As of Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Cities without a state are in Missouri
April 22, 1943 – July 13, 2026
Janice Sue Coady, lovingly known as “Nana” by family and friends, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2026, at the age of 83.
Born on April 22, 1943, in Granby, Janice was the youngest of seven children born to William and Mary Bettes. She grew up surrounded by a large, loving family and was preceded in death by her siblings, Bill, Fred, Marjorie, Allen, Opal, and Ron; great-grandson Hayden Adams, and daughter-in-law Darlene Pinion.
Janice shared 46 wonderful years of marriage with her beloved husband, John Coady. Together they built a home centered on love, faith, and family.
She was a devoted mother to Crystel Adams (Doug), Brett Pinion (Regina), David Pinion (Amy Goddard), Carla Allen (Dusty), Jeff Pinion (Tona), Christie Martin (Tom), and John Coady. Her greatest joy was her family, and she was a proud grandmother to 21 grandchildren and a cherished great-grandmother to 26 great-grandchildren. To each of them, she was simply “Nana,” a name that reflected the love, comfort, and wisdom she shared so generously.
Janice had a servant’s heart and found great fulfillment in caring for others. She especially enjoyed taking care of children, offering them kindness, patience, and unconditional love. Whether caring for family or lending a helping hand to someone in need, she lived a life defined by compassion and generosity.
Her Christian faith was the foundation of her life. She trusted God through every season and sought to reflect His love through her actions, always putting others before herself. Her quiet strength, unwavering faith, and gentle spirit left a lasting impact on everyone who knew her.
Janice will be remembered for her warm smile, caring heart, steadfast faith, and the unconditional love she gave so freely. Her legacy lives on in the family she treasured, the lives she touched, and the countless memories that will forever be held close by those who loved her.
She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
There will be a graveside service for Janice at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026, at Park Cemetery in Carthage. A visitation will be held the prior evening from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at Ulmer Funeral Home in Carthage.
Nov. 21, 1946 – July 9, 2026
Sherryl “Mema” Kay Johnson, born on Nov. 21, 1946, in Webb City, passed away peacefully at her home on July 9, 2026. Sherryl was a vibrant soul, radiating warmth and kindness to all who had the privilege of knowing her. Adopting the name “Mema” from everyone she cared for. She would always make time to attend everything she could for her family, whether that be sporting events or family activities; she was always there. Sherryl and Karl were known to be avid dancers, often teaching others their passion. She enjoyed spending time at the casino with friends and family.
Sherryl was able to master the art of cosmetology and set an example of the beauty that stems from hard work and determination. She took immense pride in her work at Vantage Point for 25 years, working with adults with disabilities and left an indelible mark on the many lives she touched.
Sherryl was preceded in death by her father and mother, John and Dorothy Byrd; sister, Barbara Buck; father of her children, Bruce Bigley; and husband, Karl Johnson. She is survived by her daughters; Courtney Pickett and Kellie (Jim) Adkins; stepdaughter, Sara (Ray) Gilbert; grandchildren, Greg Adkins, Annie Brown, Kai (Steffon) Roderique, Devin (Katy) Pickett, Alex (Brooke) Pickett, Landon (Hannah) Pickett, and Jensyn Pickett; great-grandchildren, Daisy JoRay Fillpot, Penelope Clawson, Damarion Roland, Braylee Pickett and Beckett Pickett; brother, Johnny (Margo) Byrd; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Sherryl weathered life’s storms with grace and emerged stronger with each passing challenge. Her memory will forever remain a source of inspiration and comfort to all who knew her.
Arrangements are under the direction of Simpson Funeral Home.
June 19, 1980 – June 23, 2026
Gary Alfred Murray entered heaven on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from a heart attack while on a family vacation to his favorite beach in Florida.
Gary was born on June 19, 1980, in Houston, Mo., to Ronnie and Jeannie Murray. He was born with so much hair he was the talk of the hospital. Gary grew up on a farm in Plato, Mo., where he could run off all his little boy energy. As he grew up, he was often reminded that he has more energy than most people so to always use that energy for good. He loved playing with and being entertained by all the animals he could have on the farm; from bunnies to cattle to cats to Harriet, the flying squirrel and his dog, Punky.
After graduating from Plato High School, Gary attended College of the Ozarks and graduated in 2003 with degrees in accounting and business. Gary was hired to be an assistant manager for Walgreens immediately after graduation. It was during college that Gary met the love of his life, Kim. Gary and Kim were married in 2004 in Branson. They bought a house in Nixa a few months later and lived there for the next six years. They found out they were pregnant right before their one-year anniversary and welcomed their son, Austin, and two years later they welcomed their daughter, Allison. Gary was deeply enamored by his kids. He loved spending time with them when they were little. He was always the favorite with everyone’s kids. Kim would call him the “Baby Magnet.”
In 2010, Gary was promoted and transferred to Webb City. The Murrays bought a house and made it a home where they raised their kids. As Austin and Allison grew older, Gary loved teaching them different skills and working on projects with them. He was always a hands-on dad. It didn’t matter if he was tired or not interested, he always made time to hang out with his kids. Gary and Kim were also foster parents for a few years. He was good at being a father figure to anyone who walked into his life. Not only did Gary’s kids and wife call him Big Daddy Gary, but many of their kids’ friends did also. Gary was a true friend and loved this season with his wife and kids.
Gary and Kim made the decision to home school their kids starting in 2017. In 2019, Gary started a new job with TJ Maxx. This was an exciting, new challenge for him and between home schooling and his retail hours he made the most of every moment with his family. He loved summer, swimming, the beach, basketball, pickleball, learning how to make things or fix things, and playing games with his family, especially Aggravation, where he would win almost every day. He loved working out and playing pickleball with Austin and searching for frogs, lizards and snakes with Allison.
Gary loved Jesus with his whole heart. He would often talk about how loving people the way Jesus would love them was his ministry. Gary showed the love of Christ to those around him by being kind, loving and patient. He was a man of integrity and wasn’t afraid to work hard. He was the best listener and had a lot of wisdom on how to manage difficult situations. Gary served his family well by making every second have meaning and by completely taking care of them. He was an amazing husband, an incredible dad and was adored by all who knew him. He knew how to bring fun into all situations.
Gary is proceeded in death by generations of faithful loved ones now embracing him in heaven, where they are eating at the snack bar in between games of basketball. Gary will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by his wife, Kim Murray; and children, Austin and Allison Murray; parents Ronnie and Jeannie Murray; mother-in-law, Kathy Kimball; nephews, Levi and Seth Romero; best friends and cousin Wes and Patricia Rumfelt; as well as many extended family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting monetary donations.
A celebration of life will take place at 11 a.m. Monday, July 20, 2026, at James River Church. Family will receive friends from 9 a.m. to service time.
Arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.
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Obituaries on this page are primarily found by looking for those with a connection to our immediate area on local funeral home and crematory websites. So we don’t miss one, please notify us by email at news@webbcity.net.
