DONALD BIGELOW

SHELDON- Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada for Donald Lee Bigelow, 73, Sheldon, who died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, from an unexpected illness. Pastor Wayne Coble will officiate. Burial will be in Sheldon Cemetery.

Visitation will be held prior to the service, beginning at 10 a.m., at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested in his memory to the Sheldon United Methodist Church, in care of Ferry Funeral Home.

The obituary may be viewed and condolences left online at www.ferryfuneralhome.com.

Survivors include his wife, Roberta; his children, Doug Conner and wife Cindy, Liberty, Dustin Conner and wife Lori, Bronaugh, Rebecca Jones and husband Chris, Lamar, Christy Love and husband Keith, Nevada, Mo., Ginger Beerbower and husband Nathan, Ft. Scott, Kan. and Angie Blixt and husband Dave, Harrisonville; cousin Lester “Bud” Bigelow and he was a father figure to Chet Maynard of Lamar; grandchildren, Cole and Blaine Conner, Samantha Farr, Robby Minor, Jordan Fasano, Hailey Bunton, Erica Whitesell, Courtney Conner, Alex Conner, Robbie McCartney, Jacob McCartney, Christopher Lear, Christian Jones, Cory Lear, Alissa Leverich, Dominique Leverich, Joshua Goodell, Gennifer McMurry, Brandon Beerbower, Brett Beerbower and Conner Blixt; 17 great-grandchildren and two soon to be born; nieces, nephews and close friends.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Richard Dale Bigelow and a sister, Phyliss Jean Keinzle.

Mr. Bigelow was born May 28, 1945, in Fremont, Ohio, to Earl Dale and Bertha Evelyn (Twiss) Bigelow. He lived in Fremont until he was eight years old and then moved with his family to California. In 1970 he came to Missouri, where he lived in Lamar for a number of years, later moving to Sheldon following his marriage to Roberta Ann (Banes) Conner on May 27, 1989, in Sheldon.

He owned Bigelow Electronics in Lamar for many years, worked at O’Sullivan Industries and then retired from Pittsburg State University in 2006. He could fix almost anything.

He was a member of the Sheldon United Methodist Church. He was also a current member of Lamar Masonic Lodge and a past member of the Carthage Shriner Train Crew. He enjoyed restoring old cars and traveling with his wife following his retirement. He loved all of his family. He often talked about hayrides and wiener roasts with his grandkids. He was known for his infectious sense of humor and always had a joke ready to tell. He prided himself on growing up with the Beach Boys in California.