Fred J. Marsh Jr.

Fred J. Marsh, Jr., departed this life on April 9, 2010 in his home with his family by his side. He was born to Fred and Leota (Griffith) Marsh, Sr. in Clinton, MO on March 2, 1924, the only son and the older of two children. He was 86 years of age.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Ruth in 2004, two grandsons, Joseph Daniel Marsh and David Bruce Marsh and one sister, Beryl Barth.

He married the love of his life, Ruth Dickison Marsh on July 13, 1946 in Kansas City, KS. Together, they cherished 58 years of marriage and a lifetime of happiness. Into this special union, God blessed them with three children.

Fred is survived by three children, Dr. Daniel Marsh and wife Cheryl of Asbury, MO, Deborah Lea Marsh, and Jeffrey Dale Marsh and wife Cynthia, all of Ava, MO.

He is also survived by six grandchildren; Rev. Jeffrey Dale Marsh, Jr. and wife Dawn of Bradleyville, Joshua David Marsh of Joplin, MO and fiancée Jennifer Elizabeth Larson of Aurora, MO, Brandon Lee Harris of Springfield, MO, James Douglas Marsh, Lindsay Brianna Marsh and Angela Kay Marsh; one great granddaughter, Emma Grace Marsh, nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of friends who were touched by his life.

Fred accepted Christ as his Savior and was baptized in 1946 at Ludwig Ford, Pleasant Home Baptist Church near Spruce MO. He was the sole-surviving member of the Pleasant Home Baptist Church of 64 years.

Fred grew up in Henry County, MO. during the years of the Great Depression. He helped support his family as a youth by trapping possums and jackrabbits, which he sold for a nickel each. As a teenager, he cut broom corn and worked in the Kansas wheat fields for several summers.

He graduated from Montrose High School in 1942. After graduation, he joined the Naval Air Corps, earning the wings of a Naval aviator and the rank of Lieutenant in 1944. He transferred to the Pacific in 1945, where he was involved in the occupation of Gwajalein.

After honorable discharge from the service, Ruth and Fred were married and made their home in Springfield, MO where Fred attended Drury University. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1949.

He worked as an educator for several years, teaching in Hickory County and Ava, MO. Returning to the family farm in Spruce, MO following his father-in-law's death, Fred farmed by night and commuted to Kansas City by day where he did pioneer work in jet engine technology at Westinghouse. Later, at Bendix Corp., Fred worked on the ICBM and Minute Man Missile projects.

In 1960, Fred accepted a position with Martin Marietta in Denver, CO where he and his team developed and implemented the first on-line real time processing system to track remote aircraft inventory. This revolutionary processing technology would eventually change the face of modern computing.

Several years later, as Director of Systems Analysis at Cape Canaveral, Fred was a part of NASA's Gemini and Apollo projects in the U.S. race to the moon.

He also spent four years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in a joint effort with TWA to launch a national airline for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He retired to the farm in 1971, fulfilling a life-long dream to return to his roots and pursue his first love.

Fred will be remembered as a life-long scholar who loved to read and learn and teach others. He was a loving father, grandfather and husband. Fred was honest to a fault, sincere to the highest degree and his determination knew no equal. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him.

Funeral services for Fred will be Monday, April 12, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in the New Mansion General Baptist Church, Bradleyville, MO with burial in the Patterson Cemetery with full military honors by American Legion #112 and VFW #5993. Visitation will be Sunday, April 11, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava, MO. Officiating will be Rev. Jeff Marsh and Rev. Jeff Marsh, Jr. Memorials donations may be made to Gideons.