A memorial service for Cleta Crewse Tevebaugh, 83, will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011, at the First Christian Church in Gainesville with the Rev. Bobby Jo Wade officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the church.


Mrs. Tevebaugh died on her birthday, Oct. 28, 2011. She was born in 1928 to Josiah Rufus Crewse and Iva Gino Gaddis Crewse in Dawson. She attended Mountain Grove High School, where she won several competitions while performing with the high school choir.

After graduating, she moved to California, where she worked as a telephone operator. When she was 20, she moved back to Mountain Grove to care for her mother, who had become ill. While she was there she met Bob Usrey, and the two were married in 1950. They had three daughters, twins Pamela Jo and Vicky Lynn, and Melissa Crewse.

In 1952 the family moved to Gainesville, where they operated Clinkingbeard Funeral Home. In 1963 the two divorced.

In 1969, she married Gerald Tevebaugh, and they lived in Wichita, Kan., where Mrs. Tevebaugh was a homemaker. They later moved to West Plains, and after her husband's death in 1991, Mrs. Tevebaugh moved back to Gainesville to be near her daughters. She became active in the First Christian Church and was secretary for the Ozark County Chamber of Commerce for several years until she retired due to declining health.

Survivors include her daughters, Pam McGinnis, Vicky Evans and husband Ronnie, and Missy Foster and husband Carl, all of Gainesville; stepdaughter Kelly McGinnis and husband Randy of West Plains; six grandchildren, Shelly Johnson and husband Brian, and Sandi Taylor and husband Jim, all of West Plains, Darin Evans and wife Teresa, Sunny McGinnis, Jennifer Evans and companion Michael Hambelton, and Kasey Kastning and husband Jarod, all of Gainesville; 14 great-grandchildren; special niece Jodi Gooch and husband Rob of Popular Bluff, and several other nieces and nephews; and special friends Lyndell Strong and Virginia Klineline of Gainesville, Mary Miller of California and Sandre Krehbiel of Wichita.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald; her parents; three brothers and two sisters; and one grandson, Robert Holt Hannaford.

Honorary pallbearers include Reese Taylor, Colten Johnson, Sage McGinnis, Tyelor Estes, Trace Bryant, Ryelon Estes, Jalen Evans, Camden Evans, Haden Evans, Ronnie Evans, Martie Hambelton and Delbert Rackley.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church, P.O. Box 125, Gainesville, MO 65655.
Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, directors.