Stephen Richard Vaughn

Stephen Richard Vaughn, 91 of Columbia, Missouri and formerly of Lewistown, Missouri, passed away Sunday, June 1st, 2025 at home with his family. The son of Stephen Allen Vaughn and Muriel Mae Martin Vaughn, he was born on November 12, 1933 in Ewing, Missouri. He was united in marriage to Ruth Smith on the afternoon of June 20, 1954 at the Lewistown Christian Church in Lewistown, Missouri. They raised five sons together and celebrated their 65th anniversary in the summer of 2019. Stephen graduated from Ewing High School and Hannibal-LaGrange College, and played basketball on both teams. He served two years in the U.S. Army, and returned home to work in the electrical field as a lineman with Missouri Power and Light and Union Electric until he retired in 1994. Stephen was a charter member of the Lewis Co. C-1 Booster Club and was president when the school opened in the fall of 1970, and was also a charter member of the Lewistown Senior Housing board. Stephen and Ruth were both members of the Lewistown Christian Church and he served as deacon/elder and chairman of the board. They moved to Columbia from Lewistown in February of 2002. They attended Oakland Gravel Christian Church in Columbia for many years and made lots of friends there. After a visit to Walt's Bike Shop in Columbia, Stephen became hooked on biking the trails and roads around Lewis County, and then Boone County. He rode his bike for at least ten miles nearly every day until he was about 85, and for years made an autumnal trip to Bike Van Buren, a 100 mile weekend ride through the Villages of Van Buren, Iowa. It was nothing for him, he said, to ride to Boonville and back via the Katy trail-about 43 miles-on a leisurely Sunday. After his own biking journey ended, he stayed with the sport by watching the Tour de France. He was a Missouri sports fan and could often be found in his easy chair watching Blues hockey, Cardinals baseball, Chiefs football or Mizzou basketball. He loved his family, and enjoyed recounting tales through the generations; he could describe a day seventy years ago in great detail, from the weather, to the food on the table, to the old man whose nose resembled an orange peel. His grandchildren and great grandchildren brought him great joy. He will be missed in great measure by those who knew him. He is survived by five sons, Stephen (Phyllis) Vaughn, Jr. of Winchester, Va., Doug (Brenda) Vaughn of Ewing, Mo., Todd (Connie) Vaughn of Kearney, Mo., Tim (Lisa) Vaughn of Columbia, Mo. and Jon Vaughn of Lee's Summit, Mo.; four grandchildren, Bethany Vaughn (Jeremy), Kimberly (Andrew) Greenbaum, Stephen D. Vaughn, and Jessica (Cooper) Martin, step-grandchildren Aaron Bell and Michelle (Jim) Sidoti; eleven great-grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; sister Jeanie Genenbacher and several nieces & nephews. His parents, wife, Ruth, three brothers, Paul, Murrel and Leland Vaughn, and a sister Mary Zimmerman preceded him in death. Graveside services will be held Friday, June 6, 2025 at 11:00 AM at the Lewistown Cemetery in Lewistown, Missouri with Jackie Kennedy officiating. Visitation will be held Friday, June 6, 2025 from 10 AM until the time of services at Arnold's Funeral Home in Lewistown, Missouri. Memorials may be made to the Donor's Choice. Pallbearers: Stephen Vaughn, Doug Vaughn, Todd Vaughn, Tim Vaughn, Jon Vaughn and Stephen D. Vaughn.