Zella (Hatfield) Rudd 87 of Kirksville, surrounded by her family graduated to Glory to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday March 28th after a short battle with cancer.

Zella was a kind, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and a friend to all.

Zella believed that her purpose on this earth was to help others and she did that at every opportunity. She was a member of Hamilton Street Baptist Church. She loved her Lord and her family immensely. Her greatest accomplishments were being a Christian witness, helping others and loving her friends and family. When not working or helping others she enjoyed playing scrabble with her daughter, putting puzzles together with her son, and daughter-in-law and spending time with her family.

Zella grew up in Sue City Mo. The daughter of Irvin and Blanche (Lea)Hatfield. She graduated from La Plata High School the class of 1949.

On June 18, 1949 she was united in marriage to Cecil Rudd Jr. Cecil and Zella owned a Dixie Cream Doughnut shop in Chillicothe, Mo. before moving to Kirksville in 1953. She then worked for the Florsheim Shoe Co. for 34 years. In 1988 she opened her own business Terry’s Medical Specialties where she continued to work with her daughter until just a few weeks ago.

Zella was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Cecil (1998) , three brothers Hugh, Lowell and Dwight Hatfield and one sister Anna Lea Sykes.

She is survived by her son Richard and wife Elsie (McGlothlin) Rudd, one daughter Vickie Rudd all of Kirksville, two grandsons, Grant and wife Rachael Gilbane and Matt Gilbane and wife Katie Pease of Columbia, 4 precious greatgrandchildren Jesse Wedekind, Addilynn, Gavin, and Graham Gilbane all of Columbia. Also surviving is one brother Van (and Beverly) Hatfield of Emmettsburg, Ia, three sisters, Lodema Kirkpatrick of Ottumwa, Ia, Mable (and Bill) Cain of Thibodaux, La., and Theo Fox Ely of La Plata Mo., and many nieces and nephews.

She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Public visitation will be held Thursday, April 4, 2019 with family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the chapel of Travis-Noe Funeral Home in Kirksville.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2019 at Travis-Noe Funeral Home, with Pastor Steven Nelson officiating. Interment will follow the service at Maple Hills Cemetery in Kirksville.

In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy can be made in memory of Zella to Hospice of Northeast Missouri or Hamilton Street Baptist Church and may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO 63501.