Horace Obern Nations

Horace "Hoss" Obern Nations, 90, of Denver, Colo., formerly of Rogers, Ark., died October 12, 2015. He was born in Snyder, Texas on October 21, 1924, the second son to Sam and Roberta Nations. His family moved to the Cassville, Mo. area for his senior year of high school where he met Lorena "Jacquie" Jacques, his first wife and the surviving mother of his four children. Hoss and Lorena graduated from Purdy High School on April 30, 1942. He joined the U.S. Navy on June 1, 1942, serving his country through January 5, 1946. He served on the USS Ellyson for his entire naval career, starting in the Atlantic and finishing in the Pacific Ocean. Hoss and his shipmates participated in the D-Day invasion off of Point de Hoc and led the USS Missouri into Tokyo Bay upon the Japanese surrender. After the end of World War II, Hoss moved to Noel, Mo. where he raised his family on the Elk River and started a small business, RECO, rebuilding and distributing electrical automotive parts. He eventually expanded into Lowell, Ark., moving to his long time home on Concord Drive. Hoss is survived by his daughters, Laura Nations of Olathe, Kan. and Sandy Nations Smith, of Denver, Colo. and son, Bruce Nations of North Carolina; son-in-law, Rick Butler of Neosho, Mo.; grandchildren, Craig Butler of Rocheport, Mo., Brian Butler of St. George, Grenada, Alex Silverman of Stilwell, Kan., Jill Rogers of Denver, Colo. and Sam Rogers of Spring Hill, Kan.; brother, Glenn Nations, of Rogers and sister, Vesta Anderson, of El Reno, Okla. He is preceded in death by his siblings J.B. Nations of Cassville, Mo. and Wanda Nations of Mobile, AL and daughter Denice Butler of Neosho, Mo. Interment Services with Military Honors will be Monday, October 19, 2015, 10 a.m. at Fayetteville National Cemetery, 700 S. Government Ave., Fayetteville, Ark. 72701 coordinated through the Brashears Funeral Home of Huntsville, www.brashearsfuneralhome.net. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his memory to the Wounded Warriors Project.