Verna Jeanne Buckingham was the second child of Clyde and Osa Kirby Buckingham. The first daughter was Helen June, born in 1915. Clyde was working in the fall of 1916 with Osa's brothers and brother-in-law when tragedy struck and he fell to the bottom of a mine shaft they were mining in west Joplin. Jeanne would be born in March of 1917, 5 months after Clyde's death.
Jeanne's mother Osa then married Adolphus 'Dolph' Douglas and together they had 3 more daughters, Lorine, Faye and Mary. He would raise and be father to all 5 girls. Jeanne was the only one of the five girls to graduate high school.

After graduation, she was married to Kermit Gustafson.
The announcement in the Joplin Globe read:
Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Douglas, 1021 Jasper street, announces the marriage of their daughter, Miss Jeanne Douglas, to Mr. Kermit Gustafson, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Gustafson of Hornet. The marriage took place at 4 o'clock last Sunday afternoon at the home of the Rev. Oscar Marison in Villa Heights. Mr. Gustafson is employed at the Keystone Hotel. The couple will make their home in Joplin.

Kermit and Jeanne would go on to have 2 children, Norman and Madalyn. They resided just past Grand Falls southwest of Joplin on Shoal Creek on the river side of the road in a small white stucco house. Kermit worked at Rogers Iron Works and also farmed ground for Tom Ashmore. In the 1960's they moved up the road on the other side to the larger ranch house. Ashmores' had vacated the house and built a newer one. Kermit continued to farm for the Ashmore family as well as work at Rogers Iron Works. Jeanne worked at Macy's Department store in Joplin, in the fragrance and perfume department on the main floor as you came in the front (west) door. When Macy's reverted back to Christman's (as the department store originally was known), she continued with the company until it the store finally closed.
After Kermit's passing, she later moved into Joplin in the Royal Heights district and later married Cecil James and he passed away in 1993. After his passing away some time later she married David Wadley. He passed away in 1999. She resided on West 26th street spending time with, and enjoying her daughter's family until the tornado of May 22, 2011 destroyed her house. At that time she was moved to be with family, then later at a local nursing home.



Verna Jeanne Gustafson Wadley
The Joplin Globe

JOPLIN, Mo. —
Verna Jeanne Gustafson Wadley, 94, of Joplin, Mo., departed this life Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, with her family at her side.
Jeanne was born on March 26, 1917, to the late Clyde and Osa (Kirby) Buckingham in Joplin. She was a graduate of Joplin High School class of 1936.
She was united in marriage to the late Kermit Otto Gustafson for 50 years. To this union two children were born.
She was a homemaker and later worked for Macy's and Christman's Department Stores. She was a member of the Central City Christian Church, a longtime member of the Schifferdecker Woman's Golf Association, and she enjoyed cooking and gardening. She was very close to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Jeanne later married David Wadley, he proceeded her in death in 1999.
Mrs. Wadley was preceded in death by her son, Norman "Gus" Gustafson; four sisters, Helen Sowersby, Faye Reeves, Lorine Wallace and Mary Lou Casteel.
She is survived by a daughter, Madalyn Bazzano and husband, Dr. Stephen Bazzano; five grandchildren, Gina Penner and husband, Charles, of Leawood, Kan., Nanci Bazzano and husband, Dr. Jay Joseph, of Joplin, Courtney Higginbotham and husband, Bob, of Joplin, Gregory Gustafson and wife, Theresa, of Ohio and Kurtis Gustafson and wife, Coleen, of Ohio; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were March 3, at the Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary with Rev. Ed Hahn officiating. Private burial was at Ozark Memorial Park next to her first husband Kermit.