Ruben Templeton

EDGAR SPRINGS -- Ruben Templeton, 71, died Feb. 2, 2008, at his home.

Born Dec. 9, 1936, in Walnut Ridge, Ark., to the late Aubrey C. and Valda Kidd Templeton, he served in the U.S. Army from May 1958 until December 1961. He then served for 10 years on the Sikeston Police Force before being employed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for 30 years as a park ranger and 15 years as a park superintendent. He retired from Big Oak Tree State Park in January 1999.

On March 10, 1975, he married Ginny Fritz who survives of the home.

Other survivors include: two daughters and a son-in-law, Karma and Gomer Gowens of Licking and Teresa Kennedy and her fiance, Joe Firestine, of Salem; two stepdaughters and sons-in-law, Cindy and Ronnie Orr of Brookfield and Becky and Adam Townsend of Sullivan; two brothers, Leroy Templeton of Rodeo, Calif., and James Templeton of Sikeston; three sisters, Ernestine Maxwell of DeSoto, Texas, and Willadean Harper and Ruth Ann Crest of Sikeston; and 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Johnny Templeton, and one sister, Freda Becker.

Visitation is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. today at the Ponder Funeral Home. Services with full military honors will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. The Rev. Ron Spell, pastor of Wesley Methodist Church, will officiate.

Pallbearers will be his nephews: Ronnie Templeton, Gary Maxwell, Bobby Harper, Jimmy Harper, Billy Harper and Ricky Harper.