Donald Ray Minnis, 78, of Palmer, died at 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014 at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Perfetti Funeral Home in Morrisonville with Pastor Chad Foster officiating. Burial will follow at Harvel Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Friday from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mr. Minnis was born on July 15, 1935, in Morrisonville, a son of the late Lester Earl and Sylvia (Conlon) Minnis. He was a 1954 graduate of Morrisonville High School where he ran track and played basketball and baseball.
He still holds the record for the longest hit in a high school game when the Mohawks played Litchfield and his ball flew over the fence and landed in a rail car of coal bound for St. Louis. He was also an excellent swimmer and diver.
A veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Germany, Mr. Minnis worked as a machinist at Fiat-Allis in Springfield, retiring in 1986.
He was an avid reader, especially of Western books. He loved raising chickens and fantail pigeons, especially bantams and fan tails. He also raised and trained several German short-haired pointer dogs.
He was also a gun dealer, operating a shop from his home. He loved hunting, fishing and attending auctions and was a regular on Swap Shop and the Trading Post. He regularly donated pet food to the Christian County Animal Shelter and elderly area residents. He loved to grow radishes in his garden. He also had several poems published in the local papers over the years.
He was a member of the National American Legion, National Rifle Association, Pheasants Forever, and the Sheriff’s Association.
Mr. Minnis is survived by two daughters, Dr. Denise Minnis of Hillsboro and Sylvia Minnis of Franksville, WI; a son, Kevin Minnis of Morrisonville; five grandchildren, Faris, William, Alanna, Elaan Bader, all of Hillsboro, and Clayton Nelson of Franksville, WI; two sisters: Marcella McBride of Joplin, MO and Ruth Wallace of Stanford; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Lavora, Merle and Delmar Minnis, and two sisters: Melba Storer and Temple Stieren.
