Francis Denning

CHARLESTON - Francis Warren Denning, 82, died at 6:35 p.m. May 22, 2003, at the Charleston Manor.

Born March 31, 1921, in East Prairie, son of the late James Orb and Hattie Lee McClanahan Denning, he lived in Mississippi County most of his life. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was a retired carpenter and of the Protestant belief.

On April 16, 1938, he married Ethel May Stokes who preceded him in death on Feb. 26, 1988.

Survivors include: six sons, Frank James Denning, Charles Edward Denning and Billy Gene Denning of Chicago, Ill., Bobby Glen Denning and Robert Lynn Denning of Sikeston and Michael Denning of Elizabethtown, Tenn.; three daughters, Mary Keltner and Eva Dawson of Terre Haute, Ind., and Frances Schlosser of Arcadia; two brothers, J.W. Denning of Cape Girardeau and Alvie Denning of Carol Stream, Ill.; three sisters, Lena Fagan of McLeansboro, Ill., Edna Zook of St. Louis and Sylvia Houston of Pacific; and 22 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

One brother and three sisters also preceded him in death.

Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at McMikle Funeral Home, where services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The Rev. Lee Fansler, pastor of the Blodgett Baptist Church, will officiate.

The Missouri Military Honor Guard will conduct graveside military rites at the IOOF Cemetery near Charleston.

Pallbearers will be: Bobby Dale Denning, Tim Hodgkiss, Michael Stokes, Ken Long, Cecil Owen and Russ Weekley.