David Dale Cribbs (Bolivar)

February 13, 1939 - June 10, 2021

David Dale Cribbs was born at home in Halfway, Missouri, on February 13, 1939, to Clifford and Sadie (Seiner) Cribbs. David is preceded in death by infant twin daughters, Terri and Sherri, his parents, one brother, Darrol Cribbs, and two sisters, Darlene Allen and Wanda Agee. He is survived by his wife Betty and they were married 59 years, and their children Sandy (Jake) Jacobson, Mike (Jill) Cribbs, Betsy (Tony) Berry, all of Bolivar, Missouri, and Susan (Brad) Coy, of Carthage, Missouri, 13 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, one sister Carol (Diz) Stepp, one sister-in-law Judy Cribbs, and one brother-n-law Dorman Agee. David graduated from Bolivar High School and attended Draughan’s Business College and Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. During his high school years, he played basketball, participated in track, held several offices in FFA, and sang in the State FFA choir which traveled to the State FFA Convention in Columbia, Missouri. He also played basketball while attending Draughan’s. David served the U.S. Army on active duty for six months and the Reserves for four years. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Fort Polk, Louisiana and was a Gunner on a 105 Howitzer Weapon. During his college years, David worked as a Rate Clerk at Yellow Freight in Springfield, Missouri, but due to his father’s declining health, David left college to help in the family business and work as a salesman for Bolivar Insulation Company. Later he became Vice President. David continued to work with his dad at Bolivar Insulation and in early 1973, David’s parents decided to finalize their estate plan and sell the business to David and Darrol. In the early 1970’s, David, his dad, and Darrol started Triple C Farms which David continued to operate and expand. He loved all aspects of farming including producing the very best cattle, clearing the land, and building fences, and was a great steward of the land. After Clifford’s death, Bolivar Insulation continued to grow and expand to ten locations with around 200 employees. Bright yellow trucks served as moving billboards as they traveled up and down the roads advertising products and services. Throughout the years, the Company generously donated building materials to churches and organizations throughout the state. Darrol sold his interest to David in 1982 and David continued as sole owner until the business was sold in 1994. David grew up at First Assembly of God Church in Bolivar. He was saved when he was about 9 years old and was baptized below the Jefferson Bridge. He served in many areas at the church including deacon for over 40 years. He ran a bus route and was head of the bus ministry when at its peak the church was running five routes and picking up around 100 children each Sunday morning. David’s competitive spirit was strong and he even put a pony on his bus so his route would win a contest. People were in shock to see a pony’s head hanging out the window of the bus as the bus went through the Bolivar Square. Also at First Assembly, David and Betty started the Homebuilders Class for young married couples and he participated in a number of mission projects including the Arizona Indian Reservation. David served as construction manager on a number of mission trips both inside and outside the U.S. David was also very also active in the community and recipient of several awards. He was President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Bolivar School Board and the Kiwanis Club. He received an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Southwest Baptist University and was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 1986, was inducted into Junior Achievement’s Greater Ozarks Business Hall of Fame in 1992, the Bolivar Schools Hall of Fame in 1997, featured in “Today’s Farmer” magazine in May, 1997, and awarded the Donald J. Babb Award for Visionary Leadership, Involvement, and Commitment to Improving Healthcare Delivery for Bolivar and the Surrounding Area in September, 2006. David served on the Commerce Bank Board of Springfield for 13-1/2 years and also served on several other boards including Trust Company of the Ozarks, Citizens Memorial Hospital Foundation, Convoy of Hope, AG Financial, Assemblies of God Foundation, and Stewart Concrete. He was invited to participate in President George H. W. Bush’s Lay Leaders Task Force in Washington, DC and met with the President and members of the Task Force at the White House. No doubt one of David’s most-loved organizations was Convoy of Hope where he was a member of the Board since its inception. He always considered himself especially blessed to witness the way that organization’s mission expanded from community outreaches to disaster relief both in America and around the world. When presented with Convoy’s need of a tractor-trailer unit to deliver food to the needy in inner-city outreaches across the U.S., David responded by purchasing a tractor-trailer unit for them to use. David and his son, Mike, drove the truck to Convoy outreaches from coast to coast. One of his most memorable experiences was when David and Mike drove a Convoy of Hope truck to New York immediately following the 9-11 attack. After driving for 24 hours straight, they were escorted by New York State Highway Patrolmen right down to the base of the Statue of Liberty where they were privileged to eat and visit with policemen and firemen who had been working at the 9-11 scene. David along with his son Mike purchased Jump Oil Company in 1988. They expanded the business with multiple convenience stores and a Jump Oil Travel Center at Collins, Missouri. With the sale of Bolivar Insulation in 1994, David and his wife, Betty, formed DCBC, L.L.C. (which represents David Cribbs and Betty Cribbs) to own and operate their real estate and farming business. David can best be described as an entrepreneur and visionary who possessed a special knack for looking at a run-down, seemingly worthless property and seeing what it could become. He was fearless and courageous in business decisions and quick to follow that “still small voice” or “gut” feeling he had inside. David was co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Bank of Bolivar until its merger with The Bank of Missouri in 2020 and after the merger served on The Bank of Missouri’s Advisory Board. His wisdom, insight, and extensive business relationships contributed greatly to the success of Bank of Bolivar as a thriving community bank. David had a heart for sharing God’s blessings with his family and others. David and Betty sponsored immigrant families from Mexico, Cambodia and Venezuela and donated meat to individuals in need as well as various charitable organizations. David was quick to lend a vehicle (including three stranded Catholic nuns who were shocked when he said, “Just take my vehicle and I’ll take care of your broken down one and get it back to you later”), and it was common for him to arrive at the home of a widow, neighbor, or his church to clear snow from driveways and parking lots. David knew he was richly blessed with a strong Christian heritage and a mother and wife who devoted hours to prayer. Betty was a supportive wife who devoted her life to the care of the home and their children. She shared David’s love of the Lord and they partnered together in many ministry endeavors. David adopted his dad’s favorite saying that “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” and faced every challenge with that type of determination. For the most part, he refused to accept comments like “you can’t do that” or “that can’t be done” and instead looked for a way to make it happen. He possessed an incredible work ethic and never expected more of an employee than he was willing to give himself. To say he was energetic is an understatement. He rarely missed any of his family member’s ballgames – even if it meant driving late into the night in all types of weather – and then was up early and on the move the next morning regardless of missing a few hours of sleep. When David made a commitment to someone, he did his best to honor it. He didn’t want attention or praise and in many cases, preferred to remain anonymous. When he saw a need, he was quick to respond. If he felt the Lord had impressed on him to do something, he did not question or hesitate but rather went to work to make it happen. He loved buying and selling cars and finding a good deal at an auction. He especially enjoyed securing a farm or building that was a diamond in the rough then working hard to get it in shape so it would improve the community and increase in value. His contributions of time and energy were far-reaching and many lives were touched by his vision and determination. He held a very strong work ethic which was passed on to his children. Through it all, David was dedicated to his family, his church, his community, multiple businesses and organizations, and greatest of all, to the Kingdom of God. Services for David will be at 3:00 PM Saturday, June 12, 2021 at Mabee Chapel SBU, with visitation starting at 1:30 PM. Burial to follow at Greenwood Cemetery, Bolivar, Missouri. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of David Dale Cribbs please visit our Sympathy Store.