SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016

Obituary - Wayne Carlton Church

Wayne Carlton Church,
Wayne Carlton Church, 60, Clinton, Missouri, died Wednesday, March 2, 2016, after succumbing to injuries sustained from an accident outside his home.

Wayne was born July 19, 1955, in Clinton, Missouri, to Norman and Irene Church, their oldest child and only son. He graduated Clinton High School in 1973, and on August 6, 1977, he married Vicky Jo Mantonya in Warsaw.

Wayne was raised in the Lutheran church, where he completed confirmation, and was baptized into the Baptist church at Northeast Baptist Church, Clinton, on November 9, 1980. After 40 years of service in the Operating Engineers Local 101 as a heavy equipment construction mechanic, Wayne retired on November 25, 2015 from Clarkson Construction Company, where he worked more than 25 years and received numerous safety awards.

Wayne's life was a gift from his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He would not have wanted credit for this gift, so these words are intended to honor his wishes and instead give due credit to the Lord for his life. Through his relationships with others, his character, and the legacy he leaves behind, Wayne's life was a snapshot of the Lord's character and how the Heavenly Father loves his children.

Wayne was a husband of 38 years to his wife Vicky. And just like Jesus, as bridegroom to the church delights in his followers, Wayne and Vicky spent their marriage delighting in each other, filling their home with joy, laughter, and sarcasm. Wayne and Vicky came together as one and forged a marriage that was strongest when they served their family together: Wayne bringing home the bacon and venison and Vicky holding down the fort at home.

From the joy of their marriage, Wayne and Vicky raised two children Sarah and Jacob. And as his heavenly father pours out unconditional love and good gifts to his children, Wayne gave the same to Sarah and Jacob. His fatherly legacy will continue as his children live courageous lives, fighting for the freedom of others and selflessly loving their own families.

In addition to loving his own children, Wayne loved the other children in his life. It began as nephews and nieces and finally grandchildren were born. Just as Jesus took great joy in letting the little children come to him, Wayne found joy in the children around him. Whether as Uncle Wayne or Papa Wayne, he was quick with a hug (or most often, a tickling tussle), slow to impatience, and always eager to instill an ornery streak that those children will carry with them for a lifetime. Not limited to his family, Wayne also loved Vicky's horseback riding students and their siblings and made them feel special, often taking younger siblings to search for spent ammo cartridges, feed the fish, and pet the other horses while Vicky gave lessons.

In much the same way he was patient and kind with children, Wayne was patient and kind with his parents Norman and Irene and with his in-laws Edward and Helen. He modeled a son's love and a servant's heart toward them in his respect and service to them throughout his life in much the same way that Jesus was a model son to his father in heaven and servant to humanity. Whether helping out around the house or simply enjoying a cup of pop and a conversation, he loved his parents and in-laws deeply.

His deep love carried over to his younger sisters Donna and Lisa as an older brother. Jesus modeled brotherly love to his disciples, caring for them, protecting them, and occasionally exasperating them, and Wayne also cared for, protected, and often exasperated his sisters as only a big brother can.

And of course, any description of Wayne's character, life, and legacy would be remiss without mentioning his love of God's creation. Whether spending a day in the woods hunting in pursuit of a big buck or large turkey, watching countless sunrises and sunsets rising and falling over a work site, or making a creation of his own, Wayne demonstrated God's character of Creator. Wayne had the ability to make something from any weldable thing, and there isn't an acre of his and Vicky's property that doesn't have his workmanship upon it: a round pen built from highway guardrail, gates built from cable spools, and more tinkerings than can be counted.

Wayne's life was full of other family and friends, young and old, near and far, and the legacy that he leaves in each of those lives cannot be described here. Though his death seems untimely by mere human understanding, his Lord is sovereign over time and space, and his family and friends should have peace that just as his life was a blessed gift to us, we will one day understand his death to be a gift as well.

Wayne is survived in his death by his wife Vicky Jo (Mantonya) Church, Clinton; his daughter Sarah Jo (Church) Austin, son-in-law Chris, and grandson Elijah, Springfield; his son Jacob Wayne Church, daughter-in-law Brandi, and granddaughter Livie, Junction City, Kansas; his parents Norman Wayne and Emily Irene Church, Clinton; sister Donna Witman, brother-in-law Bob, nephews Vance and Drew, Charlotte, North Carolina; sister Lisa Robinson, partner Kris Whyte, nephew Cole, niece Cassidy, Lee's Summit; his parents-in-law Edward and Helen Mantonya, Deepwater; sister-in-law Kathy O'Dell and brother-in-law Martin, Calhoun; brother-in-law Michael Mantonya, sister-in-law Christina, nephews Zachary and Brandon, nieces Alexis and Mya, Deepwater; and many other cousins, extended family, and friends.

Wayne was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Eary Albert and Lula Vicinda (Scott) Hammons and his paternal grandparents Wade Carlton and Blanche Mae (Murphy) Church.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at Northeast Baptist Church, Clinton, 7th and Lincoln Streets. Burial will be in the Bethlehem Cemetery, rural Clinton near Wayne's home. The family will receive friends noon to 2:00 p.m., just prior to the funeral service. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday at the Bradley & Hadley Funeral Home, Clinton. The family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the Henry County 4-H Council for the shooting sports or the horsemanship programs. These donations may be left in the care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left online at www.bradleyhadley.com.
Published by Bates County News Wire on 3/06/2016 09:45:00 PM