Mickey Lee Hirt

It was a sunny spring Saturday on the 26th day of May in 1951, Charles Vernon Hirt and his wife, Eileen Marie Arnold-Hirt welcomed the arrival of their first-born child, a son, Mickey Lee Hirt. Mickey, also known as Mouse and Junkyard and Junkyard Mouse in the trucking industry, became an experienced truck driver with several Safe Driver awards and a few Million Mile awards too. Mickey graduated 8th grade in Miami, MO and attended high school in Marshall, MO. At an early age he accepted Christ as his personal Lord and savior. Over his adult years he chose to follow the trends and slipped away from God. God never abandoned him and eventually Mickey realized God was always with him and he got back to following God and the teachings of his son Jesus Christ. He renewed his faith in God and was Baptized again in later years and never slid away from God again. Mickey Lee Hirt was like so many of us, not perfect, no saint, yet he got up every day and did his best to be better than he was the day before, and to never allow anything to make him bitter. Mickey was a first-born son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a husband and father to every child he ever met, a grandfather to every child he ever met, a truck driver, and Santa Claus, which was one of his favorite roles in this life. In his later years he became a stripper … of motors. He also enjoyed cutting firewood for neighbors. But most of all he enjoyed being a Christian more than anything else. His heart was always filled with forgiveness. Even if he didn’t want to be around you anymore, he’d forgive you and pray for you. Mickey loved to plant flowers, trees and a vegetable garden. He loved to go fishing and hunting with family and friends and was a collector of many things, especially friends. He never met a stranger. You walked away friends. Mickey was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Charles Walter Hirt & Grace Morrow – Hirt, of Miami, MO; his maternal grandparents, Walter Lee Arnold & Etta Odessa Rash-Arnold, of Urbana, MO; his parents, Charles Vernon Hirt & Eileen Marie Arnold - Hirt of Miami, MO; brother, Charles Vernon Hirt II & wife Linda Brashears - Hirt, their daughter, Leslie Marie Smith and her infant daughter, their son Bobby Gene Hirt; and a brother who shared the same birthday, Walter Lynn Hirt & wife Donna Kay Davis - Hirt. He is survived by one brother of Miami, MO, Mark Hirt, his son Justin & wife Katherine and their children, of Miami, MO; son, Shawn Lee Hirt of Atchison, Kansas; daughter, Alettia Jean Shepard & husband Jarrod of Eldridge, MO and their children, son Levi Shepherd & wife, Mariah, and children, Ayden, Lakota, Makiya, and Leagan of Lebanon, MO; son, Justin Shepherd and his son Norman, of Eldridge, MO; daughter, Desirae Shepherd of Eldridge, MO; stepdaughter, Tammy Zinn of Malden, MO, her daughter Brea Smith of Eldridge, MO; son, Jayden Wagner; Stepson, Joe Francis & wife Stacey, and children, Brooklyn and John Newell, and children, Grayson Charles and Karter Benjuim Allen of Lebanon, MO. Brock Perry and wife Kaylee and children, Zachoriah Matthew Myers, Kash Benjamin Perry, Saylor Faye Perry of Lebanon, MO and their sons, Boston Perry and Ashton Francis of Lebanon, MO, Chandler & Tanya Truster and nine children of Fair Grove, MO; granddaughter, Hailey Turvin and daughters, Emmaly Jean Turvin, and Wennry Marie Turvin of Lebanon, MO; granddaughter, Korisha Barnett and son Darrion Alexander Tyler of Lebanon, MO; granddaughter, Kourtney & husband Ronald Jay Harmon and daughters Samantha Rose Harmon, Kacii Lynn Harmon, and awaiting the arrival of baby boy Zachariah Elijah Jay Harmon of Crocker, MO; granddaughter, Kiara & Kenny Shrader and daughter Kinslee Raylynn Schrader of Lebanon, MO; grandson, Bradley Cade Phillips our “gentle giant” of Lebanon, MO; stepdaughter Angie Francis of Lebanon, MO; special son-in-law, Ralph Wagner and children Shawn, Olyvia, Lauryn, and Jayden. Mickey was the only “father” Joe Francis and Angie Francis ever knew. A grand “Pops” he truly was, he wore the name “Pops” proudly. Mickey was a great mentor to them. There were no “steps” in Mickey’s life, just sons and daughters. The world put the “steps” in. Mickey is also survived by his wife, Gail, of 33 years. They lived 32 of those years together near Long Lane, MO as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends of the Marshall- Miami, MO area as well as Buffalo, Long Lane, Lebanon and Eldridge, MO. Mickey entered the hospital on July 10, 2025 with Severe Acute Pancreatitis and suffered many complications over 98 days. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, October 16th, 2025 at approximately 2:31 AM. Heaven gained a kind, loving man of many talents who was respected by many and will be greatly missed and fondly remembered forever. He will remain in our hearts forever. His legacy of spreading Faith, Hope, Joy and Love will be passed on by each heart he ever touched. Until we meet again. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 in the Cantlon-Otterness & Viets Funeral Home with Jerrod Shepherd officiating. Escorts will be Bradley Phillips, Chandler Truster, Levi Shepherd, Justin Shepherd, Boston Perry, and Brandon Early. Honorary escorts will be Ashton Francis, Brock Perry, and Michael Langdon. Interment will be in the New Hope Cemetery near Long Lane, MO. Visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Funeral Home.

Mickey Lee Hirt

May 26, 1951 - October 16, 2025