Denver Sherman

Denver D. Sherman, 79, of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., formerly of Vergennes, Ill., died Thursday, June 14, 2012, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau, comforted by his wife, Donna, and three children, Tanya, Jim and Dawn.

He was born July 29, 1932, in his family's rural Vergennes home, to August and Edith Stout Sherman.

Denver, an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, retired from Consol Coal after 31 years of employment.

He graduated from Vergennes High School in 1950. He was a member of Faith United Methodist Church in Vergennes.

Denver served four years in the U.S. Navy.

Survivors include his wife, Donna Hicks Sherman; three children, Tanya (Bruce) McConkey of Uniontown, Pa., Jim (Tricia) Sherman of Houston, Dawn (Mike) Kirby of Cape Girardeau; eight grandchildren, Shannon, Cameron, Kiera, Mia, Cole, Emily, Timothy, Julianne; a sister, Eva Mae (Earl) Neace of Carlyle, Ill.; many friends and family members; and his canine friend, Rudy, who sat with him on his back deck.

Denver was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Nina McDonald; stillborn brother, Lloyd; two nieces, Ruth Bullard and Patti Neace; two brothers-in-law, Charles McDonald and George Combs; a sister-in-law, Betty Hicks; and a great-niece Erin McDonald.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Wilson Funeral Home in Ava, Ill.

A graveside service to honor his life will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Birkner Cemetery on Sato Road in Ava, with the Rev. Angie Baughman officiating. Everyone is asked to meet at the cemetery.

The preferred form of remembrances are memorials to Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary in Jackson or Birkner Cemetery.

Posthumously, Denver would like to give his heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Southeast and Landmark hospitals for their loving care and superb professional services in the many days before his death, and for the compassion offered to his family.