Mona A. Decker, 94 years, 5 months, 8 days old of Ava, Missouri, passed peacefully to Heaven on December 1, 2025, at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Missouri.
Mona was born June 24, 1931, in Nottinghill, Missouri, in Ozark County, to Claude and Amy (Small) Gaulding. Amy was the daughter of Dr. Robert S. Small, Mona’s grandfather.
She met the love of her life, Max Decker, in Ozark County, Missouri. On December 27, 1954, Mona and Max were united in marriage at Ava General Baptist Church and were blessed with a daughter, Rebecca “Becky” Ann.
Mona spent almost 40 years as a teacher in the Missouri Public Schools. Mona began her teaching career just out of high school in a one room school house near Dogwood. She taught history and speech for two years at Gainesville High School. She also taught world history, speech, and drama for over 25 years at Ava High School. Mona was respected by the speech and theatre community and was a force to be reckoned with. She taught Civil War history for Drury University.
Mona was a 1949 graduate of Ava High School. She received her B.A. at Southwest Missouri State Teachers College and M.A. from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Mona gave new meaning to “life-long learning” reading four to five books a week, mostly history.
Mona took a couple of years off from teaching when her daughter Becky was a young child. Every school day Mona had cookies fresh out of the oven for Becky and Skip Sallee when they came home.
Mona was a Christian and a member of the Ava General Baptist Church. She was a member of Missouri State Teachers Association, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mona was preceded in death by her husband Dr. H.Max Decker; parents, Claude and Amy Gaulding; infant brother, John Randolph, four sisters: Lena Wallace, Leta Rose, Mary Owens, and Ellen Dye. Mona is survived by her daughter, Becky Decker; nephews and nieces: John Wallace, Randy Rose, Larry Owens, Jeff Dye, Sue Forsyth; other relatives, close long-time friend, Cinita Brown, and many friends.
Memorials may be made to the Mona Decker Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Town and Country Bank, P.O. Box 807, Ava, MO 65608. Services are being conducted by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava, Missouri. Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbeardfuneralhome.com.
