Joe Carl Sanderson was peacefully ushered into the arms of his savior, Jesus, at Addington Place in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, on September 22, 2023, at the age of 89. His last request was that he be close to Jean, and so he was. Joe Carl Sanderson was born on September 16, 1934 in Vardaman, Mississippi to Rex Sanderson and Nina Pearl Simon. As a boy, Joe loved being in the outdoors and enjoyed fishing most. The day before his high school graduation, on April 15th, 1953, Joe married the love of his life, a fiery little blond named Eva Jean Hamilton. The wedding ceremony was attended only by the preacher and his wife. Joe had decided they would secretly elope. The following day, Joe and Jean graduated from Vardaman High School on April 16, 1953. Joe told Jean he wanted to expedite the wedding because, “I knew if I didn’t get you now, I never would.” In 1954 they moved to Washington, D.C. where Joe took a position as a file clerk and was quickly promoted to the mail room for the FBI. One morning Joe found himself with a briefcase hand cuffed to his arm on the way to personally deliver the briefcase to the Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover. They had a short conversation where Joe told Director Hoover he wanted to become an FBI agent. Director Hoover told him he would need to have a college degree to do that. In 1956 Joe entered Memphis State College and in 1959 graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Upon graduation Joe sought to apply to work for the FBI. However, he found out that the requirements for entry into the program had been changed and his degree would not make him eligible. Joe decided to seek employment using his business degree, taking a job as a wholesale pharmaceutical representative. Joe worked in the wholesale drug industry for 40 years, where he was a number one award-winning salesman for many of those years. Joe and Jean began a family in 1958 with the birth of their first daughter. Together they had four daughters and 2 sons. In 1973 Joe followed God’s calling to become a pastor and founded the Oak Grove Bible Church in Oak Grove, Missouri. Joe’s calling came with a driving passion to preach and teach God’s Word and see people come to Christ. There he realized his vision of creating a biblical and family oriented church. Joe preached over 6000 messages and preformed over 200 weddings. Joe pastored the church until 2014. Joe is survived by his wife, Eva Jean Sanderson, his children, Lisa Dawn Smothers, Donna Lynne Collums (Dudly Collums), Joseph Shane Sanderson, Lana Sonya Mead (Mike Mead), John Jason Sanderson, and Leslie Cheri Menichetti. Joe is also survived by his 17 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren; Joe is also survived by his beloved brothers, Rex Franklin Sanderson of Houston MS, and John Gary Simon of Pachuta MS. Visitation will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at Royer Funeral Home, Grain Valley, Missouri. Funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m. Interment in Valley Memorial Gardens, Grain Valley, MO.

Obituary submitted by family

Arrangements:  Royer Funeral Home, Grain Valley, MO   816-847-4441