A celebration of the life of Warren Hoyt Monroe, 98, of Jefferson will be held May 4 at the first Presbyterian Church in Jefferson.
The Rev Roger Todd and the Rev Barbara Todd will offer words of comfort. Phil Monroe will share a letter written to his dad. Gary Haupert will be soloist, accompanied by Cheryl Nailor. Honorary bearers will be Hoyt’s granddaughters Jody Shoup, Jill Utley, Wendy Roesler, Kristal Hayek, Elizabet Craciun, Rebecca Ormiston, Jackie Monroe, Sarah Speiche, Katie Lewis, Amanda Hendrickson and Andrea Baker.
Interment will be at the Zion Methodist Cemetery in Marion County.
Memorials are suggested to the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson or RCE International.
Hoyt was born in a farm-home near Pershing on November 2, 1920. He was the son of Elzy B. and Leona E. (Rankin) Monroe. He had six sisters and one brother, none of whom survived him.
Hoyt attended country school but finished high school at Knoxville, graduating in 1939. While in school, God planned an encounter at a YTC meeting on July 7,1938, with Catherine Schwien of Boone at the Methodist Church in Goldfield, for what would forever change his life. After nearly three years of long-distance courtship, they married on March 16, 1941. They lived near Pershing first, then moved to an acreage near Columbia and finally to Knoxville where they raised their four sons; James, Philip, Stephen, and William.
Hoyt was active in the Knoxville Methodist Church as well as Christ Church as a Sunday school teacher and elder.
After serving two years in the Army, Hoyt began working at the VA Hospital in Knoxville where he was employed for 28 years. Besides working at the VA, Hoyt farmed near Attica, and raised a large garden to feed his growing boys. (This also became a great hobby in retirement.) Hoyt even spent a couple years running a rural milk route and driving a cab. His sons learned the value of hard work, integrity, and strong faith from their caring father and loving mother. The boys also learned how to love their wives by his example of loving Cathie.
In retirement, they enjoyed winters in Fort.Myers, FL. They moved to Ever Greene Ridge senior living community in Jefferson in 1992 after having spent nearly 71 years of Hoyt’s life in Marion County.
Hoyt had lived at Ever Greene Ridge in Jefferson for 26 years. Hoyt was a frequent user of the Greene County Community Center until age 94. He served as an elder in the Jefferson Presbyterian Church and attended worship and Bible studies each week.
A great joy in his life was time spent with his boys and their wives, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed driving to Spokane and Ohio to see family as well as holidays in Des Moines, Polk City, Goldfield, and Jefferson.
Hoyt went to Heaven to be with the Lord and Cathie on April 5, 2019, after spending several days in hospice care at Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson.
Hoyt is survived by his sons Jim (Joyce) Monroe of Sedalia MO, Phil (Jan) Monroe of Spokane WA, Steve (Dot) Monroe of Johnston and Bill (Martha) Monroe of Jefferson. Also surviving him are 11 granddaughters and 20 great-grandchildren, two sisters-in-law, a brother-in-law, and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding Hoyt in death were his parents; six sisters and one brother; and Cathie, his beloved wife of 60 years. Cathie died in May, 2001.
