Obituaries
Layne Marc Offenbacker 1957-2013
Layne Marc Offenbacker, 55, of Chanute, died Sunday, March 3, 2013 at his home. Layne was born March 12, 1957 in Chanute, the son of Edward Frank and Thelma Whelmina Eagle Offenbacker. He was united in marriage to Elsie Rollings. She survives, of the home. Layne was a self-employed welder. Along with his wife, Elsie, he is survived by his mother, Thelma Offenbacker of Chanute; three daughters, Angela Marie Offenbacker, Allison Michell Hollen...
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Ethie P. Farmer 1927-2013
Ethie P. Farmer, 86, of Erie, and a former Parsons resident, died at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 2, 2013 at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. She had been in failing health. She was born on Jan. 29, 1927 at Erie to Manford and Cora Ratliff Bonine. She attended Erie Schools and graduated from Erie High School in 1944. While in high school she worked at Glasner Produce, Dr. E.C Bryan, and R.B. Smith Attorney at law. She ...
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Kenneth L. Heiman 1949-2013
Kenneth L. Heiman, 64, of Scranton, died Saturday, March 2, 2013 at Stormont Vail Health Center. Kenneth was born on Jan. 7, 1949 in Iola, to Mary Kipp and Frank Heiman. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Bill Heiman, and sister, Marie Sinclair. He graduated from Humboldt High in 1967. He worked from 1967-1971 as a journeyman carpenter. He also worked for Williams Brothers Pipeline/Magellan Midstream Pipeline from 1971-2004 whe...
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LeRoy “Bud” Breiner 1919-2013
LeRoy “Bud” Breiner, 93, of Erie, died Sunday, March 3, 2013 at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. Death followed a brief illness. He was born Sept. 27, 1919, on a farm east of Chanute, to Gus and Julia Friederich Breiner. He grew up on the farm and attended a country school. On July 8, 1967 he and Bernice Epperson McKisson were married at Hamilton, Ill. They continued living on the farm east of Chanute until moving to Erie i...
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June Elizabeth Thompson Toland 1914-2013
June Elizabeth Thompson Toland, 98, died Feb. 27, 2013, at Iola. She was born in Iola on June 19, 1914, the eldest child of Clyde E. and Lucy Wilson Thompson. She was the great-granddaughter of Allen County pioneers Samuel and Permelia Hubbard who settled near Cofachique in 1857. She was educated in the Iola schools and graduated as valedictorian of her class at Iola High School in 1931 and as valedictorian of her Iola Junior College class i...
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Gary Vaughn Clemens 1937-2013
Gary Clemens, 75, of Chanute, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 at Chanute Health Care Center. He was born on August 27, 1937 in Earlton, to Harvie and Thelma Stipp Clemens. He attended Chanute High School. On May 27, 1962 he married Darla Stewart in Chanute. Gary was a truck driver for several years. He enjoyed spending time and fishing at Grand Lake, NASCAR, working in his wood shop, and especially spending time with his grandchildren. Gary an...
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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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