Gary Eugene Ketcherside

Gary Eugene Ketcherside, 61, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010 at John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis.

Mr. Ketcherside was born Aug. 10, 1949 in Poplar Bluff. He was a member of Memorial Baptist Church, and had retired as Captain from the Poplar Bluff Fire Department after serving 27 years. Mr. Ketcherside was a veteran of the United States Army and served in Vietnam. He was a lifetime member of the Amvets; was a member of the Disabled American Veterans; was a member of the Poplar Bluff American Legion where he was on the cook team; and was a member of the Poplar Bluff Eagles Lodge as well as the Wappapello Eagles Lodge. Mr. Ketcherside enjoyed spending time with his family especially his grandchildren and friends, cooking and riding four wheelers.

On April 21, 2002 he married Sherry Lynn Merritt in Fisk. She survives.

Other survivors include a son, Michael ""Mike"" Ketcherside and wife Tracy of Poplar Bluff; his mother, Shirley (Grayum) Ketcherside of Wappapello; 2 step-children, Stacie Bleem and husband Michael of Poplar Bluff and Jason Wrinkle of Dexter; 4 grandchildren, Alisha Hovis, Kody Michael Ketcherside, Cameron Bleem and Blake Bleem; a sister, Dianne Stanberry of Poplar Bluff; a brother, J. E. ""Speedy"" Ketcherside of Wappapello; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

His father, Eugene E. ""Gene"" Ketcherside preceded him in death on July 4, 2006.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Friday in the Chapel with the Rev. Wayne Foust officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at 3 p.m. Friday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.

Memorials may be made to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, One Kroc Drive., Oak Brook, IL 60523.

Family and friends may share an online condolence or memory at www.cotrellfuneralservice.com.