John Robert Embree, 81, of Leeton, Missouri, died Sunday, May 28, at his home.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home with John’s nephew, Melvin Ficken, officiating. Interment will follow in Warrensburg Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ethan Embree, Joe Embree, David Cole, Kyle Pressly, Nathan Nelson and Zachary Hilty. Honorary pallbearers will be Timothy Spalding and Phillip Embree. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until service time Thursday at the funeral home.

He was born July 16, 1935, in Knob Noster, the son of Robert Allison and Dora Elizabeth (Vogler) Embree.

He and Martha Colster were united in marriage on June 29, 1956, in Warrensburg.

He attended Bethel School in Knob Noster until the eighth grade. Then he went to work on the farm with his dad in Knob Noster. Later, he worked at the shoe factory until the 1960s when he started working construction and farming at night. In 1972, John left the construction business and began the fulfillment of his lifelong dream of farming.

In the 1970s, John built his family home in Leeton. John enjoyed dancing every Saturday night and the sounds of a steel guitar. He loved his Wild Turkey and Mountain Dew and enjoyed going to the lake, taking boat rides, and taking bus trips to the casino to gamble. He loved tractor, Gator, and Kubota rides.

He is survived by his wife, Martha; a daughter, Pamela Jo Green and husband, Rusty, of Clinton; two sons, Robert Dale Embree (Carol), of Blue Springs and John Michael Embree and wife, Julie, of Leeton; a brother, Gerald Embree and wife, Lourene, of Independence; 12 grandchildren, April Cole and husband, David; Rachel Green; Joe Embree and wife, Veronica; Shella Pressly and husband, Kyle; Ethan Embree; Vanessa Embree; Phillip Embree; Emily Dickson; Rachael Nelson and husband, Nathan; Timothy Spalding; Jessica Hilty and husband, Zachary; and Alexandra Spalding; and 15 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Billy Joe Embree, and three sisters, Delpha Wiley, Georgetta Ficken and Leota Booth.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society or the Diabetes Association and can be left in care of the funeral home.