Ben Clinton Bond

Ben Clinton Bond, son of Samuel Grant and Ester W. (Haffner) Bond, was born on April 19, 1937 on Spring Valley near Summersville, Missouri.  He passed away January 31, 2023 at Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains, Missouri with his wife and daughter by his side.  He was 85 years, 9 months and 22 days.

Ben attended the Flat Rock School until the 8 ^th grade and like most young men his age did at the time, he went to work on the family farm.  Ben left Summersville at the age of 18 and went to St. Louis where he worked odd jobs before being drafted into the United States Army in 1960 where he served for 2 years.  He spent 14 months of his service stationed in Germany.

Just before leaving for boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood, he met Betty Jones on a blind date set up by his sisters.  They were engaged in January and married October 19, 1963, spending 59 years together.  To their union one child was born, Dana.

After discharging from the Army, he returned to St. Louis where he worked at Parkmore Restaurant until getting a job at Wagner Electric where he worked for 21 years before the plant closed. Ben and Betty made the trek back to Summersville in the Spring of 1983 where they bought a farm just outside of town.  He was able to do all the things he loved on the farm and raised cattle, always had a big garden and took care of the yard.  He also worked at Mtn. View Fab for 17 years until retiring in 2002.

Ben was an avid hunter of geese, ducks, turkey, deer and also enjoyed coon hunting. He loved to fish and spent many days on the Missouri River with his family.  He was a member of the Daniel Boone Hunt Club and won many trophies for trap shooting.

He was saved and baptized at St. Pauls United Church of Christ on March 31, 1977.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Ester Bond; a brother, Ernie Bond; sisters, Ruby Evans, Rhoda Bird, Nellie Baum, Eunice Crider, Phyllis Rankin, Mavis Baum and Genevieve White.

Ben is survived by his wife Betty Bond of the home; daughter, Dana Edwards Bond of the home; three grandchildren, Milissa Bashford and husband Christopher of Wichita Falls, TX, Rebecca Fetzer and husband Ryan of Wichita Falls, TX and Dustin Grisham and wife Crystal of Bacliff, TX; five great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Brantley, Ryder, Maxwell and Callie along with many nieces and nephews.

Ben was a man of few words but had a mischievous sense of humor and when he got to know you, he would talk for hours.  He loved telling stories of growing up, hunting adventures or funny things that happened on the farm.  He loved his family and friends dearly and will be missed by many.