Lester Elson

(From Parker Mortuary)

Lester Walter Elson, age 99 of Carl Junction, MO, passed away at his home at 8:20 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, 2014.

Born January 15, 1915 in Shelby County, Ohio, he was the son of the late Omar Elson and Gertrude Walter Elson. When his mother died, he was only 7 years old. While his Dad working to make ends meet, Lester fended for himself most of his early years by trapping and fishing in the canal near his home to have something to eat.

On May 9, 1936, he married Lucille M. Howell in Troy, Ohio. She preceded him in death on January 11, 1994.

Lester worked at many jobs in his younger years including as an Ice delivery man in the days before most homes had electric refrigerators. When he was given the opportunity to learn the trade of auto body repair, he found a career for life. He worked in body shops in Ohio, Florida and California before coming to the four-state area around 1960. He worked as an auto body repairman for Dan Stanley Ford Agency in Joplin. He and Lucille settled down southwest of Carl Junction where for years they cleared trees, grew gardens and raised cattle, pigs and rabbits. A lover of animals, Lester took in dozens of dogs and cats over the years.

Lester became a regular at Fir Road Christian Church nearly 4 years ago, and was baptized into Christ earlier this year at the age of 99. He said, “I should have done it a long time ago.”

Although Lester and Lucile never had any children of their own, Lester came to be known as “Dad” to Darlene Shutters from the time she was a little girl in Monterey, California. She would make one or two trips a year from her home in Washington State to visit “Dad,” and she cared for him the last two months of his life. Darlene survives, along with husband Donald, in Washington State.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday at Fir Road Christian Church in Carl Junction with Dan Toney, minister, officiating. Interment will follow at Carl Junction Cemetery with Isaac Barringer, Doug Yokley, Steve Gordon, Jerry Huddleston, Dana Owen and Jeff Barringer serving as pallbearers. The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday at Parker Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Fir Road Christian Church.