December 8, 2020

Linn County News

Published Dec. 9, 2020

Ralph Joseph “Jody” Hines passed away while in the arms of his loving wife on Dec. 3, 2020. A private visitation for the family will be held at the Bruce Funeral Home in Spring Hill at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 9. A public graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. at the Spring Hill Cemetery that afternoon. A Masonic Service will be conducted at the cemetery as well as the Rose Ceremony for the Royal Order of Jesters. Go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82558798156 to start or join a scheduled Zoom meeting showing the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Spring Hill Masonic Lodge #56 or the Oriental Band’s Ladder of Smiles. Condolences may be left at www.brucefuneralhome.com. Face coverings and social distancing should be practiced for Jody’s service. Arrangements: Bruce Funeral Home, 712 S. Webster, Spring Hill, Kansas 66083 (913) 592-2244.

“Jody” was born May 20, 1936, in Tucson, Ariz., the oldest son of Joe Hines and Helen Josephine Dangelmaier Hines. The family returned to Kansas from Sells, Ariz., when Jody was 3. Over the years, Jody was able to visit his birthplace a few times, most recently 10 years ago during a winter trip with his wife. Jody attended the one room Cherry Lane Grade School north of Olathe where his mother also attended school and he was a 1954 graduate of Olathe High School.

While attending high school Jody met his high school sweetheart, and eventual wife of 66 years, Barb. Everything that Jody and Barb did together was as a team and they worked side by side throughout life to build their legacy together. They were the proud parents of John (Sandy) and Jeff (Cammie), their two sons that they raised on the family farm north of Olathe.

Jody worked a handful of different jobs when he was first married, handling mail at Union Station, sorting cattle at the Kansas City Stockyards, working in a locker plant and eventually working at the Delco Plant in Olathe before leaving his last job in town to run the family farm. Jody was a dairyman for more than 25 years while row crop farming and running a cattle operation. In November 1995, Jody and Barb purchased their current farm near Parker, Kan., where they have lived since 2000. Jody built an eight acre “dream” lake on their new farm and thoroughly enjoyed allowing friends, neighbors and family to come down and fish or use the duck blind on the pond.

Jody had a lifelong passion for the great outdoors. He was an avid outdoorsman enjoying raising bird dogs, deer hunting, elk hunting, moose hunting, running a trap line, and more than anything fishing with his friends and family. Jody was an excellent fisherman. Jody and his family made 60 consecutive fishing trips to Corn Lake near Redditt, Ontario in Canada. During these annual trips Jody made many great friends, many whom he considered to be his family. These trips were planned and looked forward to the entire year as a reprieve from work on the farm. 

In 1974 Jody became a member of the Spring Hill Masonic Lodge, where he was a past master, a membership that spanned more than 45 years. Jody was an excellent recruiter of good men and encouraged dozens of others to join over the years. He always looked forward to performing the First Degree as he welcomed a new brother into the fraternity. Jody was active in the Abdallah Shrine Temple where he was involved in the Oriental Band. Over the years he served as the Oriental Band President and was the Director of the Central States Shrine Association of Oriental Bands, an honor that he was very proud of. Jody and Barb met many lifelong friends through the Shrine and enjoyed several trips with friends over the years including cruises to Alaska as well as the Caribbean. Jody was a strong supporter of the Ladder of Smiles, sponsored by Abdallah Temple, a fund that raises monies to support the mission of the St. Louis Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children.

Jody had commented many times over the years that he was born at the perfect time. Growing up in a time where indoor plumbing and electricity were not available until he reached high school. He often talked about seeing the world move from horses and plows to all the conveniences of modern life. Many of his fondest childhood memories were from bouncing around in an old stock truck with his Dad and Grandpa as he rode around with them as they traded cattle throughout the countryside. The importance of family was a lesson that he learned early in life and one that followed him throughout.

Jody is survived by his wife Barb, of the home, sons John (Olathe) and Jeff (Parker); five grandchildren; Clint, Jeff, Jennifer, Keaton and Lindsey; and nine great-granddaughters. Jody was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Tom.

Thank you to all the doctors and nurses in ICU at Olathe Medical Center for excellent care of “Jody” Hines and his family.