W.A. "Wilbur" Hargrove Obituary (1922 - 2012)

Coffeyville - Wilbur Allen Hargrove, 90, left this earth on July 20, 2012 at Windsor Place Nursing Home after a lengthy battle with respiratory illness. He now joins Ann, his loving wife of 68 years who passed away in 2010. Wilbur, known as W.A. to his friends, was born on May 20, 1922 in Walker, Missouri to James and Helen Hargrove. He spent his childhood in Fort Scott, Kansas. The depression years found Wilbur starting work young. At age 10 he worked a paper route and won awards for his success in his second job selling and delivering magazines. He further developed his strong work ethic delivering Pepsi driving the delivery truck at age 13, long before the legal driving age. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942 serving until the end of WWII in 1945. His service included helping build the Alcan Highway as well as duty in France and Germany. During this period, he married the love of his life, Anna Marie Moulder. They had two children before moving to Coffeyville in 1948 to work for his uncle Roy Foutch's auto salvage and parts store. Wilbur became the owner in 1957 and Hargrove Auto Supply served the community until 1995, the last years by Wilbur's son Tom Hargrove who took over ownership. In retirement Wilbur's passion continued to be golf. His hobbies brought out his creative side as he enjoyed woodworking and made beautiful stained glass windows. Wilbur is survived by one son Tom Hargrove and his wife Laurel of Coffeyville; one daughter Claudia Crim and husband Bill of Kennesaw, Georgia; one sister Winifred Clausing and husband Gerald of Ft. Belvoir, Virginia; one granddaughter Amanda Brown and husband Jason of New York; three grandsons Clinton Edmisten of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Jeremy Edmisten and wife Jennifer of Wilmington, North Carolina, David Crim and wife Jennifer of Cincinnati, Ohio; and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral service, under the direction of David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Coffeyville, will be held at Fairview Cemetery Veterans Memorial Patio on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Entombment will follow at the family Mausoleum in Fairview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice; contributions may be left with the funeral home or mailed c/o David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 306 North Cline Road, Coffeyville, KS 67337-1207.