Bertha Annetta Sunman Poi Lewis.
She married John Peter Erspamer on September 4, 1950. He preceded her in death on November 24, 1989. She married Dempsey Sawyer on May 15, 1993, and he preceded her in death in 2016. She had been a bookkeeper for Duracraft and Daley’s Chevrolet. Lois enjoyed reading, gardening, painting, drawing, cooking, traveling, bird watching, adventures, her family and her beloved cat, Molly.
She is survived by her children, Ann (Timm) LaRoche of Gillespie, Joan (Paul) Alexander of Gillespie, and Lynn Erspamer of Litchfield; grandchildren, Shannon (David) Wright of Gillespie, Suzanne (companion, Josh) DeMartini of Madisonville, KY, Jared (Amanda) Johnson of Staunton, Adam (Ashli) Alexander of Gillespie, Travis (Laura) Mize of Dallas, TX, Britini Bernardini of Nokomis, and Marissa (Jacob) Summers of Litchfield; great grandchildren, Macie, Isabel and Alexander Wright, Joseph and Gino DeMartini, Brianna Johnson, Ansley Alexander, Lucas and Jeffrey Bernardini, Fisher, Sabrina and Gabriella Crow; great great grandchild, Dominic Joseph “DJ” DeMartini; sisters, Patricia Thompson of Carmel, IN, Phyllis Dodd of Pooler, GA, and Marion Boston of Springfield; and brothers, Ernie Lewis of Carbondale and Fred Lewis of Ft Meyers, FL.
Lois was preceded in death by her parents, spouses, and brother, John Lewis.
Private services will be held. Kravanya Funeral Home, Gillespie is in charge of the arrangements.
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