Community News
Wilma Icephen Thompson 1920-2013
Wilma Thompson, 92, died on Monday, April 1, 2013 at Chanute Healthcare Center. She was born on Nov. 17, 1920 in Osborne, to Elmer and Hazel Sellers Yarnell. On Jan, 29, 1939 she married Joseph Claude Thompson in Kimball. He preceded her in death on July 27, 1973. She was a homemaker the majority of her life and also worked at Berg Manufacturing. Wilma enjoyed camping with her husband. After his death she took several bus trips with her frien...
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Donald E. “Don” Born 1923-2013
Donald E. “Don” Born, 89, of St. Paul, died Sunday, March 31, 2013, at his home. He was born Oct. 23, 1923, north of Parsons, to Johnnie and Anna Paulie Born. He attended school in St. Paul and was a graduate of St. Francis High School. On Nov. 3, 1943, he and Barbara R. Westhoff were married at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Greenbush. He was a loving husband and father. He spent most of his life farming and raising cattle on the family f...
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Erickson, Egner, McCoy elected to City Commission
Chanute is guaranteed to have a new mayor soon. Current Mayor Jim Chappell was the lone incumbent not re-elected to the City Commission on Tuesday. Challenger Tim Erickson received the most votes with 610, and along with incumbent Tim Egner, who received 523, will serve four-year terms. Incumbent Martha McCoy was third in the race with 522 votes and will serve a two-year term. Chappell placed fourth with 509, followed by Jeff Galemore 478 and ...
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The Reverend Tyra Talley 1922-2013
The Reverend Tyra Talley, Ed.D, died at the age of 90 on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, at Grand Village, Grand Rapids, Minn. Dr. Talley had been a resident in the rehab and memory care units at Grand Village since March 2012. Tyra was born March 18, 1922, in Lula, Okla., to Dee and Opal Talley. He was the eldest of eight children. The family lived for a time in Pasadena, Texas, until returning to rural Allen, Okla. Tyra worked as a baker in a CCC c...
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Kolter Michael “Pup” DeLange 1991-2013
Kolter Michael “Pup” DeLange, 21, of Brazilton, Kansas, died Saturday, March 30, 2013 as a result of injuries received in an automobile accident east of Walnut, Kansas. Pup was born October 21, 1991 at Girard, a son of Pat and Nancy (Coester) DeLange. He grew up in Brazilton and graduated from Girard High School in 2010. He attended Fort Scott Community College where he studied Agri Business. From an early age, Pup worked side by side with hi...
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Kenneth “Ken” Wayne Rundle 1935-2013
Kenneth “Ken” Wayne Rundle, 77, Medicine Lodge, died Thursday, March 28, 2013 at his residence. He was born on June 6, 1935 in Hoosier, Kan., the son of Ray Clarence and Edith Tweedy Rundle. Ken was a member of the St. Frances Catholic Church in St. Paul. He was also a member of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Medicine Lodge. He attended elementary and high school in Arkansas City and attended college at Cowley County Junior College, Pittsbu...
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Wilma “Billie” L. Walker 1935-2013
Wilma L. “Billie” Walker, 77, of Independence died Monday, March 25, 2013 at the Golden Living Center, in Neodesha. A graveside Celebration of Life service was held Friday at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence. Interment followed under the direction of the Potts Chapel, Independence. The family has suggested memorials to FORPAZ and contributions may be left at the Potts Chapel in Independence. Billie was born June 6, 1935 in Fredonia, th...
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Lonnie Firestine 1958-2013
Lonnie Firestine, 54, of Chanute, died Friday, March 22, 2013 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Lonnie was born on June 13, 1958 in Sacramento, Calif., the son of David Firestine and Evelyn Gahman. He married Darlene Lawandowski on Feb. 28, 1978 in Wichita. They celebrated 35 wonderful years together. He received his GED recently and was currently attending Neosho County Community College. He was a chef and loved cooking...
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Clella Fay Zietz 1941-2013
Clella Fay Zietz, 71, of Pomona, Calif., died on Friday, March 22, 2013, at Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona. She was born June 7, 1941, in Wilson County to Clyde and Esther Heck. She graduated from Thayer High School. She married William A. “Bill” Zietz on Sept. 27, 1977, in Las Vegas, Nev. He survives, of the home. Clella enjoyed cooking, crocheting, fishing, gardening and her cats. Other survivors are a son, Michael Lee Hale of Pomona, Cal...
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Sylva A. Wanek Dufek 1917-2013
Sylva A. Wanek Dufek, 95, died Sunday, March 24, 2013 in Wichita. She was born Nov. 21, 1917 to Edward and Anna Wanek in Neligh, Neb. She graduated from Neligh High School, attended the University of Nebraska, and worked several years in her father’s drug store. She married Geore Dufek, Jr., June 1940. He preceded her in death in 1998. She and her husband, after leaving the farm in the early 60s, owned and operated a Coast to Coast store in C...
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Tyler “Silent Trees” Johnson Hundley 1990-2013
Tyler Johnson Hundley, 22, of Altoona, died on March 4, 2013 at KU Medical Center from complications of diabetes. Tyler was born in Shawnee Mission on March 29, 1990, the son of Denise Lynn “Dickerson” Wright and the late John Walter Hundley. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 2008 and attended Job Corps in Dayton, Ohio in 2011 for Pharmaceutical Tech. Tyler loved his family and friends with all his heart. He was fun loving, carefree, a...
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Joe C. McMillen of rural Chanute died Saturday, March 23, 2013
Joe C. McMillen of rural Chanute died Saturday, March 23, 2013. Joe resided 87 years on Village Creek where he enjoyed the ever changing seasons. Joe had many good memories and stories of the area. Joe operated his farm and cow calf operation for 82 years. He was a farmer that embraced change and innovation. He was constantly improving his farm. In 1989 he was awarded the Soil Conservation Award. His favorite job on the farm was combining. At...
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Christopher ‘Hoss’ Thomas Berthot 1976-2013
Christopher “Hoss” Thomas Berthot, 36, of Chanute, died at his home on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. He was born on Nov. 25, 1976 in Fort Scott to Gerald and Linda Smith Berthot. His childhood love of the outdoors included hunting, fishing, and swimming in the Leanna area. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1995. He started working for G & W Foods his sophomore year until after his graduation. Then he worked at Screw-Conveyor and Automate....
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Oleta M. Venhaus 1925-2013
Oleta M. Venhaus, 88, of Humboldt, died Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Oleta was born in St. Paul on March 7, 1925, the daughter of Herman and Mary Lero Spielbusch. She attended school in St. Paul. She was united in marriage to Lawrence Venhaus on Nov. 25, 1943 in St. Paul. He preceded her in death in 1986. Oleta was a loving mother and grandmother and enjoyed cooking for her family. S...
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Robert D. ‘Bob’ Hodges 1936-2013
Robert D. “Bob” Hodges, 76, of rural Buffalo, died Sunday, March 3, 2013, at his home. Bob was born Nov, 17, 1936, in Jefferson County, Colo., the son of Elmo and Opal Bolijack Hodges. He grew up in Colorado and graduated from Arvada High School. He was a sergeant in the United States Marines. Bob married Gladys J. Hollingsworth March 25, 1972, in Denver. They moved to this area 14 years ago from Wheatridge, Colo. He has worked for the A&W ...
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Shirley J. Harding 1920-2013
Shirley J. Harding, 92, of Erie, died Friday, March 15, 2013, at her home. She had been in her usual health and death was not expected. She was born August 18, 1920, in Huron, S.D., to Cecil and Hattie Marks Crabb. At the age of 13, her family moved to Kansas where she attended school and was a 1938 graduate of Grant Township High School in Stark. She and Don Harding were married Sept, 15, 1940. He preceded her in death July 31, 1978. Survivo...
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H. Richard Webb 1934-2013
H. Richard Webb, 78, of Chanute, died Thursday, March 14, 2013 at his home. Richard was born in Blue Eye, Mo., on Dec. 20, 1934, the son of Kenneth E. Webb and J. Lucille VanWinkle Webb. He graduated from Stark High School in 1952.  He was united in marriage to Frances A. McGinty on April 2, 1961, in Chanute. Richard was an accomplished meat market manager, having worked for Self Service Bauer’s Market, Rooster’s Thriftway, and Ron’s IGA in ...
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Barbara A. Lightfoot Allison 1935-2013
Barbara A. Lightfoot Allison, 77, of Overland Park, died March 13, 2013, surrounded by her family in her home. Barbara was born on May 8, 1935 in Tulsa, Okla., to James and Ethel Wagner Lightfoot. Barb was raised in Chanute and attended Neosho County Community College. She also attended Pittsburg State College, and received many honors while there, including KSTC Homecoming Queen, first attendant, American Royal Queen and Miss Chanute. She ha...
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Phyllis Eileen Reed 1945-2013
Phyllis Eileen Reed, 67, of Humboldt, died Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka. Phyllis was born Nov. 27, 1945, in Chanute, the daughter of Leonard and Delores Peck Krone. She grew up in Humboldt and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1963. On Oct. 18, 1968, Phyllis married Bobby L. Reed in Chanute and they have made their home in Humboldt most of their married lives. She operated a daycare from her home for a n...
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Emil R. Semrad 1931-2013
Emil R. Semrad, 81, of rural Thayer, died Wednesday, March 13, 2013, under the care of Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born August 21, 1931, in Marshall, Okla., to Frank and Frances Krejci Semrad. He grew up in Marshall and was a graduate of Marshall High School. Following high school, he farmed in rural Galesburg, and then served in the United States Army from 1952-1954. While serving ...
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