R.D. (Ron) Dean Marquardt

R.D. (Roland Dean) Marquardt was born on September 2, 1936, in Bates County, Missouri to Fred Marquardt and Mildred (Steuck) Marquardt.  He lived in the Rich Hill / Papinville area his entire life.  R.D. attended the Rich Hill Lutheran Church and later became a member of the Double Branch Christian church.  R.D. attended school in Rich Hill elementary and Rich Hill high school where he graduated.  He was active in many sports during his high school years.  It was there that Ronnie and Marcelle (Bolser) Marquardt met, dated and became engaged on graduation night. 

R. D. and Marcelle were joined together in holy matrimony on September 18^th, 1955, at the Carbon Center Christian Church which was notably one of the few times he was ever coaxed to wear a suit.  Ronnie worked for many years in the family grocery store (Marquardt’s Grocery) as the meat cutter – a skill he enjoyed and continued as a personal hobby for several years.  To their union two sons were born: Rock Dean Marquardt, March 9, 1957, and Zachary Scott Marquardt, July 4, 1963.  When Marquardt’s Grocery was eventually sold, Ronnie and Marcelle purchased and took to farming on his grandparent’s (Marquardt) farm.  His love of the farm came from summers spent on his grandparent’s (Steuck) farm as a young boy.  Ronnie’s work on the farm included planting and harvesting many acres of row crops, tending to herds of angus cattle (who would follow him anywhere as long as he had a grain bucket in his hand – even if it was empty), and maintaining and tending to the Osage Valley Pecan orchards and property.  Ronnie and Marcelle built a home and moved to the family farm north of Papinville, MO in 1980 and shortly thereafter relocated the pecan plant from its original location in Rich Hill to be beside the home near Papinville.  For several years Ron served on the Prairie Township board.

Throughout their marriage, Ron and Marcelle had a love for boating and water skiing – starting on smaller bodies of water at the coal mining pits south of Rich Hill and then going on to own a family cabin at Truman Lake where they made many friends and wonderful memories.  For more than 60 years, they enjoyed having a boat and being on the water.  Over those years he taught numerous people how to water ski and enjoy the water as he did. 

Ronnie passed from this life to be with his Lord on Sunday February 11, 2024, with his sons by his side at Bates County Memorial hospital in Butler, MO.  He is a member of the Double Branch Christian Church.  R.D. is survived by his sons, Rock Marquardt of Papinville, Zack Marquardt (Gordon) of Kansas City; his sister, Phyllis Stewart (John) of Papinville; niece Lori Stewart of Lee’s Summit; nephew Dave Stewart of Belton; brother-in-law Ronald Bolser (Janice) of Rich Hill; and nieces, Sharon Love of Blue Springs, Jill Galate (John) of Lee’s Summit, and Janell Ledford (Shane) of Lee’s Summit; and many more relatives, as well as a host of wonderful friends and neighbors.

The family is blessed to have so many wonderful memories of R.D. “Ron” and his life with us, and they hope you share with them in the joy and love and laughter that he brought into our lives.

Visitation will be held at the Heuser Funeral Home in Rich Hill, MO on Thursday, February 15 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. At Ron’s request a graveside memorial service will be held at Green Lawn Cemetery on Friday, February 16 at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to either: Papinville Historical Society, or Kern Senior Center, Rich Hill, MO