Tom Elliston

(From Bland-Brumback Funeral Home)

Services Friday Oct 2 2026 at 10:00 AM with burial in Caplinger Mills Cemetery with Military Honors

Visitation Thursday 6 to 7 PM in the Funeral Home

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Lloyd Thomas (Tom) Elliston died on September 28, 2026.

Tom was born on November 1, 1940, in rural Stockton, Missouri, the third of six children born to Emerson Ben Elliston and Alice Margaret (Walters) Elliston. Tom was educated in the public schools of Cedar County, Missouri, with the exception of the second and third grades which he attended in a rural school in the Winfield, Kansas area.

While attending the fourth, fifth and sixth grades at Caplinger, Tom lived apart from his immediate family and assisted his grandfather in caring for a farm and Tom’s 90-year-old great-grandfather who was blind. Tom felt that living away from his immediate family those years with two wise old men, walking 1 ½ miles to school, and having the responsibilities that most children his age did not have were vital to the development of the person that he was.

Tom graduated from Stockton High School in 1957at the age of 16. Tom was President of his Senior Class, President of the Stockton FFA, and won many awards in FFA and Agriculture during his high school years.

In September 1957, totally on his own and self-supporting, Tom moved to Columbia, Missouri and attended the University of Missouri, College of Agriculture. Tom worked two jobs during school and factory or construction jobs during the summer months. After 2 ½ years, Tom dropped out of school to work on the assembly line of Ford Motor Company in Kansas City for the purpose of gaining funds to allow him to finish college.

On July 17, 1960, while working at Ford, Tom married his 18-year-old best friend, Ruth Irene Allee of Tipton, Missouri. Thereafter, through better and worse, good times and bad, tear drops or laughter, Tom and Ruth negotiated the adventures of life together. Four children were born as part of the adventure.

Tom and Ruth moved back to Columbia, Missouri, and Tom entered the Army as an officer in July 1962. Tom was a helicopter pilot, flying helicopters in Alaska, Vietnam, and Germany. Tom received numerous awards and citations for his service in the military. For his service in Vietnam, he was awarded various medals, including the Bronze Star Medal, 13 Air Medals including the Fourth Air Medal with the “V” Device for Valor, the Vietnam Campaign with three Bronze Battle Stars, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, with Palm.

Upon being released as a Captain from the Army in September 1967, Tom and Ruth returned to Columbia, Missouri for the purpose of Tom attending Law School. With Tom and Ruth both working, and the benefits of the GI Bill, Tom, along with two of his children, was back in school. Tom graduated from Law School in January 1970. In law school Tom was a member of the Missouri Law Review and received four American Jurisprudence Awards for being number one in the classes of Corporation, Business Planning, Security Regulations, and Administrative Law.

After graduation from Law School and completion of Bar Examination, Tom and Ruth moved to Webb City, Missouri for the purpose of Tom entering the private practice of law. In addition to the private practice of law, Tom served eight years as either Assistant Prosecuting Attorney or Prosecuting Attorney of Jasper County and twelve years as a Circuit Judge of the 29th Judicial Circuit. Tom served as President of the Jasper County Bar Association, President of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, President of the Juvenile Judges Division of the Missouri Judicial Conference, and on various Missouri Supreme Court committees.

Tom was also elected by his fellow Trial Judges to be their representative on Missouri’s Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline of Judges. Tom was disciplined by that Commission while serving on the Commission.

Tom always felt that it was an honor to be a member of the legal profession and was willing to devote whatever time and effort he could to promote or maintain the profession. He was a frequent presenter of continuing legal education subjects for the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the Missouri Bar, the Missouri Judicial College, and the Missouri New Judges training. He was twice selected by the National Judicial College to be a faculty advisor for the General Jurisdiction course offered by that organization.

Tom enjoyed hunting, fishing, farming, traveling and his grandchildren. He had many great hunting and fishing trips with family and friends over the years. Tom and Ruth traveled all over the world, especially in their retirement years. They visited 61 countries and/or places on six continents. The grandchildren, or “Twerps” as Tom always called them, were always special. They should all have very curly hair because Papa always told them to eat their food so “it will make your hair curly like mine”. He was bald.

Tom was baptized in the water of Sac River in Cedar County as a teenager. He was always close to his God although he did not publicly display his religion.

Tom’s survivors are his “child bride” for 66 years of the home, Ruth, three children; Mark Alan Elliston of Carl Junction, MO; Glenda Kay Elliston (Kenny Drake) of Wylie, Texas; Cynthia Lynn Rice (Dr. William Rice) of Carl Junction, MO; one foreign exchange student from Norway, Ragnhild (Lisa) Landsend Monsen; and eight grandchildren, Chandelle Frakes (Caleb); Meagan Johnson; Dr. Miranda Westhoff (Cole); Jinger Wright (Jerry); Dallas Elliston (Macalah); Allee Jo Rice; Emily Mae Rice; and Daniel Ellis Rice; seven great-grandchildren, Joshua and Jordan Frakes; Kaiden and Kaylee Johnson; Mae and Grace Westhoff; Penelope Wright and two bonus great-grandchildren, Mallory Stockwell and Avery Wright; Three sisters, Marty Graham; Margaret Williams; and Laura Elliston.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents. Emerson and Alice Elliston; daughter, Rebecca Elliston; son-in-law Tom Huff; one sister, Dorothy Young; one brother, Tony Elliston; three nephews, Vance Elliston; Steve Burns; Kurt Lee Morlan; and one niece Penny Pate.

Visitation and services will be held at Bland-Brumback Funeral Home, Stockton, MO; with burial in Caplinger Mills Cemetery, Caplinger Mills, MO.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to: Cystic Fibrosis Association of Missouri, c/o Sally Hicks, R.R. 1, Box 450, Ava, Mo 65608-9755 or American Cancer Assoc., P.O. Box 419582, Kansas City, MO 64141-6582 .