Jim Whitehead

James Farmer "Jim" Whitehead, 73, died Saturday, May 4, 2019, at his home in Wyatt, MO. Born May 24, 1945, at Charleston, MO, to the late William Carl Whitehead and Lucy Pauline Farmer Whitehead, he was better known as Jim, or by some as "Muley" for being as stubborn as a mule and because it was the state animal for Missouri. Jim was a proud Missourian who loved a girl named Lela Jo. He loved her so much he went to California with her family for her senior year of high school. He worked in the cotton gin which was the reason the Brown family came out west. Jim worked several other jobs in Brawley, California. He worked for 7up and Pepsi-Cola, but mostly for Laura Scudders, which was a potato chip snack food company. He eventually took over the franchise in the Imperial Valley and worked very hard for many years until he returned home to Missouri. He was then employed with Gates Rubber Company in Charleston until his retirement.

On May 19, 1965, he married Lela Josephine Brown, who preceded him in death on September 30, 2007.

Surviving are his sons, James F. (Maria) Whitehead and Steven B. (Marisa) Whitehead, both of Brawley, CA; four brothers, William C. "Bill" Whitehead, Jr., of Emporia, VA, George Irvin Whitehead of Olean, MO, Benjamin A. Whitehead and Robert A. Whitehead both of Charleston; four grandchildren, Kayla, Cassandra, Kaitlyn and Logan.

In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by five brothers, Frank Russell Whitehead, Charles D. Whitehead, Arthur Jesse Whitehead, Richard W. Whitehead and John D. Whitehead and by three sisters, Carla Jo Knaup, Jenny Lee Wedeking and Nancy Susan Risko.

Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. until the funeral hour at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at the McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

Interment will follow in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery near Charleston.

Pallbearers will be: Steven Whitehead, James Whitehead, Jr., Bob Whitehead, Ben Whitehead, Brandon Sickling and Steve Oakley.