Willard Francis Royer, 97, passed away Saturday, July 16, 2016 at Vintage Park in Holton. He was born on the family farm north of Arrington on September 11, 1918 to Boyd Willard and Mabel Beyer Royer. He was the last of the twenty-seven grandchildren born to Asa and Susan Beyer. Willard attended the Bittersweet rural grade school and graduated from Effingham High School in 1935. After graduation, he helped his father on the family farm.

On December 21, 1945, the probate judge in Seneca, KS, married him and Ruby Walker. They lived a year and a half east of Arrington before moving back to the family farm.

They have three children. They are George and Joyce Royer of Arrington, KS, Linda and Bob Leeper of Lenexa, KS and David and Brenda Royer of Arrington, KS. All three children attended Arrington grade school and graduated from Effingham High School.

Willard farmed the home place until George and David were big enough to help him. He was a steward of his land. When he bought a farm, the first thing he did was to do all the necessary soil conservation. In later years, his sons took over the farming.

He and Ruby attended the Arrington Methodist Church, the Larkinburg Christian Church and Nortonville Pleasant Grove Christian Church.

Over his life he served on various organizations. He served on the Arrington School Board, the Atchison County Water District #4 Board, the Arrington/Larkinburg Telephone Company Board, the Effingham Co-op Board, the Atchison County Soil Conservation Board, the Delaware Watershed Board and the Senior Citizen Advisory Board.

Willard enjoyed farming, taking family vacations, reporting moisture amount to the KNZA radio station for many years and playing cards with his friends at the Effingham Senior Citizen Center.

He was proud of his eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. His parents, his sister, Maxine Vogel and one granddaughter, Halei Royer preceded him in death.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at the Nortonville Pleasant Grove Christian Church. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery at Effingham, Kansas. Family will greet friends 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Mercer Funeral Home in Holton and one hour prior to service time at the church. Memorials may be given to the Holton Community Hospital Hospice, Nortonville Pleasant Grove Christian Church, Effingham Senior Center or Larkinburg Christian Church c/o Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, KS 66436.