Procession to honor Jamestown Marine

Jamestown, a small community of about 400 people across the Missouri River in Moniteau County, is preparing for the return of Lance Cpl. Leon Deraps, a Marine and Jamestown native who was killed May 6 in Iraq.

A funeral procession began at Kansas City International Airport and ended in the Moniteau County seat of California on Monday night. It will continue today from Bowlin-Cantriel Funeral Home in California back north along Highway 87 to Jamestown High School, where an afternoon visitation and service will take place, said Jo Ann Cantriel of the funeral home.

All who wish to pay their respects are invited to stand by the side of the road with signs and flags starting at 1:30 p.m. The procession will leave the funeral home at 2 p.m.

Once the procession has arrived at the high school, a military guard will post colors and bear the casket.

The five-mile road between the high school and Cedron Catholic Church, where a funeral mass will be held Wednesday, has been lined with American flags not more than 20 feet apart to salute Deraps, said Jim Deeken, superintendent of the Moniteau County school, which Deraps attended.

Describing the mood in the community, Deeken said, “The general feeling is a lot of sadness but also an awful lot of pride.”