Community News
Lavera J. Lyon 1921-2011
Lavera June Lyon, Neodesha, died Tuesday, August 23, 2011, at the Golden Living Center. She was 90. Funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at the United Methodist Church under the direction of Penwell-Gabel Loran Fawcett Chapel. Interment will be in Neodesha Cemetery. Friends may call Friday from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 6-8 p.m. The daughter of Glenn L. and Laura M. Rohwer Worley, she was born June 15...
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Gary Howard Hockett 1965-2011
Gary Howard Hockett, 45, Hepler, died Sunday, August 21, 2011 at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. He was born Oct. 19, 1965 in Iola, the son of Larry and Evelyn Shook Hockett. Gary was employed as a truck driver for Kunshek Chat and Coal, Inc., Pittsburg. On June 20, 1998 in Toronto, he married Pamela McCann. She survives, at the home. Survivors, in addition to his wife, Pamela, include his parents, Larry and Evelyn Hockett, Ya...
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Patrick A. Smith 1952-2011
Patrick A. Smith, 59, Watertown, S.D., died August 19, 2011, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D., after a valiant battle with cancer. Funeral will be today, August 24 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Name Catholic Church at Watertown, S.D. Burial will be at the Mount Hope Cemetery at Watertown. Pat was born in Miles City, Mon. He spent the majority of his early years in southeastern Kansas. He graduated from Altoona-Midway High School at B...
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County cuts $30,000 from final budget
ERIE — At Friday’s meeting of the Neosho County Board of Commissioners, $30,000 was cut before publishing the 2012 budget of $11,479,608 and an estimated mill levy of 52.875, .250 less than the 2011 levy. Auditor Rodney Burns, with Schlotterbeck & Burns, L.L.C. in Chanute, was present to finalize the county’s proposed 2012 budget. Commissioner Nicholas Galemore proposed cutting $287,000 from the budget and listed specific dollar amounts to cut...
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Chanute Blood Drive to honor Uden
The American Red Cross Blood Services - Central Plains Region will host a special blood drive on August 25 and August 26, in honor of longtime blood donor Glen Uden. In April 2011, Uden did what few people ever do — he made his 200th blood donation. These donations add up to 25 gallons, which may have helped save up to 600 lives. Amazing! Now, Uden is the highest donor in the Chanute area. “Glen is usually pretty busy farming, but he always ma...
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NCCC hosts party for 75th
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Neosho County Community College will celebrate its 75th Anniversary this evening from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with everything from inflatables to fireworks. The festivities are free and open to the public and there will be food, games, and activities for the whole family. Free pulled beef sandwiches will be provided, thanks to M&M Ranch for donating the beef, and the fireworks display is courtesy of Ash Grove. “Fre...
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Betty Colleen Ogden 1927-2011
Betty Ogden, 84, Chanute, died Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at her residence. Betty was born in Stapp, Okla., on Jan. 16, 1927, the daughter of Darrell Curtis and Delsa Marguerite Schofield Blakely. She graduated from Chanute High School in 1944. On August 12, 1944 she married Thomas Ogden in Fredonia. He preceded her in death on Dec. 9, 2009. She enjoyed gardening, dancing, music, and reading recipes and cooking. Her greatest joy was her kids a...
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Vicki Jo Chard 1954-2011
Vicki Jo Chard, 56, Chanute, died Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Via Christi in Wichita. Vicki was born in Des Moines, Iowa on Sept. 13, 1954 the daughter of Elmer E. and Charlotte Ann Butler Hickman. She graduated from Olathe High School in 1972. She married Leroy Chard on April 30, 1990 in Las Vegas, Nev. She loved children and especially spending time with her grandson. Her love of children led her to volunteer with many local organization...
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Death notices
Vicki Chard, 56, Chanute, died Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Via Christi Hospital in Wichita. Funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 23, at the Penwell-Gabel Johnson Chapel. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. A full obituary will follow tomorrow. Penwell-Gabel Gibson Johnson is in charge of arrangements. Betty Ogden, 84, Chanute, died Wednesday, Aug...
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Ione Fornelli 1913-2011
Ione Fornelli, Independence, Mo., died July 21, 2011. She was born June 2, 1913 in Frontenac to Valerio and Mary Brunetti. After graduating from Pittsburg State University with a B.S. degree she taught at Chanute High School from 1934 to 1938. From 1955-1975 she taught Latin, Spanish and English at Northeast Junior High School in Kansas City, Mo. She was a member of the Lyric Opera Guild of Kansas City, the Kansas City Federation of Teachers...
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Deer information night schedule includes Chanute
Kansas Wildlife and Parks PRATT — If you are a deer hunter, a farmer with crops in the field, a motorist, or a person who enjoys watching nature, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) invites you to share your opinions on deer management with agency staff. To accommodate such input, the agency will conduct five public meetings across the state beginning Aug. 23 in Beloit and ending Sept. 8 in Lawrence. A meeting is plann...
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Yale Divinity next stop for CHS grad
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Christian Watkins, a former Chanute High Comet (2006) and Kansas University Jayhawk (2010), will take the next step of her educational journey, and add a new mascot to her repertoire, as a Yale University Bulldog. Watkins heads to New Haven, Conn., this fall to study for her Master of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity. Although she is thrilled that she will be attending the Ivy League University, she said it w...
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Chanute woman injured in truck rollover west of town
Donna Marie Thomas, 32, Chanute, was injured in a one-vehicle accident at 10 p.m. Tuesday .5 miles west of Wichita Road, or 4.5 miles west of Chanute on CR2000 in Wilson County. She was transported to Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Thomas was eastbound on CR2000 in a 2004 Ford pickup, left the roadway on the north side for unknown reason and traveled 300 feet before coming back on the roadway bac...
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Big Brothers Big Sisters program conducting school clothes drive
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter The Neosho County division of Big Brothers Big Sisters is hosting a charitable cocktail party Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Quarry Stone front porch. Those wanting to help can purchase an item of clothing that one of eight “littles” needs for the school year. Drop it off on the Quarry Stone front porch and join the BBBS crew and others for a cocktail. Clothes can also be dropped off at the Chamber of C...
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Linda L. “Lynn” Beard 1943-2011
Linda L. “Lynn” Beard, 67, lifelong resident of the Galesburg and Parsons areas, died Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at Labette Health in Parsons. Death was unexpected. She was born Dec. 20, 1943 in Parsons to Ralph F. and Erma Lea Horn Carson. She attended school in Galesburg and graduated from the Galesburg High School in 1961. On March 13, 1961 she and John E. Beard were married at the Galesburg United Methodist Church. They celebrated their 50th...
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Bill John Caswell 1951-2011
Bill John Caswell, 60, St. Paul, died Sunday, August 14, 2011 at his home in St. Paul. Bill was born at Tyro on April 26, 1951, the son of Kenneth and Mina Long Caswell. He served his country in the Air Force from 1973 to 1976. Bill worked as a welder for Beachner Construction for 25 years. On Feb. 21, 1981 he was united in marriage to Sara Ward in Neodesha. She survives. Along with his wife Sara, he is survived by his children, Jeremy L....
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Altamont man dies in train accident
CHETOPA — A Labette County man died Sunday morning when he was struck by a southbound Union Pacific Railroad train. Joshua W. Traxson, 29, Altamont, died from injuries suffered around 5 a.m. Sunday near the football field in Chetopa on Hardin Street. Chetopa Police Chief Scott Feagan said the tracks are about 300 feet south of Hardin. He said the death is still under investigation. No foul play is suspected but Feagan couldn’t say until the i...
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Kansas schools rising to AYP challenge; Students with disabilities targeted in USD 413
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Kansas public schools continue to make improvements each year and 84 percent met the adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements. “It is amazing to me that our schools continue to perform at this level, even as the bar is constantly rising,” said State Board Chairman David Dennis. “I’m proud of the way Kansas schools have risen to the challenge, but I also know it will become increasingly difficult to maintain...
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Donna Gerdsen 1941-2011
Donna Gerdsen, 69, Iola, died Saturday, August 13, 2011, at Victoria Falls in Andover. Donna was born August 17, 1941, in Harrison County, M0., the daughter of Thomas G. and Edith Catherine Carson Johns. She grew up in Humboldt where she graduated from Humboldt High School in 1959. On Sept. 1, 1962, Donna married Clyde E. Gerdsen. Clyde preceded her in death on March 3, 2009. Donna worked as a seamstress for H.L. Miller & Son Dress Factory in ...
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Ralph Sumner, M.D. 1931-2011
Ralph N. Sumner, M.D., 80, a longtime resident and family practice physician in Fredonia, died Sunday, August 14, 2011 at Fredonia Regional Hospital. He was born June 23, 1931 in Independence, the son of William G. and Norah L. Sumner. He was a graduate of Independence High School, Independence Community Junior College, and received his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Kansas. Ralph then attended and graduated with his doctorate degre...
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