Maurice Moore

Maurice Moore, who embraced life with a spirit of zest, fair play and vision, died on August 21, 2020. Maurice was born in 1941 in Monticello, Arkansas to V.G. and Clara Belle Price Moore.

Maurice grew up on the family farm (Circle M Farms est. 1859) where he learned taking care of your equipment, planning, and working diligently makes life run smoother. He was an active Selma 4-H club member/ leader for 10 years which culminated in winning a trip to the 1959 National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. His farm management project, which earned him the championship in Boys Agricultural Program, was summarized by The Advance-Monticellonian as "...16 different projects, with beef cattle, swine, cotton, oats and soybeans being the main ones. He made an estimated yield of 680 pounds of lint per acre in the five-acre cotton contest, was a county fair champion exhibitor in barrows and won first in field crop exhibits." Maurice was the president of both his local club and the Drew County 4-H Club Council. These leadership skills learned early would be invaluable throughout his life.

He attended Arkansas A&M in Monticello where he was class president as a freshman and a junior. Maurice transferred to the University of Arkansas (Woo Pig Sooie!) for his senior year where he graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Agricultural Engineering. He spent the next few years working for Pet Milk Company (Mississippi) and Nestle Corporation (New York). In the 70's, he had an opportunity to bring his family closer to home by buying the John Deere Dealership in Brunswick, Missouri. He accepted this opportunity and what a ride it was!

The time in Brunswick was quite the adventure in terms of providing his children fun times (snowmobiling, water skiing, hunting, cook outs, zip lines, and much more) and helping the community as an engaged business partner. Maurice worked hard to provide the community with the service and reliability one expects from John Deere. In 1981, Maurice had a vision of streamlining the dealership and went about planning and creating a new building which would house both sales and service in one convenient location. Over 400 friends and customers attended the grand opening. Although the business did not survive the farm crisis, the building has served Brunswick well over the years in a variety of ways. Maurice went to work at the Chillicothe Moore Equipment branch until his retirement.
Retirement was well earned and well lived. Maurice was a man of routines which served him well and made him a reliable soul. Antique auctions, a variety of projects and family filled his time. He was very creative in finding ways to bring auction finds home. There was very little which couldn't be brought home in the car using bungee cords. One of the most interesting stories came from an auction in Columbia, MO. Imagine his mother's Crown Victoria car filled inside and out with a wide variety of items. Trunk is open and filled plus more stuff on top of the car. Now imagine what one would look like at the end of the day at the auction after loading all of these treasures. Did that stop him from enjoying the best steak around? No, it did not. We pulled up to the Pear Tree in Bevier, Mo looking like the Beverly Hillbillies and had the best meal of the year. For someone who prided himself on being neat and clean, he didn't mind getting dirty for a worthy cause.
He spent a fair amount of time dabbling in real estate and rehabbing dilapidated homes during retirement. Maurice enjoyed bringing something back from appearing worn out to being useful. This included lamps, furniture, and homes. He believed in giving people a chance and admired those with the gumption to advocate for themselves. Maurice has left this world a better place in many ways...a life well lived indeed.
Maurice led an interesting life guided by a strong belief in family and providing for his children. He had the philosophy that he would do what he could to provide opportunities for fun and career, but it was each child's responsibility to create their own path in the world. He was proud of his children and grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them...whether by phone, Zoom, or in person. His journey with God was like many people's: strong in the beginning and end, but a bit dormant in the middle. The time he spent in the Chillicothe United Methodist Church's Saturday morning bible studies with John Rice resulted in a calmer, more peaceful soul.
Maurice is survived by his wife, Rachel; his daughter, SueAnn Yanez and husband Candido, of San Jose, California, and their son Ezekiel; his son, Stephan Moore, of Salida, California; and his daughter, Megan Schneiter and husband Rusty of Dawn, Missouri, and their combined children : Jared Reavis; Ava Moore and Roman Schneiter; as well has his older brothers, Lamar Moore of Chillicothe, Missouri and Jimmy Moore of Monticello, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent Gresham Moore and Clara Belle Price Moore; and a nephew, Brett Moore.
Services will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 11:00 am at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home in Monticello, Arkansas with a private burial at Mt. Tabor Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, from 3:00p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Lindley Funeral Home Chillicothe, Missouri . Friends may call at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 from 8 am to 5 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Mt. Tabor Cemetery Fund or the Joy Toy Bikes for Kids Program and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home P.O. Box 47 Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be left at www.lindleyfuneralhome.com
The family extends heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the doctors, nurses, CNAs and staff at the St. Luke's Hospital System...including the Hospice program. Many times you were our home away from home and we couldn't have asked for better care and support over the years.
Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home Chillicothe, Missouri.