Franklin J. Maggard

Frank Maggard On November 26, 1946, Roy “Shorty” Maggard and Edna (Phillips) Maggard welcomed their first child, Frank, into the world. In the years that followed, Frank became big brother to five sisters, Flora Ann Maggard (passed away during infancy), Della Merchant, Linda Stufflebean, Rachel Patterson, and Thelma Dameron. He also, for better or worse, was the leader of the pack of four younger brothers, Sam, Art, Alvin, and Dean. Frank spent his early years in the Reeds, Missouri area and always had a story to tell about the simple ways of life back then and the shenanigans he and his friends carried out while attending Reeds elementary school. It’s not surprising that after years of being away, he returned to Reeds because, to him, it always felt like home. He stayed there the last 33 years of his life. For decades, you could find Frank wheeling and dealing at auctions and flea markets. He absolutely loved buying, selling, and trading just about anything and probably would have done this full time if he truly believed he could support his family this way. As a young adult, he had worked at Carthage Marble, Colaw’s Filling Station, and Leggett and Platt among other places but, in the early 1980s, Frank found his true calling as a truck driver. What started as a regional delivery driver for Master Made Paints turned into a career spanning over 25 years and nearly three million miles. The majority of Frank’s over-the-road career was spent at CFI in Joplin and RBX in Strafford. The last six years before his retirement were spent as an owner-operator with a few trucks of his own leased to various companies. Throughout his 72 years, Frank was the type of person who never met a stranger. He had the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, at any time. He was never one to “sugar coat” anything. He spoke his mind whether you liked it or not. He loved harmless pranks and good jokes. If a joke made Frank laugh, there’s no doubt he would share it with everyone (over and over again) no matter how inappropriate or offensive they thought it might be. He always had a story to share. One of Frank’s favorite stories involved his marriage to the love of his life, Nina Thrasher. He often recalled how guests at their wedding were taking bets on how long the marriage would last. That was on October 24, 1965. Without a doubt, not one person put their money on the union enduring over 53 years. As they built their lives together, Frank and Nina had four children, Larry, Patricia, Angela, and Jerry. They’ve also seen the addition of 12 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Frank passed from this worldly home on May 11, 2019. Per his wishes, his body is to be cremated and a gathering to celebrate his life will be held Saturday June 1, 2019 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. at his brother’s home at 6239 County Road 120 in Carthage. Arrangements are under the care of Midland Cremation Society.

Franklin J. Maggard

November 26, 1946 - May 11, 2019