Rev. Charles Chester Stigers

Rev. Charles Chester Stigers, 98, passed away on February 28th, 2016, at Kansas City Hospice House. Charles was born on Jan. 19th, 1918 to Charles C. and Myrtle Lee Deardorff Stigers in Gallatin, MO, the youngest of four children. He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Gallatin High School. He graduated from William Jewell College with a B. S. and a Master of Theology from Central Baptist Theological Seminary. He enlisted in the U. S. Army during WWII, and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. He met Anna Mae Rodenburg of Lansing, KS, at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, and they married on Jan. 28th, 1940. Charles served as a Southern Baptist minister for over 50 years, in several communities in northern MO. He and Ann raised four children, all of whom survive him. They moved in 1972 to Jefferson City, MO where they lived until her death in 1986. He then married Eulah Drinkard of Jefferson City, and they were together until her death in 2004. In July of 2012, he moved to Kansas City, MO to be closer to family and lived at Villa Ventura where he made many friends, entertaining them with stories and songs of his younger days. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings John, Jennie and Mary Leola, and his wives, Ann and Eulah, son-in-law Clifton Overbay, stepson Jerry Drinkard, and step son-in-law Joe Davis. He is survived by four children: Twilight (Marc) Freedman, Houston, TX; Charles (Margaret), Butte, MT; Jean Overbay, Independence, MO; and John (Karen), Kansas City, KS; stepchildren Doris Davis, Mankato, MN and Tommy (Karene) Drinkard, Jefferson City, MO; 11 grandchildren: Scott (Kelly) Overbay; Travis (Amy) Overbay; Jennifer (Ray) Holsomback; Gary (Tessa) Anderson; Brian (Justine) Anderson; Wendy Freedman; Monica (Warren) Snideman; Christopher (Valeta) Stigers; Kimberly (Robert) Lavoie; Joshua (Heidi) Stigers; and Emily Stigers; and 16 great-grandchildren.