Verna Moreland, age 97, of Clinton, Missouri passed away on Friday, October 10, 2025 at the Northcare Hospice House in North Kansas City, Missouri after a brief illness.
Verna Elaine Watters was born March 1, 1928 in Iron Hill, Iowa, the daughter of Delbert and Ila (Bentley) Watters. She graduated from Maquoketa, Iowa High School at the age of 17 and attended nursing school in Independence, Mo, receiving her RN degree at age 20. She began her nursing career at Spelman Hospital in Smithville, Mo. It was in Smithville that she met her future husband, Arley Moreland.
The family relocated to Clinton, Mo where Arley assisted with the start-up of the Kansas City Power & Light plant in Montrose, Mo. Verna worked for Clinton General Hospital and Golden Valley Hospital in various capacities, including Director of Nurses.
Verna was a lifelong member of the Community of Christ Church, where she was an elder emeritus. She was also a long time member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Clinton Country Club and its Ladies Association, the Henry County (MO) Historical Society and Canasta Club. She was a 50-plus-year volunteer with the American Red Cross where she shared her nursing skills, as well as donated gallons of blood. She also volunteered for many years with Christmas Cheer through the Samaritan Center.
Her hobbies included bowling; golfing; traveling; reading; playing cards and games, and working all kinds of puzzles.
She is survived by three children, Leigh Paul (Tom), Clinton, Mo; Sharon Fantz, Grain Valley, Mo and Lewis Moreland (Sandra), Clinton, Mo.; two grandchildren, Sarah King (Mylin), Kansas City, Mo., and Matthew Moreland, Kansas City, Mo., and a great-granddaughter, Maya King, Kansas City, Mo., as well as many nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Arley Moreland in 1997; an infant daughter, Diana L. Moreland; siblings Kenneth Watters, Jean Frandsen, Mary Schoop and Eva "Ruth" Gifford.
A "Story of her Life" Celebration was held Saturday, October 18, 2025 at the Vansant-Mills Chapel in Clinton, MO. Special music included "Sentimental Journey & What a Wonderful Life" with Peggy Arthur and David Mills as organist/vocalists. Inurnment was in Englewood Cemetery in Clinton next to her husband.
Services were under the direction of Vansant-Mills Funeral Home of Clinton, MO.
