Kenneth Merideth

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Kenneth Raymond Merideth, 79, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, at Delta South in Sikeston.

He was born Sept. 8, 1939, in Dunklin County, Missouri, to the late Owen Edward and Dorothy Christine Menz Merideth.

Kenneth was a man of faith and a member of First United Methodist Church in Essex, Missouri.

He served in the U.S. Army Reserves. He was a regional supervisor and ran MFA Bulk Fuels Plant in Sikeston for more than a decade and later owned his own business selling fuel tanks and culverts.

Kenneth was loving, intelligent, humorous, generous and kind. He was a skilled negotiator and trader of many things, but most notably of cars. He would often show up with a vintage car he purchased, which led the neighbors to joke about what he would bring home next. Once he brought home a large, red antique tractor and displayed it in a rock garden in his front yard on Broadway Boulevard. It's uncertain if the neighbors joked about that.

One of his greatest joys was spending time with his grandchildren. He found endless ways to entertain them with his assortment of collected items. He taught his children to never give up but most importantly to be kind to everyone. He led by example his entire life, helping many people along the way and always finding a way to make someone smile and have a laugh.

He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Ruth Hill Merideth.

Kenneth also leaves behind a daughter, Kathryn R. (David) Teachout of Sikeston; two sons, Roy D. (Elizabeth) Merideth of Cape Girardeau and Kenneth D. (Jaime) Merideth of Houston; a stepson, David (Heather) Lankford of Bloomfield, Missouri; a stepdaughter, Glenna Powell of Lake Tapawingo, Missouri; two brothers, Carl (Annabelle) Merideth and Dale (Donna) Merideth, both of Sikeston; four sisters, JoAnn (Ed) Hardin of Kewanee, Missouri, Jeris Goetz and Katy (Steve) Howell, both of Sikeston, and Karen Wade of Cape Girardeau; 10 grandchildren, Lauren (Ryan) Dukes, Noah Merideth, Gillian Merideth, Sloane Merideth, Neve Merideth, Reed Owen Merideth, Daren Telker, Joshua Oberhaus, Mitchell Oberhaus and Sean Finney; and a great-granddaughter, Evelyn Dukes.

In addition to his parents, Kenneth was preceded in death by three brothers, Ira (Sharon) Merideth, Gary Merideth and Donnie (Denise) Merideth.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with he Rev. Roy Lee Sherfield, pastor of First United Methodist Church at Essex, officiating. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sikeston.

Memorials may be made to Saint Francis Healthcare Foundation, 211 Saint Francis Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703 or to Crown Hospice Care, 2858 Professional Court, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703.

The family would like to especially thank Dr. Carlos Robles of Saint Francis Medical Center and Terry Cole, Bobbie Young and the dedicated staff of Delta South for their incredible devotion and care for their father.