Ronald "Ron" Charles McClanahan, 84, passed away peacefully, with family at his side, Monday, September 18, 2023, at The Pines, Kirksville, Missouri.
Ron was born October 21, 1938, in eastern Adair County, near Kirksville and as a lifelong resident of the area, always living on the family farm.
Ron attended New Hope School, a country school, until the eighth grade. When he began ninth grade in Kirksville at Ophelia Parrish Junior High School, a kind and outgoing young lady befriended the tall, shy (yes he used to be kinda shy) country boy, and Janet Snyder became a lifelong friend, and eventually a successful matchmaker. (More about that later).
Ron excelled in school sports of track, (where he held a school record for Kirksville High School that was not broken until the 1970's), and basketball, but his favorite was football where he played for Coach John Spainhower and was co-captain with his good friend David "Bud" Bailey of a team which went on to place second in state
playoffs.
He was a proud 1956 graduate of Kirksville High School. And, while attending school from grade school forward, he also worked hard on the family farm with his best friend and dad. He would milk cows before daybreak, listening to the radio that he apparently turned on as soon as the family owned one. A radio, tuned to local stations, favorite sports events, but most often, country music, continued to play in one form or another throughout his life.
After a brief time attending the former Kirksville State Teachers College, Ron went on to work on the family farm in partnership with his Dad, which is really what he wanted to do all along.
He and his dad, Marlen, expanded the farm's acreage and production from a traditional family farm of the early twentieth century, eventually growing to become McClanahan Farms, Inc., where they concentrated on raising corn, soybeans, milo, timothy and beef cattle. Ron, along with Kenn and many family friends, continued operating the farm until his seventies, despite coping with the difficulties of Type I diabetes since his diagnosis in his late twenties.
Through all of this he always found time to attend his children's and eventually grandchildren's school, dance, music and sports activities, always be there to pick up and take anyone who needed a ride to practice, and assist anyone who needed help moving, hauling, transporting a vehicle across country, and so much more.
Ron loved Chevy's, (the faster they could go, the better), the Cardinals, the Chiefs, Mizzou football and basketball and always followed Kirksville High School sports. He had a scholar's knowledge of classic country music, enjoyed watching westerns, The Andy Griffith Show and a attending a good country music concert. He was proud he saw Willie Nelson years ago in Des Moines, IA, long before Willie moved back to Texas to make it big.
Ron also loved giving the Kansas City area branch of the family a difficult time about their loyalties to the Royals; and, following a certain famous World Series in 1985, claimed he would ban his second daughter from his house. Grandmother
McClanahan immediately stepped in to tell him that was not going to happen, and another ongoing family joke and rivalry continued from that day on and into the next generation with the KC grandchildren.
He made friends everywhere he went, always had a joke, never complained about the years of pain he endured and was a rock to his family.
Ron was a member and regular attendee at various times in his life of both East Center Church and First Christian Church in Kirksville. He was a deacon and elder at First Christian Church.
He volunteered as an auxiliary Adair County deputy and with Big Brothers for several years.
Ron is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Carolyn Culling Harrison McClanahan.
And, here is the 'more on that later' part. So, when Carolyn was attending college at what was by then Northeast Missouri State University, her landlady (Janet Snyder, thought it might be nice for Carolyn to meet her longtime school friend, Ron. A few times out waterskiing at Forest Lake and learning the difference between Conway Twitty and George Jones, and a partnership and marriage began that lasted from that day on to now. (The water skiing continued too.)
Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Marlen Kenneth McClanahan and Olive Elizabeth Perkins McClanahan and his grandparents, Anna M. (Schwedes) and Charles Perkins and Leo and Flossie M. Rigdon McClanahan. In addition to Carolyn, he is survived by five children. Melinda McClanahan Love (Ronnie); Ronna McClanahan Mullies (Brian), Kenn McClanahan, Angela (Angie) McClanahan West (Phil) and Matthew (Matt) McClanahan (Ann); and 12 grandchildren: Nick Love, Will Love, Megan McClanahan, Daniel (Arika) Mullies, Emily Mullies, Molly McClanahan, Marlee West, Jaimee West, Zoe West, Mac West, Reid McClanahan and Jane McClanahan, and by two sisters, Dorothy McClanahan Tade (Chuck) and Carol McClanahan Grissom.
He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, and dearly loved brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. Leann Gleason is also a close family friend. He had too many friends to mention, but know that he loved and appreciated you.
He was the best husband, daddy, dad and "Grandpa Mac" ever and will be missed greatly.
Visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, September 22,2023, at Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home, with funeral service to follow at 3:00 p.m. Burial will be in East Center Cemetery.
Pallbearers are: Brian Mullies, Daniel Mullies, Phil West, Mac West, Ronnie Love, Nick Love, Will Love and Calvin Kilmer.
Honorary pallbearers are: Tom Culling, David Grissom, Chuck Tade, Dennis Shultheiss, Merle Dunham, Richard Collop, Butch Newman, Craig Kilmer, and Kenny Harbor.
Please be assured you are welcome and encouraged to wear your jeans. Cardinal, Chiefs, Mizzou or plaid is also appropriate to wear to the services, and boots, too, if you got 'em!
Also, if you could listen to a little bit of classic country music, cheer for your favorite sports team, visit one of the beautiful Missouri lakes and thank all the hardworking farmers out there who take care of us all, that would be appreciated too.
Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or St Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
Arrangements in the care of Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home, www.davisplaylehudsonrimer.com.
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