Pauline Agnes Adkison was born in Marquand, Missouri in Madison County on December 26, 1921. She was the youngest child in a family of 12 children; she had 3 older brothers, 6 older sisters, and one set of twin siblings that lived less than one day. Her parents were Wilson Augusta Davis and Nellie Lee Lisenbee Davis.
Pauline grew up on a farm in Farmington Missouri during the depression era. Her best friend in childhood was her sister, Edith, because they were so close in age. Pauline decided that since everyone else seemed have a nickname, she wanted one too, so she made one up and requested everyone in the family to call her “PR.” She graduated from Patton High School in 1940 and stayed at home for 2 years to take care of her ailing mother. After her mother’s death, Pauline decided to move to the “big city” of St. Louis. She became extremely close to an older sister, Dolly Mae Davis, and lived with her for a few years until she was able to support herself by becoming a “Chiclets Girl” and doing commercial modeling for several different stores in St. Louis. She always recalled with fondness those days of living in an apartment in Gaslight Square in downtown St. Louis.
Pauline’s friends, Dusty and Alice Rhodes, decided that Pauline needed to meet their friend, C. Stanley Adkison. They went on their first date with Dusty and Alice, and quickly fell in love. Pauline became Mrs. Adkison on February 1, 1946 and embarked on her ministry of being a wife and mother to 5 children: Steve, Marsha, Michalle, John, and Brian. She enjoyed keeping house, cooking for her family, and gardening. She also spent many happy hours caring for her dogs: Tina, Brutus, and Sasha. Her family was rounded out by her children’s menagerie including mice, hamsters, gerbils, ducks, chicks, rabbits, fish, and cats. Pauline was very involved in the Republican Party and supported her husband in his campaign for County Councilman. She was also very involved in her church, Mary Ann Baptist Church in St. Anne, Missouri, and served on the church expansion committee.
In her 40’s, Pauline decided to try a new profession and earned her A.A. degree in Respiratory Therapy and worked briefly at Missouri State Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. To help support her family, she also worked at Curtiss-Wright Airplane, which became McDonnell-Douglas and later Boeing. She lost her beloved husband, Stanley, and her son John, within 2 months of each other in 1985. She retired in 1987 and was able to find new pleasure in her garden, her dogs, and her surviving children, and was so blessed to have her youngest daughter Michalle move back in with her to provide comfort and companionship. Sadly, she lost her eldest son, Steve, to a sudden illness in 1998.
Her fondest memories were traveling to California for her daughter, Marsha’s wedding, traveling to Florida for her daughter, Michalle’s graduation from Navy Basic Training, and watching her son, Brian, graduate from Medical School in 1990 and later marrying his wife, Karen.
Pauline entered into the presence of her Lord and Savior on September 15, 2011 in Springfield, Missouri. Her son, Brian and daughter-in-law, Karen were at her side. She is survived by her daughters Marsha O’Berry, Michalle Adkison, and son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Karen Adkison; one sister, Edith McCormack; and many nieces and nephews. She is loved and will be missed.
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