Elbert Dixon was a successful farmer who encouraged young men to stay away from farming. There are so many other ways to make a living.

He had drawn a tough life from the fertile fields on the family farm near Plattsburg, Mo. Working the soil since being orphaned at 8, and moving in with his grandparents, he helped grow crops and raised cattle through the Depression.

Later, he fought in World War II, farmed, sold crop insurance and was elected as a county commissioner.

During his life, his nephew says, he exhibited the perseverance and success in war, business and politics that other great men of faith like George Washington are known for.

“He’s the type of person that has been the backbone of the country. He could have easily been a patriot and Founding Father 230 years ago,” nephew Stephen Dickerson said.

As a Marine, Mr. Dixon won medals for good conduct and marksmanship. As a farmer, he won agricultural and pork producer awards. As a community leader in Plattsburg, he helped bring the first ambulance to the area.

The Missouri Daughters of the American Revolution chose him as its patriot of the month last December.

For nearly 60 years, Mr. Dixon and his wife, Dee, built a life together on the family farm. Earlier this month, he passed away from brain cancer. He was 83. Ms. Dixon is surrounded by memories.

She remembers a soft-spoken young man at a Veterans of Foreign Wars dance. A big-city girl from Texas visiting relatives near Plattsburg, she found herself taken by his country manners. She told her family she wasn’t coming home.

Their eight-month courtship included fishing and watching movies, in a day when young men wore white shirts and neckties and girls wore dresses to movie houses. They later married, and moved to the family farm.

Over almost five decades, he grew the farm to nearly 700 acres. He raised hogs and grew corn and soybean.

“I did the books, the regular things a farm wife did: raised a garden, raised chickens, did all those things that a city girl never imagined doing,” Ms. Dixon said. “We had a lot of ups and downs, but the ups outweighed the downs. The ups were we had each other.”

Nicknamed “Peaches” by his friends because his first name Elbert was similar in sound to an Elberta peach, Mr. Dixon was deeply involved in the community. Ms. Dixon said he regularly attended association meetings of the “China Marines,” his church, civic organizations and the Masonic Order.

“He always was willing to get a color guard together for parades. He helped with Memorial Day services many years. He didn’t know how to say no,” she said.

Ahmad Safi can be reached

at ahmadsafi@npgco.com.