Earnest L. Gardner's Obituary
Earnest Lavern Gardner, son of William Thomas and Thetta Ann Stanley Gardner, was born February 5, 1941, near Grovespring, Missouri. He departed this life Sunday, April 27, 2008, in the Harry S. Truman Veterans Hospital, in Columbia, Missouri, at the age of sixty-seven years, two months, and twenty-two days. On November 11, 1961, he was united in marriage to Nola Marie Ballew, and to this union two daughters and one son were born. His parents, and a brother, Charles Gardner, preceded him in death. Earnest is survived by his loving wife of forty-seven years, Nola, of the home; a son, Michael Gardner, and his wife, Missi, of Lebanon, Missouri; two daughters, Teressa Hargrove, and her husband, Terry, of Peoria, Illinois, and Diana Shaver, and her husband, Stanley, of Grovespring, Missouri; five grandchildren, Ryan, Nickolas, Matthew, Tyler, and Adam; two brothers, Bill Gardner, and his wife, Dorothy, of Memphis, Tennessee, and Don Gardner, and his wife, Faye, of Grovespring, Missouri; several nieces and nephews; as well as a host of other relatives and friends. He was born and raised in the Grovespring and Hartville areas and graduated from Hartville High School. As a young man, he entered the United States Navy and served on the flight crew for VP16 airplanes. During his tour of duty, he was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida and also in Iceland and Cuba. He and Nola then made their home in Olathe, Kansas where Earnest served on the police department at Leawood, Kansas for several years. They lived in Hot Springs, Arkansas for a time while Earnest worked in real estate, and then moved to Springfield, Missouri. Eventually they made their home in Lebanon where all of their children graduated from high school and Earnest started a guttering business. Earnest was a member of the South Highway Five Church of Christ in Lebanon. He belonged to the Lebanon Rural Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as fire chief for several years. He enjoyed fishing, taking his family camping, and traveling, particularly to their favorite location in the Smokey Mountains. He also liked riding his motorcycle and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Earnest was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, and was a caring neighbor and friend. We celebrate his life and patriotic spirit and we will treasure the memories he made for his family and friends. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in the Holman-Howe Funeral Home, Lebanon. Burial will be in the Boyer Cemetery, near Hartville, Missouri. Visitation will be held Tuesday evening from 7 - 8:30 p.m. under the direction of Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Lebanon, Missouri. Memorials to St. John's Hospice of Washington, Missouri may be made through the funeral home. Return to top
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