Pops Hester Sr.

ESSEX -- Lee Arthur "Pops" Hester Sr., 78, died July 29, 2012, at his home.

Born Aug. 24, 1933, in Armorel, Ark., to the late Willie B. Hester and Grace Hester Barber, he had lived his entire life in Southeast Missouri, residing in Essex for over 45 years. He served in the U.S. Army for two years and worked for the A.F. Evans family for over 35 years.

On Nov. 13, 1967, in Baker, he married Edna Lee Buchanan who survives of the home.

Other survivors include: 11 sons and seven daughters-in-law, Lee Arthur Hester Jr. of Lilbourn, Earl Farr and Stanley and Linda Farr of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Ronney and Yvette Hester Sr. of Helendale, Calif., Dewayne Hester of Jacksonville, Ark., Ronnie Lee and Sophia Buchanan of Sikeston, Terry D. and Sandra Hester of Huntsville, Ala., Eric Lee and Rose Maria Hester of Tampa, Jeffrey and Trina McKeller of Clarksville, Tenn., and Arthur Lee and Dorothy Session and Alfred Charon Session of Jefferson City; six daughters and five sons-in-law, Brenda K. and Charles Kellum of New Madrid, Delois and Ronnie McComb of Poplar Bluff, Vanessa Renee and Rosalito Gutierrez of Tipton, Okla., Angela and Aaron Bush of Poplar Bluff, Candice Kay and Dale Kilgore of Poplar Bluff and Schfonia Porche Session of Jefferson City; and 52 grandchildren and 46 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by three sisters, Beatrice Davis, Volla Bonner and Christine Combs, and two infant children.

Visitation is scheduled from 1 p.m. until time of services at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter with Ronnie Webb of Poplar Bluff officiating.

Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.watkinsfuneralhome.com.