James Edward Frost

James Edward Frost, age 86, died on March 6, 2026, on the Frost family farm in Platte City, Missouri, surrounded by the love and laughter of his family.

Ed was born on February 24, 1940, in Springfield, Missouri, to Glenn and Nina Frost, the middle of three children. He graduated from Willard High School in 1958, where he served as student council president and excelled as a basketball player. It was during those years that he met the love of his life, Judith Ann Wiley. Though the story of their first meeting varied depending on who told it, they both agreed it happened 70 years earlier. Ed followed Judy to the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. After graduating in 1962, he and Judy married on November 18, the opening weekend of quail season. He was 22.

A cattleman at heart, Ed had worked on farms since boyhood. At 24, he was appointed Director of the Dairy Division of the Missouri Department of Agriculture during Governor Warren Hearnes’ administration. In 1968, he purchased the Southwest Livestock Commission Company at the Springfield Union Stockyards, where he traded cattle for the next 20 years. Ed and Judy raised four children in Springfield and remained deeply active in their community. He drove countless miles in his old blue truck between Rocky Top Farm, the stockyards, and his children’s events at Greenwood or on Walnut Street. Ed was a gifted storyteller whose smile and laughter could light up any room. Above all, he led and loved by example. His kindness, strong work ethic, empathy, and wry sense of humor remain etched in the hearts of those who knew him. Nothing brought him greater joy than a house filled with family and friends. He and Judy were consummate hosts.

On March 6, 2026, four generations of his family gathered in Platte City, where Ed and Judy had lived for the last 28 years. He played host one final time in the farmhouse he loved. They cried a little, laughed a lot, played cards, and told stories from the old days. Ed is survived by his wife of 64 years, Judy; three daughters, Jennifer, Stephanie, and Whitney; five grandchildren, Hannah (Nate), Andy (Kathleen), Jon (Grace), Ellen, and Jude; and four great-grandchildren, Avery, Murphy, Georgia, and Frances. His fifth great-grandchild is expected in June. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nina and Glenn, and his son, James Edward II (Jed).