Kenneth Hoots

Kenneth Hoots, son of the late Marion Frank and Opal Ruby (Reed) Hoots, was born December 16, 1942, in Mount Ararat, Missouri, and passed away August 17, 2019, at Cox Health in Springfield, Missouri. He was 76 years, 8 months, and 1 day of age.

Kenneth went to school at Mount Ararat through the eighth grade and then went to Cabool High School where he graduated.

Kenneth was a truck driver and owned the bus stop in Cabool, Missouri, where he also was a cook. Then he started driving for Continental Trailways. Later, he bought his own trucks and hauled corn and grain for himself through the winter months and hauled asphalt and rock in the summer. He would also haul milk for Mid-Am in Cabool when it was slow to make ends meet. He went on to buy several over the road trucks and operated them himself.

In 1986, he sold his trucks and went to work for Arkansas Freight which later became Fed Ex Freight. He retired from Fed Ex Freight in 2007. During this time, he also started a beef cattle farm with his son, Kelly. Working with his son was one of the biggest joys of his life.

In his spare time, Kenneth enjoyed fishing, attending the dirt track races, watching his son race ATV’s, going to truck and tractor pull
s and visiting with friends and family. He was never in too much of a hurry to stop and visit.
Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Billy Hoots, and by one sister, Marjorie Scott.

He is survived by his son, Kelly Hoots, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, four grandchildren, Haley Hoots of Springfield, Missouri, Kaleb Hoots of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Preston Johnson of Seymour, Missouri, and Hannah Hoots of Mountain Grove, Missouri, two great-grandchildren, Daylynn Hoots and Brynlee Goodwin, his sister, Kathleen Scott, Kelly’s mother, Lucille Steffey, many nieces and nephews and friends who will miss him.