DR. GLEN WOOD EASTER

Dr. Glen Wood Easter, 63, of Rural Princeton, MO, passed on September 26, 2010, at the Easter family farm of 151 years where ashes will be spread during private family services.
Glen was under Wright Memorial Hospice Care since August 30. Arrangements are under the direction of Columbia Cremation Care Center, Columbia, MO. Memorials may be made in Glen's honor to: Princeton First Christian Church, 901 Main, Princeton, MO 64673, or Alpha Gamma Sigma Building for the Future, 503 West Nifong Blvd., #182 Columbia, MO 65201.
Glen was born November 6, 1946, in Trenton, MO, the son of Orval Glenwood and Alma Belle (McCloud) Easter. He lived five years outside Mercer, MO, before settling on the family farm near Goshen, MO. Glen graduated from Princeton R-V High School in 1964. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where we was a member of Alpha Gamma Sigma fraternity house, and received his B.S. in Agricultural Education in 1968.
Glen taught high school agriculture in Billings, MO during the 1968-69 school year and in Malta Bend, MO for the 1969-70 campaign. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in August 1970, stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, serving in the 525th Atomic Demolition Platoon until an early education honorable discharge as a Specialist 5th Class in December 1971.
On July 29, 1972, Glen was united in marriage to Mary Karen Kersten in Marshall, MO. She survives of the home.
Glen Wood received his Masters in Education in 1973, and his Specialist in Education in 1974, both from the University of Missouri .From 1974-1976, Glen and Karen lived in Kerman, Iran, while he served as an Agricultural Education Consultant and teacher, employed by the Near East Foundation, of New York, NY. He was an Instructor of Agriculture at Missouri Western State College in Saint Joseph, MO from 1977 to 1979, where his son, Cheston was born in 1979. Glen attended Pennsylvania State University at College Station, PA, earning a Ph D. in Agricultural Education in 1985. From 1982-1984, the family lived in Mbabane, Swaziland, where Glen was an Agricultural Extension Training Specialist in partnership with US AID. From 1985- 1987, Glen was an Assistant Professor of Agri- Business at Graceland University in Lamoni, IA. Beginning in 1987, Glen was employed three years by Iowa State University (ISU) as Mahaska County Extension Agriculturalist in Oskaloosa, IA. From 1989- 1994, Glen served Mercer County, MO, as Regional Livestock Specialist for the University of Missouri. While working in Mercer County, he coined the phrase "Extension Connection" for radio infomercials. From 1994-2003 Glen served Mizzou as Regional Director of Extension for the NE, and later NW areas. From 2004-2010, Glen worked again for ISU in Clarke County, IA as County Extension Director at Osceola, IA. Glen retired in January 2010 for health complications originating from small bowel cancer, first diagnosed in 2004.
Aside from multi-year work assignments in Africa and Asia, Glen's international teaching experiences included Exploring Global Resources through Extension Training (EGRET) from 1998-2002: an annual two-week seminar in international extension work training in Costa Rica. He was also involved in National Extension Leadership Development (NELD), a two-week leadership study-tour in Brazil. Glen was Rotary Study Group Leader to Brazil in 1992 for a six-week study exchange. He completed an intensive Spanish Language tour in central Mexico for eight weeks in the fall of 2005. Most recently, he was Team Leader of Pork Development Project for multiple two week assignments to Benue State, Nigeria with ISU.
Glen was a 39-year member of Mercer Masonic Lodge #35; American Legion Post 477; Calamity Jane Shoot-Out Gang Undertaker/ Minister, for two decades; Boy's Scout Leader; Goshen Cemetery Board member; King Cemetery Treasurer, all of Princeton, MO area, Life- time Missouri 4-H member, and Alpha Gamma Sigma Alumni.
His pleasures included genealogy; birding (Life List of over 700 birds); travel that included all 50 states, and extensive driving through most of Southern Africa, The Middle East, and Europe; hunting; and plowing fresh dirt with his father's 520 John Deere on the family farm.
Condolences may be sent to the family at Rte. 2, Box 212, Princeton, MO 64673.