Loren Fred Ebert came into this world August 27, 1931 in Atchison County. The son of Henry and Clara (Hirz) Ebert. He grew up on a farm near Rock Port, Missouri, better known as the German settlement of St. John’s Lutheran Church community, an area he loved with all his heart. He was born, raised and lived his entire life in the same house with one older sister, Janice. He attended Mayflower Rural Grade School for eight years before reluctantly moving on to the big town of Rock Port to attend high school and graduating in the class of 1949.

God’s Word says in Hebrews 9:27 “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”…Loren’s appointment to leave us came at the age of 90 years old at 8:00 Saturday morning on January 15^th  in the year of our Lord 2022.

He faithfully attended the St. John’s Lutheran Church, Westboro, Missouri, since the crib. There he was baptized on September 27^th, 1931 and confirmed in August of 1945. Loren served as treasurer for his church for four years and enjoyed being a part of the churches ‘Couple’s Club’ which met once a month for some clean Christian fun.

Loren in high school became very interested in sports and played every sport available. In those days living eleven miles from town was pretty tough to be involved with after school activities but Loren made it work. Although, he made All Conference on both sides of the ball in football, played basketball, accumulated many gold medals in track by running the hurdles and high jumping; baseball was his sport. He was a pretty good third baseman on the Legion baseball teams and played on many fast pitch softball leagues after graduating as well.

After graduating, Loren went right into farming for his father. Shortly after came the Korean War where Loren served his country from 1952 to 1954. He was stationed for fourteen months in Korea and 2 months in Japan. In 1954, he came home with his honorable discharge where his fiancé was waiting for him. Loren has been a member of the American Legion since 1954.

Before bootcamp started, Loren was riding around with friends in a packed car and there they spotted the new girl in town walking home from work and they pulled over to give her a ride forcing her to sit on Loren’s lap and that was all it took. Joan Byrd got engaged to Loren and waited for him to return from war and got married at St. John’s Lutheran Church, September 1, 1954.

Loren bought some more farm ground after the war and nothing made him happier then raising cattle, except raising a family. Loren and Joan were given the blessing of one daughter, Lori and one son, Brian. Besides farming, Loren was a member of the ACSCA from 1974 to 1983.

He spent many years as a reporter for the ASC and served on the board of the FHA as well as the Farm Bureau Board and the Fair Board.

Even though Loren loved farming, he would drop a good day of farming to watch his children participate in what ever it was they did and help with needs around the church and community friends. There would always be another sunny day to farm but being with family and friends was top priority.

Several years before retiring from the farm and after his children moved out and got their own lives started elsewhere, Loren picked up playing many different sports. He was always on a bowling league, playing winter time ping pong with the church boys and then he discovered golf. Loren suffered a heart attack in his late 50’s and vowed to himself that would never happen again. He became an exercise addict, walking a few miles a day, stretching, lifting weights and so on and made a goal he would golf until he passed away, not knowing he would lose his eyesight before his muscles ever gave out. He still got a hole-in-one as a blind man at the age of 81. Thanks to all his loyal golf friends who were always there to take him to the course after losing his driving license.

Loren’s wife, Joan of 67 years survives as well as his daughter, Lori and husband Steve Taylor, Innsbrook, Missouri, his son, Brian and wife Caterina, Lewistown, Illinois; 2 grandsons, Seth and Jesse; great-grandson, Noah and great-granddaughter, Lianna; two nieces, Rhonda and Natalie, that he was very fond of and their families along with other cousins and relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Janice Wood; brothers-in-law, Norman Wood and Ronald Byrd and sister-in-law, Ellie Byrd.

Loren would have wanted a special thanks to go to David and Mark Laumann for taking such good care of his farm for him when he was unable to. Also, a special thanks to Kevin and Ryan Sutter for always checking up on him, on that lonely country road Loren and Joan lived on.

God’s Word tells us in Psalms 90:10 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten (seventy); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (eighty), yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Loren was blessed to have lived a long time, going past the average life expectancy but with that comes many sorrows. It broke his heart to keep seeing so many of his lifelong friends pass on, he was weary of losing his ping pong and golf friends and then after losing his eyesight, cancer finally took his body that he had worked so hard to keep in shape so he could live longer. It frustrated him that he could not read his Bible any longer nor lead in daily devotions with his wife. He never got to see how cute his great-grandchildren are. A friend of Loren’s said it so well “he is smiling and laughing because he can see clearly the beauty of heaven.”

Funeral Service: 11:00 A.M., Friday, January 21, 2022, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Westboro.

Open visitation begins 9:00 A.M., Thursday, January 20, Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port, where the family will receive friends from 6:00-7:00 P.M.

Memorials: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Westboro.

Interment: St. John’s Cemetery, Westboro.

Arrangements: Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port.

More information www.minterfuneralchapels.com