John W. Manary

John William Manary was a loving husband, father, son and grandfather who will be remembered for his kindness to others and his devotion to his wife and family. John was born on October 5, 1943 to Mae and Argus Manary. He was raised on a farm near Duncan, Missouri, and he would live there for most of his life. He walked the same hills with his parents that he would later walk with his own children and grandchildren.

John loved being on the farm, which sold grade A milk for more than 40 years. He also loved the town of Marshfield. After attending Sun Rise School, he enrolled in Marshfield High School and graduated in 1961. While in high school, he met the love of his life, Kitty Barnes. The couple married in 1964, and would live together for 59 years and have three sons, David, Mark and Matt.

John and Kitty would begin their married life in Columbia, MO, where they attended the University of Missouri. John graduated with a degree in Agricultural Economics in 1967 and remained a lifelong fan of Mizzou football and basketball.

Anyone who knew John knew that he loved sports. In the fall and winter, he followed Mizzou games, and from March to October, there was Cardinals baseball. St. Louis Cardinals games played on the television while he sat with Kitty or family in the living room at home and on the radio when he was anywhere else. John’s idea of the perfect summer evening was having the entire family sitting together in Redbird Roost at a Springfield Cardinals game. Some people might think it was the unlimited concessions that made him happy, but truly, it was the unlimited love he shared with his wife, his boys and their wives and children.

John was the ideal family man. After college, John and Kitty settled in Kirksville, Mo, where his two oldest sons, David and Mark, were born, but in 1972, John lost his only sister, Joyce Young. He returned to where he was needed and moved his family back to Marshfield to support his parents in their grief and work alongside them on the farm. Matt was born two years later and, like his dad, is raising his family and working on the same land.

Putting his education and experience in farming to use, John worked in the Farm Services Administration for many years, but his true calling was serving his family and community. John served on the Marshfield School Board and Webco Board and attended Marshfield Christian Church. He loved the Fourth of July parade and coached youth baseball. Everything his grandchildren were involved in was important to him. He attended countless games, award assemblies, concerts and plays in Marshfield, Columbia and Springfield.

His sons and grandchildren delighted John. He made sure each of them knew they were valued and loved. All of them have fond memories of time spent with their dad, papa or grandpa–on the farm, eating at favorite restaurants like Johnny Loo’s, at games or roadside fruit and vegetable stands, and family gatherings in the house on Highway 38 where he made a home and built a life with his beloved Kitty.

The story of John and Kitty is a long and happy love story. They met in high school, married in college, and lived together for the rest of John’s life. They were rarely apart. Kitty was John’s best friend, his dream girl, his treasure. Before he died on September 1, 2023, he reminded Kitty one last time that she was the best wife he could have ever hoped for. Some men leave legacies of wealth or pain. John Manary left a legacy of love.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Argus and Mae Manary, and his sister, Joyce Young and his brother-in-law and lifelong friend, David Young. He is survived by his wife Kitty, his sons and their families: David, wife Jane and daughter Eve; Mark, wife Dennie, son Luke and daughter Camille; Matt, wife Julie, daughter Tatum and son-in-law Jacob O’Dell, daughter Riley, son Boone, and daughter Miller. He leaves behind other family and friends and many fond memories.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 6, 2023 in the Marshfield Cemetery Pavilion under the direction of Fraker Funeral Home, Inc., Marshfield. Interment will follow in Marshfield Cemetery.

The family suggests memorial contributions can be made to the Marshfield Schools Backpack Program or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in care of Fraker Funeral Home, Inc., P.O. Box 85, Marshfield, MO 65706.