St. Clair County Obits

WALTER E. HEARTING

Hill & Son Funeral Home
Appleton City, Mo.

Walter E. Hearting, July 14, 1931 - June 18, 2008
Walter Edwin Hearting, son of Frederick August and Anna Emaline (Leetsch) Hearting, was born July 14, 1931 in Rockville, Missouri. He passed away June 18, 2008 at age 76 at Ellett Memorial Hospital in Appleton City, Missouri. Walt lived in the Rockville and Appleton City, Missouri area all of his life except for the year and a half spent serving his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. Mr. Hearting was awarded the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Campaign Stars, the United Nation Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal while serving in the military. After being honorably discharged Walter built and operated the Hearting Bus Service which ran public school bus rural routes and activity trips for Appleton City, Hudson and Rockville school districts during a 27 year period. He farmed, raising cattle and crops and also dug graves in the Appleton City Cemetery and surrounding area cemeteries for many years. Walter was active in helping the youth in 4-H, receiving the Friend of the 4-H Award. He was a member of the V.F.W. and Trinity United Methodist Church. Walter was very generous with his money and time, helping anyone who needed a hand. He would drive a hundred miles to help someone in need. Walt enjoyed life and he liked people. He was never at a loss to share kind words or tell a good story, and he never met a stranger. He had a deep love and respect for “the old days” and enjoyed raising and working with his mules. He also liked to catch catfish in the Appleton City Lake. Preceding Walter in death were his parents, two brothers, Wilfred Louis Hearting in 1944 and Elmer Robert Hearting in 1952, and a sister, Ethel Irene (Hearting) Rohlfing in 2003. Survivors include his four children, Darwin Hearting of Appleton City, Darrell Hearting of Appleton City, Delma Gerlt of St. Peters, Missouri and Delores Bracher of Appleton City; four sisters, Florene French and Irma Stephan both of Appleton City, Helen Livingston of St. Robert, Missouri and Mabel Siegismund of Rockville, Missouri; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Service: Hill & Son Funeral Home in Appleton City, Missouri at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2008.
Ministers: Jerry Johannigmeier and Reverend Bill Kenagy. Visitation: Hill & Son Funeral Home in Appleton City, Missouri on Friday, June 20, 2008 between 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Military Graveside Service: Missouri Honor Guard. Interment: Appleton City Cemetery, Appleton City, Missouri. Memorial: Rockville Methodist Church Building Fund