Earl Roy Youmans

Earl Roy Youmans, 79, of Edwardsville, Kansas, passed away May 6, 2017 at Golden Living Center in Edwardsville. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 11, 2017 at Chapel Hill – Butler Funeral Home, 701 North 94th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66112, with visitation from 10:00-11:00 a.m. preceding the service. Interment with Honors will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Donation Processing, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741-5014.

Earl was born June 9, 1937 in Los Angeles, California to Lester and Irma Youmans. He graduated from Monrovia High School in Monrovia, California. After graduation, Earl enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1954-1956, mostly in Germany. A week before his release, Earl met his future wife, Ramona at a rollerskating rink, where he asked her for a couples’ skate and began their 58 year romance. They married on January 23, 1959. He worked a variety of jobs over the years, fifteen years as a carrier for the United States Postal Service, several sales positions, but his main calling was as a minister. He volunteered often with the deaf and taught sign language. Earl founded the River Chapel Assembly church in Arizona and served there as pastor for eleven years. While flying weekly for his work, Earl was selected by Southwest Airlines as their most Frequent Flyer and Earl got to throw the first pitch for a Texas Rangers game. After moving to Kansas City, Earl and Ramona joined the Crossroads Christian Church in Shawnee. Earl was a very active man, he enjoyed rollerskating, he took lessons to become a pilot, played the trumpet, enjoyed traveling (though his family always joked that he moved them to wherever they were planning on vacationing), and enjoyed relaxing with a good book.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Irma Youmans, and his sister, Joanie Clark.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ramona Youmans; his children, James Youmans and his wife Wendy, Vangie Kelso and her husband Benny, and Rebecca Freeman and her husband Josh; his siblings, Gayle VanEssen and her husband Peppy, and Leon Youmans and his wife Sue; as well as seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.

Condolences for Earl may be left at www.chapelhill-butler.com, as arrangements are under the direction of Chapel Hill – Butler Funeral Home, 701 North 94th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66112.