Arthur "Ivan" Westover

Funeral services for Arthur "Ivan" Westover of Amoret, Missouri will be 11 a.m. Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Visitation prior to services 10 - 11 a.m. Saturday at the Schowengerdt Chapel. Burial in Adam Howell Cemetery, Amoret. Contributions to Adam Howell Cemetery. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.
Arthur "Ivan" Westover, age 80 of Amoret, Missouri died March 5, 2025. He was born September 21, 1944 to Arthur Ebert and Phebe Louise Lockard Westover. He was one of six children.
Ivan grew up in Butler, Missouri where he attended Butler school and graduated in 1963. During high school, he would milk dairy cows each day before school. His love for working outdoors would carry into his adult life where he undertook row crop farming while also helping his parents with their sawmill. After a few years of crop farming, he sold his farm equipment and focused on beef cattle. In 1973, he purchased South Side Lumber Company from his parents where he operated that business until 2007. He had a keen eye for forestry and knew the unique aspects of many types of trees and how to identify quality lumber. It was common to see Ivan hauling his 4-wheeler in the back of his truck traveling to the next plot of timber or find him at the sawmill standing on a wood pallet grading lumber. He acquired many long-term friendships while operating the sawmill.
In 2007, as Ivan bid farewell to his sawmill, he jokingly declared that he was "retiring to a full-time job" of raising cattle. For Ivan, these gentle creatures were not just livestock, they were his babies. He easily tamed his cattle by feeding them grain out of a five-gallon bucket and yelling, "Come on, babe." His cattle would follow him wherever he led them, whether through a field or down a gravel road to another pasture. He took great pride in the quality of his cattle and found considerable pleasure in raising them.
Ivan's dedication to his work was more than just a job, it was a reflection of his very essence. From the first light of dawn, Ivan's hands were never idle. His thoughts often turned to tasks that needed to be accomplished. If you couldn't find him searching for the perfect timber to cut, mending fences, or checking cows, you could find him enjoying some of his pastimes.
Ivan enjoyed traveling and sightseeing and would often joke that he was "rubbernecking" when he took drives. He was an avid hunter whose eyes sparkled with excitement of the next hunting adventure whether in the familiar woods of his backyard or the untamed wilderness miles away.
Ivan also cherished moments spent with family and friends. He treasured big holiday dinners, birthday celebrations, family reunions and simple gatherings at home. Ivan had a gift for making everyone feel welcomed and valued. His love for family was evident in the traditions he nurtured, the memories he created, and the kindness he showed.
As Ivan's earthly journey concludes, his legacy of kindness, hard work and dedication will endure while his spirit and memory will forever be cherished in the countless lives he touched.
Ivan is survived by his wife, Joyce Anna Westover; two children, Tina Burns and Tiffany Nelson; four stepchildren, A.G. Plumb, Mark Plumb, Jeffery Plumb and Audra Peters; four siblings, Freda Reinke, Marvin Westover, Beulah Epperson and Ruth Douglas; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Quincy Ivan Westover; a daughter, Anita Vivian Westover; and a sister, Joyce Westover.