St. Clair County Obits

JACKSON D. KIEFER

Clinton Daily Democrat
January 1994
Jackson Dewey Kiefer was born May 29, 1917, the first born of LeRoy Ray Kiefer and Beryl Stone Kiefer, and died January 12, 1994 at the age of 76 years, at his home on the farm where he was born southwest of Osceola, in the bend of the Sac River.
Jack attended school at the Osceola School and graduated from OHS in 1934. He attended Park College
at Parkville and SMS at Springfield. He enlisted in the Army in 1940 and served his country for five years, becoming a bombardier in the Air Corps and serving in Italy, where his plane was shot down and he became a prisoner of war in Germany for 13 months.
On June 26, 1945, he married Leda K. Manwill, the day after he returned from Europe. Three children were
born to this union.
He farmed the family farm for many years, raised and trained bird dogs, sold life insurance, made furniture, built his home. He pastored Hogle's Creek Baptist Church for two years, Gerster Baptist Church for 12 years, and founded and pastored Osceola Community Church for 15 years until his health forced him to retire. He was preceded in death by his father LeRoy Ray Kiefer and one granddaughter Jessi Leone Kiefer.
He is survived by his 95-year-old mother, Beryl Kiefer, Osceola; his wife Leda Kiefer of the home; two sons, Richard Kiefer and wife Toni, of Osceola, and Jackson R. Kiefer and wife Gayle, Lake Providence, La., and one daughter Karen Kennon of Marshall; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; one brother, Ray D. (Dick) Kiefer, Osceola; two sisters, Betty Nelle Bybee of Wymore, Neb., and Jo Carol Smith of Osceola. Services were held at Osceola Community Church Saturday, January 15, with burial at the Kiefer Cemetery on the farm.