Lanie Black III

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Lanie George Black III, 73, a resident of Charleston died Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, at Winchester Nursing Center in Bernie, Missouri.

Born Dec. 30, 1946, in Cairo, Illinois, to Lanie George Jr. and Sue Belle Whitehead Black, Lanie lived his life with an innate but humble calling to make the world he lived in a better place.

Being raised in Charleston, a small town comprised of strong political views and true appreciation of cultural arts, he grew up as a typical small-town boy in the 1950s. He attended the Charleston United Methodist Church, where he was active in the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship), and made a profession of his faith in Christ at Arcadia Methodist Church camp while in high school. The life impact of his profession of faith was later demonstrated through his commitment as an activity leader for his home church youth program and vacation Bible school. He progressed through the local Scouting program from Bear Cub to Boy Scout, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout prior to graduating from Charleston High School in 1965.

From an early age, his family enjoyed playing golf and he was encouraged to develop his golfing talent. Serving as his mother's caddy in her golf tournament play, he developed a true love of the game. He played golf his entire life, and because he never met a stranger, made innumerable acquaintances and friendships on the golf course.

In 1970, he received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. While attending Vanderbilt, he became actively involved in Campus Crusade for Christ, not only developing lifelong friendships, but deepening and strengthening his personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which was the key relationship that molded and set his purpose for living.

Following graduation from Vanderbilt, he married Ann Rita Cox -- his childhood friend and literally "the girl who lived next door" -- on July 11, 1970.

He attended Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, then was trained as a Navy Deep Sea Diver in Washington, D.C., and spent one year in Norfolk, Virginia, while his assigned ship, the Beaufort, was being built. Upon the ship's completion, his crew sailed from Norfolk to Honolulu, and Lanie served as the ship's weapon officer and chaplain.

In 1974, following honorable discharge from naval service, Lanie, Ann, and their first son, Lanie George "L.G." Black IV, returned to Charleston to begin farming with Ann's family. In 1987, Lanie was selected to participate in the ALOT (Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow) Program. This opportunity broadened Lanie's agricultural knowledge and perspective as a farmer, not only in Missouri but farming operations overseas as well. Lanie farmed for 26 years, was a poultry producer for 14 years, and then, in 1998, was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives for District 161, serving eight years as allowed by term limits, until 2006.

As a farmer and poultry producer, Lanie was president of the local Farm Bureau for more than 12 years and served in various legislative positions. In considering his candidacy for state representative, he verbalized with emotion that if his grandchildren asked him what he did when the world was headed in the wrong direction, he didn't want to respond that he did nothing. Following his election as state representative, he served on transportation, education, social systems/prisons, appropriations for social services, and agriculture committees. He was selected to serve as chaplain for the legislature and was well respected by legislators on both sides of the aisle.

He taught the high school Sunday school class for over 45 years at Charleston First Baptist Church, where the influence of his mentorship was evidenced continually in his dedicated service as deacon, deacon chairman, a member of the choir, pastor selection committee, a lay speaker, time spent in mission opportunities in Napakiak, Alaska, and with the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief Association.

He had an uncanny ability to be able to share meaningful knowledge of so many areas through real-life approach application, such as his planning and supervision of a built-to-scale model of the Old Testament Tabernacle for his Sunday school class or when he was called to substitute teach a trigonometry class at Charleston High School. At that time, he was well over 20 years removed from his active study of that subject but nonetheless undertook the teaching challenge. Students from this short teaching tenure still comment today on the lessons they learned from Lanie in relevant life application of trigonometry.

A man of integrity, he was a man of no pretense, unassuming, and oblivious that his approach to living and serving was anything special. He lived life to the full as it came to him, motivated by a genuine kind nature, a love for people and a servant's heart. That principle was the integral part of who Lanie was.

He was honored as Charleston's Man of the Year in 1994. A longtime member of the Charleston Kiwanis Club, he served as president and ran the Dogwood Azalea Dog Show for a number of years. Lanie served on the board of directors for Citizens Bank in Charleston, and held a position of leadership in Charleston and Southeast Missouri's Boy Scout organization.

Whether it involved picking up a hitchhiker, assisting stranded motorists, extending a listening ear to someone in his Sunday school class or someone he just met, his time was unselfishly shared.

He and Ann celebrated 50 years of marriage this year. Their love for each other was shared with their two sons and their families: L.G. Black IV, his wife, Nicole, and their children, Carter, Sydney and Rayna of Parker, Colorado, and J.J. Black, his wife, Tyler, and their children, Austin, Noah and Gavin of Bonita Springs, Florida; his one brother, Monroe Black, and his wife, Marth Ellen, of Charleston; and a large extended family.

Private family services were held Thursday at First Baptist Church in Charleston, with the pastor, the Rev. George Nite, officiating. Interment with military honors followed at the IOOF Cemetery near Charleston, under the direction of McMikle Funeral Home.

Services were recorded and will be posted on the funeral home website, www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com; McMikle Funeral Home LiveStream Facebook page; and the YouTube channel, McMikle LiveStream.

The family has requested, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 442, Charleston, MO 63834.

The online guest register may be signed at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.