Community News
Erie gets $105,065 grant for park improvements
Parsons Sun ERIE — Erie is one of only five Kansas communities awarded a share of $440,000 in Small Communities Improvement Program grants administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce. Lori Zeigenbein, owner of TLZ Construction and a member of the Erie City Park Group, said the city received a $105,065 SCIP grant for phased improvements to the city park, including new playground equipment, replacement of the multi-sport courts (tennis a...
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Royster students get lesson in Legislature
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter In late February four Royster Middle School eighth graders were selected to be pages for Representative Jerry Williams, D-Chanute, at the Capitol in Topeka. Wendy Wawrzewski, a Social Studies teacher at Royster, took Storme Jones, Pauline Donaldson, Cutter Boone and Ramsey Davis to Topeka where they learned about how delegates vote on bills, toured the Capitol, and ran errands for Rep. Williams. They even ...
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Phillip Richard “Phil” Brazil 1947-2011
Phillip Richard “Phil” Brazil, 63, Dillon, Colo,, and longtime resident of Chanute, died at Kansas City Hospice Home on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, Phil was born in Chanute on July 16, 1947, the son of Christopher and Eurith Brazil. He graduated from Chanute High School in 1965 and served in the Kansas National Guard. Phil was a loving and dedicated father to his devoted daughters, Melissa and Camilla, from his marriage to Teresa Welch Brazil fro...
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Sherman funeral March 16
The funeral for John Sherman, Jr., is 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 16 at Grace Episcopal Church in Chanute. The Tribune regrets publishing the wrong day.
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Last two snow days won't be made up
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter At the USD 413 Board of Education meeting Monday night board members made a popular decision by voting to not make up two of the four snow days the district had in January. Superintendent Steve Parsons said that his position remains the same and that instructional time should not be lost because of a snowstorm. However, he added that they have made up one day already and they will make up another on April 22...
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County organizing Melt Down activities
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter Following an example set by Allen County, the Neosho County Health Department will be organizing a “Melt Down” weight loss challenge for citizens of Neosho County starting sometime this spring. Allen County started Allen County Thrive a few years ago, and has now made it a goal to reach out to nine different counties that are under the Kansas Health Institute grant The Melt Down, which was initially to ...
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First United welcomes new pastor
Marilynn Rutledge Tribune Reporter Chanute’s First United Methodist Church welcomed Dyton L. Owen, Ed.D., into the church as its new pastor on Tuesday, March 1. Owen, previously of Jetmore United Methodist Church in Jetmore, said he was excited to make his home in Chanute and will be making it his goal to meet many of the community members during his first few months here. “I have planned to do a lot of listening for my first several mont...
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Marjorie Jean Swank
Marjorie Jean Swank, 89, resident of Bartlesville, Okla., died Friday, March 4, 2011. Graveside service will be 2 p.m.. Friday at New Mount Hope Cemetery, Galesburg, under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.
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Alice Kay Thompson 1941-2011
Alice Kay Thompson, 69, Chanute, died Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Specialty Hospital of Mid-America in Overland Park. Alice was born on May 7, 1941, in Norwalk, Calif., the daughter of Newton and Nellie Miller Futscher. She was united in marriage to Luther Martin. They later divorced. She was united in marriage to Vernon Karl Thompson on August 23, 1991 in Las Vegas. He survives, of the home. Alice worked as an accounting secretary in the...
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Edith Birdell Rodgers Wiley 1916-2011
Edith Birdell Rodgers Wiley, 94, homemaker and retired Methodist pastor’s wife, died Sunday, March 6, 2011. Edith was born in Newton on April 28, 1916, the daughter of Charles Leroy and Emma Holdeman Rodgers. Edith graduated from Newton High School. She married Ira Wiley in 1940.  Ira worked for Santa Fe Railroad in Newton, Chanute, and Emporia, until he resigned and entered the ministry. He died in 2008. She attended Trinity Heights United Me...
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Vera Ellen Thurman 1916-2011
Vera Ellen Thurman, 95, died Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Iola Nursing Center in Iola. She had lived in Iola the past three years. She was born March 1, 1916, at Covington, Okla., the sixth of 12 children born to William H. and Dorothea C. Jordening Bartels. She attended the country school in that area and grew up there. In 1942 she moved with her family to Beatrice, Neb. In 1952 she moved to Wichita, where she was employed by the Safeway S...
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After report of two motel guests being unresponsive, one taken to NMRMC, the other to Neosho Co. jail
Tribune staff On Monday, officers with the Chanute Police Department were dispatched to 1814 South Santa Fe, Chanute, on a report of two individuals who were unresponsive. When officers arrived at Guest House Motor Inn both subjects were responsive and were evaluated by medical personnel, said Det. Raymond Hale, public information officer.   Rumors had spread that there were two dead bodies at the motel. Response to a phone call to the mote...
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Area briefs
Pittsburg man injured in U.S. 59 accident An injury accident occurred at 5:20 p.m. Friday on U.S. 59 Highway, eight miles south of Erie. A 2005 Ford Focus driven by Roger D. Brown, Pittsburg, was following a 2003 STE truck and struck the rear of the vehicle, the Kansas Highway Patrol report stated. The truck pulled to the side of the road and vehicle 1 then struck the rear of vehicle 2 again. Brown was transported to Labette Health in Pars...
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CES presents father, son piano team
The Chanute Entertainment Series presents Simon and Son, the only international father and son piano team on the concert circuit today, at Chanute Memorial Auditorium at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 10. The duo provide world-class entertainment for the whole family, with a high energy program ranging from Listz to Liberace to Gershwin. Pianists Peter and Sailing Simon present a dazzling evening of keyboard acrobatics, popular and classical music an...
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Death notices
Vera Ellen Thurman, 95, Iola, formerly of Erie and Beatrice, Neb., died Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Iola Nursing Center. She was the widow of C. R. “Pat” Thurman, who preceded her in death on Nov. 6, 1997. Funeral will be 4 p.m. Saturday, March 12 at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Galesburg. The family will receive friends at the Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Erie from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday. Memorials are suggested to either the First ...
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Anna Mary “Annie” Berkey 1923-2011
Anna Mary “Annie” Berkey, 87, Chanute, died Friday, March 4, 2011 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. Annie was born in Nova, Ohio on August 28, 1923, the daughter of Ed and Ella Barr Motter. Annie was united in marriage to Paul C. Berkey in Ashland, Ohio. He preceded her in death in 1986. She worked as an apartment manager in Fountain, Colo., where she lived for 27 years. She retired in 1988. Annie is survived by three sons, Jim ...
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Grace Ellen Houser 1931-2011
Grace Ellen Houser, 79, longtime resident of Fredonia, formerly of Neodesha, died Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Kansas Heart Hospital in Wichita. She was born June 30, 1931 in Neodesha, the daughter of Isaac Newton and Ida Mae Lockard Phillips. Grace was married to Lester Houser. They were later divorced. Grace was a dispatcher several years for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department. More recently, she worked for the Alco store in Fredonia. Sh...
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John Norval Sherman, Jr. 1918-2011
John Norval Sherman, Jr. Born Oct. 30, 1918 Samuels, Ky. Died: March 3, 2011 in Larence. Parents: Dr. John N. Sherman, Sr. Mother Mary Palmer (Hibbs) Sherman. Sister, Eunice C. Sherman died 1914. Brother Marvin H. Sherman died 1948. Chanute High School, Class of 1937. U.S. Åir Force 1942-1945. Pilot, heavy bombers in 14th Air Force China. Washburn University and Washburn University Law School graduate. Member Phi Delta Theta Social fraternity....
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Benchwarmers serves up recipe for Taste of Main Street America
A cookbook featuring more than 200 locally-owned restaurants around the nation includes Chanute’s Benchwarmers Bar and Grill among the mix of popular non-franchise restaurants and cafe´s. The cookbook, Taste of Main Street America, has been a work in progress since 2009 to compile the recipes that Main Street America has to offer. “In 2007 during the national election, both parties were using the term “Main Street America” for the average A...
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Community supports battle against ALS
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Local man Richie Kerns, 41, was diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, early January. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is usually recognized when the sufferer feels weakness in some part of his body. For Kerns, it was his feet. Richie's story "I noticed riding my motorcycle that I was having trouble using the shifter peg with my foot," said Kerns. "I thought it was the motorc...
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