Ronald K Hampton

Ronald Keith Hampton passed from this earthly life to be with his savior in Overland Park, Kansas on April 27, 2017. Ron was born May 16, 1934 near Indian Creek outside Houston, Missouri. He was the son of William Arthur and Mary Elizabeth (nee Houser) Hampton. Ron was the husband of Margaret Josephine (nee Heriford) Hampton and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this summer. They met while Jo's father was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Houston, MO. Ron was the father of Kevin Keith Hampton and Ronda Rene (nee Hampton) Sulltrop and grandfather of Morgan Elizabeth (nee Hampton) Halstead, Genevieve Taylor Hampton, Graham Leland Keith Hampton, and Emma Grace Hampton. Ron loved teaching science at Licking, MO and Jennings, MO and his former students still fondly recall his classes. Ron loved to fish, hunt, and float the Big Piney River. He loved taking friends and family fishing in Canada nearly every summer for fifty years. Ron taught Jo, his students, kids, and grandkids to shoot and hunt and loved telling stories from those adventures. He loved fishing with his cousin, John Jarvis, and hunting with Jo's brother, Art Heriford, and working on remodeling projects with Bob McConnell. Always quick to tell a story or a joke, Ron loved entertaining and never met a stranger. Ron served as a deacon and enjoyed singing in the choir in the Baptist churches he attended. He loved singing karaoke too. Though his voice lost its strength over time, he's standing strong and singing loudly and clearly now. Handwritten by Ron, year 2015 Ronald Keith Hampton (In his words) 1934 was still a Depression year. Arthur and Mary Hampton had been working in Kansas City for some time but the jobs dried up and they returned to live with Mary’s parents, John and Etta Mae Dial Houser, on a farm about four miles south of Houston MO. On the bright sunny day of May 16th Ronnie was born in the downstairs corner bedroom of his grandparent’s home. With the Depression still on, money was scarce to come by so Arthur gave the Dr. a pig in payment for his services. 1934 was a record setting year with high temperatures day after day but Ronnie prospered in the heat and was spoiled by his mother, grandmother and mother’s sister, Aunt Ruth. Aunt Ruth married Farrell Jarvis and Ronnie became good buddies with Ferrell. Uncle Farrell taught Ronnie to hunt and fish. There were lots of fun days on the farm with his beloved grandpa John Houser who he spent most of his time with. Ronnie and his parents soon moved into town where he found more playmates. Ronnie and dad and mom were a close family who always seemed to have time for each other. Ronnie and his mom did the things parents and kids do and spent much of the time singing songs along the way. Ronnie learned many, many songs from his mother. Ronnie worked with his dad and many of his mechanical skills he learned from his dad. Ronnie went to Houston MO schools all twelve years. He was a good student. In high school he played football, ran track, was in the boys course and mixed course. He played tuba in the band and string base in the orchestra. The Texas County Baptist Churches had a camp on the banks of the Big Piney River. When Ronnie was a little seven year old boy he attended camp and that summer at camp he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ which provided the direction that would influence him the rest of his life. Ronnie’s paternal grandmother, Myrtie Hampton Craig, took care of the First Baptist Church. She paid Ronnie to mow the yard. A new pastor came in 1948 which was about the time Ronnie found that girls were more fun than puppy dogs and bullfrogs. This new pastor had a cute little lady about the age of Ronnie and while mowing the church yard one day this beauty rode her bicycle over and Ronnie spent some time talking with “Josie”. This put Ronnie on a path where this girl would be the focus of everything he did the rest of his life. Ronnie and Josie dated through high school and college, neither one ever had a date with anyone else. After high school Ronald went to college at Bolivar, MO. Pastor Heriford and his family, which included Josie, moved to a church in Birmingham, AL. There was a very nice Baptist College there and Ronald enrolled there as a sophomore and Josie as a freshman. As with all colleges there was a lot of study and a lot of fun. Ronald graduated from college in 1956 and became the science teacher at Licking High School in Licking, MO. Josie graduated from Samford University and then on July 20, 1957 two hearts who had been in love so long united as one marriage. Many couples would tell you they have a perfect marriage and I don’t doubt it in the least but it is impossible that any two beings could be closer or more in love than Ron and Jo. She took interest and participated in everything that was important to Ron. She learned to fish and became quite a good fisherman (even had her picture in the St. Louis Post Dispatch). She took float trips on the river and at the age of 75 after receiving a deer rifle for Christmas, she bought her first deer tag and took a deer every year until the cost of the out of state deer tags became so much she decided she would rather spend her money on a shopping trip. Jo’s favorite pastime was shopping for antique dishes. Ron saw a lot of antique shops. They both loved to travel and visited every state in the U.S., most of Canada and some of Mexico. On two occasions they flew to London and spent six weeks driving England, Scotland, Ireland and Whales. They toured thirteen countries of Europe and spent some time in Greece and Turkey. They took a number of cruises. Of the many places they traveled or lived, their years at Licking were some of their best years. Lot’s of hunting and fishing. They made many dear friends. While in Licking, Ron and friends floated and fished the Big Piney and Current Rivers almost every Saturday. But overshadowing it all were two events that gave meaning to their lives. In 1964 Kevin was born. We went through all the parenting things such as sports, etc. Kevin is a true renaissance man. Matured into an individual of wisdom, personality, intellect and divine leadership that has put him in places no one would ever have predicted. Kevin was a finalist for Missouri State Teacher of the Year. A father could never be more proud of a son. He and Dana (both teachers) gave us four of the greatest grandchildren. They are Morgan, Genevieve, Graham and Emma. Lot’s of grandparents would tell you that they have the greatest grandchildren of all and I don’t doubt there sincerity a bit but I know where the cream of the crop is. Also while in Licking, Ron and Jo welcomed the arrival of Ronda Rene. She holds the distinction of being the only girl born in the Hampton family in 57 years. Ronda was a typical girl involved in typical stuff and excelled in gymnastics and cheerleading. Ronda is an Occupational Therapist and her hubby Dennis is a Quality Manager. Ron has learned of many of Ronda’s talents, abilities and skills through his many complex medical conditions. Ronda does Home Health. She is personable, full of energy, has a bright intellect and has great intuitive instincts and her organizational skills are beyond reproach. Ronda is beautiful and everyone I met was always surprised when I told them her age. Ronda was honored to be named employee of the month for the hospital where she works and also received the Kansas City Regional Home Care Association Outstanding Associate Award 2013. How could a father be more proud of his daughter? In 1968 the family moved to Creve Coeur in west St. Louis County. Ron taught and was District Science Curriculum Coordinator at Jennings School District and Jo taught Home Economics at Pattonville High School. Through all these years Ron continued to hunt and fish a lot. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Farrell had a son John who was younger than Ron but soon became his fishing buddy. John was like a brother to Ron. In 1965 Ron made his first trip to Canada to fish and went most of the summers until 1990 when they found their beloved Joint Lake in Manitoba. Joint Lake fishing was so fantastic that they returned for one or more weeks every year for twenty-four years catching thousands of fish every trip. Ron enjoyed teaming up with John because John is an excellent fisherman and good companion. Ron loved to deer hunt and hunted in Northeast MO a number of years and then Jo’s brother, Art, bought some land east of St. Joseph MO and Art and Ron turned it into a deer hunting paradise. Ron and Art became very close. Ron and Art developed the farm with food plots, salt licks and elevated hunting blinds and everything else to make for great hunting. Deer hunting is a whole family event that we all look forward to. There is a special youth hunt that is held on the weekend before regular deer season for young people ages 11-15. Ron would pick his granddaughter Morgan up from school at noon on Friday and drive 250 miles to the deer cabin to hunt. Morgan took lots of deer with her grandpa when she was very young and several more by herself when she grew older. What a privilege for a grandfather to share a deer blind with his granddaughter for so many days. Ron thinks he has taken around 50 deer in his lifetime. A couple were wall hangers and one is a particularly nice deer. If Ron had a claim to fame it would be that his school received a National School of Excellence Award. He got to travel to Washington D.C. to the Whitehouse to receive the award from President Ronald Regan. Ron doesn’t believe in bragging on himself but this is the last chance so here he goes. Ron had a student named Dale Bradford who was a terrific student, national merit scholar and lots of other good things. Dale went to Mizzou for one year and came home, moved into a little cabin out in the woods and lived there alone. Ron thought that was a waste of humanity. Ron didn’t hear any more from him until his class had their 20th reunion which Ron and Jo were invited to. They found out Dale had moved to California and stated a computer company which he sold for so much he retired in New Zealand at age 35. Ron didn’t hear any more from Dale until his class had their 50 year reunion. Dale had sent a four page letter and among many topics he said of all the places he had been, all the schools he had gone to, all the teachers he had, the best teacher he had was at Licking High School, Mr. Hampton. Fifteen years before retirement from teaching Ron joined up with Bob McConnell, an Industrial Arts teacher in Ron’s District, and did all kinds of home repair, remodeling, built a few homes and specialized in heating and cooling. This continued for fifteen years after retirement. After Jo’s retirement from teaching, Ron and Jo went to the south tip of Texas to Victoria Palms Resort to live as winter Texans for ten years. Then in 2004 they sold their home in St. Louis to their son and moved into Victoria Palms permanently. They lived in paradise. After realizing they were getting “more candles on their cake” it was decided to move closer to home so in 2014 they moved to Overland Park, KS to be closer to their daughter. This has been the story of a very lucky man. First, to be born in a free country. May it always be that way. Secondly, to be born in a Christian family that believed in hard work and had high morals and to have been surrounded by an unbelievable number of friends who are the most incredible people ever. And the luckiest event of all was finding the perfect woman that he could love with a passion beyond what most people could imagine and to have that love returned measure for measure and finally to be passed on to the children and grandchildren. Young people are sure they will live forever but as they see their friends around them leave they begin to realize that they also are immortal. For those of us that have placed our being in hands of Jesus this is just a transition into the most glorious life that we can imagine. Sure there is sadness with the loss but please look on the bright side. Ron is just a pioneer in a wonderful new place where he will greet and reunite us all someday. Many things in life have been accomplished and some are still undone. No matter when death comes it seems to be too soon. Ron was just beginning to get good at catching the hundreds of walleye that John does on a little piece of green plastic tubing called a slider. John was teaching, Ron was learning and with a few more lessons Ron might have even beat the Master. Maybe we can continue that on the other side. What a wonderful life. It would be very hard to improve upon it.