Verle W. Kins

Verle W. Kins

Verle W. Kins of Kirksville, Missouri passed away on Thursday morning, May 3 at 12:10 a.m. The following obituary was scribed by Verle.

The son of Arthur Kins and Elsie Moats Kins, he was born January 25, 1918 in Whitehall, Wisconsin. On June 7, 1939, he was united in marriage to Ada Parr who passed away May 16, 2009.

He is survived by family: Elsie Gaber and husband Ron of Kirksville, Missouri; Erle and wife Darlene of Bayfield, Colorado; David and wife Frankie of Pueblo, Colorado; Gary and wife Ruth of Sparta, Wisconsin; 16 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his father, Arthur; mother, Elsie Moats Kins; sister Florence Skovbroten; brother, Howard Kins; and wife Ada Emily Parr Kins.

Verle was reared in Whitehall, Wisconsin. At the age of five, the family moved to a farm in the township of Naples, Mondovi, Wisconsin and attended the Naples township rural eighth grade school and the public high school in Mondovi. He graduated in 1935 and then attended the Buffalo County Teachers College in Alma, Wisconsin and graduated in 1936. His first teaching position was the eighth grade at Waste Valley Public School from 1936-38, then the lower elementary grade school, Sheldon Valley School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from 1940-42, and then summer school at Eau Claire State Teachers College (University of Wisconsin).

Because of the limited school salary, $90 per month, he was employed as a bookkeeper at the Mondovi Canning Corp. in the summer of 1942 at a salary of $200 a month that was extended year round and provided employment through the 1951 season. In 1948, he was recruited Scoutmaster of Troop 65 in Mondovi and became acquainted with the Executive of the local council headquartered in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. In 1951, the Boy Scout Field Executive position was offered and accepted by Verle in the Iron Mountain/Iron River District in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There he also became involved with the council camps, Minneyata, Ishpeming, and the Red Buck camp food service. In 1954, he transferred to a field position in Ann Arbor Michigan Council then to South Bend, Indiana in 1957 when he became Council Explorer Director and Summer Camp Director and Host Director of the Regional National Camp School. In 1963, his transfer was to East St. Louis, Illinois as Scout Executive and created a merger with the Belleville, Illinois Council and served as Assistant Scout Executive.

In 1968, he completed his B.A. degree at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois and then became the Scout Executive of the River Bluff Girl Scout Council, Edwardsville, Illinois. The immediate project was to develop the private lake and campsite at Farmington, Missouri that the council had just acquired.

In 1978, the YMCA Director position was offered at Alton, Illinois. There he had the opportunity to merge with the St. Louis YMCA and this provided the opportunity to retire in 1980.

Ada and Verle were active United Methodist Church members for 61 years.

He is reunited with his wife, Ada Emily Parr Kins, of 70 years.

No service will be held in Kirksville and burial will be in Lyster, Wisconsin.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like memorials to be made to the Boy Scouts of American, Girl Scouts of America, and/or the YMCA. Verle’s entire life was dedicated to and about facilitating opportunities for youth to develop into healthy, meaningful members of their community. Service above Self was his lifestyle. We who have been touched by Verle’s love are changed forever. Memorials can be sent to Elsie Gaber; 22627 Potter Trail; Kirksville, MO 63501.