Donald Harmon Snowbarger, 96, resident of Schuyler County Nursing Home Queen City, Missouri passed away Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

Donald was born July 24, 1927 on the family farm east of Queen City, Missouri. Son of Edward and Edna (West) Snowbarger. On December 17, 1950 he was united in Marriage to Leota Brown in Unionville, Missouri.

Surviving are sons Jerry Max Snowbarger and wife Barbara of Arvada, Colorado. Charles Douglas and wife Eleanor of Davenport, Iowa. Daughter-in-law Lori (Snowbarger) Neely and husband Ted of Welches, Oregon. Eleven grandchildren – Allen (Tracy) Snowbarger, Franklin, Ohio, Cheri (Chris) Bates, St Charles, Missouri, Jerry Snowbarger Jr, Houston, Texas, Teresa Baca, Denver, Colorado, Jacob Snowbarger (Lindsey) Rochester, Minnesota, Joshua (Kristi) Snowbarger, Bettendorf, Iowa, Katie Snowbarger (Adam Clough) Portland, Oregon, James Snowbarger Portland Oregon, Michael (Adrianne) D’Aquisto, Mesa, Arizona, Sondra D’Aquisto, Wichita, Kansas, Christina (Tony) Daniels, Wichita, Kansas; sixteen great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren. Brother-in-law and wife LeRoy and Pauline Brown, Bettendorf, Iowa, several nieces, nephews, and cousins, and a host of friends.

Donald was preceded in death by his wife Leota, his parents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son Darrel James Snowbarger, brothers Richard, Charles, and twin brother Denzel, sisters Virginia Yates and Betty Smith, brothers-in-law Ray Smith and Robert Brown, sisters-in-law Gladys Snowbarger, and Alberta Dotson, and nephew Mitchell Snowbarger.

Donald was raised on the family farm in Schuyler County, Missouri. He received his education in rural Brushy grade school. Donald often stated his biggest disappointment was not being able to attend high school and college. His goal was to be an electrical engineer. We can only wonder what he could have accomplished if he attained his educational goals.

Donald was a life long member of St John’s Lutheran Church of Queen City, Missouri.

Donald served in the US Maritime Service from July 1945 to March 1946 on the Howard Stansbury and SS Wellesley Liberty ships crossing the Atlantic to Brest, France and Cardiff, Wales. He also served two years in the US Army stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with the 2nd Army as a company carpenter for the 150th Engineers. After being honorably discharged in 1952 he returned to the family farm where he farmed with his parents and worked as a carpenter. In 1973 Donald and Leota moved to a home he designed and built mostly by himself in Kirksville, Missouri. Donald continued to work in the building trades until his retirement in 1995. He was instrumental in building many homes, business, schools, and churches in Northeast Missouri while being self-employed or during his employment with Ronald James, and Dave Sampson.

Donald enjoyed spending time with children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, family, and friends. Traveling with his wife he toured all 50 states, some of Mexico, all Canadian provinces but one, and several European countries. He enjoyed playing cards, dancing, going to casinos, and having morning coffee with friends at Rosie’s Northtown Café. After retirement and the loss of most of his vision to macular degeneration Donald began a hobby of building small scale vintage farm machinery. Some of his greatest joys were showing his creations to family and friends and gifting many pieces to visitors that came to view his work. Upon moving to the Schuyler County Nursing Home and selling his home Donald donated the majority of this creations to the museum at Truman State University where they are used to share the history of rural life with children and others visiting the university.

Donald served on the St John’s church council, the Brushy School Board where he was secretary and president of the PTA. He was a member of Moose Lodge #1751 and the Kirksville American Legion Post.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Travis-Noe Funeral Home in Kirksville. Interment with military honors will immediately follow in the Queen City Cemetery in Queen City, Missouri. Family will receive friends on Saturday from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. service time.

Memorial donations in memory of Donald may be made to the St. John Lutheran Church or to Hospice of Northeast Missouri and may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO 63501.