Obituaries
Helen Norma Wolford 1920-2009
Helen Norma Wolford, 88, a resident of the Sunset Manor Nursing Home in Frontenac, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2009, at the Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg. She was born Oct. 27, 1920, in Racine, Wis., the oldest of 14 children to Andrew and Katherine Schmidt Baum. He has been a resident of the Pittsburg area since 1995 moving from Chanute where she lived 31 years. She married Ralph Max Wolford on Oct. 10, 1940, in Ru...
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Leonard Perry Kobelt 1941-2009
Leonard Perry Kobelt, 67, rural Buffalo, died Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at his home after a long bout with cancer. He was born March 16, 1941, in Elmhurst, Ill., to Roy Walter and Betty Jane Perry Kobelt. He graduated from Altoona Rural High School. He retired from Cessna Aircraft in Independence. On Nov. 7, 1999, in Maui, Hawaii, he married Nell Joy. She survives. Other survivors include two daughters, Gretchen Manus, Leavenworth, and Jenni...
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Dennis A. Lawrence 1946-2009
Dennis A. Lawrence, 63, Toronto, died Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. He was born Jan. 20, 1946, in Wichita to Alfred and Ermyl Shirk Lawrence. He graduated from East High School in 1963. He was a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve. He retired from Boeing Aircraft in 2001 after 25 years of service. He attended New York Valley Church of God. He married Dorothy Smith on Jan. 20, 2000. She survives. Ot...
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Thomas Eugene Franklin 1951 – 2009
Thomas Eugene Franklin, 57, Chanute, died Friday, February 27, 2009 at the Greenwood County Hospital in Eureka, as the result of an automobile accident. Thomas was born in Orange, Texas, on Sept. 5, 1951, the son of Joseph Martin and Theresa Louise Cormier Franklin. He was a high school graduate. He served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and later in Germany. Thomas was united in marriage to Marsha McCoy on Jan. 29, 1999. ...
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Oscar Ogle Martin 1922-2009
Oscar Ogle Martin, 86, Mountain Home, Ark., died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009. He was born June 26, 1922, in Forrest, Wis., to Gus and Emma Louise Thomas Martin. He married Esther Burlingame on Dec. 23, 1949, in Pine City, Minn., and had resided in the Mountain Home area since moving from Savonburg in 2002. He was a farmer and plumber. He enjoyed working with his cattle and farming, taught all his grandkids to fish and was a member of the Ruitan C...
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Doris L. Holmes 1917-2009
Doris Ladine Holmes, 92, Frontenac, died Sunday, March 1, 2009, at Sunset Manor Nursing Home in Frontenac. She was born Feb. 3, 1917, in Humboldt to Robert and Grace Andruss Hamm. She attended schools in and around Humboldt, graduating from Humboldt High School in 1935 and Iola Junior College in 1937. She taught in a rural school near Humboldt and in Humboldt Grade School. On Aug. 24, 1941, she married Arl Holmes of Elsmore. They moved to C...
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Gene Speaks 1929-2009
Gene Speaks, 79, rural Fredonia, died unexpectedly on Monday, March 2, 2009, at his home. He was born May 5, 1929, in Kansas City, Kan., to Riley and Grace West Speaks. He served in the U.S. Army 1950-1952. He retired in 1992 from General Portland Cement after 22 years of employment. On Sept. 9, 1950, in Lyndon he married Mary Nell Evans. She survives. Other survivors include a son, David F. Speaks, Fredonia; three sisters, Twila Evans, Wich...
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Wade W. Mayfield 1918-2009
Wade W. Mayfield, 91, Chanute, died Monday, March 2, 2009, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. He was born March 2, 1918, in Mountain View, Mo., to George and Bertha Black Mayfield. He attended schools in rural Humboldt. He married Evelyn Emma Willis on March 23, 1942, in Yates Center. She survives. He served in the U.S. Navy. He was the owner-operator of Mayfield Greyhound Kennel in Chanute. He was a member of Living Word Assembly ...
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Socorro ‘Corrine’ Mendoza Perez 1929 – 2009
Socorro “Corrine” Mendoza Perez, 79, Chanute, died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 at her home. Socorro was born in Chanute on Nov. 28, 1929, the daughter of Bernabe and Evarista Gutierrez Mendoza. She received her LPN training at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Okla., and worked as an LPN. She was united in marriage to John Perez. He preceded her in death on June 9, 1981. Socorro is survived by two sons, John Perez, Jr., and Michael John Perez and ...
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Berva Ellen Ewen Stroud 1918-2009
Berva Ellen Ewen Stroud, 90, Chanute, died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. She was born Sept. 9, 1918, in Urbana to John A. and Edna O. Foster Ewen. She was a graduate of Chanute High School and Chanute Junior College. She married Harold D. Stroud on July 23, 1950, in Beloit. He survives. She taught country school for a year, was secretary for the Chanute Junior College (now NCCC) for 42 years and was the ...
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Saraetta Wiggans Edwards 1912-2009
Saraetta Wiggans Edwards, 97, Topeka, formerly of Chanute, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2009, at Midland Hospice in Topeka. She was born Jan. 14, 1912, in Pleasant Valley Township in Wilson County to Enoch and Etta Sharpe Wiggans. She worked in retail sales and operated Wilson’s Clothiers. Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Lyle and Patricia Carson Baker, Conroe, Texas, and Robert and Carolyn Carson Davenport, Topeka; six grandchildren...
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C. Melvin ‘Mivi’ Willis 1913-2009
C. Melvin “Mivi” Willis, 95, Chanute, died Thursday, February 26, 2009, at the Heritage Health Care Center. He was born May 16, 1913, in Galesburg to Chester C. and Hazel Redman Willis. During his childhood the family moved to Chanute and he graduated from Chanute High School. He graduated from the Fort Scott Junior College and then attended Emporia State Teachers College. On Sept. 4, 1937, he married Arliene L. Lorenc in Parsons. For many ye...
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Thomas Franklin
Thomas Franklin, 57, Chanute, died Friday, February 27, 2009, in Eureka as a result of an automobile accident. Arrangements are pending with Penwell-Gabel Gibson Chapel.
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Dale Lorraine Cox 1935-2009
Dale Lorraine Cox, 74, Humboldt, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka. He was born Feb. 10, 1935, in Elsmore to Lloyd and Golda M. Ard Cox. He attended Elsmore schools. He married Phillis Jean Mercing on June 12, 1954. She died on Nov. 23, 1985. He served in the U.S. Army from July 1955 until July 1957. He worked many years as an Elevator Manager for the Humboldt Co-op. Survivors include a son, Stephen Cox; a daugh...
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Marilyn Kramer Jones White 1929-2009
Marilyn Kramer Jones White, 79, El Dorado, died Friday, February 20, 2009, at St. Francis Hospital. Marilyn was born July 7, 1929, in Chanute the daughter of Hugh T. and Mary Fortney Jones. She grew up in Chanute and attended Chanute schools, but graduated from a secondary boarding school in Chicago, Ill. She met Ben White at the University of Kansas, and they married June 14, 1949, in Chanute. In 1951, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Hist...
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Sara E. Grosdidier 1931-2009
Sara E. Grosdidier, 77, rural St. Paul, died Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, at her home. She had been in failing health. She was born July 31, 1931, in Parsons to Charles Henry and Sara Ellen Brown Steinbacher. She grew up and attended schools in the South Mound and St. Paul areas, and was a 1949 graduate of St. Francis High School in St. Paul. Prior to marriage, she worked at Montgomery Ward in Parsons. She and Francis E. Grosdidier were married Ap...
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Mary D. Tunnell 1934 – 2009
Mary Darlene Tunnell, 74, Chanute, died Monday, Feb. 23, 2009 at her home. Mary was born in rural Chanute on May 3, 1934, the daughter of Harry and Hattie Johnson Larson. She graduated from Chanute High School in 1951. She attended Chanute Junior College graduating in 1953. Mary continued her education at Pittsburg State University earning her Bachelor’s Degree in 1966 and her Master’s Degree in 1979. She was united in marriage to Clyde Tunne...
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William Dean Boman 1933-2009
William Dean Boman, 75, Miami, Okla., died Thursday, February 19, 2009, at his home after a long battle with cancer. He was born Aug. 26, 1933, in Elsmore to Dean L. and Ruth Deer Boman. He was a graduate of Elsmore High School. He worked in the trucking industry for more than 30 years, retiring from Indiana Western Express as a safety instructor. He was a member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Miami. On Aug. 23, 1952, he married Alice Ma...
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Lavon M. Elrod 1915-2009
Lavon M. Elrod, 93, Moran, died Sunday, February 22, 2009, at Heritage Health Center, Chanute. She was born April 12, 1915, in Winslow, Ariz., to Arthur B. and Gertrude Kimmel McClimans. She graduated from Marfa (Texas) High School in 1932. She married Jesse Lee Elrod Sr. on Dec. 30, 1932, in Marfa, Texas, and they made their home in Texas for a number of years before moving to Kansas in 1944 while Mr. Elrod served in the military during Worl...
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Death notice
Mary Tunnell, 74, Chanute, died Monday, Feb. 23 at her home. Funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Colfax Baptist Church. The family will receive friends 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Penwell-Gabel Gibson Chapel, which will release full obituary information.
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