Gertrude Silvers Shannon

Gertrude Silvers Shannon, 92, of Shirkey Leisure Acres in Richmond, Missouri, passed away on Saturday, November 29, 2014. She was born at St. Marys Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 14, 1922, the daughter of former Kansas City and Butler, Missouri, attorney Elmer B. and Esther Crowe Van Nuys Silvers of Butler, Missouri, and the granddaughter of Thomas Wesley and Eva Thompson Silvers of Butler, Missouri, and Superintendent of the Kansas State Hospital for the Insane, Dr. John Ditmars and Mary Crowe Van Nuys of Osawatomie, Kansas. Gertrude spent her early childhood in the Westwood area of Kansas City, Missouri, and her adolescent years in Butler, Missouri, where she graduated from Butler High School. She met her future husband, James Vinton Shannon, Jr. of Indianapolis, Indiana, while students at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, a Presbyterian co-ed college founded in 1827 by her maternal great, great grandfather John Finley Crowe. Her husband, World War II Navy Reserve veteran, was at one time the publisher of the daily Advertiser-News in Lexington, Missouri, and weekly newspapers in Dove Creek, Colorado and Monticello, Utah. They were married on October 28, 1943, at the Presbyterian Church in Butler, Missouri, and celebrated 62 years of marriage prior to his passing in 2006. Gertrude spent most of her adult life in Lexington, Missouri, and at various times was active in civic affairs. She was Director of the Girls Club of the Presbyterian Church in Lexington, under the ministry of Dr. Stafford; president of the Lexington Federated Womans Club; president of the Lafayette Regional Health Center Auxiliary; a member of the Lafayette Lexington chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution; a member of Chapter HX of P.E.O. International; and a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Prior to her marriage, Gertrude was employed as a caseworker for the Missouri State Welfare office of Bates County in Butler, Missouri. Gertrude was preceded in death by her father and mother of Butler; a sister, Jean Silvers Bevan of Kansas City, Missouri; and her husband of Lexington. She is survived by two sons, David Shannon, (Debbie), of rural Polo, Missouri; Bo Shannon (Cindy), of Lees Summit, Missouri; a cousin, Mrs. Arthur Kuhn of Encinitas, California; and a sister-in-law, Mrs. Charles Irwin of Fredericksburg, Virginia; as well as three granddaughters, Lisa French (Mike) of Smithville, Missouri; Amanda Agderian (Nick) of New York, New York; and Rita Shannon (Danny) of Smithville, Missouri; and four great grandchildren. Graveside services will be held Saturday, December 27, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. in Machpelah Cemetery in Lexington, where she will be buried next to her husband. The Reverend Bill Purcell, Chaplin of Shirkey Leisure Acres, will officiate. Memorials in Gertrudes memory may be made to: Shirkey Hospice, 804 Wollard Blvd., Richmond, MO 64085