A veteran, and graduate of University of Missouri James (Jim) Gerald Farris was born in Coulterville, Ill., on Oct. 1, 1927, to Floyd Eugene Farris and Hazel Pearl (Jackson) Farris. Jim was the first of five children born to this couple.
Jim passed from this life on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, in Cox Medical Center in Springfield after a short illness.
He is survived by his wife, Dolores Maxine (Gueltzau) Farris, of the home; two daughters, Marilyn Gail (Farris) Corum and her husband, Art, of Ava, and Laura Jean (Farris) Camp and her husband, Lawrence, of Ava; one granddaughter, Monica Denise Corum, of Ava; three brothers, William Farris and wife, Mary Ellen, of Santa Anna, Calif., Charles Farris and wife, Nora, of Blue Springs, and Donald Farris and wife, Anna Lou, of Columbia; one sister, Gail Arnold and husband, Bill, of Sedalia; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his father, Floyd Eugene Farris, and mother, Hazel Pearl (Jackson) Farris, and one niece, Daunita (Arnold) Cordes.
Jim graduated from O’Fallon Township High School in O’Fallon, Ill., in the spring of 1945, and joined the Marines in August of that same year. He graduated from the University of Missouri in the spring of 1952 with an AB degree with a major in political science, a minor in history and one year in law school.
Jim and Dolores Maxine Gueltzau were married on Aug. 2, 1957, in Steedman Mo. They bought a house in Independence and to this union two daughters were born, Marilyn Gail (Farris) Corum and Laura Jean (Farris) Camp.
Jim and Dolores were baptized into Christ following the teaching of the Bible in the summer of 1965 at the East Independence Church of Christ where Jim served as a deacon for several years. He and his family moved to Ava on Jan. 15, 1971 in order for Jim to manage a fire starter and charcoal manufacturing and packaging plant for Oak Lite Corp. in Seymour. He later accepted a job at Sentinel in Ava doing sales, advertising and general office work.
Jim and Dolores owned and operated a discount clothing and miscellaneous retail store from Jan. 1, 1982 to Feb. 14, 2004. The store was located on the square in Ava for the last 15 years of operation.
Jim was a member of the Ava Church of Christ during all his time in the Ozarks. He served as an elder for approximately 25 years of this time.
Memorial services for Jim will be held on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., at the Ava Church of Christ on South Highway 5 in Ava. In lieu of flowers, the family has re¬quested that memorial donations be made to Douglas County Neighbor Helping Neighbor, RR 6 Box 8579 Ava MO 65608.
Cremation service is being con¬ducted by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava. Online condolences may be made to www.clinking¬beardfuneralhome.com.
