Jack M. La Rue

In his own words... "I was born naked and never got over the shame of it. At the time I was born, we lived in Binghamton, NY. My parents and older sister, Beverly Jean Hall. She was my half-sister, but we always tried to treat her like she was all there. At the time my dad drove a truck and they say I cut my teeth on the steering wheel. A lifetime later I still love to drive. My mom worked for ANSCO, they made cameras and film. Apparently, she made a good wage, she had money saved up and had a car. That's why Dad married her, at least that's the story they've been telling for years. In January 1939 my younger sister Marlene Margaret was born. A couple years later we moved to Smithville Flats."

Jack attended school in Smithville Flats and Greene. NY, He graduated from Greene High School. While attending the Smithville Flats Grade School, a 3-room schoolhouse covering through grade 6, he met the twins Adella and Estella Crumb. In 1955, he married Adella. He joined the Air Force in August of 1954 and was shipped to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Jack and Adella had their first two children (Steven and Denise). The Air Force moved the family a few times, eventually landing in Colorado for a few years where the third child (Myron/Mike) was born. Several more years along with lots of moves, the family moved to Missouri. Jack retired from the Air Force in 1974. A few months later, Jack started work for the US Post Office as a letter carrier. Jack and Adella divorced in 1980.

While working for the Post Office, he met Karen Blosser, whom he married in 2004 after being together for many years. Karen brought with her into our family his last daughter (Elizabeth). They have lived in the Kansas City area for the rest of his life.

Jack was an avid coin collector and loved just going through his coins and learning about the history of the coins and how they were evaluated. He enjoyed many hours talking with coin specialists. He was also an avid book reader, which is a trait he passed on to his kids. He had a love of reference books and spy/detective novels.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Myron Howard La Rue and Mary Elizabeth La Rue (Sherwood).

He is survived by his wife, Karen Elizabeth La Rue, son, Steven Jack La Rue and wife Karla, daughter, Denise Ann La Rue and husband Todd, son, Myron Ralph La Rue, daughter, Elizabeth Athena Fry, and 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

A small Memorial Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 12:00 PM, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home. There will be a larger Celebration of Life on October 15, 2023. More details to come.