Katherine Gean Persinger Cagle, 88, of Columbia passed away Sunday, May 8, 2016, with a celebration of her life held in Columbia on May 11.
Gean is remembered by MHSA as the 2004 recipient of the Jeff Shikles, MHSA Lifetime Achievement Award, along with her husband, Virgil.
Gean was born Oct 31, 1927, in Columbia, a daughter to Granville and Ollie (Dennis) Persinger. She married Virgil Lee Cagle in 1946 and they remained married for over 69 years until his passing in 2015.
Gean and Virgil owned their own plumbing company, Cagle Plumbing, and Gean was the bookkeeper of that company the entire time they owned it. She accomplished this from home to remain a stay-at-home mom.
Gean and Virgil were avid University of Missouri sports fans, and pony lovers. Gean was known in the show ring for her stylish driving outfits and hats. Her special show ponies were Twinkles Challenger, Creme’s Little Diamond and Reedan’s Eagle, all of which she showed to many championships.
Gean was very outgoing and could start up a conversation with anyone she met. She was an excellent seamstress and made most of her daughters’ clothes in their younger years-including smocking baby girl dresses and selling them to Columbia’s premier dress store, Suzanne’s. She was a great cook and hostess, hosting many family gatherings, open-house functions and tailgate parties.
She is survived by two daughters, Suzanne (Dr. Barry) Spoon, and Ivy (Don) Canole; two grandchildren, Matt (Heather) Spoon and Katherine (David) Burley; and four great-grandchildren, Lauren, Bailey and Nathan Spoon, and Divya Burley.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister, Thelma Clinkinbeard and her brother, J.D. Persinger
From the Columbia Daily Tribune, Tuesday, May 10, 2016
