Obituaries
Walter Scott Meeker 1918-2011
Walter Scott Meeker, 92, Erie, died Friday, March 11, 2011 at the Baldwin Rehabilitation Center in Baldwin City. He was born November 7, 1918 in Chanute, the oldest son of Walter R. and Hazel Scott Meeker. His childhood years were spent both in Fort Scott and on the family farm south of Erie along the Neosho River. He graduated from Erie High School and was drafted into the armed forces in August of 1941. He served 49 months in the United Sta...
full story
John Franklin King 1915-2011
John Franklin King, 95, died on Friday, March 11 at the Kansas Christian Home in Newton. He was born on Sept. 28, 1915 at Chanute, to John Henry and Maggie Meyers King. He married Margaret Jane Fugate of Newton on June 2, 1940. She preceded him in death on Jan. 18, 2005. In 1943 he entered a partnership in the Newton Appliance Company at 624 Main (formerly the Rich Mercantile Co.), and was associated with that business until 1983. He continued...
full story
Walter S. Meeker
Walter S. Meeker, 92, rural Erie, died at Friday, March 11, 2011 at the Baldwin Rehabilitation Center in Baldwin City. His wife, Mariellen Meeker, survives. Funeral will be 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 16 at the First Baptist Church. Burial, with military honors, will be in the Odense Cemetery north of Erie. Memorials are suggested to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. They may be left at or sent to the Carson-Wall Funeral Home, Box...
full story
Ila Mae Morse 1932-2011
Ila Mae Morse, 78, Erie, died Wednesday, March 10, 2011 at the Freeman Health Systems in Joplin, Mo. Ila was born in Delia, Kan., on Sept. 1, 1932, the daughter of Loren and Gladis Irene Simmons Dibbern. She was united in marriage to Arthur Charles Morse on July 16, 1966 in Miami, Okla. He preceded her in death. Ila was a homemaker. She loved gardening and her flowers, and spending time with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed camping, cooking...
full story
Robert G. Milliron 1936-2011
Robert G. Milliron, 74, Erie, died Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at the Chanute Health Care Center. He was born Dec. 27, 1936 at Perry, Okla., a son of Arthur and Wilna Cowell Milliron. He was raised in Perry and attended school there. He later moved to Enid, Okla., where he attended college. After college, he lived in various communities in New Mexico, working as an x-ray tech in hospitals. He returned to Oklahoma in 1989 to care for his mother....
full story
Maurice O. “Smoky” Hale 1935-2011
Maurice O’Dean “Smoky” Hale, 75, Chanute, died Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Maurice was born in Chanute on April 22, 1935, the son of Stafford Stevenson and Florence Lillian Walker Hale. He graduated from Chanute High School in the Class of 1953. He worked as a professional dry cleaner from age 14 until age 26. He worked as a heavy equipment operator for Ash Grove Cement Company for more t...
full story
Phillip Richard “Phil” Brazil 1947-2011
Phillip Richard “Phil” Brazil, 63, Dillon, Colo,, and longtime resident of Chanute, died at Kansas City Hospice Home on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, Phil was born in Chanute on July 16, 1947, the son of Christopher and Eurith Brazil. He graduated from Chanute High School in 1965 and served in the Kansas National Guard. Phil was a loving and dedicated father to his devoted daughters, Melissa and Camilla, from his marriage to Teresa Welch Brazil fro...
full story
Marjorie Jean Swank
Marjorie Jean Swank, 89, resident of Bartlesville, Okla., died Friday, March 4, 2011. Graveside service will be 2 p.m.. Friday at New Mount Hope Cemetery, Galesburg, under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.
full story
Alice Kay Thompson 1941-2011
Alice Kay Thompson, 69, Chanute, died Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Specialty Hospital of Mid-America in Overland Park. Alice was born on May 7, 1941, in Norwalk, Calif., the daughter of Newton and Nellie Miller Futscher. She was united in marriage to Luther Martin. They later divorced. She was united in marriage to Vernon Karl Thompson on August 23, 1991 in Las Vegas. He survives, of the home. Alice worked as an accounting secretary in the...
full story
Edith Birdell Rodgers Wiley 1916-2011
Edith Birdell Rodgers Wiley, 94, homemaker and retired Methodist pastor’s wife, died Sunday, March 6, 2011. Edith was born in Newton on April 28, 1916, the daughter of Charles Leroy and Emma Holdeman Rodgers. Edith graduated from Newton High School. She married Ira Wiley in 1940.  Ira worked for Santa Fe Railroad in Newton, Chanute, and Emporia, until he resigned and entered the ministry. He died in 2008. She attended Trinity Heights United Me...
full story
Vera Ellen Thurman 1916-2011
Vera Ellen Thurman, 95, died Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Iola Nursing Center in Iola. She had lived in Iola the past three years. She was born March 1, 1916, at Covington, Okla., the sixth of 12 children born to William H. and Dorothea C. Jordening Bartels. She attended the country school in that area and grew up there. In 1942 she moved with her family to Beatrice, Neb. In 1952 she moved to Wichita, where she was employed by the Safeway S...
full story
Death notices
Vera Ellen Thurman, 95, Iola, formerly of Erie and Beatrice, Neb., died Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Iola Nursing Center. She was the widow of C. R. “Pat” Thurman, who preceded her in death on Nov. 6, 1997. Funeral will be 4 p.m. Saturday, March 12 at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Galesburg. The family will receive friends at the Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Erie from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday. Memorials are suggested to either the First ...
full story
Anna Mary “Annie” Berkey 1923-2011
Anna Mary “Annie” Berkey, 87, Chanute, died Friday, March 4, 2011 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. Annie was born in Nova, Ohio on August 28, 1923, the daughter of Ed and Ella Barr Motter. Annie was united in marriage to Paul C. Berkey in Ashland, Ohio. He preceded her in death in 1986. She worked as an apartment manager in Fountain, Colo., where she lived for 27 years. She retired in 1988. Annie is survived by three sons, Jim ...
full story
Grace Ellen Houser 1931-2011
Grace Ellen Houser, 79, longtime resident of Fredonia, formerly of Neodesha, died Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Kansas Heart Hospital in Wichita. She was born June 30, 1931 in Neodesha, the daughter of Isaac Newton and Ida Mae Lockard Phillips. Grace was married to Lester Houser. They were later divorced. Grace was a dispatcher several years for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department. More recently, she worked for the Alco store in Fredonia. Sh...
full story
John Norval Sherman, Jr. 1918-2011
John Norval Sherman, Jr. Born Oct. 30, 1918 Samuels, Ky. Died: March 3, 2011 in Larence. Parents: Dr. John N. Sherman, Sr. Mother Mary Palmer (Hibbs) Sherman. Sister, Eunice C. Sherman died 1914. Brother Marvin H. Sherman died 1948. Chanute High School, Class of 1937. U.S. Åir Force 1942-1945. Pilot, heavy bombers in 14th Air Force China. Washburn University and Washburn University Law School graduate. Member Phi Delta Theta Social fraternity....
full story
Darlene Alger 1936-2011
Darlene Alger, 75, Tulsa, Okla., formerly of Chanute, died Tuesday, March 1, 2011 in Broken Arrow, Okla. She was born Jan. 28, 1936 in Topeka. She was a retired computer systems manager for American Airlines. Funeral will be 10 a.m. today, March 4 at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel in Broken Arrow, with a family graveside service following at Memorial Park Cemetery in Chanute.
full story
Raleigh Dale Prather 1936-2011
Raleigh Dale Prather, 75, former LaHarpe resident, died Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Homestead of Auburn Assisted Living in Auburn. Dale was born Jan. 11, 1936, at Sulphur Springs, Ark., the son of Mose Alfred and Mary Marie Harris Prather. He moved to LaHarpe with his family where he grew up. He married Patricia Swanson and they divorced later in life. He worked a number of years as a lineman for the City of Iola Electrical Department and opera...
full story
Jason Dean Claibourn 1974-2011
Jason Dean Claibourn, 36, Coyville, died unexpectedly on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 at William Newton Memorial Hospital in Winfield. He was born Oct. 7, 1974 in Fredonia, the son of Samuel and Brenda Lour Claibourn. He attended grade school in Fredonia and Neodesha, middle school in Independence and Neodesha, and high school in Neodesha and Yates Center, where he was graduated in 1993. Jason was a welder and pipefitter by trade, currently emplo...
full story
Loretta Marie Reinert Wagner 1920-2011
Loretta Marie Reinert Wagner, 90, Mankato, died Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 at Golden Living Center, Downs, where she had resided since 2006. She was born Oct. 10, 1920 to Peter Anton and Barbara Boden Reinert on a farm southwest of Tipton. She attended school at Tipton through one year of high school. On Feb. 21, 1944 she married Edward Wagner. In 1959 they moved from Tipton to Mankato. Her husband preceded her in death. She was a member of St. ...
full story
Francis “Wayne” Umbarger 1918-2011
Francis “Wayne” Umbarger, 92, Chanute, died Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 at the Chanute Health Care Center. Wayne was born in Earlton on Nov. 24, 1918, the son of Winnie G. and Flossie Miller Umbarger. He graduated from Thayer High School in 1936, Chanute Junior College in 1940, and received his Bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University in 1948. Wayne worked at Beech Aircraft in Wichita until being drafted into the U.S. Navy during WWII. Wayn...
full story