A 1947 Ava High School graduate John Francis Atteberry was born in Ava on Aug. 2, 1929, the son of Oral A. and Katherine Buck Atteberry. He died in St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, on June 21, 2007, after a lengthy illness.
He attended Ava schools, graduating from Ava High School with the class of 1947, and began work at Kraft Foods in Ava. He joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as a TAC staff sergeant with the 8th Communication Group at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
He married Modeane Sartin on July 11, 1950 and to this union two daughters were born. The family moved to Springfield where John worked as a purchasing agent for Kraft Foods for 44 years. After retiring in 1993, John and Modeane moved to Hollister and enjoyed living at the lake, where John indulged his passion for fishing.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Edward Atteberry; a daughter, Cathy Foster; and his stepmother, ZelIa Kester Atteberry Renegar.
He is survived by his wife, Modeane, of the home; a daughter, Cindy Monaghan and granddaughters Sarah and Jessica Monaghan, of Tulsa, Okla.; a sister, Anne Atteberry Rutledge and niece Kellie Ouzts and her family of Winder, Ga.; and cousins Gary Kester and Marilyn Alms, of Ava.
Services were held Tuesday, June 26, at Greenlawn Funeral Home in Branson with burial at the Missouri Veteran’s Cemetery in Springfield.
