James Derril Munson born September 9, 1940, to Fariell Lucinda Jenkins and Earl Robert Munson.
         He was born on his grandparent’s farm in Barry County. He was raised in Mars-Hill Community where he attended school, grades 1-8 before being moved to Crane Community School in the 6th grade until graduation. He graduated from Crane High School in 1958 and attended the University of Missouri. He graduated with a BS in Agriculture in 1962 and a MS in Entomology in 1964. In the interim he married Ethelene Bennett in January 1962 and in 1964 moved to Lincoln, Nebraska for and advanced degree. In 1964 Annette was born and in 1967 Amy was born.
          In 1970 Derril graduated with his PHD in Entomology. He was on staff at the University of Nebraska until 1972. He started to work for an insecticide and herbicide company when he moved to Omaha, Nebraska. In 1974 ha was transferred to the home office in Connecticut. Derril transferred to the St. Louis area and changed companies, after the transition he was transferred to Kansas City for four years before being transferred to New Jersey for two years. The company then moved the office to North Carolina.
            In 1990 he changed companies once more but stayed in research and development. In 1992 Derril was transferred back to Missouri and the company eventually sold. He finished his working career with Walmart and doing real estate appraisals with his brother Robert. For two more years Derril worked for Stone County National Bank as a real estate specialist.
          Derril retired at 72 due to his failing eye sight and the bank being sold. He continued to raise sweet corn and tomatoes in his garden, providing all his neighbors with fresh vegetables at his farm in Halltown, Missouri. In 2016 the farm was sold and he and his wife Ethelene moved to Crane, where he resided until his passing.
         Survivors include his wife Ethelene, his daughters Annette and Amy, son in law, Brad, his granddaughters, Ashley, Allison and Amanda, Ashley’s fiancé Aldin, great granddaughter Adalyn, niece Donna Thomas (Joel), nephews, Jeffery Munson (Glenda) and Derek Munson, cousins, Steve Flummerfelt, Bill Utke, Saundra Utke and sisters in law, Judy Monike and Cheryl Dandridge, many other family and friends.
         Memorial services will be held Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. in the Crane Presbyterian Church. Final disposition is cremation under the care of Westrip Funeral Home Crane, Missouri
          In lieu of flowers please send contributions to the CFO in Springfield, Missouri for the Crane High School class of 1957 and 1958 scholarship.