Roy Alvin Ward, age 86, 3 months and 18 days, the son of Roy E. Ward and Bonnie L. (Way) Ward Upton, was born March 16, 1929, at Vinita, Okla. He passed away July 4, 2015, at Cox Health Hospital, Springfield, Mo.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, one brother and one niece.
He is survived by his loving and faithful wife of 65 years, Lena (McCoy) Ward; his sister Viola Bailie of Licking, Mo.; one niece and one nephew and a host of friends.
He moved to Texas County, Mo., near Success and attended Dunn School. He later worked on the Santa Fe railroad in Oklahoma. In Missouri he worked for the State Highway department for nine years. He knew what work was, using the number two scoop as his loader and also using it as the spreader for sand and salt in ice and snow storms. He rode the back of the hot oil distributor truck. In that manner he controlled the distribution of hot oil when patching and laying blacktop. He retired as a carpenter from Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., and continued his labor on his farm near Success, raising Black Angus cattle and enjoying clearing and landscaping his property.
He accepted the Lord as his Savior on New Year’s Eve 1989 and was baptized into the fellowship of the Success Baptist Church on Jan. 7, 1990, where he faithfully attended as long as health permitted. He was President of the Old Success Cemetery Association for 40 years, where he will be laid to rest.
Roy enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting, riding ATVs. The only thing he didn’t enjoy as much as Lena was horseback riding. While growing up in Oklahoma he said he had enough riding while rounding up cattle, so he would leave the horseback riding to others. He loved visiting with his friends at the Weber Hardware or wherever he met them and was always ready with a smile and a welcome hello.
He will be greatly missed by his wife, family and his many friends he had made over his lifetime.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in his honor to Old Success Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at www.evansfh.com.
Visitation is Wednesday July 8, 2015 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Evans Funeral Home with services at 11 a.m. in the chapel with Pastor Ted Moore officiating. Burial followed in Old Success Cemetery under the direction of Evans Funeral Home. Pallbearers were: Bob Ramsey, Tom Richard, George Ramsey, Lyman Pittman, Jim Messenger and Steve Weber.
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