Carl Lyle Covey of Rich Hill, Missouri, passed away on April 28, 2026 at Research Medical Center surrounded by his family. Carl was born July 9, 1946 to Otis Carlyle and Georgia Allene Covey in Kansas City, Missouri where his big sister Gayle was there to welcome him home. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and attended East High School where he graduated in 1964. Carl had a great love of music and could play several instruments. As a teenager, he played guitar and sang in a rock and roll band. It was at a concert in Blue Valley Park that Connie first saw him and even though she had never met him, she knew she would one day marry him. She told his mother that day, “I’m going to marry your son.” They got married in 1967 and were together for 55 years before Connie passed away.
Carl enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1966 where he was an active serviceman until 1971. After he got married, he wanted to learn a trade and first worked as an apprentice to become a glass glazier which became his full time job. He put windows in many of the buildings in the Kansas City area. Carl and Connie both got saved and attended Friendly Assembly of God fairly early in their married life. Carl was called into the ministry and they attended Bible school together. When Friendly Assembly of God went through a split in 1974, they began traveling to Rich Hill to attend the local Assembly of God, and in 1975 began pastoring there. In 1979, Sweetwater was started by the hand of the Lord. He gave Carl the dimensions, made it possible to purchase the land, and acquire a loan during the recession of the 70s and 80s. Carl, along with the congregation, took on the task of building the church with their own hands from the ground up. For 47 years, Carl was a faithful shepherd to his flock at Sweetwater.
Carl loved people and had a heart for soul winning. Once he got saved, it was his lifelong passion to witness to those who had not yet met Jesus. He was blessed with many gifts and talents. He was a singer, musician, woodworker, artist, carpenter, and so many other things. He could see something, draw it, and figure out in his head how to build it. He was very creative. Throughout the years, he built many pieces of furniture for his family. If he didn’t know how to do something, he would figure it out until he could. He loved his doggie Remington and would faithfully take him for a ride in the car every day. He went to breakfast at the local café where he ordered the same thing every single day and then took his bacon home to share with Remington. He enjoyed his morning visits with what they called ‘the liars club’. He loved going to the Kern Center to play dirty bingo. He had such fun setting his sights on something and then trying to win and keep it. Carl enjoyed playing music at the nursing home in Nevada once a month and practicing with his music group.
Carl is survived by two daughters, Carla Toppass (Matt) and Shelly Schmitt (Jim) all of Rich Hill, Missouri; sister, Gayle Wright of St. Louis, Missouri; daughter-in-law, Ferlinda Turley (Brandon) of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; nine grandchildren, Emily Brucks (Michael), Caleb Schmitt (Tierra), Evelyn Tholen (Matthew), Andrew Schmitt (Abbagail), Allie Siegismund (Levi), Joshua, Jacob, Jonathon and Joseph Covey; five great-grandsons, MJ and Macklin Brucks, Elias and Everett Schmitt, Rhett Schmitt and one on the way, nephews, nieces, his doggie, Remington, his church family, and many friends from the Kern Center, his music group, and the café. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Connie of 55 years, and a son, Timothy L. Covey.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to Sweetwater Tabernacle of God.
Obituary graciously provided by the family.
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