Chandra Lee Farmer

Chandra Lee Farmer, daughter of Mark Howard Young and Cherie Ward Young passed away on Wednesday January 7, 2026 at Boone County Medical Center in Columbia, Missouri. She suffered an irreversible auto-immune reaction after a brief illness.

Chandra was born in Kirksville, Missouri September 23, 1982. Two years later her brother Alex was added to the family. Her father, Mark, died in 1985 and the family moved to Arizona. She spent her elementary school years in Chandler, Arizona before returning to Queen City, Missouri. She started high school in Putnam County R-I in 1997.

She received her GED in 2001 and pursued a career in auto body repair at Kirksville Vo-Tech. She graduated with honors and worked for a period of time in Kirksville, Missouri. In 2004 she entered the military, but due to a leg injury she was not able to compete boot camp.

The love of her life showed up in 2007, purely by accident. David Farmer missed his turn, found himself in Queen City and decided since he was already there he’d pick up a few things at Casey’s. Chandra Young was behind the counter and David announced, “You’re friends with Dale and Lacy.” As soon as he left she was on the phone, “Who is this tall guy that that knows you?” David’s car had body damage from a deer encounter and Chandra looked it over and declared. “I can fix that,” but she never did. Three days later she showed up at his house, was invited in for lunch, and, as they say, the rest is history.

Chandra and David bonded over their love of hunting, fishing, and all things outdoors. Whether it was pulling catfish out of the Chariton River or field dressing a deer, they worked side by side.

During a routine test she heard, “Do you know you’re expecting.” “What! That’s not possible.” Rondy Farmer arrived a few months later, he didn’t get the memo.

Things were going well. Deciding their family was complete she used the Essure device for family planning. Little did she know she would become a spokesperson for the medical device industry exposing the risks of poorly regulated medical devices. In 2015 she spoke in front of the FDA to have the Essure medical device black boxed and taken off the market.

The interview excerpt below was taken from massdevice.com .

Chandra Farmer said she had a hysterectomy last year to remove the Essure device after several years, a solution Dr. Charles Coddington of the University of Wisconsin at Madison called “shooting flies with a cannon,” the newspaper reported. Farmer said she slept almost non-stop, suffered memory loss and hallucinations and collapsed several times from severe muscle weakness.

“My kids would have to tell people, ‘Oh, it’s O.K., she does that sometimes. She’ll get up in a minute,'” she said, according to the Times.

“I had to stop driving, I became depressed. There is nothing more heartbreaking in the world than having your baby have to be your caretaker,” she said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Chandra also starred in the 2018 documentary film, The Bleeding Edge. which exposed the fast-growing medical device industry. It revealed how the rush to innovate and push through FDA approval can lead to devastating consequences for patients.

After her recovery from the Essure implant Chandra was able to get back to her real life. Eggs: chicken, quail, and duck, could be found every spring in one of her incubators. She could always be counted on to “pick up the slack” when someone had problems or needed a hand. Nothing ever fazed her whether it was milking a cow on a minute’s notice or figuring out how to put something back together that looked impossible.

She had an artist’s eye, but preferred to do her own thing rather than pursuing a career as an artist. She did her art for herself and friends.

She loved antiques, especially ancient family heirlooms and displayed them proudly for everyone to enjoy. If you mentioned where some interesting things might be found she’d drag out her metal detector, jump in the car and look for buried treasure.

Always an avid reader, her dream was to have a library filled with special finds. She sought out one of a kind books, out of print classics and books with unique art. She loved leather bound first editions, the older the better.

She embraced the homesteading school of thought. She made sourdough starter, which at first didn’t always come out like she expected. Anything that could be put in a Mason jar she would try to preserve and run through the canner. Whether it was canning or cooking, some attempts were keepers and others not so much. But, there was always a new recipe to try. She loved cooking with her grandkids and made all of them aprons with their names on them. Every spring her vegetable seedlings took over David’s man cave with the promise a bountiful summer harvest. Her spelling of spaghetti or sausage was unreadable, but she could spell any medical term and even tell you the Latin name. She was a jack-of-all-trades and proud of it.

Chandra was preceded in death by her father Mark Young. Grandparents Howard and Vivian Young and Thomas and Carol Ward. Her aunt Debbie Ward, and Father-in-Law Donald Farmer.

Chandra is survived by her husband David Farmer, sons Corbin and Rondy Farmer, daughter Emily Farmer, her fiancé Cameron Babbitt, and their son Harlow of Kirksville. Haley Budig, her daughter Amity and son Rue of Kirksville. Cody Roberts and wife Kelsey, sons Theodore and Desmond of Bloomfield, Iowa. Samatha Klosterman and wife Katie of Omaha, Nebraska. Desire´ Farmer and daughters Anastasia and Amelia of Kirksville. Darius Farmer Schultz, husband Chaz, daughter Lattie and son Kalvin of Queen City. Demitria Farmer Vorhees and husband Dylan of Laplata.

Grieving her loss is her mother, Cherie Ward Young Richmond, Lancaster, MO. Her brother Alex Young, his wife Betsey. Children, Bryan Parker and Vivian of High Point, NC. Mason Young and his wife Chloe, of Roanoke, VA. Her aunt Deborah Young and husband William Harris of Folsom, LA and mother-in-law, Kimberly Farmer Dirth of Glenwood, MO.

Chandra would remind us: When you get the call: Roll up your sleeves, be there for others, and don’t be afraid to try something new. One last time: Peace, Love, and Chicken Grease.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to: Dream Hunt Foundation that provides hunting experiences to children with disabilities and terminal illnesses OR donations may be made to her children’s college fund. Donations may be left with Playle-Rimer-Millard Funeral Home.

Visitation is Monday evening January 12, 2026 from 4:00 to 6:00 with services at 6:00 to 7:00. Burial at Lone Pine Cemetery Martinstown, Missouri on Tuesday January 13, 2026 at 1:00. Martinstown Community Building will be serving a meal and everyone is invited to come after the graveside services.