More Remembrances of Asbury – Funeral Arrangements Set

Funeral arrangements have been set for longtime Moberly High School educator and coach Ken Asbury. The service for 83-year-old coach Ken Asbury will be Tuesday at 11am at Cater Funeral Home Chapel, with committal prayer and burial at Oakland Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 3-6pm at the Moberly High School Gymnasium.

Ken Asbury took over a struggling Spartan football program in 1985 and instantly earned respectability at 5-5 in earning the KRES Coach of the Year Award. That record improved to 7-3 the following season. Mike Barner was a line coach for those teams and said Asbury had a simple formula.

Barner said Asbury helped him become a better coach.

Asbury was head football coach for eight years and led the Spartans track and field program for 19 years.

The annual home track and field meet at Moberly High School is named for Ken Asbury. He also coached wrestling, cross country and spent time as athletic director.

Ken Asbury was an NAIA All-American in football at Missouri Valley College. He was good enough to be drafted by the Chicago Bears, but an injury prevented him from getting a shot at playing in the NFL. Sam Richardson played for Asbury his senior year at Moberly, then attended Missouri Valley College. It didn’t take him long to learn how good of an athlete Asbury was.

Ken Asbury spent a total of 50 years in education. Along with his 31-year teaching and coaching career, he served 19 years on the Moberly Board of Education. Asbury was inducted into the Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014.