Lifelong resident of the Ava community Neil Otis McFarlin, son of Henry C. McFarlin and Mertie (Davis) McFarlin, was born on March 17, 1915 in Ava, and departed this life on March 18, 2007 in Doctor’s Hospital, Springfield, at the age of 92.
Neil was a lifelong resident of the Ava community. He was a farmer and worked for Kraft for over 25 years as a milk truck driver. He also was an Air Force Medic veteran and served in World War II in Europe. Neil was a mem¬ber of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ava Post #5993. He attended church all of his life and in the past few years attended Star Chapel.
Neil was preceded in death by his parents; four sisters, Juanita Green, Mae McFarlin, Nancy De¬Bruyne and Cecil Caldwell; one brother, Robert McFarlin; and one granddaughter, Debbie (Pratt) Hicks.
He is survived by two daughters and their spouses, Pat and Earl D. Pratt, Springfield, and Deidre and Darion Fredrick, Ava; four step¬children and spouses, Randall and Julia Claspill, Long Lane, Rhonda and Jim Fisher, Pleasant Hope, Wade Lumley, Marshfield, and Kyle and Becky Lumley, Ava; five grandchildren and their spouses, Tina and Steve Peck, Willard, Rick Neal and Linda Pratt, Sparta, Myra “Nokie” and Terry Kleier, Spring¬field, Brandon and Brittany Parker, Ava; four great-grandchildren, John Earl Cook, Josh and Jason Peck and Kelsey and Taylor Kleier; five great-great-grandchildren, Cooper, Foster and Lawson Peck, and Kaitlyn and Makalya Cook; 13 step-grandchildren; eight step-great-grandchildren; one brother and wife, Wesley and Judy McFar¬lin, two sisters, Velma Chappell and Betty and Harley Newberry, all of Ava; many nephews and nieces, George, Annalee and Amanda Pratt, and a host of other relatives and friends.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) in the Clinkingbeard Chapel, Ava, with the Rev. Randy Dalton officiating. Interment will follow in the Whites Creek Ceme¬tery with full military honors by Ava VFW Post 5993 and American Legion Post 112. Visitation was held Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in the funeral home. The family requests memorials to Whites Creek Cemetery or Star Chapel Church in care of the funeral home.
Services are being conducted by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava. Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbeardfuneralhome. com.
