Lloyd Cecil Ridge

Lloyd Cecil Ridge was born on the Ridge Family Farm August 21, 1933 the eldest son of Lloyd West and Ola Mable (Saville) Ridge. Lloyd was joined by his little brother Jim when he was seven years old and has also been blessed with many brothers and sisters in Christ having been baptized in the west fork of the Grand River and added his membership to the Isadora Church of Christ at an early age. 

Since Lloyd was named after his father, he was also known as L. C. (his daughter mistakenly assumed his name was Elsie as the letters L. C. always ran together when someone mentioned L. C.)

Lloyd grew up at the foot of the hill near Pleasant Valley School in Worth County where he attended until it closed and then transferred to Blockton, Iowa to attend school and ultimately graduated from Sheridan High School in 1952.

Lloyd served in two branches of the military: the Navy and the Army. During high school he along with his buddy Bill Freeman joined the Naval Reserves and enlisted in the Navy after graduation in 1952, before he could go on active duty he contracted polio and was discharged from the Navy. When he recovered, a year later, he was drafted into the Army from which he was medically discharged due to the effects of polio.

He came back to the farm and married his fiancée, sweet Alice Marie Ray, a few days after she graduated high school on June 5, 1955. They made their home on the top of the high hill that overlooks the bottoms of the West Fork of the Grand River. Lloyd never got tired of the view of the valley or of being a farmer. 

Lloyd was father to Roger Sidney Ridge and Rebecca Lou Ridge Carlson, and host to countless family members, shanty shakers, ministers, friends, occasional wanderers and truckers that broke down because they couldn’t make it to the top of the hill on blacktop F. Lloyd was particular and very observant, he had a knack for noticing things like…seeing small dents on a car, noticing missing hubcaps, reprimanding when a skirt was too short or complaining when hair was too long.

Lloyd and Alice ran the typical 1950’s Missouri farm, they milked cows, raised hogs and beef cattle, row cropped corn and soybeans. Together they sang duets at countless weddings and funerals, played cards with their friends on Friday nights, and enjoyed family dinners on Sunday after attending church.

Lloyd never had a hobby till he was in his 70’s and he and Alice started going “South for the Winter” where he learned to carve and burn wood. He made spoons, pictures and figurines and enjoyed carving with other members of the “Easy Bleeders” wood carving club in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Lloyd loved his grandchildren and was happiest when Caleb, Taylor, Jake, and Sarah would spend time with him on the farm. Their Grandpa taught them important life lessons, how to serve the Lord, how to take care of family, how to be a farmer, how to be a good neighbor and friend.

Although he missed the farm and the Blockton neighborhood especially, he was grateful for the friends he made and staff that cared for him at Field Pointe Assisted Living in St. Joseph where he spent the last three years of his life.

Lloyd was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife Alice. He is survived by his brother Jim (Joyce) Ridge; Son Roger (Lisa) Ridge, St. Joseph, MO; Daughter Becky (Jim) Carlson, King City, MO; Grandsons Caleb Ridge (Courtney) Blockton, Iowa; Jacob (Petrea) Carlson, Amity , MO;  Taylor Ridge (Baylee), Grant City, MO: Granddaughter Sarah (Colby) Schuman, Amity, MO; Great Grandchildren: Tanner Ridge, Riley Ridge, Addaline Schuman, Chloe Carlson, Kaylee Carlson, Parker Ridge and another soon to be born great-granddaughter.

Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, September 23, 2024 at the Prugh-Dunfee funeral Home in Grant City, Missouri. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Blockton, Iowa. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to service time. Memorials may be made to Isadora Church of Christ or Blockton Friends of Family.

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