Steve Duniphan

Steve Duniphan, 65, of Burfordville passed away peacefully the morning of Sunday, April 1, 2018.

Steve was born Aug. 31, 1952, in Cape Girardeau to Loman and Jean Humphreys Duniphan.

He grew up in Chaffee, Missouri, where he excelled in baseball, basketball and football as a three-sport letterman. He attended Southeast Missouri State University, where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and graduated with a degree in business.

He was an original founding member of Ragsdales Pub in Cape Girardeau. After moving on from the bar, he joined the BNSF Railway, where he worked for nearly 30 years.

Steve had a very diverse writing career, including his book, "A Simple Man in a Complicated World," his articles in Bluegrass Music and Game & Fish magazines and pieces in the Southeast Missourian.

However, anyone who knew Steve would say he was best known for three things: fishing, his enjoyment of good music and his love for his children (though not necessarily in that order).

Steve knew how to fish. He had more line, tackle and rods than most would have in a lifetime, and he used it all. He pulled an incredible number of fish from the lakes and ponds scattered throughout Southeast Missouri over his lifetime and fed almost an equal number of people with the resulting fillets. You could almost always count on fresh fish anytime you saw him.

He carried his love of music with him everywhere he went. Steve played harmonica and would pull it out when the mood struck him right. He loved to sing and never missed an opportunity to harmonize with one of the greats of their time.

Of all the things he loved most, however, his children topped the list. He taught them about the outdoors and how to fish at an early age. His passion for music lives on through them. He coached his son's traveling baseball team, the Jackson Giants, over three very successful summers.

The many memories shared together will be cherished, and the life lessons not soon forgotten.

He is survived by his son, Cody Duniphan, and his wife, Antoinette, of Lakewood, Colorado; daughter, Macy Duniphan, and grandson, Nolan, of Hobbs, New Mexico; brother, Kent Duniphan, and his wife, Sandy, of Imperial, Missouri; sister, Cinda Hall, and her husband, Ralph, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania; sister, Stacy Grus, and her husband, Kevin, of Union, Missouri; brother-in-law, Bill Morgan Jr. of Cape Girardeau; niece, Nikki Morgan Cary, and her husband, Chris, of Brentwood, Tennessee; niece, Kaci Morgan Below, and her husband, Luke, of Advance, Missouri; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, family and friends.

Steve was preceded in death by his mother and father, as well as his sister, Regena Morgan.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the chapel. Burial will follow at Morgan Memorial Park in Advance.