Max Woodson Swisegood, 86, of Oak Grove, Missouri, passed away on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. The family will receive friends from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 23rd at First Baptist Church of Oak Grove. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 24th at First Baptist Church of Oak Grove, followed by burial in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Max was born August 9, 1939, in North Salem, MO at the family home to Floyd L. Swisegood and Ethel V. (Lambert) Swisegood. He graduated from Liberty High School in Browning, MO, in 1957. After graduating, he worked on the family farm until he moved to Kansas City to work at Hallmark Cards. It’s there he met his best friend, Bill Gardner. He then purchased the Skelly Station at the corner of 35th & Noland Road and began working at Jack Swall Auto Parts on Noland Road in Independence. In 1970, he and Bill bought and began B+M Auto Supply in Blue Springs. They later expanded the business to stores in Buckner and Oak Grove.
During his time at Hallmark Cards, he also met his wife, Jane. They were married in Miami, OK on November 3, 1961. To this union, 2 children were born. Shelly Jane Swisegood-Drecktrah and Troy Max Swisegood.
Max’s hobbies and passions were tractor pulling, racing cars, building engines, fixing tractors, and his beloved cows. He found joy in doing any one of these things. He thought every car or truck should be red with a lot of chrome!
Max was always willing to help out a friend or neighbor in need and loved to visit and tell stories. Many stories were shared in the garage through the years while working on pulling tractors on farm tractors.
Max also served on the PWSD #1 Rural Water Board, Missouri State Tractor Pullers Association Board, as well as Vice President of the association for several years. He also served on the West Central Electric Board of Directors and is one of the founding members of the Oak Grove Tractor Pullers.
Max was preceded in death by his wife Jane; son Troy Max; his parents, Floyd & Ethel Swisegood; sister and brother-in-law Goldie and Marlin Belzer; brothers-in-law, Roger Hunt and Tom Taylor; and nephew Jack Belzer.
He leaves behind his wife Verna Swisegood of the home; his daughter Shelly Drecktrah (Brad) of Lone Jack, MO; grandsons Jacob Troy Swisegood (Deanna) and Caleb Drecktrah (Logan) of Columbia, MO; 4 great-grandchildren, Peyton, Portlynn, Hayes, and Bennett; sister-in-law Judy Taylor of Bulter, MO; Verna’s children, Lana and John Crawford of Hamilton, MO; Darrin Cole of Cameron, MO, Clint Cole of Gallatin, MO; and grandchildren Lauren and Brandon Nystrom, Cole and Sarah Crawford, Kersten and Chase Morrison, Crayton and Paige Crawford, Caleb and Trisha Cole, Levi Cole, Jake Cole, Wesley Cole, Gabe and Taylor Cole, as well as 12 great-grandchildren; his best friend and business partner, Bill Gardner (Linda), as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and too many friends and neighbors to mention.
Arrangements by Royer Funeral Home in Oak Grove, MO.
Dona Whitehead
20 Nov 2025Prayers for The Swisegood Family
Max had a love for many things…
He will be missed by so many people.
He at one time had cattle across the road from us,
for years we seen him every morning.
Sometimes he waved & sometimes he stopped to talk.
You’re all in Our prayers,
The Whitehead’s Dona Travis Samantha & Sophie
Melinda Smith
20 Nov 2025Loved seeing Max out on his tractor mowing the fields on the property next to my house and calling my “neighbors “, his cows up for a treat and a headcount. Especially, the “mean” Bull… that he had raised and was a gentleman like his owner.
Max always had a story or a quiet comment that would give you a giggle.
Max, I am going to miss seeing you driving around next door and the wave of my friend in his happy place. Bless you Mr Max💕
Steve Riska
23 Nov 2025Condolences to the family .One of the good guys gone too soon
Tim Smith
23 Nov 2025Prayers for the family