Community News
Donald Dean Ludlum 1934-2013
Donald Dean Ludlum, 78, of Iola, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, at the Allen County Hospital. Dean was born June 12, 1934, on the family farm west of Elsmore, Kansas, the son of William Russell and Meryl Alderman Ludlum. He drove the school bus as a high school student and graduated from Elsmore High in 1952. He graduated from Neosho County Junior College where he played basketball and then served in the U.S. Army where he was recruited to p...
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Joe Neil Hurst 1935-2013
Joe Neil Hurst, 77, died Friday Feb. 22, 2013 at the Jane Phillips Medical Center, in Bartlesville, Okla. Cremation has take place and inurnment will be held at a later date at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Humboldt. Joe was born Oct. 25, 1935 in Petrolia, the son of Millard and Mable McCllean Hurst. He grew up in Humboldt, and attended and graduated in 1954 from the Humboldt school system. On May 26, 1955 Joe was united in marriage to Joan Wimset...
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Marjorie Jean Redburn 1928-2013
Marjorie Jean Redburn, 84, of Chanute, died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin, Mo. She was born on March 24, 1928 in Elmdale, to William Earnest and Ethel Janetta Smith McVicker. On July 9, 1946 she married Harold E. Redburn in Erie. She graduated as valedictorian from Elmdale High School and later attended Neosho County Community College. Jean worked at Chanute Manufacturing as a drafting clerk, Ragan’s Department St...
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Patsy J. Herndon Smith 1950-2013
Patsy Jo Herndon Smith, 62, of Carl Junction, Mo., died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 at the home of her sister following a battle with cancer. Born August 21, 1950 in Chanute, she was the daughter of the late Ira and Geneva Brown Herndon. She worked at LaBarge Electronics. Patsy was a Christian. Survivors include three daughters, Stacy Showalter and husband, Scott, of Joplin, Misty Peterson and husband Robert Jr., of Iola, Tabitha Soundsleeper and ...
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Virginia Ann Davis 1928-2013
Virginia Ann Davis, 84, of Chanute, died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 at the Chanute Health Care Center. Virginia was born in Hoyt on Oct. 22, 1928, the daughter of Lauren and Bernice Yeakley Holt. She graduated from Hoyt High School in 1946. She was united in marriage to William W. Davis on Feb. 5, 1950 in Hoyt. He preceded her in death on Oct. 31, 2006. Virginia was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Chanute. She is survive...
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Maude Cook 1923-2013
Beulah “Maude” Cook, 89, a longtime resident of Fredonia, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 at Heritage Health Care in Chanute. She was born Oct. 31, 1923 in Fredonia, daughter of Robert C. and Beulah J. West Cummings. She was raised in Wilson County, attended schools in Fredonia and graduated from Fredonia High School in 1941. Following graduation, she worked for Hollis Hardware and Dr. Duncan. In April 1943, she married Harlin Cook and moved to Ro...
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Phillip G. Wilkinson 1943-2013
Phillip G. Wilkinson, 69, of Chanute, died Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. He was born on March 28, 1943 in Great Bend, to Raymond and Bernice Elliott Wilkinson. On Dec. 1, 1963 he married Kaye Simek in Cuba, Kan. He was a member and served as a deacon at the First Presbyterian Church in Chanute. Phil helped his son-in-law manage the Iola American Legion Baseball for several years. He also coached his child...
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Carl Claus 1929-2013
Carl Claus, 83, a longtime resident of Fredonia, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 at Wilson Medical Center in Neodesha. He was born Sept. 14, 1929 near Lucas, S. D., at the family farm to Wilhelm Carl and Bessie Totton Claus. At the age of 15, Carl joined the United States Navy and was honorably discharged that same year due to his age. He married Hila Jane Culbertson Sept. 18, 1954 in Fredonia. Carl was the plant and production manager at IMCO ...
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Raymond E. Bauer 1918-2013
Raymond E. Bauer, 94, of Gas, died Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute surrounded by his loving family. Raymond was born August 1, 1918, in Ransom, the son of Conrad and Katherine Kraft Bauer. During his youth he worked cattledrives, worked on the railroad and joined the CCC Corps fighting fires and building ranger stations. On April 8, 1939, Raymond married Wyonna E. Johnson in Beeler, Kan., and the...
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Patsy Ruth Sigg McGowan 1934-2013
Patsy Ruth Sigg McGowan, 78, of Iola, died Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, at Iola Nursing Center. Patsy was born Sept. 11, 1934, in Iola, the daughter of James Frederick and Bertha Madlyn Dunton Weeks. She graduated from Iola High School. On May 30, 1955, Patsy married Don Sigg and they made their home in Iola. They later divorced. In 1992 she married James McGowan and he preceded her in death in 2010. Survivors include four children, Janice Carro...
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Jean L. Groves 1930-2013
Jean L. Groves, 82, of Parsons, formerly of Chanute, died Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 at the Freeman West Hospital in Joplin, Mo. She was born Nov. 14, 1930 at Bronson, the daughter of Eugene F. and Luella V. Brooks Geyer. Her father worked for the Santa Fe Truck Line and Jean grew up in various communities across Kansas. She graduated from the Chanute High School and then attended Neosho County Community College. She later received a teaching cer...
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Armond Thearl Gray 1934-2013
Armond Thearl Gray, 78, of Buffalo, died Saturday, Feb 23, 2013 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, Chanute. He was born on May 20, 1934 in Capron, Okla., to Elmer Earl and Mamie Mitchell Gray. On July 8, 1955 he married Marsha Munday in Fort Scott. Armond was self employed in sales with Sachs-Dolmar and Tilton Equipment Company for several years. He was a horse enthusiast and enjoyed hunting and fishing. Later in life he liked worki...
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Margaret Louise Kerr 1946-2013
Margaret Kerr, 66, died Monday, Feb 18, 2013 at Grand Lake Villa in Grove, Okla. Margaret was born on Dec 8, 1946 in Chanute, to Elmer F. Carder and Elsie MeHarry Hufford. On March 23, 1966 she married Berkley Kerr in Iola. She was a member of the Professional Pet Breeders and NRA. She enjoyed hair dressing, gardening, bird watching, and animal husbandry. Margaret is survived by her husband, Berkley Kerr of Wyandotte, Okla.; one son, Bret Ke...
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Glenice Ruth Kay 1931-2013
Glenice Kay, 81, of Chanute, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. Glenice was born in Chanute on Dec. 21, 1931, the daughter of Orlin and Bertha Kepley Hoffman. She graduated from Chanute High School in 1949. She attended Neosho County Community College after high school, taught for a year and then moved to Denver, Colo., where she worked for United Airlines. She later returned to Chanute where she worked at Walmart until her retirement. She loved f...
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Dorothy Jane Robb Hemphill 1926-2013
Dorothy Jane Robb Hemphill, 86, formerly of Humboldt, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at Clare Bridge Senior Living in Wichita. She was born July 4, 1926, on the family farm south of Moran to Harley and Mary Etta Harclerode Robb. She grew up on farms in the Moran and LaHarpe area and graduated from LaHarpe High School in 1944. She taught at the Independence country school in rural Allen County from 1944-1946. On Jan. 19, 1947, she married Fra...
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Lela Steeves Pugh 1925-2013
Lela Pugh, 87, of Chanute, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Lela was born in Thayer on Sept. 15, 1925 the daughter of Ira and Grace Cook Hague. She graduated from Thayer High School. In 1944 she married Cecil Steeves and he preceded her in death in 1955. She later married Clayton Pugh in 1965 and he preceded her in death in 1983. She was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Chanute and did ma...
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James Otis¬†“J.O.” Adams 1918-2013
James Otis¬†“J.O.” Adams, 94, died Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 at Brewster Place in Topeka. Jim was born on June 14, 1918 in Eureka, the son of William F. and Hattie Claycomb Adams. He graduated from Eureka High School and then from Kansas State College in 1941 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. He retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lt. Colonel. He was employed as a Civil ...
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Mary Ethel Close Moore 1908-2013
Mary Ethel Close Moore, 104, of Chanute, died Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 at the Chanute Health Care Center. Ethel was born Nov. 10, 1908 at the family homestead, Cedardale, southwest of Buffalo. She was the youngest child of her parents, Philip and Alice “Allie” Roney Close. She was preceded in birth by brothers Wilbur, Martin and Earl as well as a sister, Rena. Ethel grew to adulthood on the family farm, graduated from Buffalo High School, then at...
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Christy Kay Wiles Thomas 1976-2013
Christy Kay Wiles Thomas, 36, of Independence, was found deceased on Feb. 6, 2013 after a house fire in Chanute. Cremation has taken place and memorial services will be held at 6 p.m. this evening, Feb. 12, at the Thayer Christian Church, with the Pastor David Camp officiating under the direction of the Loran Fawcett Chapel in Neodesha. The family has suggested memorials to a trust fund for her children that is set up at the Community Nationa...
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Pansy Ward 1912-2013
Pansy Ward, 101, of Parsons, formerly of Altamont, died Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor. She was born Jan. 31, 1912, in Lawrenceburg, Mo., to William W. and Nancy L. Vanderpool Ballinger. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Chanute, where she grew up and attended school.  For several years, she worked as a beautician in Sterling before returning to Chanute. In 1985, she moved to Altamont to be near her daught...
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