Gene Curtis

Ronald Gene Curtis, son of the late Otho and Beulah (Owens) Curtis, was born December 22, 1941, near Hartville, Missouri, and entered into Heavenly rest June 8, 2019, in Springfield, Missouri. He was 77 years, 5 months, and 17 days of age.

Gene was a graduate of Mountain Grove High School class of 1959. After graduating, he and some of his buddies moved to Washington to pick apples. Later he moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he met Louise Mayse. They were united in marriage on June 10, 1962, in Lamar, Missouri. Two children were born to this union.

Gene and Louise lived in Springfield where Gene sold Kirby Vacuums and later worked as a car salesman at a car lot before opening his own car lot.

In 1971, Gene bought the family farm in Mountain Grove, Missouri, and then moved the family to the farm in 1972. This is where Gene owned and operated a beef farm, combined fescue seed, and trucked in hay for many years. He also enjoyed real estate and buying and selling farm equipment.

Gene used to love to go to the lake and water ski and take the family camping at the river. He enjoyed farming, fishing, grabbing and gigging suckers, hunting deer, turkey, squirrel, quail, and taking trips to pheasant hunt. Gene also loved fish frys and eating fried green tomatoes.

Gene’s pride and joy were his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. He enjoyed attending their ballgames, school and church activities, and playing games and cards with family and friends.

Gene was saved and baptized in 1973 while attending the Oak Grove Free Will Baptist Church. What a grand reunion when he entered Heaven, not only to see Jesus, but his dad, his sisters, Marilyn Riggs, Joyce Nunn, and Lila Curtis, brother-in-law, Ed Kubisiak, and his son, Ronald Christopher Curtis.

Gene is survived by one daughter, Tara (Affholder) Curtis of Mountain Grove, grandchildren, Kristin Gray and husband, Jamon, of Norwood, Missouri, and Kaleb Affholder of Mansfield, Missouri, great-grandchildren, Hailey and Addy Gray, and Kadin Affholder, mother, Beulah Curtis of Mountain Grove, sisters, Nelda Kubisiak of Osage Beach, Missouri, and Joan Harker and husband, Paul, of Mountain Grove, brother, Reggie Curtis and his wife, Vi, of Mountain Grove, brother-in-law, Brent Nunn of Mountain Grove, friend, Louise Curtis, and a host of relatives and friends that will miss him dearly.