Stephen Christopher Roush, 66, passed away September 13, 2019, surrounded by his family at his home in Lawson.
Stephen was born on January 15, 1953, to John and Marcelle (Ohalloran) Roush in Alton, Illinois.
He graduated from Excelsior Springs High School with the Class of 1973.
He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving from September 1975 to September 1978.
He retired from the United States Postal Service in 2010. He was a skilled carpenter and mechanic.
He married Donna Ackley on March 12, 1982, in Excelsior Springs. She survives at the home.
Stephen is also survived by three children, Brandi and Jason Jarrett of Cameron, Kendall and Stephanie Turner of Lawson, and Amber and Brian Gettings of Lawson; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren with another on the way; six brothers, John and Kitty Roush and Michael and Sue Roush, all of Excelsior Springs, Patrick and Paula Roush of Hartford, Mich., Timothy and Sue Roush of Kansas City, Kevin Roush of Asheville, N.C., and Vincent Roush of Liberty, Ind.; a sister, Harriet Oldroyd of Lawson; and many other relatives and friends.
Stephen was a member of the American Postal Workers Union. He served on the Ray County Historical Society Board of Directors for over a decade and was a dedicated volunteer at the Ray County Museum, working tirelessly to preserve the history of Ray County. He was also instrumental in the presentation of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Albany.
Stephen loved his friends and family immensely. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing and camping. He lived his live with dignity, integrity, love and compassion.
Services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 19, 2019 at the Missouri Veterans’ Cemetery in Higginsville. The Patriot Guard will provide an escort from Lawson to the cemetery.
Memorial donations should be directed to the American Cancer Society.
Our Sincere Condolences
As simple as this sounds, I have made my living as a writer for over 40 years.
That is writing stories nearly every day, including Sundays.
But that does not make it any easier for me to write this memorial to my friend, Steve Roush.
So many moments. So many memories. So many Steve Jokes.
The writer in the movie “Stand By Me” says at the end, “I have never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
I can say that I did.
I have an entire laundry list (maybe book) of our adventures.
Hunting and processing deer. Motorcycle rides. Fishing. Camping out. Canoeing the Missouri River. Working at the Ray County Museum. Celebrating his 50th birthday by seeing Don Lipovac, the Polka King of Kansas City, in Strawberry Hill.
Years ago, when I chopped off my fingers on Christmas Day and took my first ever ambulance ride to St. Luke’s Hospital, Steve and Steve (Roush and McNeely) showed up at the hospital and were allowed in the emergency room by saying they were my brothers.
Which, in all reality, they are.
Without the use of my right hand, Steve became my chauffeur for a while.
A long while.
I will never be able to say what our relationship meant to me, us, and our families.
Steve was born on January 16, 1953 – 10 months before me.
I first met him at a kindergarten program at Southeast Elementary School, when our daughters, Brandi and Kerri were in the same class. But it wouldn’t be until after they graduated that we became friends.
He was a skilled carpenter and mechanic. He built the counter currently in use in the Lawson Post Office as a carpenter for the USPC.
Working with him at the museum, I learned a number, but not all, of his tricks of the trade.
Our first project together at the museum was the revamping the coal mine room, then the chapel, then the Battle of Albany Room, and on-and-on-and-on. We were currently remodeling the apartment in the museum when he just couldn’t do it anymore.
Steve fought a long battle with Hepatitis C and then with liver cancer. He took every day as it came and never really complained. The various treatments made him tired. There were some seasons when he would sleep more than hunt.
We were already making plans for him to go out this deer season.
We went dove hunting on opening day.
I sat in a fence row next to a field and he sat in a recliner in the parking lot.
We both got the same number of doves – zero.
But he loved it.
He loved being out-of-doors.
He loved sunrises and sunsets.
He loved his family.
He loved his friends.
Goodbye, Mi amigo.
David Blyth
