Loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, Eunice Elizabeth Maggart Sayre, departed her earthly life on January 4, 2015, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia surrounded by her family.
A funeral service will be Thursday, January 8, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Browning. Burial will be in Knifong Cemetery near Browning. Visitation will begin Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at Wright-Baker-Hill Funeral Home in Brookfield and the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 in the evening.
Memorials to Knifong Cemetery, Browning United Methodist Church, or Evangelical United Methodist Church may be left at or mailed to Wright-Baker-Hill Funeral Home, PO Box 496, Brookfield, MO 64628
She was one month shy of her 97th birthday, born February 3, 1918, to Frank and Gertie (Browning) Maggart at the family home place in Browning. On July 4, 1936, she married Porter Donald Sayre who preceded her in death December 10, 1979.
Eunice was fortunate to spend all of her life in Sullivan and Linn Counties. She lived on the farm in the home that Porter built for the family using lumber harvested from their farm. She was able to remain living there until 2005 when she moved to Brookfield. She had owned and operated Eunice’s Variety Store in Browning from 1962 until 1981.
Cherishing their precious memories are her children, Jean Miller and husband, Jerry and Bill Sayre and wife, C.J.; daughter-in-law, Carol Sayre; son-in-law, Johnny Anderson; grandchildren, Jana Longwith and husband, John, Joni Langle, Jeff Sayre and wife, Amy, Jody Miller and wife, April, Cary Sayre and wife, Tricia, Shawn Sayre and wife, Alyson, Chad Sayre and wife, Karen, Jena Cupp, Jonna Weydert and husband, Jason, Jada Belew, Dean Sayre and wife, Robyn, Jerrol Anderson, Joel Anderson and wife, Kelsey, and Brett Sayre; two step grandsons, Greg Walborn and wife, Angela and Gary Walborn and wife, Alicia; 28 great-grandchildren and eight great great-grandchildren; two sisters, Hazel Montgomery and Lois Swearengen; a sister-in-law, Maxine Maggart; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Gertie Maggart; her husband, Porter Sayre; one son, Donald Dean Sayre; one daughter, Jane Ann Anderson; a daughter-in-law, Conda (Ross) Sayre; one sister, Eula Reilly; brothers, Ray Maggart, Ronald Maggart, Herman Maggart, and an infant brother; a sister-in-law, Gladys Maggart; and brothers-in-law, Tom Reilly, Leon Montgomery, and Dwayne Swearengen.
Eunice loved life and lived it well; she was a wonderful cook and won several pie baking contests. Family members would ask for her recipes, but her directions of “a pinch of this or a dab of that” made it very hard to duplicate her delicacies. She loved taking hikes with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren on the farm, rocking babies, telling stories, playing Bingo, and Bridge. Eunice was famous for performing her special Charleston Dance upon request; she had danced for her family just 10 days ago.
Eunice will be greatly missed by all that knew her.