Fern Naxera

Imogene Naxera, a lifelong resident of Louisiana, Missouri, passed away Thursday, December 17, 2009 at Pike County Memorial Hospital in Louisiana after a long and courageous battle with Lung Cancer. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, December 21st at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Louisiana. Father Lou Dorn will officiate. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, December 20th at the Collier Funeral Home in Louisiana. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Louisiana. She was born August 2, 1930 in a modest farmhouse in rural Louisiana to Joseph Price Griffith and Leona Pearl Reese Griffith. Imogene was a 1948 graduate of Louisiana High School where she participated in many activities including band, drum majorette, basketball and choir. She enjoyed lifelong friendships with her classmates and was fondly a member of the “Big Five”, referring to five particularly close high school friends. After high school, she graduated from the Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe, Missouri, at the time considered to be one of the largest business colleges in the nation. Always a good student, she completed her studies in half the time of traditional students. After college, she worked for Riss Trucking Company in Kansas City, M0 as a secretary. In later years she worked for attorney Rockne Calhoun in Louisiana. She married Fred Naxera, III, also of Louisiana and recently home from his duties with the U.S. Navy. She made him the “happiest man alive” when she became his wife on May 13, 1950. They made their life together in rural Louisiana. Imogene was a faithful farmer’s wife and loving mother. In her childhood, she was a member of the First Christian Church of Louisiana. Later she converted to Catholicism and has been a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church community ever since. Imogene is survived by her husband, Fred Naxera, III of the home. Her mother, Leona Pearl Griffith of Louisiana, Three daughters, Carolyn Patrice (Pat) Vallar (Mike) of Louisiana, Sally Naxera Benson (Gary) of Naperville, IL, and Nancy Zezula Naxera of Louisville, KY, her son, Fred Naxera, IV of Louisiana and her grandchildren, Carrie Vallar Teeter (Miriah), Kelly Jean Vallar, Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Benson, Curtis Michael Benson, Matthew Scott Benson, Mackey Reese Middleton, Jacob Price Middleton and Molly Renee Naxera, her sister in-law, Anna Naxera Elder, nieces and nephews, Tim Vern Elder, Rita Jo Elder Branstetter, Robert Fred Elder, Thomas Backer and Ed Backer, Lisa Griffith, Kent and Joseph Griffith, her aunts, Fern Hendricks and Waunita Henderson and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her father, brother-in-law, Myron Griffith, sister-in-law, Mary Naxera Backer and niece, Mary Ann Elder Fox. Imogene liked people and enjoyed their company whether bowling, playing cards, going out for dinner or traveling. She was a voracious reader, a great story-teller, could deliver a great joke and had an incredible memory with a treasure of stories she shared with all. Her talents were many; singing, dancing, story-telling, cooking , parenting and loving. Memorials may be given to St. Joseph Catholic Church, The Louisiana Public Library or to the donor’s choice.

Fern Naxera

August 2, 1930 - December 17, 2009