Gerald (Jerry) Wayne Lotton, 86, of rural Bellflower, died Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Mercy Hospital Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jerry was born March 10, 1938, in rural Bellflower to Thayne McBird Lotton and Helen Stahel Lotton. Jerry began school at Rodgers School, a one-room schoolhouse just down the back road from home. He began school at Bellflower in third grade and stayed there until his junior year. During Jerry’s senior year in high school, the school district consolidated. He graduated from Montgomery County R-II High School in 1956. However, he always considered himself a Bellflower Pirate.
After high school Jerry farmed with his father. He married Marjorie Clark on Oct. 25, 1959, and they had two children: Carol and Randy. After Thayne’s death in 1966, Jerry and Margie moved back to the family farm, where Jerry was born and raised. Jerry lived the rest of his life there, eventually farming with his own son. He always said, “This is the most beautiful place on earth. Why would I want to go anywhere else?”
In his younger days, Jerry was an avid hunter and enjoyed coyote and raccoon hunting with his buddies. He and Margie were members of the Bellflower Squircle 8’s square dance club. Jerry also coached Little League baseball and enjoyed watching Randy play basketball, seldomly missing a game. Jerry loved to sing and often sang at church, funerals, weddings and the annual Bellflower Cemetery Program. He shared the love of music with Carol. She would accompany Jerry and his sister Marjorie on the piano. Jerry always had a huge garden, often sharing his corn and cantaloupe with neighbors. He loved to barbecue, go on Polaris rides and sit outside visiting with family and friends. His family was the most important to him. He especially enjoyed spending time with his three grandchildren – Jacob, Shane, and Ally. Jerry and Margie were married for 62 years before her death in April 2022.
Jerry was a lifelong faithful member of Bellflower United Methodist Church, served on the Bellflower Volunteer Fire Department Board and was a 50-year member of the Bellflower/Montgomery Masonic Lodge #256.
Jerry is survived by two children: Carol Lotton Hassler of Warrensburg and Randy Lotton and his wife Eileen of rural Bellflower; three grandchildren, Jacob Lotton of Montgomery City, Shane Lotton of St. Peters and Ally Hassler of Kansas City; two sisters, Shirley Arens and husband Dick of Montgomery City and Marjorie Henry of Ocean Shores, Wash.; and a cousin, Sandra Deves and husband Gerald of Montgomery City. Also surviving are numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Thayne and Helen Lotton; wife Margie; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Jaen Henry; Bill and Mildred Percy; Harold and Karen Clark; and Rube and Evelyn Little.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 28 at the United Methodist Church in Bellflower. Interment is at Bellflower Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. on April 27 at Schlanker Funeral Home in Montgomery City, with the Masonic service at 5:30 p.m. Pallbearers include Jacob Lotton, Shane Lotton, Brian Clark, Ron Percy, Kevin Schmidt and Kirk Ballew. Honorary pallbearer is lifetime friend Bernard Begeman.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Montgomery County Senior Center or Bellflower United Methodist Church in care of Schlanker Funeral Home, 207 Danville Road, Montgomery City, MO 63361.
Condolences may be left online at www.schlankerfuneralhome.com.
