Obituary for Clifford Warren Ferrell
Clifford Warren Ferrell “Cliff/Dad/Papa”, age 80, of Linwood, Kansas went “Home, Home” to be with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Wednesday, April 5th, 2023, while at his home surrounded by his wife of over 58 years and most of his children and grandchildren. Cliff was born on the family farm in Valley Falls, Kansas, on August 1, 1942, to his parents, Claude and Esther Ferrell. He was extremely proud of his farming heritage, often telling those he met that his ancestors had homesteaded Kansas in 1857. He grew up on the family farm with his six siblings where they all learned the value of hard work and family love. He graduated from Valley Falls High School where he was the outstanding middle linebacker on his football team. He went on to play five years of college football at Emporia State University where he set tackle records and was named as a college Little All-American. His skill and love of the game led him to become a high school teacher and coach for 34 years, coaching football and track, impacting hundreds of young athletes’ lives. He began his teaching/coaching career at LeRoy High School, and finished his teaching years at Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas where his teams brought home many trophies and set countless records.
While still in college, he met the love of his life, Karen Aday, and they both said after the first date, “I think I’ve met the one I will marry.” They married at the end of that school year and returned to Emporia for his last year of college football and graduation. They moved to LeRoy, Kansas where their first child, Clifford, Jr., was born and where they had a life-changing encounter with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Their lives were never the same! Cliff and Karen soon moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where he continued to teach and coach until retirement. Their second child, Tonya, was born soon after their move making their small family circle complete for the next two decades. Both the children married in the summer of 1992 and soon began the years of grandchild blessings as they gave Cliff 13 grandchildren over 22 years. He loved having a baby to put on his shoulder and sing “Jesus Loves Me” as he patted them to sleep.
During his years of teaching/coaching, Cliff had part-time jobs so his wife could be a full-time mother to their children. He was a successful part-time cookware salesman for a number of years. He also taught hundreds of young people to drive safely in a summer school program. After retiring from teaching, he discovered his artistic gifting. He painted and sculpted amazing pieces that are displayed in his home. He went on to enjoy years of coming alongside families and friends to find and sell their homes as a realtor with Glad Heart Realty and then Keller Williams Platinum Partners. Throughout his life, he poured out his heart into the kingdom of God as he ministered with his wife in countless settings, including 22 years at Bethel Assembly of God and the last 34 years at the International House of Prayer of Kansas City. He and Karen were eventually ordained in the ministry in a beautiful service at his brother’s church in Seattle. He was passionate about sharing the Gospel and bringing Father God’s love to everyone as he prayed and spoke over lives for healing, redemption, and release into their callings.
In recent years as the older grandchildren began to find their lifemates, Papa and Nanny welcomed three new grandchildren and a great-grandchild into the family with open arms. God’s favor during his retirement years in the real estate world, enabled him to bless his wife and family with the spacious home of their dreams on ten beautiful acres where they would all gather for celebrating, feasting, praying, and playing together.
Cliff was a man of many talents. He was an accomplished dancer - ballroom, swing, country two-step, and square dance. A competitive sportsman - football, baseball, tennis, hunting, fishing, and target shooting. He was also an avid sports fan, following KU basketball and the Kansas City Chiefs with great passion but also hardly ever missing one of his grandkids’ sporting events, theater, or music performances. As a skilled game player, he taught all his grands to play chess, snooker, and card games with excellence. He had an amazing “green thumb” and loved to garden, blessing the family with huge watermelons, tomatoes, and countless vegetables and fruit every summer. For the last 40 years, he was a beekeeper who blessed family and friends with his delicious raw honey.
His life verse, Isaiah 40:31, is a perfect picture of his life. He knew how to wait on the Lord, choosing to watch and wait for the first 11 years of a cancer diagnosis before beginning years of treatment that allowed him to battle that disease for the rest of his life. He never gave up on anything, but was always filled with faith, hope, and love for his Lord Jesus Christ, his wife of almost 59 years, his family, friends, and all who came his way. He was a coach and teacher by profession and more importantly by disposition. Through his work and life, he modeled quiet strength, courage, and forbearance.
Cliff was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Esther Ferrell, his younger sister, Mary Louise Wyckoff, an infant great-grandson, Theo Wiley, four unborn grandbabies, and two unborn great-grandbabies. Three days after his homecoming, his older sister, Claudette Ferrell Blevins, went to join him on the streets of gold.
Survivors include his loving wife and lifetime dancing partner, Karen, his son, Clifford, Jr., and wife Patrice of Bonner Springs, Kansas, his daughter, Tonya Wiley, and husband Doug of Bonner Springs, grandchildren, Abigail Wiley, of Kansas City, Missouri, Loran Wiley and wife Shikara of Bonner Springs, Gabrielle Rice and husband Jon of Charlotte, North Carolina, Emily Wiley of Bonner Springs, Ethan Ferrell and wife Jacque of Olathe, Kansas, Anna Wiley of Meteetse, Wyoming, Elisha, Nathanael, Mercy, Shiloh, and Jubilee Ferrell, Levi, and Lydia Wiley, and great-grandchild, Esther Lou Wiley all of Bonner Springs, siblings Shirley Ferrell, Al (Barb) Ferrell, Bernie (Sylvia) Ferrell, David (Debbie) Ferrell and many nieces and nephews.
On April 8, a beautiful sunny afternoon, Cliff’s earthly body was buried in a pine box in the western meadow overlooking the big pond on his precious land behind his home. His lifelong dancing partner, Karen, led the procession of his children, grandchildren, great grand-child, and two brothers and their wives as they walked through the pasture to the sound of Amazing Grace played on bagpipes. At the newly created memorial site, they gathered to pray, sing, honor, and remember the life of this man who had blessed their lives in a thousand ways. He ran the race well and when he crossed the finish line, we know he heard our Lord and Savior say, “Well, done!” Now our hearts are encouraged because we can see him standing at the finish line with Jesus cheering us on.
All are invited to a celebration of life service with reception following at Forerunner Church, 12444 Grandview Road, Grandview, Missouri, 64030 on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
While still in college, he met the love of his life, Karen Aday, and they both said after the first date, “I think I’ve met the one I will marry.” They married at the end of that school year and returned to Emporia for his last year of college football and graduation. They moved to LeRoy, Kansas where their first child, Clifford, Jr., was born and where they had a life-changing encounter with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Their lives were never the same! Cliff and Karen soon moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where he continued to teach and coach until retirement. Their second child, Tonya, was born soon after their move making their small family circle complete for the next two decades. Both the children married in the summer of 1992 and soon began the years of grandchild blessings as they gave Cliff 13 grandchildren over 22 years. He loved having a baby to put on his shoulder and sing “Jesus Loves Me” as he patted them to sleep.
During his years of teaching/coaching, Cliff had part-time jobs so his wife could be a full-time mother to their children. He was a successful part-time cookware salesman for a number of years. He also taught hundreds of young people to drive safely in a summer school program. After retiring from teaching, he discovered his artistic gifting. He painted and sculpted amazing pieces that are displayed in his home. He went on to enjoy years of coming alongside families and friends to find and sell their homes as a realtor with Glad Heart Realty and then Keller Williams Platinum Partners. Throughout his life, he poured out his heart into the kingdom of God as he ministered with his wife in countless settings, including 22 years at Bethel Assembly of God and the last 34 years at the International House of Prayer of Kansas City. He and Karen were eventually ordained in the ministry in a beautiful service at his brother’s church in Seattle. He was passionate about sharing the Gospel and bringing Father God’s love to everyone as he prayed and spoke over lives for healing, redemption, and release into their callings.
In recent years as the older grandchildren began to find their lifemates, Papa and Nanny welcomed three new grandchildren and a great-grandchild into the family with open arms. God’s favor during his retirement years in the real estate world, enabled him to bless his wife and family with the spacious home of their dreams on ten beautiful acres where they would all gather for celebrating, feasting, praying, and playing together.
Cliff was a man of many talents. He was an accomplished dancer - ballroom, swing, country two-step, and square dance. A competitive sportsman - football, baseball, tennis, hunting, fishing, and target shooting. He was also an avid sports fan, following KU basketball and the Kansas City Chiefs with great passion but also hardly ever missing one of his grandkids’ sporting events, theater, or music performances. As a skilled game player, he taught all his grands to play chess, snooker, and card games with excellence. He had an amazing “green thumb” and loved to garden, blessing the family with huge watermelons, tomatoes, and countless vegetables and fruit every summer. For the last 40 years, he was a beekeeper who blessed family and friends with his delicious raw honey.
His life verse, Isaiah 40:31, is a perfect picture of his life. He knew how to wait on the Lord, choosing to watch and wait for the first 11 years of a cancer diagnosis before beginning years of treatment that allowed him to battle that disease for the rest of his life. He never gave up on anything, but was always filled with faith, hope, and love for his Lord Jesus Christ, his wife of almost 59 years, his family, friends, and all who came his way. He was a coach and teacher by profession and more importantly by disposition. Through his work and life, he modeled quiet strength, courage, and forbearance.
Cliff was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Esther Ferrell, his younger sister, Mary Louise Wyckoff, an infant great-grandson, Theo Wiley, four unborn grandbabies, and two unborn great-grandbabies. Three days after his homecoming, his older sister, Claudette Ferrell Blevins, went to join him on the streets of gold.
Survivors include his loving wife and lifetime dancing partner, Karen, his son, Clifford, Jr., and wife Patrice of Bonner Springs, Kansas, his daughter, Tonya Wiley, and husband Doug of Bonner Springs, grandchildren, Abigail Wiley, of Kansas City, Missouri, Loran Wiley and wife Shikara of Bonner Springs, Gabrielle Rice and husband Jon of Charlotte, North Carolina, Emily Wiley of Bonner Springs, Ethan Ferrell and wife Jacque of Olathe, Kansas, Anna Wiley of Meteetse, Wyoming, Elisha, Nathanael, Mercy, Shiloh, and Jubilee Ferrell, Levi, and Lydia Wiley, and great-grandchild, Esther Lou Wiley all of Bonner Springs, siblings Shirley Ferrell, Al (Barb) Ferrell, Bernie (Sylvia) Ferrell, David (Debbie) Ferrell and many nieces and nephews.
On April 8, a beautiful sunny afternoon, Cliff’s earthly body was buried in a pine box in the western meadow overlooking the big pond on his precious land behind his home. His lifelong dancing partner, Karen, led the procession of his children, grandchildren, great grand-child, and two brothers and their wives as they walked through the pasture to the sound of Amazing Grace played on bagpipes. At the newly created memorial site, they gathered to pray, sing, honor, and remember the life of this man who had blessed their lives in a thousand ways. He ran the race well and when he crossed the finish line, we know he heard our Lord and Savior say, “Well, done!” Now our hearts are encouraged because we can see him standing at the finish line with Jesus cheering us on.
All are invited to a celebration of life service with reception following at Forerunner Church, 12444 Grandview Road, Grandview, Missouri, 64030 on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.