Terry L. Beatty

Terry L. Beatty, age 75, Parnell, died on December 12, 2025, surrounded by his family, at his home in Maryville.

Terry was born on November 24, 1950, to Orlo and Maxine Midyett Beatty. He was a 1968 graduate of Northeast Nodaway High School in Ravenwood. After graduation, he joined the Air National Guard. Following his service, he completed heavy equipment training and then returned home to be an active partner on the family farm with his father, Orlo, later joined by his brother-in-law, Steve Cordell. Together the trio created “Beatty & Cordell Farms, Inc.”

He continued working on the farm for 46 years before “retiring” to Roswell, NM, where he worked on a local ranch. He later returned to Parnell and worked at Consumers Oil Company for five years. Terry finished his career living out his dream of becoming a truck driver, working for Midwest Warehousing.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Jerry.

He married Judy Spencer in 1976, and they had three children, who survive him: Mandy Scott and her husband, Trent, Savannah; Emily Vitris and her husband, Mike, Austin, TX and Matt Beatty and his wife, Heidi, Parnell.

In 2013, Terry married Shirley Perry, and welcomed her two sons, Jim Sollars and Ron Smith into his family.

He is also survived by his sister, Debbie Cordell, and her husband, Steve, Parnell; and by his beloved grandchildren: Ella, Jackson, Allison, Rivers, Hank, Charters, Erica, Josh, and Faith, his nephew Ryan (Megan) Cordell, niece Fallon (Kelly) Stiens and many cousins and friends.

Terry loved working, baking, and taking care of animals. He had a heart for helping those in need and, later in life, delivered food to residents of Parnell through The Ministry Center. He was a member of Parnell United Methodist Church. His family describes him as kind, funny, stubborn, generous, dedicated, hardworking and loving.

Terry’s body will be cremated, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date in the Parnell Park. It was Terry’s wish that there be a “Great Life” celebration in lieu of a traditional funeral or viewing.

Memorials can be made to the Parnell United Methodist Church or The Ministry Center of Maryville.

A few months before his death, Terry took inspiration from a quote from Pastor Joel Osteen: “God never brings things to an end without having something better coming.”

While he will be deeply missed here on earth, his family finds comfort in knowing that he did, in fact, have something better coming.

Terry Beatty was a member of the Missouri Cremation Service. Online guestbook and obituary at missouricremation.com.