Alta Jean Damron, 92, of Warrensburg, died Monday, Feb. 8, at her home.

The family will receive friends from 2 p.m. until service time Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home. A celebration of life is scheduled for 3 p.m. later that day at the funeral home with full military honors with Pastor Jerry Basye officiating. Interment will be at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.

She was born March 27, 1923, in Jefferson, Iowa, the daughter of John Elliott and Rose Alma (Sailer) Glancy.

On June 29, 1945 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, she and Wilbur Thomas Damron, Jr. were married. He preceded her in death on Feb. 1, 2002.

Jean was brought up in Ft. Morgan, Colorado; along with her sisters and mother, she spent many happy years singing in their church. She graduated high school in Ft. Morgan, Colorado, and began her undergraduate in Greeley, Colorado. She left school to join the U.S. Navy WAVES division in World War II and earned her Honorable Discharge at war’s end. She returned to school at William Jewel College, receiving a BS in Science and was a founding member of the Alpha Gamma Delta chapter while there.

Two of her career highlights were serving as the Exec. Asst. to the Art Dir. at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO and later as Asst. Librarian at Central MO State University. She retired in 1988.

She spent her life traveling with her family in Europe and the U.S. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and friends.

Until her death, she was a crusader to end Daylight Saving Time.

Alta Jean is survived by four daughters, Jana Spear, of Warrensburg, Dara Kiely and husband, Robert, of Warrensburg, Datha Martinez and husband, Arthur, of Kirksville, Missouri, and Andra Damron of Hyattsville, Maryland; one step-son, Wilbur Damron III and his partner, Alan Palozzi, of Las Vegas, NV; eight grandchildren, Vaughn Damron and wife, Mayra, Andrew Kiely and wife, Laura, Clifford Kiely and wife, Stephanie, Katy Klein and her husband, Charles Hagman, Joe Klein and fiancée, Kendra Hermann, Margaret Klein, and Michaela and Briana Martinez; three great-grandchildren, Dylan Kiely, Avery Kiely and Nikolai Damron.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a son, John Steven Damron in 1998, a son-in-law, Guy Spear on Dec. 9, 2009, and three sisters.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Johnson County or Crossroads Hospice and can be left in care of the funeral home.