Juanita Elizabeth Spriggs Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Juanita Elizabeth (Niegsch) Spriggs, age 101, of Branson West, Missouri passed away on Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 4:10 a.m. at The Maples Health & Rehabilitation in Springfield, Missouri surrounded by her loved ones. She was born in Chicopee, Kansas the daughter of Charley and Lillian (Swift) Niegsch on October 26, 1917. Juanita started her life in Chicopee, as the daughter of a coal miner and grocery store owner. She went on to be a nurse in Frontenac, Kansas working for a local doctor until after World War II ended. She fell in love and married Daniel L. Spriggs on November 5, 1945. They left Pittsburg and moved to Tustin, California to open Ruby’s Café, which the family owned until Dan passed in 1971. Juanita made the “world’s best pies” and even won 1st place in the Orange County Fair with her famous apple pie. She would buy bushels of apples every year to prepare pies that people would freeze for their special occasions. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Daniel after sharing 25 years of marriage together. Also preceding her in death were seven brothers: Joe, Albert, William, Charlie, Leo, Julius, and Francis; two sisters: Marguerite Hart and Dorothy Polowich. Juanita is survived by two daughters: Danita Hix and her husband Gerald of Platte City, Missouri and Dixie Hull and her husband Sam of Branson, Missouri; four grandchildren: Marianne (Roger) Bunger of Branson West, Missouri, Kelly (Mike) Ray of Platte City, Missouri, Leslie (Jeff) Schmitz of Houston, Texas and Jimmy Cox of Kansas City, Kansas; Eight Great Grandchildren: Cory (Elizabeth) Bunger, Brittany (Kyle) Durrer, Amanda (Kaleb) Hicks, Alexis Ray, Easton Ray, Courtney Schmitz, Hannah Schmitz and Avory Cox; Five Great-Great Grandchildren: Brielle Bunger, Landry Bunger, Jordan Durrer. Cooper Hicks and Cameron Hicks; Two brothers: Donald Niegsch of Bonner Springs, Kansas and Robert Niegsch of Kansas City, Missouri; Two sisters: Loretta Jameson of Pittsburg, Kansas and Lillian Buffington of Wildomar, California. Services will be held at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home in Pittsburg, Kansas on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. with the Funeral Service following at 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow in the Highland Park Cemetery in Pittsburg, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Integrity Hospice, 2960 North Eastgate Avenue, Springfield, MO 65803 Condolences may be left at www.bathnaylor.com. Arrangements are by Bath-Naylor Funeral Home of Pittsburg, KS.

Juanita Elizabeth Spriggs

October 26, 1917 - November 11, 2018