Raymond Vansell

Raymond Eugene Vansell was born on the 17th day of January in 1941 in Crest, Missouri the seventh of twelve children born to Charles and Georgia Miller Vansell.

Raymond, or Gene as he was called by his older siblings, grew up in Stover, graduating from Stover High School in 1959.  On August 20, 1960, Raymond was united in marriage to Bonnie Luvin and for the next 56 years, Raymond and Bonnie raised a family of five, spent many hours working side by side in the garden and enjoyed watching their family grow to include grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Bonnie preceded him in death on November 3, 2016.

Early in their marriage Raymond and Bonnie lived in Kansas City, where he was employed at Kramer Manufacturing, with Bill and Betty Leach’s Auction House and later for Wendell Robbins.  It was in 1972 they decided to return to their roots to raise their family, giving their children the joys of knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

After returning to Stover Raymond worked as a carpenter and rock-layer for several years.  He was best known as the singing carpet layer, installing carpet throughout central Missouri.  If you were lucky enough to have Raymond install your carpet you would be treated to a variety of songs and when the job was complete you had quality installation and possibly learned some new words to a familiar tune.  After years of backbreaking work in the carpet industry, he went to work for Hodges Cabinet Shop in Stover, but it didn't take long before he returned to his true profession of laying carpet, finally retiring in his early 70's.

Raymond never tired of keeping busy, he spent hours working in the garden, growing hundreds of tomato plants to make quarts and quarts of salsa.

His gruff exterior hid a heart of gold and he would give the shirt off his back to help someone.  He loved being on the Vansell homestead, which had been in the family for 78 years and where he had lived since, he was the age of 2.  He and Bonnie purchased it from his parents and it is a place he looked forward to spending every minute he could with his family, especially his grandkids and great grandkids.

It was shortly after noon on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at the Golden Age Living Center in Stover with his family by his side, that Raymond left this world and is singing like never before.

Raymond is survived by four children and their spouses, Rick and Lisa Vansell of Stover; Gina and Kent Engelbrecht of Stover; Aaron and Crystal Vansell of Versailles and Michelle Wood of Springfield; five siblings and their spouses, Frances Wilcox of Sedalia; William and Martha Vansell of Lee’s Summit; Leonard and Linda Vansell of Blue Springs; Patty Smith of Oak Grove and Darrell and Debbie Vansell of Versailles; eighteen grandchildren, Chassidy, Justin, Jonah, Ashley, Jessica, Samantha, Paige, Blake, Amber, Malcolm, Aaron, Jr., Kayla, Taylor, Dameyan, Evalyn, Gerald, Raelyn and Gabrielle, twenty-one great grandchildren, along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In addition to his beloved Bonnie, he was preceded in death by his parents, a son Rodney Luvin, and siblings, Alvin Vansell, Clayton Vansell, Ruth Williams, Frank Vansell, Larry Vansell and Hellen Vansell.

Graveside services will be 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 27, at the Stover Cemetery in Stover with Bro. Randy Fischer officiating.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Stover Cemetery.

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