Monday, March 5, 2018

Vern Styron

(From Clark Funeral Home)

Vern Styron, 94, died at 4 p.m., Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Granby House nursing home, Granby, Missouri, following a short illness.

 Mr. Styron was born July 27, 1923, in Leedey, Oklahoma, the son of Allen and Ruth Lucky Styron, and spent his early years in southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma. He graduated from Vinita (Oklahoma) High School in 1941, entered the Army Air Corps the following year and served in Germany during demobilization after World War II. Following honorable discharge in 1945, he rejoined his parents and grandparents in the Lucky Service Station on Route 66 in Vinita.

On Nov. 16, 1949, he married Patricia Larue Crittenden in Harrison, Arkansas. The couple operated service stations in Vinita and Chelsea, Oklahoma, before moving to Missouri in 1957 to establish Granby Propane Gas Co., which they ran for 20 years.

Over the years in Granby, they enjoyed making friends of their customers at Granby Gas, Reta’s Restaurant, Tree House Clothing and various other ventures they operated, including a sawmill, aluminum storm window business, vending machine service, car wash, gravel sales and fireworks stands. Mr. Styron was a substitute carrier for years on Granby rural mail routes. In recognition of devoted service to his community as a member of Granby Economic Development Committee, Granby Historical Society, interim mayor and all-around volunteer, Mr. Styron received the Old Mining Town Days Honored Citizen Award in 1993. A faithful Lion for decades, he was awarded a Life Membership by Lions International in 2002.

A long-time member of the First Baptist Church, Mr. Styron taught Sunday School, served as treasurer and trustee, and devoted many hours to completion of the fellowship hall.

In his retirement years, Mr. Styron enjoyed scouting the classified ads for equipment bargains and selling his finds from his front yard on U.S. Highway 60.

Loved and respected by family, friends and neighbors, he is survived by his wife; one daughter, Jane Richart, Joplin; and five sons, Emery (Virginia), Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; Harry (Jody), Branson; John (Beth), Granby; Sam (Pattie), Harrisonville; and Kevin (Leslie), Austin, Arkansas; 17 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Lois Ryan and Wanda Styron; a granddaughter, Cynthia Styron; and two sons-in-law, Doug Caudell and Bob Richart.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 9, at Clark Funeral Home, Granby Chapel. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Clark Funeral Home, Granby.

Burial will be in Granby Memorial Cemetery. Grandsons Kent and Paul Caudell, Richard, Jackson, Thomas, James, Will and Ben Styron will serve as pallbearers and Cole Styron an honorary pallbearer. Full military honors will be accorded at the cemetery. The casket will be closed at service time and remain closed.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to East Newton Charitable Foundation or the First Baptist Church of Granby, in care of Clark Funeral Home, P.O. Box 26, Granby, MO 64844.

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