Ervil Gene Austin (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Ervil Gene Austin, son of Clifford W. and Eva Ann Estell Austin, was born July 29, 1931, near St. George, Missouri. He departed this life Sunday, May 20, 2012, in his home, near Lebanon, Missouri, at the age of eighty years, nine months, and twenty-one days.
On January 30, 1953, he was united in marriage to Betty Lou Yeager, and to this union one daughter and two sons were born.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Verna Barcomb.
Ervil Gene is survived by his loving wife of fifty-nine years, Betty, of the home; a daughter, Tammy Carter, and her husband, Jay, of Marshfield, Missouri; two sons, Neal Austin, and his wife, Jeanette, of Competition, Missouri, and Mark Austin, of Lebanon, Missouri; six grandchildren, Amanda, Evan, Patrick, Jay, Jeanell, and Aaren; three great-grandchildren, Lennon, Abigale, and Clayton; a brother, Bill Austin, of Willard, Missouri; four sisters, Estelene Broyles, of Slater, Missouri, Louella Harlemert, and Susan Smittle, both of Springfield, Missouri, and Betty Ashton, of Willard, Missouri; several nieces and nephews; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.
He was born and raised in the St. George and Manes communities. As a young man, he was managing a dairy farm at the time he enlisted in the military, and served in the United States Army from March 14, 1951, until March 13, 1954. He did combat duty with the infantry and chemical corps on the familiar site “Old Baldy” in Korea from August 13, 1951, until February 21, 1952, and earned the Korea Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars. He was later stationed in Scofield, Hawaii, North Hokido, Japan, and at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He also received the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Occupation Medal (Japan) before being honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant First Class. He then returned to Missouri and made his home in Kansas City for a time, before moving to Wichita, Kansas. He returned to Wright County, Missouri, where he and Betty made their home and lovingly raised their family. Ervil Gene was a heavy equipment operator and did a great amount of bulldozer work in the Wright County area for over fifty years. He had excellent self-taught mechanical engineering skills which he used in developing his cattle farms. For the last several years, he and Betty had made their home in the Russ community, where they greatly enjoyed their neighbors.
Ervil Gene had attended Happy Hill Church.
He had served on the Hartville and Independence School Boards for several years. Throughout his life, he had a fondness for aviation. He possessed a delightful, dry sense of humor and was quite a jokester. He had a love for children and especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.
Ervil Gene was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle, and was a caring neighbor and friend. We celebrate his life and his accomplishments, and know that his family and friends will treasure the wonderful memories he made for them throughout the years.
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