Obituaries

Gerald "Gerry" L. Ruether, 71, of Vandalia, Missouri, passed away Friday, June 20, 2026, at his home following a brief illness.

Born August 13, 1954, in Mexico, Missouri, he was the son of the late Leo and Mildred (Koenig) Ruether. Gerry farmed alongside his father and later operated Ruether Farms on County Road 403 for nearly 40 years. He served two terms on the Audrain County Farm Bureau board.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Carol (Brewer) Ruether; sons Travis (Amanda) Ruether of Vandalia and Scott Ruether of Mexico; a daughter, Jennifer (Brad) Cole of Fulton; seven grandchildren; and a brother, Dennis Ruether of Laddonia.

Funeral mass will be celebrated Monday, June 23, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Brendan Catholic Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Curtis Funeral Home, Vandalia.

Memorial donations may be made to Vandalia FFA or St. Brendan Catholic Church.

Dorothy Mae Hendricks, 84, of Mexico, Missouri, passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, June 17, 2026, at Audrain Medical Center surrounded by her family.

She was born September 4, 1941, in Laddonia, Missouri, the daughter of the late Harold and Edna (Schulte) Foreman. Dorothy worked for 31 years as a bookkeeper at Findley Implement before retiring in 2003. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir for over 40 years.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Robert Hendricks; two daughters, Pamela (Gary) Schroeder of Centralia and Linda (Tom) Appleton of Columbia; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Kenneth Foreman.

Funeral services will be held Friday, June 20, at 10:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church, Mexico. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Arnold Funeral Home, Mexico.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Audrain County Humane Society.

Margaret Ann Collier, 79, of Centralia, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 15, 2026, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia.

She was born March 12, 1947, in Mexico, the daughter of the late William and Ruth (Davis) Tellman. Margaret taught third grade in the Centralia R-VI school district for 34 years and touched the lives of generations of students.

She is survived by her husband, Frank Collier; a son, David (Marie) Collier of Mexico; a daughter, Susan Pruitt of Columbia; and four grandchildren.

Services will be held Wednesday, June 18, at 2:00 p.m. at Centralia United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Centralia Public Library.