Ronnie Watkins, 78
A celebration of life service for Ronnie Watkins, 78, Dora, was held Sept. 27, 2025, at Family Life Church, Dora, under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home in West Plains.
Ronnie peacefully died in his home on Saturday, Sept. 20, after a courageous five-month battle with complications following heart surgery. The son of Bernie and Geneva (Lane) Watkins, Ronnie was born in Oakdale, California, on Nov. 9, 1946. His family returned to Dora when he was six years old, and he graduated from Dora High School with the class of 1964. He worked at Hallmark in Kansas City and was a supervisor at Foremost Dairy in Kansas City until he joined the Kansas National Guard in 1966. He served six years in the National Guard, with two and a half years being on active duty. During this time, he was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado.
On Sept. 3, 1966, Ronnie married the love of his life, Wanda Lovan, and they enjoyed 59 years of marriage. While stationed in Colorado, Ronnie and Wanda fell in love with the Colorado mountains. They developed a love for traveling, especially out west, and they enjoyed taking many, many trips together over the years. Ronnie felt that he knew the roads and towns of Colorado better than those of Missouri. Coming back from a vacation, he always said, “It was good to travel, but it’s good to come home too!”
Ronnie was a true embodiment of a “salt of the earth" man. His commitment to his cattle farm was unwavering. He was well-known in the cattle industry and made many friends over the years through farming. He ran background steers for 46 years and replacement heifers for three years. He owned and operated Watkins Fertilizer for several years, as well as doing custom hay baling. He was also a cattle buyer for several Kansas feed lots. Ronnie was always busy, whether checking the fence, working cattle, baling hay, or taking a drive to check on pastures. Ronnie and Wanda could be found every morning at Roy’s Store drinking coffee before doing the daily chores.
Ronnie had a lifelong love of softball. He began playing fastpitch at the age of 23 and was a well-respected pitcher in southern Missouri and Arkansas. All summer long, he played league four nights a week, in two different towns, and he loved every single inning. He later transitioned to slow-pitch softball, where he was known as a homerun hitter and a “tough out,” even while playing with much younger guys. He played his last game at the age of 57. Ronnie instilled the love of the game into both his children and his son-in-law, Brian. Some of his best memories were of his kids playing ball, then later, his granddaughters, Kelsi and Keeli. He once said that he could have bought another farm for what he had spent following the girls all over the country to softball tourneys. He never once regretted a penny of it, and he’d do it all over again. He enjoyed assistant coaching Tara’s high school fastpitch team and was proud of Lance’s softball accomplishments over the years.
Ronnie was a humble and respectful competitor in all he did. He worked hard, played hard, and enjoyed his life. His biggest victory was accepting Christ on September 17, 2025. He was baptized on Sept. 18, 2025, by his friend of 68 years, Don Hamby.
Ronnie’s legacy lives on through his family whom he loved so much. Ronnie and Wanda built a beautiful life together over their 59 years of marriage.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda; his two children: Lance Watkins and wife Jessi, and Tara Land and husband, Brian, all of Dora; grandchildren: Autumn Miller (Nathan), Brian Collins, Jordan Arnett, Drake Arnett, Blaine Watkins, Sydney Watkins, Kelsi Earls (Braitton) and Keeli Holden (Barent); one great-granddaughter, Emma May Miller; siblings: Randy Watkins, Connie Williams (Jack), Becky Smith (Phillip); brothers-in-law: Stan Lovan (Judy), Brant Lovan, and Terry Luna; sisters-in-laws: Brenda Kinney (Bob), Evelyn Thornton (Jay), Carmen McCarty; and several nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Bernie and Geneva Watkins; in-laws, Claude and Vera May Lovan; and one sister, Amy Luna.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association and may be left at or mailed to Robertson-Drago Funeral Home, 211 W. Main St., West Plains, Missouri. Online condolences may be left at www.robertsondrago.com.