Verba Jean Simpson Cruise, daughter of John Leonard Simpson & Lucretia Inez Burress Simpson, born in Mountain Grove, Mo on August 7, 1950. She was married to Terry Lynn Cruise August 23, 1969 while he was serving in the US Navy. They spent the next four years in California. After his discharge they returned to Marshfield, Mo. where she was a stay at home mom to her three children as well as a babysitter to many others.
She showed her many talents with her arts and crafts and often displayed and sold them in craft shows around the area. She worked at Hidden Treasure for a time, as well as six years at Webco Industries where she made lots of friends with her coworkers. She attended the Marshfield Church of Christ where she taught the nursery class for many many years. She enjoyed decorating her classroom bulletin boards for the kids and teaching VBS each year. She also enjoyed going to many ballgames and school activities for her nine grandchildren. Their marriage together took them to many places including: Poway, CA, Harrison, AR., Goodland, KS, and Cushing, OK, always returning to Marshfield. In all the places they lived they put God and Family first. On June 26, 2015 surrounded by her family she lost her body to cancer but won eternal victory. She was preceded in death by her parents, her in-laws Gilbert and Mary Cruise, a brother in law David and his wife Carol, sister in law Sue and her husband Frank, and a brother in law Clyde Jackson.
She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Terry L Cruise, a son Terry L Cruise Jr. of Sanford, Fl, and two daughters, Veldena Lea Kanengieter and her husband Kendall of Marshfield, Mo, Tonya Jo’el Whittington and her husband Terry of Marshfield, Mo. Nine grandchildren Hayden Cruise, Brittany Schafer, Daulton Schafer, Justin Kanengieter, Derek Whittington, Brooklyn Schafer, Jason Whittington, Trenton Kanengieter, and Daylon Kanengieter. Three sisters Karen Robertson of Imperial, Mo, Lavon and Richard Callaway of Springfield, Vera and Howard Brown of Springfield, and a brother Wayne and Debbie Simpson of Springfield, Mo, and many other family, church family and coworkers.
Funeral services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2015 in the Marshfield Church of Christ, under the direction of Fraker Funeral Home, Marshfield.
Visitation will be from 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the church. The family suggests memorial contributions can be made to Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks or the Fair Haven Children’s Home in care of Fraker Funeral Home, P.O. Box 85, Marshfield, MO 65706.