Obituaries
Herbert Matlock 1920-2011
Herbert Matlock, 90, Chanute, died Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011 at Heritage Health Care in Chanute. Herbert was born in Neosho County on Oct. 20, 1920 the son of Eliga Bert and Grace Stowell Matlock. He married J. Pauline Walker on May 25, 1940 in Erie. She preceded him in death on March 19, 2006. He retired from the Highway Department. Herbert is survived by his children, Barbara Sutton and husband, Clyde, Colony, and Herbert E. Matlock and wi...
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Violet Pearl Whitmore 1930-2011
Violet Whitmore, 81, Chanute, died Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Violet was born on June 23, 1930 in Chicago, Ill.,, the daughter of Richard and Gwendolyn Southard Seaton. She attended high school in Denver, Colo. On Dec. 10, 1983 she married Vince Whitmore in Derby. He survives her. Violet worked as a packer for the Coleman Company in Wichita for 15 years. Violet is survived by her husband, V...
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Betty Louise Scott 1925 – 2011
Betty Scott, 85, of Chanute, passed away Sunday, August 28, 2011 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, KS. Betty was born on September 28, 1925 in Chanute, KS, the daughter of Fred Earl Bartholomew and Katherine Louise (Rapp) Bartholomew. She attended Chanute High School. On January 9, 1946 she married Max A. Scott in Independence, KS. He preceded her in death on December 13, 1996. Betty was a homemaker. Betty is survived by...
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Alice Marie Barnhart 1940-2011
Alice Marie Barnhart, 71, Coffeyville, Kansas, died Saturday, August 27, 2011 at Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. Alice was born June 18, 1940 in her grandmother’s home in Neosho County, Kansas to Russell Dean and Mildred Lorene Maxwell Aikins. She grew up around Erie and received her education in the local schools. She married Howard Barnhart on August 4, 1956 at Coffeyville’s First Baptist Church. The couple lived on Table Rock Lake...
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Earl Leon Simmons 1947-2011
Earl Leon Simmons, 63, Galesburg, died Monday, August 29, 2011 near Chanute. He had been in ill health but death was unexpected. He was born Nov. 3, 1947 to Thomas and Dorothy Hopeman Simmons near Kimball.  He moved with his family to a farm near Galesburg in December 1947.  He attended schools in Galesburg and was a 1965 graduate of Galesburg High School.  He served in the Kansas National Guard from 1964 to 1970.             Through the years...
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Surrilda A. Reese 1918-2011
Surrilda A. Reese, 93, Chanute, died Saturday, August 27, 2011 at Chanute Health Care. Surrilda was born in Picher, Okla., on Feb. 16, 1918, the daughter of Gordon and Myrtle Pruette Golden. She attended schools in Picher. She was united in marriage to David S. Reese on Dec. 24, 1934 in Pineville, Mo. They were married for 57 years until his death on Feb. 17, 1991. She moved to Chanute in 1992. Surrilda and her husband were Concessionaires an...
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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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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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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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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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Claney Willey 1925-2011
Funeral services for former Shamrock resident, Claney Willey, were held 11 a.m. Saturday, August 13, 2011 in the Shamrock First Baptist Church. Interment followed in the Stroud City Cemetery at Stroud, Okla. Memorial contributions may be sent to: Animal Aide of Tulsa - 3307 E. 15th Street - Tulsa, OK 74112.  Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of Michael’s Funeral Home, Drumright, Okla. Claney Willey was born in Iron Post, Okla., o...
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Linda Moore -2011
Linda Elaine Groendycke Moore, Chanute, died at her home on Monday August 8, 2011. She was born in Medicine Lodge, the daughter of Jack and Betty Groendycke, Woodward. She and graduated from Woodward High School in Oklahoma. She was a resident of Chanute for 26 years. She is survived by her loving husband, Danny Moore, Chanute; her loving daughter Jennifer Wheeler and three grandchildren, Raymie, Taj and Ayverie, all of Chanute; four loving ...
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Robert Eugene Phillips 1928-2011
Robert Eugene Phillips, 83, Chanute, died Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at the Chanute Health Care Center. Robert was born at Lacenter, Wash., on July 30, 1928, the son of George and Lorene Mumford Phillips. He graduated from Altoona High School in the Class of 1947. Robert was united in marriage to Barbra Wagmet at Neodesha. They later divorced. He was a self-employed truck driver. Robert is survived by his three children, Mike Phillips, Carl Junct...
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