Walter G. Conner

Walter Gene Conner was born March 23, 1929 in rural Pawnee County, Oklahoma. He was the son of John Wesley and Kate Edwards Conner. He was raised in the Terlton area and attended schools there.
After completion of his education, Walter worked in the oilfields of California for a short time before entering into the service of his country in the United State Army Air Corp in May 1946 and was on active duty with the United States Air Force which was formed on September 18, 1947. Walter served as a flight engineer during his military service. After completing flight engineer school was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Walter was honorably discharged in May of 1950 after completion of his enlistment.
Walter was united in marriage to Claudine R. Martin on December 9, 1951 in Sioux City, Iowa. They traveled and frequently moved during their early marriage as Walter accepted employment as a steeplejack, working throughout the Untied States. His duties included scaling buildings, chimneys and church steeples to carry out repairs and maintenance; often erecting ladders on church spires, industrial chimneys, cooling towers, bell towers, clock towers, or any other high structures.
When Walter finally accepted a position with Cesna Aircraft, the couple established their home in Wichita and then moved to Kansas City in 1953. After moving to Kansas City, Walter accepted a position as a car salesman and then the couple moved to Blue Springs, Missouri where he sold cars for Molle Chevrolet in Blue Springs for thirty-five years.
Walter, known to his great-grandchildren as Poppy, he loved spending time with them, taking them to see wildlife and fishing. He owned property with a lake from 1963-1973 where you could pay to fish. Walter was an avid woodworker and enjoyed visiting family and friends. His family said he could be a tab bit opinionated. He also liked making "his boys" toy guns and also built them a tree house.
Walter and Claudine were both ordained as ministers and evangelists at the Liberty Street Tabernacle on June 25, 1980. He studied the bible often and often traveled as a guest preacher after his ordination. Walter was a great example of a Christian who enjoyed spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to all those around him. He passed from this life to his heavenly home unexpectedly on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at his home in Blue Springs at the age of eighty-eight.
Walter was preceded in death by his wife, Claudine on February 17, 2017. In addition to his wife, Walter was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Theodore, Richard, William and Earl; five sisters, May, Gay, Marie, Faye and Violet. Walter is survived by a son, George Franklin Conner and his wife, Ok Yol "Connie" Conner; two grandchildren, Franklin Lyn Conner of Grain Valley, Missouri and Dianne Lynn Conner of Lake Tapawingo, Missouri;' two great-grandsons, Colton Lyn Conner of Grain Valley, Missouri, Kyle Andrew Conner of Grain Valley, Missouri; and great-granddaughter, Kaitlyn Jo Conner of Grain Valley, Missouri.