Ernest William Webb Jr.: Nov. 2, 1944-Aug. 5, 2019

Ernest William Webb Jr. died at age 74 on August 5, 2019. Dad was born on Nov. 2, 1944, in Joplin, Missouri, to Ernie Webb Sr. and Alice Ruth (Short) Webb. Never one to go down without a fight, Dad fought cancer for two years, going into remission in 2018, before succumbing several months later.

Growing up in a working class family, Dad had fond memories of his early years in Southwest Missouri, where he hunted and fished with his father. The family moved several times in the 1940s and 1950s, including stints in Piper, Baldwin and Kansas City, Kansas, where he attended Wyandotte High School.

Dad always said his fondest memories of childhood were in Baldwin, where he worked on a newspaper route and met his first girlfriend in middle school. Most of his time outside of school and the paper route was devoted to working around the house to help the family of seven survive.

A bit of a wild child, Dad struggled to find his way for several years in his teens and 20s. He worked at print shops and learned leather crafting during this time, the latter of which would become his career years later.

Dad finally found himself in his early 30s. He credited much of this to his friend Jean Ann and the birth of his sons.

Ernie Jr. married Jane (Alderman) in 1976 in San Diego, California. They divorced several years later, but the marriage produced two children, Ernie III, born in 1976, and Daniel, born the following year.

Dad lived the final 43 years of his life for his boys. Nothing gave him more pride than his sons; so much so that he even wore a shirt featuring a photo of them with the phrase “Ask me about my boys” on it. His then 13- and 11-year-old sons weren’t as ecstatic about it.

Ernie Jr. and Jane moved from San Diego to Joplin in 1976, then to Neosho, Missouri, a few months later.

Dad worked long and hard during that time to put food on the table. His jobs included managing a print shop, working at a convenient store, moving people and cutting wood on the family property in Neosho. He often referred to the time in Neosho as the best years of his life, despite that fact that he was working 80 hours a week.

“I had two beautiful boys, a pretty wife who was a great mother and my own house,” he said. “I’ve never been happier.”

Always a fiercely independent and private person, Dad couldn’t work for “the man” for long. The family moved to Arkansas in the late 1970s, where he learned to make stained glass lamps and other items in the small town of Bloomer.

After moving to tiny Anderson, Missouri, in 1980, Dad and Mom began traveling to craft shows to sell their stained glass items.

“The first show we went to, we made $800, and I thought we were going to be rich,” Dad said. “Then we went to the next craft show (in Lamar, Missouri) and didn’t sell a damn thing.”

The family struggled for a few more years before Dad shifted gears and went into the leather business, making wallets, belts and dozens of other items to sell at craft shows. Before long, Webb Craft Leather blossomed into a successful small business.

Dad and Mom traveled to shows across the region, often taking their sons, from the spring through summer. The boys couldn’t have asked for a better upbringing, as they met thousands of characters and experienced hundreds of small towns in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

More importantly, the business gave Dad and Mom the freedom to be around their sons. We have fond memories of afternoons spent playing baseball, football and basketball almost daily with Dad, as well as hunting and fishing often. When we stayed at home on some weekends with Mom, we enjoyed watching “Dallas,” “Fantasy Island” and “Miami Vice” after she taught us how to cook tacos and hamburger casserole, which we ate during said shows.

Always a nomad, Dad moved often. We left Anderson for Joplin in 1982. Until his dying day, Dad loved to tell the story of his oldest son nearly failing Kindergarten in Anderson.

In 1984, the family moved to Lebanon, Missouri, where they lived for five years. Dad had fond memories of Lebanon, where he met several good ole boys (he often referred to them as hillbillies). Many weekends featured fish fries and parties that we still talk about 30 years later.

Dad moved us one more time in 1989, from Lebanon to Burlingame, a small town in Kansas south of Topeka. In 1993, Mom and Dad divorced. A few years later, dad’s business began to take off, providing him with the opportunity to purchase sprawling properties in Quenemo, Kansas, and Warsaw, Missouri.

His time in Warsaw, however, lasted less than two years because he couldn’t stand not being around his boys. He moved to Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, in 2000, then to a home he remodeled in Melvern, Kansas, in 2005, where he stayed until 2013.

Ever stubborn, Dad had his first heart attack in early 2012 while lifting weights. He continued to lift weights through the ordeal before being rushed to the hospital. Shortly thereafter, he moved to another place he remodeled in Overbrook, Kansas.

Dad spent his final years working a handful of craft shows each year, earning enough money to make a living while maximizing time with his grandchildren (he had five grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and one step-great-granddaughter).

He didn’t slow down until 2017, when he was diagnosed with stage three esophageal cancer. Given little chance to beat the disease, Dad fought through chemo, radiation and surgery for several months and went into remission by the following spring.

The cancer returned with a vengeance in late 2018, settling into his bones. He battled the disease for months, surpassing the six-month time frame he’d been given.

Dad died surrounded by those he loved the most, including his sons, grandchildren and daughters-in-law, who he treated like daughters.

Dad lived a life full of adversity and adventure, proving that it’s never too late to be successful. He taught his sons and grandchildren many important lessons about trust, honesty, hard work and love. His wisdom will be passed on for generations to come, and he will never be forgotten.

He was at peace with his death after becoming a born-again Christian and because he felt like both of his sons had become good, upstanding and successful family men.

“My crown jewel is my sons,” he said shortly before his death. “All I wanted was to get them to the point where they’d made it, and both of them have done far more than that. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Dad was preceded in death by his father in 1984, mother in 1987, youngest brother, Wayne, in 2019 and youngest sister, Ginger, in 2019. Survivors include his sons Ernie (wife Shana Curtis Webb) and Dan (wife Tricia Webb); grandchildren Tristan, Draven, Ashlyn, Greyson, Willow, Rory, Brody and Molly; great-granddaughter Koen; nephews Dale and Lee; sister Joy and brother Don. He was also survived by more friends than he ever would have imagined.

We will celebrate Dad’s life in a service at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 at Grace Community Church (310 East 8th. Street) in Overbrook, Kansas. Anybody who would like to speak about Dad during the service will have the opportunity do so. We would love to share in your memories.

We also will have a visitation before the service at 9 a.m. at Grace Community Church.