Harvey Atchison

Harvey Thomas Atchison was born Thursday, August 21, 1941, in Huggins, Missouri, to Tommy Atchison and Nellie (McGowen) Atchison. He passed away February 27, 2025, peacefully at Autumn Oaks Caring Center. He was 83 years, 7 months, and 6 days of age. 

Harvey traveled to Porterville, California, to work in the grape vineyards and later worked for Krum Dairy. He met and married Zena V. Ham on July 9, 1964, in Reno, Nevada, and two sons were born to this union, Dale and Dean. 

Harvey, Zena, and Dale returned home in 1967, and he worked at a Houston feed mill. He later worked at a Cabool chicken plant for a year until he started his dream of driving a truck. In May of 1968, he drove for Frozen Foods and later for Martin Parmenter who was leased to Hirschbach. Then, in August of 1969, he bought his first truck and was an owner-operator with Hirschbach for 15 years. He went on to drive for himself flatbed trucking, and later hauling milk for Plains trucking. Finally, he drove for Grisham farms for the rest of his trucking career.

Harvey achieved the next part of his dream in the midst of his trucking career. In the fall of 1976, he bought a farm near Dawson, Missouri. Harvey stayed busy building new fences, brush hogging, mowing hay, and feeding his cows. While he was trucking and hauling milk, he would return at night and mow hay during the day, never missing a load. Sometimes the road gets boring, so Harvey and Zena started milking cows. Then after a few years of excitement in the milk barn, Harvey returned full-time to the road. 

Harvey liked rabbit hunting and had great beagles. He also enjoyed deer hunting and built an awesome first-class heated private deer stand. He also loved going to turkey shoots with his almost famous 12-gauge shotguns. 

After many more years of trucking, Harvey moved to Mountain Grove and finished out his trucking career. 

Harvey was preceded in death by his parents, Tommy and Nellie Atchison, one brother, Leon Atchison, and one sister, Betty (Atchison) McGowan, and his former wife, Zena Atchison.

Harvey leaves behind two sons, Dale Atchison of Mountain Grove Missouri, and Dean (Linda) Atchison of Graff, Missouri, four grandchildren, Brandon Atchison, Luke (Joni) Atchison, Chris (Kyndra) Atchison, and Kyla (Chris) Shannon, eight great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Hannah, Brody, and Piper Atchison, Ollie and Ella Shannon, Liam Morton, and Levi Boyd, two brothers, Jack Atchison and George Atchison, two sisters, Virginia Parker and Noraleen (Dick) Bressie, one brother-in-law, Buddy McGowan, and many nephews, nieces, and friends who will miss him.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hopewell Cemetery in care of the funeral home.