Statler Family Obituaries
Proffer, Lee Thatcher
Lee Thatcher Proffer, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, April, 2, 2006, at the Lutheran Home.
He was born Oct. 5, 1914, at Zadock, Mo., son of the late Archie Lee and Mayme Melvina Lewis Proffer. He was united in marriage to Marjorie Minerva Quick Oct. 29, 1943.
Mr. Proffer spent most of his life in the Bloomfield, Mo., area working as a farmer and an independent road contractor. He was a member of First Baptist Church at Bloomfield, and served as a deacon.
He served with the U.S. Army in Italy during World War II.
He is survived by Marjorie, his wife of 62 years; a son, James Lee Proffer of Cape Girardeau; a daughter, Mary Charlotte Johnson of Festus, Mo.; a grandson, Jason Michael Johnson of Festus; and many relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Maxine Proffer Rampley.
Visitation will be at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home from 4 to 8 p.m. today.
The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Bloomfield, with the Rev. Charles Hanna officiating. Interment will be in North Antioch Cemetery near Bloomfield.
Obituary printed in the Tuesday, April 4, 2006 edition of the Southeast Missourian newspaper.
Eulegy submitted by Lee's son James and was written by Lee's daugher Mary Charolette Johnson (nee Proffer):
Lee Thatcher Proffer of Cape Girardeau, son of the late Archie Lee Proffer and Mayme Melvina Lewis Proffer, was born on October 5, 1914 at Zadock, Missouri and died Sunday, April 2, 2006 at The Lutheran Home at the age of 91. Mr. Proffer spent most of his life in the Bloomfield area working as a farmer and an independent road contractor. He served with the United States Army in Italy during World War II. Mr. Proffer was a member of the First Baptist Church in Bloomfield, where he served as deacon.
On October 29, 1943 he was united in marriage to Marjorie Minerva Quick Proffer. He is survived by Marjorie, his wife of 62 years; one son, James Lee Proffer of Cape Girardeau, Mo; one daughter, Mary Charlotte Johnson of Festus, Mo; one grandson, Jason Michael Johnson, of Festus, Mo; and many relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by one sister, Maxine Proffer Rampley.
Lee Proffer's life was full. He was son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend, Christian. He worked as a farmer, recorder of farm land, soldier, and road contractor. He was a church deacon and lifetime member of the AMVETS.
Life began for Lee Proffer at Zadock in a house located on a generational family farm. He attended Oak Ridge school which was located on the north side of the farm from grades 1-8. He graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1932. The same year he became a brother. His sister, Maxine was born on December 27, 1932.
After graduation he worked recording farm land and farming with his father. He did this until 1942 when he was drafted into the army following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at Camp Shelby, Mississippi for basic training. He trained for desert maneuvers in California. He was shipped out from Fort Dix. About the same time as entering the army he began to court Marjorie Quick. They were married on October 29, 1943. Witnessing the marriage were Seldon Quick and the soon to be Mrs. Seldon Quick, Louisa Harris. Shortly after their marriage Lee was sent to North Africa and then to Italy. He achieved the rank of 1st Sergeant. At the end of the War he received an honorable discharge and returned home in 1945. He and Marjorie set up housekeeping in a small house at Gravel Hill on a farm Lee had purchased some years earlier. Lee raised cattle, corn, and chickens. In 1946 Lee and Marjorie started their family with the birth of James. He was followed two years later by Mary.
In the early 50s Lee switched from farming to working with the rocks that were plentiful on the farm. He started doing custom gravel work. He expanded his business into bidding on contracts to build roads. He continued working as an independent road contractor for many years.In the early fifties Lee and Marjorie started planning their new house to be built on property near Aquilla. Lee built the home and the family moved into the home in July of 1957.The last member of his family to arrive was his grandson, Jason. Jason was born in April of 1986. He was a constant source of pride and delight to Lee.
If you asked Lee what he liked to do, he would tell you that he enjoyed watching sports, especially baseball. He might tell you how he played baseball as a young man. Folks that knew him said he was fast, and if times had been different, he could have played professionally. He would have never told you this. He would tell you that he liked to work with wood. He would not tell you that he built the house that he and Marjorie lived in for over forty years. He would tell you he liked to travel. He would not tell you about the years that he spent traveling during the War and the responsibilities he fulfilled. He would not tell you if circumstances had been different he would have gone to college and become an engineer. However, he would tell you how much he enjoyed being with his family and treasured the time spent with them. There would be no doubt in your mind how important his wife was to him and how much he loved her. If you asked Lee what was important, he would answer "my family".
©2006 by David Statler of StatlerWeb
Last Updated: November 08, 2010