Beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, railroad enthusiast and farmer, Willard John McClure, age 91, of Stafford, went to be with his Lord on March 26, 2022. Born on Dec. 27, 1930, he was the only child of Herbert J. McClure and Vieva (Gard) McClure.
He farmed in Stafford County for over 70 years, first, with his father and later with his sons. On March 3, 1951, he married his helpmate, Phyllis Slade, daughter of Edward and Eleanor (Taylor) Slade.
He attended Stafford Elementary School until the 3rd grade when his parents moved to the Gard homestead southwest of Stafford. There he attended a country school, along with seven other pupils. During World War II, his father moved the family to Hutchinson, to work at Central Gas Corporation and later at Meadow Gold bottling company. While attending Hutchinson public schools, Willard earned his Boy Scout troop’s highest award, an Eagle Scout. During his adolescence, he traveled by train to Michigan to visit relatives, a trip that sparked a deep interest in railroads that continued throughout his life. He rode narrow gauge railroads in Colorado, New Mexico and Pennsylvania and made several trips on Amtrak to Chicago and the West Coast. His parents returned to the farm the summer before his junior year and he graduated from Stafford High School in 1949. It was there that he met his future wife of 66 years, Phyllis Slade, and they were married during his sophomore year while attending Kansas State University. Later, in 1966, he received an associate degree from Pratt Community College.
During the Korean War, Willard served as an aircraft mechanic with the U. S. Army 537th Battery, learning mechanical skills that proved invaluable as a farmer. After stints at San Marcos Army Airfield, TX; Fort Riley, KS; Fort Sill, OK, and Fort Carson, CO, he was honorably discharged in January 1954 and returned to rural Stafford County. There he devoted his career to farming which he loved. He served on the Board of Directors of the Stafford Cooperative, for two terms, and oversaw its merger with the Kanza Cooperative Association. In 1975, he was awarded the Soil Conservation Banker Award. From the mid-1990’s through 2001, he served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Corn Growers Association, an advocacy organization representing the interests of corn growers in the United States. During his tenure, he traveled to Panama, Mexico and Cuba to share agricultural techniques and encourage trade between the United States and these countries. He was also on the advisory board of the Stafford County Extension and was selected as a Master Farmer by Kansas State University’s Extension program in 2018.
An avowed believer in Jesus Christ, Willard was active in the youth group at First Baptist Church in Hutchinson. Following his return to Stafford, he was a choir member, Sunday School teacher, deacon and trustee in the First Baptist Church of Stafford. He later attended the Stafford United Methodist Church and served as a trustee and on the Pastor/Parish Committee.
Willard was preceded in death by his wife and his oldest son, Douglas. His remaining children are Rebecca (Doug) McClure of Colorado Springs, CO; Cynthia (Tim) Jacobson of Greenville, SC; and Jon (Rhonda) McClure of Stafford, KS. Grandchildren are Miles (Teresa) McClure of Colorado Springs, CO; Mallori (Brandon) Miller of Alexandria, VA; Marcus (Taylor) McClure of Orlando, FL; Jillian Jacobson of Washington, DC; Richard Jacobson (Tanaja) of Cleveland, OH; Dustin McClure of Kansas City, KS and Derek (Ellie) McClure of Stafford, KS. Willard was a loving husband, father, grandfather and will be greatly missed by the family he left behind.
A celebration of his life will be held on Friday May 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Stafford United Methodist Church with Rev. Kim Hurley Andrews officiating.