Mabel Bockelman Obituary

Mabel Josephine Bockelman, 90, of Sedalia, passed away Friday, May 16, 2025, at her home. She was born on August 6, 1934, in Armona, California, a daughter of Charles and Viola (Staus) Dillon. Mabel grew up in the Springfork area and attended Prairie Grove School and then Cole Camp High School. She was no stranger to work, helping with chores, raising a garden, watching her younger siblings, and later working at the Producer's Exchange in Sedalia. On February 9, 1953, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Springfork, she was united in marriage to Donald Bockelman. This union was blessed with the gift of four children: Evert, Linda, Patricia, and Donald. They made their home in Mora, Missouri, until that fall when they moved to their home for the last seventy-two years at Springfork. Mabel was a homemaker and helped run the sawmill, where she worked the carriage back and forth. Mabel loved to crochet, garden, cook and bake, rock hunt, fish, and spend time at her cabin at the lake. She always made time to visit with family and friends inviting them in for a cup of hot coffee. She attended St. Patrick's Catholic Church at Springfork and later Goodwill Chapel Church in Sedalia. Mabel loved to go trapping with her husband and to everyone's amazement, she had the ability to skin a skunk and not break the scent sack. She was a crack shot with a 22 and as the story would go, "She could shoot the top off a lighter fluid can and skin a rattlesnake in seconds flat."
She is survived by her husband, Donald Bockelman of the home; daughters, Linda Smasal and Larry of Sedalia and Patricia Kreisler and Dennis of Sedalia; son, Donald Paul Bockelman and Diane of Sedalia; sisters, Mary Dillon, Christine Perry and Jim, and Louise Poundstone, all of Sedalia; brothers, Stanley Dillon of Ionia and Mike Dillon of Sedalia; four grandchildren, Amy Mahnken, Jill DeVorss, Sarah Twenter, and Andrea Thierfelder; and five great-grandchildren, Serena and Leila Mahnken, Logan and Trinity Anderson, and Blake Twenter. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Viola Dillon, son, Evert Bockelman in infancy, sisters, Dolores Perkins and Stella Smasal, brothers, Melvin Dillon, John Dillon, and Walter Dillon, and grandson, Scott Smasal. The family would like to thank Heartland Hospice and friends and family for all the prayers, phone calls, and food. A private burial will be held on Friday, May 30, 2025, at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery at Springfork. The family suggests memorial contributions be given to Friends of St. Patrick's Church at Springfork or the donor's choice of charity in care of the Fox Funeral Home, PO Box 37, Cole Camp, MO 65325.