John O. Crites

John O. Crites, 81, of Qulin, Mo. died Monday Oct. 31, 2011 at his residence.

Mr. Crites was born Dec. 24, 1929 in Potosi, Mo. to Clarence D and Mabel Sparkman Crites. He was of the Baptist faith. Mr. Crites graduated from Salem High School, in Salem, Ill. and attended Southern Illinois Univ. and Southeast Mo State Univ. He served in the U. S. Army with an honorable discharge in 1953. After working at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Mo., he moved to Butler County in 1955 to farm the land originally owned by his grandfather John E. Sparkman. Mr. Crites served his community as a school board member for Broseley and Twin Rivers School Districts (1965-1977). He was a Democratic committeeman for Ash Hill Township, served on the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committee and as secretary of the Butler County Fire District in its founding years. Mr. Crites was an avid hunter and sportsman and loved watching his grandchildren participate in sports, band and JrROTC.

On Dec. 19, 1953, he married Patricia Jeter in Salem, Ill. They were married 57 years.

In addition to his wife Patricia, he is survived by children, Sue Crites Szostak, and husband Joseph Szostak, Jr. of Columbia Tenn.; John Crites II and wife Lydia Fiske Crites of Qulin, Mo., and Clarence E. Crites and wife Robin Brown Crites of Broseley, Mo.; grandchildren, Joseph Szostak III, Patricia Szostak and Heather Szostak; John Crites III (Trey) and Parker Crites, step grandson Joshua Frey and wife Sarah Gullett Frey and Thomas Crites; and special nephew Ray David Dugal and wife Mavis Barber Dugal; brothers, Carl Raymond Crites of Texas and Charles Dayton Crites of California; and sister-in-law Margaret Crites, California.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister Mary Elizabeth Maschal and a brother Joseph D. Crites.

Visitation will begin at 12:30 Friday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. in the Chapel with Bishop Kent Miller officiating. Burial with full military honors will be at Sparkman Cemetary in the Cane Creek Community of Butler County.

Memorials may be made to the Twin Rivers School District.