Virgil Houston

VIRGIL HOUSTON Virgil Junior Houston, son of Virgil Rice Houston and Myrtle Anderson Houston Whitlock, was born, November 26, 1926 at Hugo, Missouri. He departed this life, Monday, June 6, 2011, at University Hospital, Columbia, Missouri at the age of eighty-four years, six months and eleven days. On June 4, 1950, in the Rose Garden at Faith Bible Academy, he was united in marriage to Norma Jane Edwards and to this union five children were born. They just celebrated their sixty-first wedding anniversary. He was preceded in death by his parents and step-father Ben Whitlock. Survivors include his wife, Norma Houston of the home; five children, Susan Houston of Columbia, Missouri, Alice McDermott and husband Jim of Camdenton, Missouri, Elizabeth Doney and husband Ed of Camdenton, Missouri, Martha Wood and husband Bill of Macks Creek, Missouri and Mark Houston and wife Nancy of Ft. Worth, Texas; nine grandchildren, J.J. Wallace, Christy Pond and husband Jim, Darin McDermott, Stephen Bradley, Jessica McDonald and husband Patrick, Jon Houston, Elise Houston, Wil Houston and Shane Houston; a sister, Willa Roe of Edina, Missouri and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Virgil was the sixth generation of his family to live in Camden County, where he lived his entire life. He served his country proudly in the United States Army during the Korean Occupation. After being honorably discharged, he returned to Camdenton where he graduated from Camdenton High School in the class of 1946. He attended the University of Missouri and worked in the family minnow business. He began a career with First National Bank in 1952 and retired in January of 1989 as a vice-president. He then followed a life-long dream to be an over-the-road truck driver. He went to commercial truck driving school and drove for J.H. Ware Trucking for several years. He was a founding partner in Cellular Connections/Executive Paging which helped bring paging and cellular services to the Lake of the Ozarks. Virgil made a profession of faith as a teenager and was a member of First Baptist Church of Camdenton. He loved the Lord and his church, serving as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and as church treasurer for twenty-five years. He was a Gideon, serving with the Camdenton camp, and a founding board member of Spirit FM KCVO. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading, playing Spinner and ping pong. Most of all, time spent with his family was precious to him. Virgil was a selfless man who always considered the needs of others before himself. He was patient, humble, gentle and more than anything, a servant. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, and a caring neighbor and friend. Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 8, 2011 in First Baptist Church of Camdenton under the direction of Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Dale Blair Memorial Cemetery, Camdenton. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Tuesday in First Baptist Church of Camdenton. Memorial donations may be made to The Gideon's and left at the funeral home. Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Camdenton is assisting the family with arrangements.