Edward Ortstadt Obituary

Funeral services for Edward "Ed" Eugene Ortstadt of Adrian, Missouri will be 10 a.m. Thursday, July 10, 2025 at the Adrian United Methodist Church in Adrian. Visitation will be from 5 - 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 9 at the Adrian United Methodist Church. Burial in Crescent Hill Cemetery, Adrian. Contributions to Adrian United Methodist Church or Adrian Lions Club. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.
Edward Eugene Ortstadt
February 19, 1939 – July 1, 2025
Edward Eugene Ortstadt was born February 19, 1939, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Arthur Leon Ortstadt, Sr. and Ruth Ann (Bruner) Ortstadt. He spent most of his childhood at 1010 Ann Street in Kansas City, Kansas. Though the family lived in Louisiana briefly, Kansas City was home. He graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1957.
Shortly after graduation, Ed joined the United States Air Force and served four years as a flight mechanic. It was while he was stationed at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix, Arizona that he met and married his wife, Patti, on April 18, 1960.
Though raised in a Baptist household-his grandfather was a Baptist minister-his mother sent him as a child to Sunday School at John Calvin United Presbyterian church several blocks away so he wouldn't have to cross busy Minnesota Avenue. He remained a member of that church into his thirties and took his family there weekly, after which they would go to his parent's house, still at 1010 Ann, for Sunday dinner.
Church was a constant in Ed's life. He and his family became members of Adrian United Methodist Church in 1974, and he remained active there for more than 50 years. In his later years, the children of the church knew him as "Grampa Ed" as he helped with Vacation Bible School and other children's ministries. Ed's deep-rooted faith in the Lord was evident, as even towards his final days, he was reciting Bible verses that he had deep in his heart and enjoyed listening to hymns or having his daughters read some of his favorite chapters of the Bible.
Ed worked hard his entire life. He started with a newspaper route on his bicycle at a young age. As a teenager, he also got a job setting pins at a bowling alley, before that was done by machines, and worked at a pony ring giving kids pony rides. As an adult, he became a journeyman electrician while working at Colgate-Palmolive, where he earned the nickname "Bibs" for his ever-present denim bib overalls. When his daughters were young and money was tight, he held three jobs at once to make ends meet.
In 1974, Ed took a job with Kansas City Power & Light at the LaCygne power plant and moved the family to Adrian, Missouri. They purchased an 18-acre farm that became home to a variety of 4-H animals over the years, with horses, cattle, at least one pig, and honeybees among them. Ed served as a 4-H leader, teaching beekeeping and outdoor skills, including camping, fishing, and sailing a two-man sailboat on a nearby lake.
Ed went to work at Bendix, which later became Honeywell, as an electrician in the late 1970's and retired from there in 2000. The irony of commuting back to Kansas City after having moved south was not lost on him, but by that point, Adrian was home. The family was absorbed into the community and Ed had sunk new roots himself. He was elected to the Shawnee Township Board and the board of Bates County Industries, serving on each for several years.
He loved the water and spent many years camping and boating with his family and friends, teaching his daughters to water-ski and sail at a young age. He had a sailboat named Sand Dollar at Stockton Lake for many years. For a few years after his daughters were grown, they gathered again each year for the annual long-distance race, where it was more a matter of making it through the course in 24 hours before someone took up the finish line than it was about winning the race. It was all about the time together and the memories.
One of Ed's longtime dreams was to captain a boat down the Missouri River to the Mississippi, through the locks at St. Louis and beyond. After a couple of tries with some good friends as his crew, that dream was never fully realized but they created some great memories.
After retiring, Ed became a University of Missouri Master Gardener. He bought a truck with a tree spade, started a tree and shrub business, and took on the moniker "Ed the Plant Man." He planted trees throughout the Adrian and Butler area, and often visited the trees he had planted to see how they were doing because, you see, they were guaranteed and he would replace them for free if they died. He also grew and sold dozens of varieties of hostas at local farmers markets.
Along with his gardening and tree planting, Ed enjoyed painting and wood carving. For the last several years, Ed carved each one of his girls a Santa ornament to present to them at the family's annual Christmas Eve gathering. Those ornaments were created with great care and are a special treasure.
He was a longtime member of the Adrian Lions Club and loved his Lions Club family. He helped annually with the fireworks and concession stands and founded and co-chaired the annual Family Fishing Day. He was very proud of the local Lions Club as well as the projects of Lions International. It was a common occurrence and a running joke that Ed would be the first one to raise his hand and make a motion for the club to give a generous donation to whatever worthy cause was under discussion.
Ed took every opportunity to gather all four of his girls for any holiday or event, and loved to hear them sing. He had a special relationship with each one, always trying to be the dad each one needed at the time. His love for them included a healthy dose of discipline while growing up. He often split the word "behave" into two verbs, asking the girls if they were "being have." This resulted in exasperated chuckles and eye-rolling from the girls. He was proud of them and they knew it, being told so quite often. More often than not, discipline would be followed by a hug and the words, "Well, I'm proud of you anyway."
Ed loved being a grandfather and every baby that ever pulled on his beard, which they always did. He was also extremely proud of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and often provided advice to them. His grandkids knew that if their mother thought they needed a little more guidance or encouragement, she might "sic Grampa on them!" Although he always encouraged them in whatever they were doing, he also tended to worry about their safety and gave plenty of advice along those lines as well. The grandkids affectionately called him "The Cautionator." Each of the grandchildren have memories of special times with Grampa, whether it be sailing, golfing, gardening or just hangin out to help with a project Grampa had in mind.
In 1974, shortly after moving to Adrian, Ed was involved in an accident when his car was struck by a train and he sustained a serious head injury. The injury led to a battle with depression that continued throughout his life. Ed leaned on his faith and created a blog called God's Lost and Found, where he shared scriptures and his thoughts in hopes of helping others struggling with depression. He continued posting to his blog throughout the remainder of his life.
Ed remained life-long friends with several schoolmates and many former co-workers. He loved being outdoors and enjoyed traveling with Patti in their RV. They spent many winters in Zapata, Texas, making new friends along the way. He loved the time they had in Zapata and particularly enjoyed the card games, fishing and Happy Hours shared with friends. He finally bought his dream car, a red convertible, late in life-something he had put off for many years while prioritizing others' needs.
Everyone has at least one favorite story about Ed Ortstadt. He was a generous and honest man, some might say to a fault. He was a humble man who never claimed to be perfect, didn't mind being the butt of a joke, and usually prefaced his opinions with a disclaimer.
After a good night's sleep with Patti sitting the entire night at his bedside, Edward Eugene Ortstadt passed peacefully to his Lord and Savior on July 1, 2025, at the Baptist Home in Adrian, Missouri, surrounded by his daughters and other family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Leon Ortstadt, Sr. and Ruth Ann Bruner Ortstadt; his brother, Arthur Leon Ortstadt, Jr.; and his sister, Jacqueline Frances Ortstadt York.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Patricia (Patti) Schwakopf Ortstadt of Adrian; and by his four daughters: Jacqueline (Jacque) Underwood and her husband Mike of Adrian; Cynthia (Cyndee) Byous of Eureka, Missouri; Debra (Debbie) Smith and her husband Chuck of Presque Isle, Michigan; and Susan (Susie) McMillan and her husband David of Adrian.
He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, and would want to name them all: Mitchell Underwood with his wife Audrey and two children, Ava and Lane; Jason Underwood with his wife Jessica and two children, Owen and Cole; Jennifer Kagarice with her husband Ryan and four children, Tucker, Watson, Haddeigh Mae, and Remmeigh; Aaron Byous with his wife Britney and three children, Natalie, Arlo, and Emma; Jeff Byous with his wife Chelsea and daughter Isabella; Chad Byous with his wife Ally; Danny Byous; Ian Smith; Brynna Smith; Brandt McMillan with his wife Devan and daughter Larkyn; Bryce McMillan and fiance Jennifer; and Bailey McMillan.
Funeral services are being provided by Schowengerdt Funeral Home of Butler, Missouri and will be held at Adrian United Methodist Church in Adrian, Missouri, with visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 9 and a funeral service at 10:00 am on Thursday, July 10 followed by interment at Crescent Hill Cemetery. Contributions may be made in memory of Ed to the Adrian United Methodist Church or the Adrian Lions Club.
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