Arnold Felix Minnich, Jr., son of Arnold Felix Minnich, Sr. and Mary Louise Brawley Minnich, was born on March 11, 1958, and passed from this life into the presence of Jesus on September 23, 2026.
Arnold (“Bud,” as he was known by family and close friends) was raised in Open Hollow in the Delaware community, near Eminence, Missouri. He was proud to say he had lived there all of his life from age two onward. He attended the Eminence Schools and graduated in 1976.
Bud was first married to Sherry Denton. Their children are Jimmy Don, Samuel Leroy, and Jennifer Renea. He later was married to Lori McBryde.
Several years ago, Bud accepted Jesus as his Saviour. His focus in life changed completely. He loved going to church and singing and playing his guitar for the Lord. For several years, he supported the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox project at his church by donating money.
One of the first jobs Bud had was working for J.U. Boyd in his store in Eminence, but for most of his life Bud worked at something connected with the timber industry. When he was 13 years old, he received his first chainsaw from his dad. He began cutting firewood and sold his first rank of wood that winter. He truly enjoyed that type of work and would not have considered doing anything else. Even when he was fighting his battle with cancer, on his good days he would take his tractor and trailer out and cut a load of wood to sell.
Bud also loved tinkering on hit-and-miss engines and old antique and classic tractors, restoring them mechanically. He didn’t care how pretty they looked; he just wanted them “running pretty good.” Not only did he enjoy working on his tractors, but he loved to joyride them up and down the road and around the fields of the old homeplace. Bud was an excellent woodworker and made many beautiful pieces of furniture. He was also known for his dry wit and humor. He loved little kids and would find ways to pester and tease them, telling them he was going to sell them to the circus or the gypsies. From making wooden toys in his woodworking shop, wearing fake fingernails, and playing with goldfish with his adopted great-granddaughter to teaching his great-nieces how to “roar,” he always found a way to connect with the kids. He might even try to convince them that he put mustard on his ice cream. He considered being a grandpa the greatest thing in the world. His princess, Brooklyn, Roger Bub, and Will the Pill were the light of his life.
Bud is preceded in death by his father, Felix Minnich; his brother, John; his paternal grandparents, Herman and Dorothy Minnich; and his maternal grandparents, Louis and Oneita Brawley.
He is survived by his mother, Louise Minnich; two sons Jimmy (Nancy), and Samuel (Jen); one daughter, Jennifer Page (Kerry); grandchildren, Brooklyn Light, Roger Light, and William Wally Light; his adopted granddaughter, Jessica Martinez; his adopted grandson, Deaustin McLaughlin; his adopted great-grandchildren, Kinsley, Sadie, Joe, Harley, and Koe Martinez; one sister, Mary Dawson (Mike); three brothers, David (Ann), Mark (Kathy), and Tim (Stacy); one uncle, Richard Minnich; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and church family.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ~Revelations 21:4
