On September 30, 2013 the soul of Wilbur Dee Gaylord departed his worn out body to cross the valley of death unto the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ where he will live in Heaven for eternity.
Wilbur was born on May 1, 1932 during the depression years to Edmund and Sallie Jane Stadler Gaylord in Western Benton Co, Missouri. He was the fifth of seven children and the only son.
He attended one room grade schools starting at National School in 1936 and finishing eighth grade at Finey School in Eastern Henry Co. He never went to high school because tuition was not affordable to his family.
He was saved at Cedar Grove Baptist Church and was baptized on October 7, 1945 by Rev. J. Palmer in a creek that is now under the west end of the mile long bridge near Warsaw, Missouri.
During his teen years he spent many Sunday afternoons hunting for Indian artifacts in freshly plowed bottom fields in both Osage and Grand River bottoms. He found many birdpoint arrowheads, spears, scrapers, and one tomahawk head in near perfect condition. He never kept the pieces. He entered some in the state fair that he had mounted once and received recognition.
In 1945 his family moved to the Finey area in Eastern Henry Co. In October 1953 the US Army drafted him for duty in the Korean conflict and was sent to an army base in California. Three weeks into basic training he had acute appendicitis and received a leave and put on light duty on his return. The base was training the men hard and shipping to front lines in six-eight weeks. Only about twenty percent of the group he started with returned home alive. He was transferred to Fort Hancock Washington and spent the remainder of his time as Company Clerk. Living with four older sisters paid off as he made spending money sewing on patches, tears, and buttons for the other soldiers, saving his money to start his life long farming occupation.
In April 1961 he was ordained as a deacon at the Finey Baptist Church. He bought his first farm on the Grand River bottom and on November 14, 1965 he was united in marriage to Judy Elton. To this union three sons were born, Wilbur Dee Gaylord Jr, Robert Lee Gaylord, Kelvin Jay Gaylord.
In 1988 he was united in marriage to Kathleen J. Brown. He adopted Kathy’s son Aaron Michael Gaylord in 1990 and had three stepchildren, April Messer, Jeff Reedy and Jacqueline Cerny. He had farms in the Ohio community and Roscoe area before moving to El Dorado Springs, Missouri.
He had worked at a sawmill to supplement his income. He attended the Assembly of God Church in El Dorado Springs, Missouri as long as health permitted.
Wilbur was preceded in death by his parents Edmund and Sallie Gaylord; older sisters, Juanita Brakensiek, Ethel Edwards, Thelma Shinn and Leona Branch; and four nephews.
He is survived by wife, Kathy Gaylord; sons, Wilbur Dee Gaylord Jr. and his wife, Jeantte, Robert Lee Gaylord and his wife, Kimberly, and Kelvin Jay Gaylord and his wife, and Aaron Michael Gaylord; grandchildren, Tevis Gaylord of Illinois and Makayla of Kentucky, Kristina Gaylord of Deepwater, Grace of Osceola and Kyra at Warrensburg, Missouri; step children, April Messer and husband Jason of Racine, Wisconsin; Jeffery Reedy and wife Denise, of El Dorado Springs, Missouri, and Jacqueline Cerny and husband Chris of Nevada, Missouri; step grandchildren, Kristin Messer Rachel Messer, Allison Messer and Jason Kyle Messer Jr. of Racine, Wisconsin, Edward Halcon, Joe Halcon and Samuel Willoughby or El Dorado Springs, Missouri, and Austin Reedy, Bryson Cerny, Jessica Cerny and Jazzalynn Cerny. He is also survived by his younger sisters, Helen Montonya and husband, Edward, of Deepwater, Missouri, Sandra Byerly and husband, Carl, from Onalaska, Texas; and many nieces and nephew who thought their uncle Wilbur was great as they were growing up.
Leave a Reply