Richard Laverne Morgan

Richard Morgan

Richard Laverne Morgan, 77, of Pollock, MO, died Wednesday, January 29th, 10:15 P.M., at the Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, MO, after a short hospital stay. Richard was surrounded by family at the time of his death, which coincided with his 59th wedding anniversary.

Richard was born September 10th, 1936, to Byron and Lola (White) Morgan at his Grandmother Lillie White’s farm in Liberty Township north of Omaha, MO. Richard was the oldest of three sons.

Richard spent most of his life in the Putnam County area except for a couple seasons as a child when his family worked in the Yakima, WA, apple harvest, and the 14 years he lived in Iowa working for Iowa Power and Light.

Richard married Evelyn Medlin on January 29th, 1955 in Unionville, MO. This union produced three daughters, who survive, and one son, who died at birth.


Richard worked for 17 years as an electrical lineman for the city of Unionville and simultaneously operated his farm close to Pollock. He was a die-hard Ford man, and considered by many to be “Ford Tough”. Richard loved to travel, was an avid hunter/trapper, card player, basketball player, and a ping pong phenom. He was an active member of the community, serving on several boards including Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone, Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation Committee, Locust Creek Watershed, and a card-carrying member of the Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri.

But his favorite pastime was making fun activities for his grandchildren, such as the rope swing in the front yard, the mechanical teeter totter made from an oil pump, the zip line running across his back yard, the water slide made out of giant PVC pipe, and a mechanical horse made out of a 55 gallon drum. With all these options, Richard’s home was an activity-bonanza for visiting children.

Richard is survived by his wife Evelyn, and three daughters, Rhonda (Steve) Rios of Blue Springs, MO, Nancy (R. G.) Lowry of Tulsa, OK, and Tonja (Ronnie) Wessel of Hannibal, MO. He is also survived by his 12 grandchildren: Chris (Stacy) McCormack, Matt (Jennifer) McCormack, Sarah (Ned) Barnhardt, Jenny McCormack-DeBerry, Stephanie (Jon) Terry, Grant Lowry, Garrett Lowry, Mitch Lowry, Aaron Wessel, Kyle Wessel, Kailey Wessel, and Brett Wessel. Additionally, he is survived by 10 great-grandchildren (Kayla, Morgan, Kylie, Zoe, Ally, Logan, Audrey, Ian, Isaac, and Jack), mother-in-law Nellie Medlin, sisters-in-law Irma Kiehn, Ramah (Richard) Dias, and Anne Morgan, and her children Michelle (Bryan) Huggins and Eric Morgan and a host of other nieces and nephews. Additionally many other children called him “Uncle Richard”.

He is preceded in death by his parents, both brothers Roger Dean and Rick Morgan, and his son Courtney Dean.

Funeral services will be held at Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home in Unionville, MO, on Sunday, February 2, 2014, at 1:30.

Visitation will be at the funeral home on Saturday, February 1, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Interment will be in the Thompson Cemetery east of Unionville.

Memorials are suggested to the Thompson Cemetery and may be entrusted with Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home, 709 S. 27th St., Unionville, MO 63565.