Jerry Sumners

(From Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home)

Jerry Lee Sumners Sr., age 88, of Aurora, Missouri, passed away on September 28, 2023, at his home surrounded by family. Jerry was born January 27, 1935, in Aurora, Missouri, to the late Carl and Virginia (Feaster) Sumners.

Jerry had an impeccable work ethic and an unwavering determination to build a prosperous future for his family. At the early age of ten, he began delivering newspapers on his bike. 

He graduated from Aurora High School in 1952 at the age of seventeen, and shortly after left on a train bound for Wichita with $12 to his name. There he met his first wife Alma and had two kids, a son, Jerry Jr. and a daughter, Sandy. While in Wichita, he held a few jobs including working at Boeing, running a newspaper route, owning a furniture moving business and later met Hank Cartwright and began servicing a vending route for Hank’s company.




Through his connection to Cartwright, Jerry moved to Omaha, Nebraska and continued working for Omaha Vending. While in Omaha, Jerry met and married Sharon Kloster. He also had the opportunity to join up with Leonard Pollreis in placing peanut vending machines to earn extra cash and supplement their salaries from Omaha Vending. Running the second business out of the basement of his home, the two entrepreneurs were given the opportunity by Hank Cartwright to buy out Omaha Vending. The desire, drive, and dedication early on paid off and in 1964 Service Vending Company officially began.

Jerry’s family and company began growing and his desire was always to move back to his hometown and be a leader in the community. He was very proud to be from Aurora and never forgot his humble beginnings. In 1967, he bought a farm and moved his family back to Missouri where he opened a second warehouse and offices. He and Sharon had four kids together, three sons, Talbet, Tyler, and Toby and one daughter, Tisha. 

Eventually, Jerry bought out his partner Leonard, and closed the Omaha location. He provided his children with the chance to be a part of the family business, and throughout the years, five out of his six kids, spanning three generations, have contributed their efforts to the business. Service Vending is still family owned and operated today and is based out of the Aurora.

In addition to Service Vending, he also owned the Speedy Clean laundromats in Aurora and Monett. Jerry never forgot how hard it was to get where he was, with his relentless hard work, persistence and entrepreneurial mind-set lead him to help others over the years either financially or by meeting with him to share his opinions, wisdom, and good advice. He had many business partnerships over the years which included an appliance store, credit bureau, a restaurant, guided fishing service, cattle farm, and even a bakery.

Jerry’s philanthropic generosity can be seen as you drive through the town, he was very proud of. Some of his many community initiatives included stepping up to help buy the property where the Little League diamonds are. He gave money for any and all local school and chamber functions. He helped the expansion of the Aurora Municipal Airport runway which today is known as Jerry Sumners Airport. When Baldwin Park needed restrooms, he gave money to build those. He also contributed funds to MSU and the Juanita K Hammons Hall where he enjoyed attending shows. His other interest he gave money for included politics which included supporting our local, state and federal candidates.

Jerry truly embraced life to the fullest! He prioritized his health and fitness through regular workouts and his love for racquetball. During his time in Wichita, he achieved remarkable success by winning a body building competition and being awarded the title “Mr. Wichita.” Jerry’s adventurous spirit extended to his passion for flying, as he was a skilled pilot and owned his own plane. He found joy in skeet/trap shooting and cherished his time at the lake, where he shared his love for water skiing by teaching countless individuals over the years. His generosity knew no bounds, as he delighted in taking friends on fishing, hunting, and snow skiing trips, and even treated his employees to an annual getaway. Jerry had a knack for making everyone feel like family, and his friends and employees were always treated to unforgettable dinners at the Tower Club or Char/Flame.

He will be greatly missed by many. Jerry is survived by four sons, Jerry Jr (Toni) of Verona, Talbet (Tonyha) of Aurora, Tyler (Lesley) of Republic, Toby of Aurora; two daughters, Sandra Lee Butler (Steve) of Englewood, Florida and Tisha (Don) Trotter of Mt Vernon; one brother, Roger (Winnie) Sumners of Carthage; two sisters, Linda (Dale) Johnson of Marionville, Rita Michel of Springfield; 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Jerry was preceded in death by his sister, Carla Gay Sumners; brother-in-law, Tim Michel, and a nephew, Jason Sumners.

The family wants to express their heartfelt gratitude to all the caregivers who provided exceptional care for Jerry over the past six years. Your dedication and support have meant the world to him and our entire family. Jerry, who bravely battled Parkinson’s and bladder cancer, retired from his office duties in 2017.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to a no kill shelter or the Humane Society in Jerry’s memory.

A celebration of life/visitation will be held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora. Burial will be held privately for the family at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora.