Bud Bone

James Harold "Bud" Bone, age 87, of Charleston, MO, died Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at the Bertrand Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Bud was born September 2, 1937, at Cairo, IL, to the late Everett Bone, Sr. and Patty Mae Glass Bone. Bud was the third of six children that lived in rural Mississippi County growing up.  As a young boy, Bud survived polio and quickly learned all the wonderful things about the great outdoors.  That is where his love for hunting and fishing began.

When he was not farming with his two brothers and dad, he could be found outside hunting and fishing.  During his high school days at Charleston, Bud played football and competed in track.  His senior year he was a state finalist in pole vaulting. After high school, Bud joined the Missouri National Guard and served our country.

In November of 1982, Bud was united in marriage to Elsie Fern Morgan.
Bud and Elsie have enjoyed many wonderful and exciting years together before their health and bodies took a different turn.

Bud was the epitome of an outdoorsman. He enjoyed turkey hunting and the thrill of calling up a gobbler, duck hunting with his labrador retrievers, Bear and Odie, pulling in a crappie, dove hunting, elk hunting and even squirrel hunting.  He loved his annual fishing trips to Florida with his sons and looked forward to that every year. What he loved the most was sharing those memories with his sons and grandson, Beau Everett.

Farming was in his blood, and he was doing just that until he was transitioned to the Bertrand Nursing Center last April.  Bud's many interests and hobbies throughout his lifetime cultivated his friendly personality and ability to always tell a great story and give a firm handshake.  He enjoyed farming, playing cards, growing a garden, picking up pecans in his backyard, training his labrador retrievers over the years, putting up sweet corn, going to Current River to take a float trip and climb the cliff, and making time to always call his kids on Sunday.

If you knew him at all, then you knew his gift of telling a hunting or fishing story and how his eyes would light up. His numerous and infamous stories were the best when they included his sons, family members, and his late brother-in-law, Henry Blaylock.  What funny and cherished stories!

He instilled in all of us at an early age the importance of hard work and the benefits that come from that. He always told us that "it doesn't matter how much money you make or how big your house is…it's how you treat people."

He was always so proud of his wife, his kids, grandkids and great grandkids. He cherished his numerous family and friends and enjoyed all the games and competitions they played over the years.  He will be greatly missed by his family and friends but not by the turkeys this spring!

Bud is survived by his loving wife, Elsie Fern Bone; his children, Mark (Sondra) Bone, Jannifer (Rodney) Johnson, Carl (Tracee) Bone and Ben (Robin) Bone; four step-children; his grandchildren, Beau Everett Bone, Brook (Chris) Wilson, Blair (Paul) Lindstrom, Brynn (Drew) Hallman, Hannah (Travis) Luster, Molly (Connor) Bryan, Ashton (Lane) Mason, Dalton (Karla) Bone, Payton Bone and Colton (Abbigail) Bone, Nicole (David) Wilson and Clinton (Ali) Morris; great grandchildren,  McKenzie, Hailey, Brody, Jase, Ava, Reagan, Roger, Taylen, Lucy, Stella, Keaton, Grayston, Riley and Jackson; his sisters, Mary Bone, Linda (Allan) Vogt and Grace Blaylock; also a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Everett Bone, Jr. and Wilbur Dean (Pete) Bone and the mother of his children, Nancy Ann Allen Bone.

Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. until the funeral hour at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, October 26, 2024, at the McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.  The Rev. Gerald Collier will officiate.

Interment will follow in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery near Charleston under the direction of the McMikle Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Beau Everett Bone, Leslie Collier, Tyler Collier, Andrew French, Chip Greene, Mike Leible, Albert Duenne and James Armstrong.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, plants and gift items, the family requests memorials be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38015.