Obituary of John Richard Norvel

Funeral Services for John Richard Norvel of Elsberry, MO will be at 12:00 noon on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at New Hope Baptist Church. Rev. Stephen McLane, church pastor, will officiate with burial in Millcreek Cemetery near Silex, MO. Serving as pallbearers will be DeWayne Whiteside, Darrell Whiteside, Duncan Whiteside, Jon Phillips, Dwane Spies and Christopher Spies. John was born April 4, 1942 in Briscoe, MO, and went home to meet his Creator, Lord and Savior on January 5, 2026 at the age of 83 years. He was the son of William (Bill) and Ruth (Holcomb) Norvel. John was a graduate of Elsberry High School and shortly after joined the United States Air Force in 1962, serving in both Okinawa and Turkey as a communications decoder. He served his country until 1966 and then returned to Lincoln County to farm with his father on the Galloway Farms in rural Elsberry. John continued farming grain and livestock there for 42 years. On August 6, 1988 John married Barbara (Luck) Whiteside and they continued to live on the farm until John’s retirement from farming in 2008. From there, John and Barbara moved their home to highway B in rural Elsberry, just across the road from what some have casually referred to as “Whitesideville,” to be surrounded by the kids and grandkids. John was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Bob Norvel; his sister, Linda Spies and her husband, Neal; and two nephews: Robby and Cory Norvel. John is survived by his wife of 37 years, Barbara (Luck) Norvel, and one sister-in-law, Donna Norvel; three children: Lesa (Whiteside) Cohea (wife of the late Bill Cohea), DeWayne Whiteside and his wife, Patricia Whiteside, and Darrell Whiteside and his wife, Meredith Whiteside; six grandchildren: Alicia (Cohea) Phillips and her husband, Jon Phillips, Duncan Whiteside, Lydia Whiteside, Lori (Witty) Simpson and her husband, Charles Simpson III, Adam Cohea, and his wife, Sarah Cohea, and Andrew Cohea; ten great-grandchildren: Charles, Michael, Cameron, Wyatt and Sophia Simpson, and Ian, Owen, Ashlyn, Leighton and Jackson Cohea; and six nieces and nephews: Ruthie, Dwane, Angie, Melinda, Margaret and Christopher (children of the late Linda and Neal Spies.) John is also survived by a donkey named, Millie, and four “ornery” goats that he enjoyed caring for in his retirement years. John loved to be outdoors, doing things that needed to be done. He was a skilled craftsman at woodworking, and enjoyed sharing that talent with others. John was handy with tools, a “fixer” of all things. He was generous with his time toward helping others. John was an avid reader and a close follower of current events. He was consistently in God’s word and his Biblical World View shaped his sense of current politics. John was a believer in and a follower of, Jesus Christ and an active member of Elsberry First Christian Church and New Hope Baptist Church. John loved, and faithfully cared for his wife, Barbara, and was adored by her. He loved his family, and he loved his Lord. John was known for his kind and gentle spirit, and a quiet friendly nature that endeared him to all who knew him. For all of these things and so much more, John will be greatly missed. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Funeral Services at 12:00 noon on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at New Hope Baptist Church. Memorials may be made to New Hope Baptist Church (or) American Heart Association in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 South 5th Street; Elsberry, MO 63343.