Footprints  

One night a man had a dream. In it he was walking along a beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. When the final scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back, at the footprints in the sand. He noticed many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints, and realized that they came at the hardest and saddest times of his life. Bothered about this, he questioned the Lord saying, "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,  You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most burdensome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you the most You would leave me. "The Lord replied, "My dear child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that "I carried you."
                                             Author Unknown

      Claude Duane Mishler, 75, of Mexico, died on Dec. 23, 2005, in Columbia.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Pickering Funeral Home with the Rev. Harold Carrison officiating. Visitation will be from noon until the time of the service at the funeral home. A private committal service will be held at a later date.

Mr. Mishler was born on Oct. 11, 1930, in Kansas City, Mo., the son of Clarence Harvey and Sadie Myrtle Kees Mishler. He was married to Norma Lea Smith, who died on April 4, 1986. On Oct. 10, 2001, he married Eva Mae Duvall, who survives at the home. Mr. Mishler was a locomotive engineer for the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company for 38 years until his retirement in April 1990. After retirement he worked for Audrain Medical Center for nearly five years.

In addition to his wife, survivors include one son, Steven Lee Mishler and wife Jeanie, DeBerry, Texas; two daughters, Claudia Gail Stathis, Athens, Greece, and Lori Rebecca Weibel and husband Greg, Thompson, Mo.; six grandchildren, Micah Stathis, Patrick Mishler, Matthew Weibel, Stephanie Mishler, Drew Mishler, and Zachery Sage; five stepchildren, Larry Coffer, Willie Coffer, Judy Fletcher, Donnie Coffer and Sarah Graves; 17 step grandchildren and several step great grandchildren.

In addition to his first wife, three brothers preceded him in death.

 Pickering Funeral Home  
Caring Service Since 1884