Fred Scherer Jr.

BELL CITY, Mo.— Fred Lincoln Scherer Jr. was born July 20, 1949, and died on March 15, 2025, surrounded by his loving family and friends at Mercy Hospital Southeast in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Fred was the son of Fred Lincoln Scherer Sr. and Alice Lee Scherer Gardner. He was preceded in death by both his mother and father, stepfather Dempsey Gardner, mother and father-in-law, Louie and Sylvia Perry; brother-in-law, Mike Perry and wife Rozella.

He married the love of his life, Christy Perry, in 1976, who survives the home. Also surviving are sons, Lincoln (Allie) Scherer and Gabe (Janice) Scherer; and four grandchildren Linc, Sterling, Louie and Ellie Scherer; sisters, Susan (Don) Friese, Teresa (Mike) Wells; brother, Scott (Laura) Scherer; nephews, Wesley, Winston, Adam, Peter, Sam, Will, Greg, Bert, Russell; and niece Miya; extended family, Buddy (Connie) Gardner, Carolyn (Victor) Gardner Mireles and family.

Fred was a proud 1967 graduate of Sikeston High School. He graduated from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, in 1971. In 1975 he graduated from the Kansas City School of Law with a Juris Doctor Degree.

In 1986 Fred was selected to be one of the first members of the Agriculture Leadership of Tomorrow Program. He was a 28-year member of the Bell City Rotary Club. He was on the Board of Education at the Bell City School District for 27 years. He was also a member of the Advance Knights of Columbus. Aside from farming, he was also the administrator of the Advance Nursing Center from 2003-2023. Fred briefly practiced law in the 1970s, but his true passion was farming. He was a true steward of the land. To Fred, every day on the farm was a great day, even in the wettest of springs, hot dry summers or a mudtem out fall. His decision to come back to the farm never wavered and he would proudly tell you that! His nights were spent somewhere watching Lincoln and Gabe play basketball or baseball. These were by far some of Fred's happiest years. He later proudly carried on this tradition with his grandchildren. As an adoring "Papaw" to Linc, Sterling, Louie and Ellie, he loved to spoil them with donuts on Saturday mornings, Trident gum and Dum-Dum suckers. We looked to him for advice and wise counsel. It might not have always been what we wanted to hear but we knew it came from his heart. He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word and we will miss him every single day.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance, Missouri.

A funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. at St. Jospeh Catholic Church in Advance.

Burial will follow in the St. Denis Catholic Cemetery at Benton, Missouri.