Ron Davison, age 82,
Ron Davison, age 82,
An “Informal Gathering of Friends and Family” for Ron Davison, age 82, of Lenox, formerly of Bedford, who passed away Wednesday, September 12, 2018, at Vintage Park will be held Sunday, September 30, 2018, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Lenox Community Center with friends and family greeting friends. INSTEAD OF FLOWERS the family requests memorials be given in Ron’s name. Memories may be shared with the family at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com under Obituaries. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Home of Lenox where we ‘Celebrate Life’.
Ronald Dean Davison entered this life on a farm near Hopkins, Missouri on August 8, 1936. Born to Archie Robert and Marguerite Belle (Douglas) Davison, and welcomed home by big sister Patsy. Ron went to school at Hopkins, Missouri until 1944, when the family moved to the farm near Gravity, Iowa where he finished his schooling. He joined the United States Army in September of 1954, during the Korean War serving at Ft. Huachuca in Arizona. While in the service he married his hometown sweetheart, Sharon Jane Reynolds of Bedford at the United Methodist Church in Lordsburg, New Mexico on January 9, 1957. Ron was honorably discharged in July of 1957. Ron and Jane moved to Bethany, Missouri where Ron learned to cut meat at the Hy-Vee grocery store. It was here that their only child Nickie Lee was born on April 4, 1958.
They moved back to the hometown area where Ron would remain for the majority of his life time. They farmed south of Bedford where they raised hogs and crops and milked over 30 cows daily. They farmed east of the Conway Cemetery also where they had a farrow to finish hog operation, along with sheep, cattle, and row crops. They came through the Conway tornado with minimal damage unlike the town that was decimated. Ron retired from farming actively and they moved back to Bedford in the early 70’s.
In Bedford, Ron, with Jane always by his side in any endeavor they undertook, were co-owners of the Wholesale Grocery with William & Richard Cross, where he was head of the meat department. They purchased the Junction Café from Cleo & Naomi Thomas, and the Frosty Trete from Glenn & Luella Straight. He also became a Farm Bureau insurance agent, earning many awards during his tenure. His good nature, quick wit, and ‘gift of gab’ served him well in all of these endeavors. He enjoyed pranks and good times with his co-workers and customers.
Even though he retired from actively farming, he never really got it out of his system. When they bought the acreage just east of Bedford on the 102 River, he always had animals; be it his favorite sheep, or horses, goats, llama, chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, or geese . . . no animal ever went hungry on Ron’s farm!
Ron was always active in the community serving on the city council, Jaycees, Lions, the American Legion, or as Secretary of the Taylor County Fair Board.
Ron & Jane loved to travel, especially to Colorado to enjoy the mountains, going on a white water rapid trip, even though he didn’t know how to swim, or to South Dakota for the annual buffalo round-up in Custer State Park getting snowed in sometimes for days.
Together they enjoyed wintering in Rockport, Texas for several years, making many good friends with other snowbirds from across the country.
Ron loved old tractors and he restored several over the years, all shined up driving them in the Bedford 4th of July parade or showing them off at the Taylor County Fair. He loved helping Bill and Clay, moving the big machinery from farm to farm whenever he was needed. He enjoyed helping Jerry Davis with his auctions, where he always came home with something needed, or not, or having coffee with the group at Godfather’s.
In 2014, when their health was failing Ron and Jane moved to Vintage Park in Lenox, Iowa, where he enjoyed the camaraderie with the staff and residents there. He kept busy working on jigsaw puzzles and watering any plant that looked thirsty . . . and some that didn’t!
Ron died at Vintage Park in Lenox, Iowa on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, leaving behind his wife of 61 years Sharon “Jane” Davison; a daughter Nickie and her husband William Henderson; and grandchildren Clay and wife Leah (Siverly); their children Cade & Shea all of Clearfield, Iowa; Grant and wife Elizabeth (Musich); their children Isabel & Jack of Ballwin, Missouri; also Paige and husband Zachary Bowe of San Diego, California. Brothers and sisters, Donna Belle Park, Wanda (Robert) Woldruff, Russell (Deanna) Davison, Raymond (Helen) Davison, Richard (Sharon) Davison, Linda (Floyd) Beason, and Roger (Sharon) Davison; John (Grace) Reynolds, a brother in law and sister-in-law Marilyn Newkirk; along with lots of nieces and nephews and a great bunch of friends accumulated through the years.
Preceding Ron in death are his parents Archie (1997) & Marguriete (1973), a brother in infancy (1935), sister Patsy Middleton (1993), step mother Beulah Lindsay Davison (1993), Parents- in- law Myron (1983) & Bessie Cox (1988) Reynolds, and brother-in –law Richard Park (2010).
He never knew a stranger be it animal, vegetable, or mineral and he could talk to anyone about anything and everything.
