Benjamin Wyatt Burford went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

Born July 22, 1930, at Lutesville, Missouri, to Pearl Wagner and Benjamin W. Burford, he graduated from Lutesville High School in 1948. After service in Japan during the Korean War, Ben returned to his hometown. He married G. Jo Conrad on Oct. 2, 1959. To Jo and Ben were born K. Denise (Jack S. Bland) of Bentonville, Arkansas, and C. Scott (Jenni L. Ford), also of Bentonville.

Ben's work career began as a boy sweeping the Lewis movie theater in Marble Hill, Missouri, and included work at Lucky Johnson's sawmill and the Texas/Illinois pipeline, when he began studies at Southeast Missouri State University. After service in the United States Air Force, he returned to Southeast to complete a Bachelor of Science in education and began teaching at Woodland Schools. A master's in education at the University of Missouri was completed in 1961. Over his nine years at Woodland, Ben taught a variety of social-studies courses, as well as driver's education, and he coached junior-high and high-school basketball, baseball and volleyball. He then joined the Hammond and Stephens Company of Fremont, Nebraska, in sales for the educational publisher.

He retired from sales after 35 years and spent many more miles driving a golf cart, traveling at home and abroad with Jo, and visiting his kids and friends located across the United States.

Ben is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren, Benjamin, Jacob and Matthew Burford.

Ben would say meeting Jesus Christ in 1964 dramatically changed the course of his life and that of his family. He was in fellowship at Marble Hill Bible Chapel, where he served as an elder and taught adult Sunday school for many years. That decision prepared him for this home-going and is cause for our rejoicing today. John 3:16.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill.

The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with Dan Greene officiating. Burial will be Monday at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.