Samuel Mcvey Condron, Jr.

Samuel McVey Condron Jr. December 17, 1929 - November 30, 2013 Samuel McVey Condron Jr. began his journey on earth in a farm house 12 miles south of Chillicothe, Missouri; December 17th 1929. He was the youngest of 13 children born to Samuel and Mildred (Blackhurst) Condron. He was raised on the family farm and grew to appreciate the beauty and wonder of nature so much that later in life he would return to the same farm where he was born to spend most of his adult life. He attended grammar school at the Asper School and Graduated from Avalon High School in 1947. At the age of 18, Sam joined the Navy and served two years which included time on the USS Samuel B. Roberts. After the Navy he returned to Chillicothe where he married Helen M. Claypole August 5th 1950. While in Chillicothe he worked at the Gambles store as a salesman. In 1953 his military service continued when he enlisted in the US Air Force. His career in the Air Force spanned 18 years until his retirement in 1971 when he returned to Chillicothe. Sam held several jobs and was stationed across the globe. He started as a Clerk Typist and worked on the Defense Early Warning Line, or DEW Line, located on Resolution Island in Hudson Strait, Northern Canada. He was later trained to work as a Navigational Aids Technician where he maintained ground equipment critical to the safe landing of aircraft. As a Nav Aids Tech he was assigned to Fairford RAF Base in England and to Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean as well as other assignments in the United States. In the later part of his Air Force career he became a Special Electronics Technician and subsequently became an instructor in the technical school at Lowery Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. His final assignment took him and his family to Tehran, Iran where he worked as a technician on sensitive equipment located in the Shah's private game reserve. He retired from the Air Force as a Technical Sargent. In 1971 Sam and his family returned to the family farm where he became a gentleman farmer, raising hogs and cattle. He loved to build projects out of wood and was constantly working on items for Oakland Christian Church. Shortly after he returned to Chillicothe, he became the manager of the Empire Gas office where he worked until 1974 when he started a second career with the US Postal Service. Sam worked as a Clerk at the Chillicothe Post Office until he retired, this time for good, in 1992. Sam was very civic minded and believed in giving back to the community. He served as a Member and President of the Tina-Avalon School Board. He was an Elder and Chairman of the Board at Oakland Christian Church. The source of great pride and honor was his service as Member and President of the Avalon Cemetery Board. Until his death he served as the Sexton of the Avalon Cemetery. He was also a member of the American Legion. Sam was preceded in death by his parents Samuel McVey and his mother Mildred (Blackhurst), His brothers, Lawson McVey, William Peter (Bill), Walter Eugene (Gene), Roger Stephen and his sisters, Edna Gertrude (infant), Josephine Mildred (Standley), Dorothy Ruth (Fields), Margaret Lillian (DeShazer), Elsie Gertrude (Wheeler), Nellie Lenore (Kerns), and Norma Elizabeth (Pearson). He is survived by his wife Helen Melvadean, his children: Sandra Joyce (Frank) Thompson (Breckenridge, MO), Samuel McVey (Catherine) (Hillsboro, OR), and Steven Glen (Cindy) (Ottawa, KS). His sister Mary Ellen (Piggott)(Overland Park, KS) and his sister-in-law Irene Condron (Indigo, CA). His twelve grandchildren: Frank Jr., Caren, Sam IV, Jesse, Jim, Steven Jr., Tara, Henry, Brett, Andrew, Alexandra, and Shay. His ten great-grandchildren: Dashiell, Alaina, Carson, Luke, Case, Kerington, Emma, Axson, Easton, and William. He is also survived by a countless number of nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Saturday, December 7, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. A scheduled family visitation will be held at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Friday, December 6, 2013, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friends may call at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Friday, December 6, 2013, from 12 noon until 8:00 p.m. Burial will be held at Avalon Cemetery, Avalon, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Avalon Cemetery or Oakland Christian Church and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be made at www.lindleyfuneralhome.com . Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri.