Joan Tate

Joan Tate, age 81 of Fulton, went to her eternal home on Sunday, May 27, 2018, in Fulton. She was born December 22, 1936, in Joliet, Illinois, the daughter of the late Roscoe and Loretta (Braun) Ridgeway. She married Robert L. Bernicky on February 28, 1955. She later married Edward S. Tate on August 18, 1972, at Mount Horeb Baptist Church in rural Callaway County. She worked at the Fulton State Hospital for 23 years, retiring in 1997 as Director of Environmental Services. She also worked temporarily for Mid-MO Mental Health Center in Columbia, assisting them in revamping their Environmental Services Dept. She was a member of Richland Baptist Church where she was very active in the prayer ministry. She was a Sunday school teacher for the Ladies Class for many years and was also Prayer Coordinator for the Grand Crossing Baptist Association. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward; brother, Wesley Ridgeway and daughter, Peggy Thomas. She is survived by three children, Deborah Tate (Terry) of Fulton, Robert Bernicky Jr. (Sherry) of Williamsburg, and Dwayne Bernicky (Carolyn) of Kingdom City; four grandchildren, Carrie Bernicky and Tim Hudlow of Auxvasse; Craig Bernicky and Zadie Young, Lori Bernicky of Calwood and Nicki Williams (Curtis) of Sunrise Beach; seven great-grandchildren, Sarah Bernicky, Rebecca Phillips of Auxvasse, Katie Bernicky, Haley Bernicky, Brady Bernicky, Scott Winnegar of Calwood; Kylie Williams and Blake Williams of Sunrise Beach; a niece, Jennifer Ridgeway of Knoxville, Tenn. and several cousins. She is also survived by three stepchildren, Candy Salmons (Charley) of Fulton, Paul Tate (Sharon) of New Bloomfield, Terry Tate of Fulton; six step-grandchildren: Missy Wilson (Jim), Sonnie Nichols (Kevin) of New Bloomfield, Tracy Reicke of Fulton, Teresa Schrimpf (Chris) of Jefferson City, Jason Salmons (Veronica) of Fulton, Mark Tate (Deanna) of New Bloomfield; 17 step-great-grandchildren, Grant Nichols, Jenna Nichols, Ayla Robinson, Ashton Tate, Lane Tate, Elliott and Emerson Tate, Paxtyn Schrimpf, Canon Schrimpf, Dustin Reicke, Hunter Reicke, Joshua Reicke, Lauren Reicke, Lucas Reicke, Wyatt Salmons, Cash Salmons, and Devin Davis. Memorial services will be held at Richland Baptist Church in Kingdom City on Thursday, May 31, at 6 p.m. with Nick Drake officiating. The family will receive friends Thursday, at 5 p.m. until the service time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hospice Compasses of Columbia or Richland Baptist Church, Kingdom City, Mo.