Melba R. Boessen

Melba (Davis) Boessen, age 84, of Loose Creek, passed away Sunday, June 12, 2011, at her home with family by her side.

She was born August 22, 1926, in Jefferson City to Robert Fitzsimmons and Magdalen (Kuehn) Davis. She was a 1943 graduate of Taos High School and attended the University of Missouri.

On April 7, 1947, she was united in marriage to John Peter Boessen in Taos, who preceded her in death in 1988.

Melba was a born teacher and first taught grades 1-8 at the Moreau Bend School, a one-room school house located on Bald Hill Road in Jefferson City, and she worked as a substitute teacher at area schools for decades. She worked on the family farm and other businesses as she raised her large family as a farmer's wife. Melba loved art, music, literature and dancing and was passionate about genealogy. She wrote a book for the Boessen family regarding the genealogy of the family. She loved to paint and also worked as a florist in central Missouri. She was an active member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Loose Creek, where she was a lector, Rosary leader, member of the St. Ann Sodality, and a member of the Choir for over 40 years.

Melba was a founding member of the Loose Creek 4-H Club. She was a member of the Osage County Historical Society, the Westphalia Historical Society, the Missouri Historical Society, the Missouri Folklore Society and the National Rifle Association. She was a member of the Charity Stille Langstaff Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and her patriot ancestor was Peter Todd.

Melba is survived by eight children: Linda Kress of Lee's Summit; Carolyn Casteel of Hartsburg, Kathleen Danielsen of Belleville, IL., Michael Boessen of Columbia, Kenneth Boessen of Loose Creek, John (J.P.) Boessen of Loose Creek, Melody Link of Tuscumbia, and Christian Boessen of Columbia; a brother, Robert Fitzpatrick Davis of Elfrida, AZ.; twenty grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, Melba was preceded in death by: one son, Patrick Boessen in 1976; and one sister, Jacqueline (Davis) Prenger in 1977.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at Immaculate Conception Church in Loose Creek with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2011, at Immaculate Conception Church in Loose Creek with Fr. Don Antweiler as the Celebrant. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Parish Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to Immaculate Conception School in Loose Creek or the Vitae Society of Jefferson City.