Richard Dean Adams was born on April 12, 1922, in Wichita, Kan., the son of Fred Adams and Elta Adams Mason.  He was raised by his step-father, Charley Mason in a household that included one half-brother, Lee Mason.

On April 22, 1949, he married Berniece Rose Pryor in Warrensburg and they were married 56 years. The marriage produced two children, Richard L. Adams and Barbara Adams Bolton both of Springfield.

Mr. Adams was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Army from Nov. 17 1942 to Oct. 22, 1945.  He was in South France and in the Normandy operation.  He recived seven Bronze Stars.

Mr. Adams worked as a machinist in heavy equipment at Whiteman Air Force Base for 42 years and also was a farmer, living at the Adams farm at Bristle Ridge in Johnson County, MO.  He was a member of the American Legion Post 131 of Warrensburg.

He died at the age of 84 on July 18, 2006 at the Western Missouri Medical Center and is buried in the Warrensburg Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

This photograph was developed from a negative found in the Simmon's Studio collection donated by Ben Pierce of 209 Enterprises, LLC.