Farrel Arthur Dablemont passed away on June 20, 2011 in Bolivar, Mo, where he had lived for the past 10 years. He was 84 years old. Born January 5, 1927, in Texas County, he lived most of his life in the area of Houston, MO. He joined the U.S. Merchant Marines when he was 17 years old,towards the end of World War II. Returning home at the age of 20, he married Jessie McNew and to that union, three children were born. Surviving him are his wife Jessie, his son Larry Dablemont and wife Gloria, daughter Muriel Wood and her husband Jerry Wood, and daughter Diana Chadwick and her husband Billy Chadwick. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Farrel Dablemont was well known on the Big Piney and Gasconade River as a john-boat builder and float-fishing guide in the 50’s and 60’s, and he began working for the Houston School District in 1979 as a bus driver, a job he dearly loved. He retired in 2001, and estimated he had driven nearly a million miles for the School District.
He served as a deacon in the Freewill Baptist Church at Houston, MO for many years and also attended Central Baptist church at Houston where he taught Bible classes. Since 2001, he has attended Mt. Olive Baptist Church at Bolivar, MO. Visitation will be there in Pitts Chapel from 6 to 8 on Thursday evening. A morning funeral service will be held at Mt. Olive Baptist Church northeast of Bolivar at 11:00 a.m. Friday, and another service will be held that evening at the Freewill Baptist Church at Houston, MO at 3:30 p.m., followed by burial at the Ozark Baptist Church cemetery.