Bess Rose Mercer

Bess Rose (Appling) Mercer was born October 27, 1930, near Mineola, MO, to Elliott J. Appling and Martha Louise (Lee) Appling. She died peacefully at home December 31, 2025 with her daughter, Janis, nearby.

Bess was the 8th of nine children, born on the family farm. In 1935, her father gave it to his brother and moved the family into “town”, i.e., Vandalia, MO, not far from Mineola. Bess attended public schools and graduated from VanFar High School around 1949. Her intelligence caught the attention of her teachers and she was encouraged to go to college. She graduated from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (Truman State University) with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1954. While there, she met a medical student, Richard Mercer, on a blind date (he showed up at the door in a clown suit; the date was a costume party), and the day after he graduated from KCOM (now A.T. Still University), they were married. (June 5, 1955).

After a brief honeymoon in Chicago, they headed to Ohio, where he began his residency. They lived in Akron for several years, where they met three older couples with whom they became life-long friends. Bess learned about birds from Hank Grimm, and developed a keen interest in birds of North America. She could identified any bird by call and markings, and/or the way they flew. Until woodpeckers started pecking large holes in the house, there were numerous bird feeders in the backyard: the woods were alive with avian activity.

They eventually left Ohio and moved to Pennsylvania, first to Philadelphia, then Harrisburg and Grove City. They took advantage of of all Philadelphia and the surrounding regions had to offer. Every weekend they drove somewhere new; Monticello, Civil War battle sights, D.C. They had season tickets to the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was an exciting, stimulating time in their lives. It may have been there that Bess became interested in Civil War history and American history in general. While there, she worked for the YMCA, as program director for high school kids. She taught kids to swim and picked up synchronized swimming also.

They acquired a Boxer dog, Bourbon, with whom they had many adventures. Tales of him attacking postmen, cushioning Janis’ fall down hardwood steps, odiferous flying in Bess’ brother-in-law’s airplane.

In 1963, Bess gave birth to Janis, in Harrisburg. They moved to Grove City and in 1966, returned to MO, living in a new house in Jefferson City. In 1967, they moved to Kirksville, where they remained. Janis attended Kirksville public schools and the family attended First United Methodist Church. While Dick worked and taught pediatrics at the hospital and college, Bess founded or joined numerous organizations and clubs: Grubby Gardeners, Sojourners’ Club, Monday Club, Friends of the Library, Adelines, Bunco Club. She learned to quilt from the neighbor across the street, made Janis’ dance costumes, learned to cane chairs and repair furniture, took up photography, and joined a bowling league. She became active in the local Girl Scout troop and encouraged Janis to embrace camping but failed. She and Dick joined the Country Club, where they played golf. She was an avid golfer. With other couples they formed a Bridge group: once a month one couple would host everyone and spend the evening playing. This activity continued for years.

As she got older, Bess became more interested in genealogy and with her sister Thelma, collected, preserved, and labeled family pictures. She made many trips to county courthouses, cemeteries, looking for lost relatives and confirming important dates. Thanks to this research and living near the family cemetery, we know the family have lived in the Mineola area since the late 1700’s.

Bess was also determined to see every state in the US, and only missed a couple. The family went to Colorado, Wyoming, California, South Dakota, Maine. When Dick retired, they went to Banff, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Vallarta. Cruises went to the Panama Canal, the Greek Isles, Normandy and Paris.

In 1990 they welcomed a son-in-law, Jim McManus, whom she adored.

Life came to a halt during Covid and by the time the global shutdown ended, traveling long distances became too difficult. Still, there were always Christmas visits from Jim and Janis, the occasional trip to Vandalia or Laddonia to see a niece, and Dick’s big 90th birthday blowout bash in Detroit, MI.

Bess was a true Midwesterner: no nonsense, sensible to a fault, determined and practical. She said, “You can take the girl out of Missouri but you can’t take the Missouri out of the girl.” That grit kept her in the state and in her house until the very end.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Adair County Humane Society.