Richard Gail Hoar was born on September 1, 1927 to Harold H. and Inda (Merriman) Hoar in Lowell Township, Woodston, KS. He grew up on the family farm south & west of Woodston. He attended country school, 3miles by country road, but learned it was much quicker by crossing the river & cutting across the field and pastures.
After graduating from Woodston Rural High School in 1945, Gail joined the Navy and served as a cook on the USS Shakle Ship at San Diego, California. He returned home to Woodston from the service in 1946 and began working.
On May 9, 1948, he married Ila Belle Dibble at the United Methodist Church in Woodston, KS. They made their home about 1 mile from his parents, where two red-headed girls joined the family. The young family moved to a farm owned by Gail’s grandfather, Oscar Hoar, in Ash Rock Township; the Township in which his ancestors homesteaded and where a dark- headed girl joined the family, followed by blonde-headed twin girls just 19 months later.
The family then moved to the Elton Murphy Farm just one mile north of Woodston, KS. Gail continued to farm and raise crops, cattle, hogs and girls. He also became a part-time rural mail carrier. In 1978, Gail sold his farm ground keeping the house and 40 acres and became a full-time rural carrier serving Woodston and Stockton areas. In 1982, Gail moved Ila Belle to Stockton (literally) to the home that they shared until moving to Redbud Estates in Plainville in January of 2019.
After retiring as a Rural Mail Carrier in 1992, Gail took up woodworking, building many items that he gifted to his kids & grandkids. He was also the neighborhood lawn maintenance man, mowing yards for family and friends. It was not unusual to see him riding his mower down the street heading to his next “job.” He continued to provide this service until it became too difficult to drive his mower with his cane on it!
Gail accepted Christ as his Lord & Savior as an adult. From that moment on, he lived his life reading and studying the Bible and in service to his Lord. He was always willing to help a stranger, neighbor, or family member if he was able. He tried to instill in his family the importance of living a life based on faith in God and living by “The Golden Rule.” He is still praying for some of us!
Gail was kind of a “neat freak.” He wanted things organized; a place for everything, and everything in its place. It was always a family joke to not put down a glass that you were drinking from and leave to go to the bathroom for when you returned, it would be picked up, emptied out and in the dishwasher. If cleanliness is next to Godliness, he was right there. How many men do you know that would get down on his hands and knees and clean the whole living room carpet with a dust buster?! That cleaning gene may have skipped a generation…or two. Even when it got more difficult for him to get around, he still wanted to know what was going on in the lives of those he cared about.
Gail is survived by his wife of 72 years, Ila Belle Hoar; daughters Diana Luhman and husband Ray of Colby, KS, Brinda Hahn of Osborne, KS, Anita Conger, and Bonita Wagner and husband Tony, all of Stockton, KS; 10 grandchildren, David (Jennifer Morrissey, Karrina (Craig) Brasser, Richard (Michele) Hahn, Rebecca (Mat) McNeal, Kristy (Scott) Nuzum, John (Tina) Conger, Jake Conger (Barb Ard, Jana (Joe) Becker, Scott (Jess) Wagner, and Travis (Betsy) Wagner; 25 great-grandchildren, Kalyn (Logan) Hower, Dalton & Carter Brasser, Eli, Audrey & Emree Hahn, Ashton, Brayden & Tirion McNeal, Taylor Hahn, Cody, Colter, Jeston, Chase, Kya & Trayven Conger, Missy & DJ Ard, Harper & Hallee Becker, Ayden & Gemma Wagner, McKenna & Kaden Varlack and Perri Wagner; and sister Arlyne (LeRoy) Hutton.
Gail is preceeded in death by his parents, his sister Barbara Nelson and daughter Valeria Morrissey.
Graveside services will be held on Monday, May 18, 2020 at the Woodston Cemetery, Woodston, KS at 2:00 PM. There will be no public visitation.
Memorial donations are suggested in lieu of flowers to Woodston United Methodist Church or Stockton Food Pantry and may be sent in care of the Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N 1st, Stockton, KS 67669. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com
While cleaning out his personal belongings, a poem was found hanging in his office in his handwriting.
“Hold your head up high,
Believe you are somebody and belong to something important
Because you are and you do.
We are a child of God and a member of this Kingdom,
There is no higher status in all this life.”
~ Author Unknown