Kenneth Lavern Holderfield

Kenneth Lavern Holderfield, 97, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015 at his residence.

Mr. Holderfield, son of the late Fred and Amanda Purdy Holderfield, was born Aug. 20, 1918 in Herrin, Ill. He was of the Baptist faith and had retired after many years as a Neon Glass Bender. Mr. Holderfield proudly served his county in the U.S. Navy as a radio man 2 Class. He spent sixty-six months of his service time overseas and was last stationed on the Destroyer Escort, U.S. S. Lough-586. Mr. Holderfield was awarded five campaign bars along with four battle stars for his service in the Pacific theater, namely South America, North America, and Caribbean Sea and was at Tacloban, Leyte in the Philippines at the time of the Japanese surrender. He enjoyed raising Black Angus cattle, dancing, hunting and fishing.

On June 1, 1955, he was married to Mattie Ruth Woodard in Las Vegas, Nevada. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include his daughter, Kendra (Jan) Satterfield Beardsley of St. Charles, Mo.; two grandchildren: Chris (Roger) Keller of St. Charles, Mo. and Laura (Randy) Miller of Victoria, Minn.; five great-grandchildren: Morgan, Brock and Cole Keller and Drew and Katie Miller; and a sister, Virginia (Eldon) Wiswell of Herrin, Ill.

A sister, Colleen Staudacher and a brother, Leonard Holderfield also preceded him in death.

A private family service will be held with burial following at Black Creek Cemetery.