J.C. Meador (Bolivar)'s Obituary
J.C. Meador died April 19, 2018, in Bolivar, Missouri, after a short illness. He was 84.
Johnny Christopher was born in 1933 to Arlin Isaac and Opal May Burks Meador. His sister, Alrene Iris, joined the family in 1935. He was saved at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Bolivar when he was 13.
A love of farming was instilled in him as a youth when his family lived on a small farm and continued to be his life-long passion. He always said, “I want to leave the land better than I found it.”
The family later moved to California before returning to Bolivar.
A member of the graduating class of 1951, he was inducted into the Bolivar High School Hall of Fame in 2007. J.C. was a member of the Bolivar Rotary Club, the Bolivar Masonic Lodge #195, and was on the board of the Bolivar Educational Advancement Foundation.
He married Fleet Joan Barham in 1952, and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked for Westinghouse for three years. He and Joan returned to Polk County where they began farming and milking 10 cows in 1955, on a rented farm. He was awarded the Outstanding Young Farmer award by Hoard’s Dairyman. J.C. and Joan bought a farm on the Pomme de Terre River in 1957 and in 1976 he bought a larger dairy and farming operation. They had four children: Janell, Jeffery Christopher, Jodie, and Jill.
He opened Meador Farm Supply in the late 60s and continued to farm his land. In 1976 he began The Seed House, a fescue seed buying and cleaning business. In partnership with Carroll McCracken, he created M&M Farm Supply, a Ford-New Holland farm equipment business. He continued his career, becoming a real estate developer, which he continued until his death.
An enthusiastic traveler, J.C. toured the United States, Canada, South and Central America, Mexico, Europe, and Asia. Riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle from Bolivar to places as far Nova Scotia and Alaska, as well as on many trips to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, in South Dakota with his best friend, Bob Wilson and many others, gave him great happiness.
Martha Gillam, his beautiful companion for many years enriched his life. Together they travelled, danced, laughed, loved and created a winter home in South Padre Island, Texas. There they enjoyed entertaining and he developed an interest in playing golf. He continued playing 18 holes a day whenever they were in Texas, and he also played at the Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club, and the Bolivar Golf Course.
Always young at heart, J.C. never stopped enjoying life. A quiet philanthropist, he supported causes from individuals who needed help to the Polk County Historical Society and the American Legion Howard S. Keeling Post 138, in Bolivar.
Admired and loved by many, he will be greatly missed. He is survived by his love, Martha Gilliam, the mother of his children, Joan Simmons, sister, Arlene Wrinkle, his children: Janell Meador, Jodie and Tim Young, and Jill and Kevin Pierce; his grandchildren: Meleah Christine Black, Jesse Christopher Thompson, Molly Jean Carr, Vince Isaac Meador, Dylan Joel Young, Sara Joan Lipsey, Clayton Jeffrey Young, Caleb Thomas Young, Johnny Thomas Scott, and Madison Kate Young; his great-grandchildren: Payton Grace Nutter, Coraline Rae Black, Isaih Sebastian Black, and Georgia May Meador. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffery Christopher Meador.
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