Joseph "Joe" Allen Waers

Joseph Allen Waers, Sr, age 89, passed away peacefully on December 21, 2024, with his family by his side. Joe was born and raised in the Liberty, MO, area to parents Billie Waers and Dorothy (Brown) Waers and was the youngest of three children. His siblings were Billie G Waers and Martha (Waers) Cooper.

Eventually, the family moved to Columbia, MO, where Joe attended Hickman High School and met his true love, Connie F Hinshaw. The two married in 1956 and together they built a life that included many milestones and adventures. After a two-year stop in Kansas City, where their first child was born, the young couple landed in Carthage, MO, where they had two more children. Joe and Connie had many friends in Carthage, and Joe enjoyed being an entrepreneur. Once the children had flown the nest, Joe and Connie moved to the Lake of the Ozarks and thoroughly enjoyed the lake life, buying property and building houses. Again, Joe and Connie developed wonderful friendships and enjoyed their own little piece of paradise at the Lake. Most recently, they moved to the Shawnee area so they could be closer to their family.

Joe is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Connie Hinshaw Waers, and their three children: Lucy Denise Cunningham (Scott); Joseph A Waers, Jr; and Todd H Waers (Lora). Joe was grandfather to Danielle Owen, Joey Waers, Bennet Waers, and Morgan Weiser. He is also survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Fred and Janet Hinshaw. Additionally, Joe deeply loved his great-grandchildren: Austin, Lucy, and Abigail Heinisch; Kody and Piper Waers; and Beckham, Deacon, and Maverick Weiser. His first great-great grandchild, Adelaide Grace Doane, is expected in January. Joe was loved by many nieces and nephews as well. His faithful and loyal dog, Rodney, remains with Connie.

Joe will be remembered for his sense of humor, his love of family and those he cared about, his charming personality, his love of politics, and, as one friend so aptly put it, “for being a really cool dude!”

Joe also loved his many dogs through the years and believed in the mission of Great Plains SPCA, a local animal shelter. If you would care to make a donation to Great Plains SPCA in honor of Joe, it would be greatly appreciated.

Services will be held at Amos Funeral Home in Shawnee, KS on Friday, December 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. with burial immediately following at Pleasant View Cemetery in Shawnee. There will be a short visitation prior to the service starting at 10:30 a.m.