Obituaries
Leona Laura Hansen Wiltse 1914-2012
Leona Laura Hansen Wiltse, 98, passed peacefully on Oct. 25, 2012 in Chanute. She was born at Morehead on Jan. 9, 1914, the daughter of Albert and Anna Morris Hansen. She graduated from Vilas High School in 1932 where she helped write the Vilas High fight song. This summer she celebrated her 80th class and all school reunion. Leona was united in marriage to Edwin Dale Wiltse on Sept. 25, 1934. She loved to play the piano, write poetry, short ...
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Ronald J. Wintjen 1941-2012
Ronald J. Wintjen, 71, of Erie, died Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 at his home. He was born on June 19, 1941 at Walnut, to William D. and Edith Tiemeyer Wintjen. He grew up at Walnut and attended Walnut schools. He and Wilma Mattox were married on June 5, 1960 at the Crawford County Courthouse in Girard. She survives, of the home. He worked in oilfields as a driller and spent most of his working career as a truck driver retiring from Martin Tract...
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Robert “Bob” Alan Harwood 1947-2012
Robert “Bob” Alan Harwood, D.V.M. went to our heavenly Father’s Kingdom on Oct. 24, 2012, from the K.U. Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. He was born March 16, 1947 in Iola, to Elmer and Marjorie Casper Harwood. Bob attended Humboldt schools graduating as valedictorian in 1965. He then went to Kansas State University where he was a member of Delta Chi fraternity and graduated in 1971 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. During summ...
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Maxine Kathryn Winder White Watts 1919-2012
Maxine Kathryn Winder White Watts, age 93, of Chanute, died Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. Maxine was born July 25, 1919, in Chanute, the daughter of William and Edith Pens Winder. She graduated Chanute High School. She was united in marriage to Lee White on June 9, 1944, in Iola. With the exception of a brief time away, during WWII, she was a lifelong Chanute resident. Maxine was a busy person, involved ...
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Gary F. LeRoy 1948-2012
Gary F. LeRoy, 64, of Chanute, died Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. Gary was born Jan. 28, 1948, in Chanute, the son of Raymond and Myles Stranghorner Leroy. A lifelong area resident, he graduated Chanute High School, and attended Neosho County Community College. He was united in marriage to Shirley Smoot April 27, 1981, in Miami, Okla. Gary was a truck driver for Santa Fe Railroad, until his retirement in ...
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Wendell G. Shepard 1930-2012
Wendell G. Shepard, 82, of Erie, died Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born March 28, 1930 at Erie, a son of Lester and Elva V. Shepard. He was raised in Erie and graduated from the Erie High School in 1947. He then attended one year at Chanute Junior College and went on to Kansas State University and graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture. He served in the U.S. Army from ...
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Evelyn B. Abbuehl 1917-2012
Evelyn Buddell Abbuehl, 95, passed away quietly at her home in Chanute, on October 21, 2012. Evelyn was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania on September 9, 1917, the daughter of R. Hooper and Margret (Fredericks) Buddell. She attended Reading Public Schools and attended several post-secondary institutions including: Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Davis College in Binghamton, New York, and The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia...
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Helen Marie Muninger 1932-2012
Helen Marie Muninger, 79, of Bartlesville, Okla., died Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Oak Park United Methodist Church with the Rev. Linda Lusnia officiating. Interment will be in the Dewey Cemetery directed by the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory. Contributions may be sent to the Oak Park United Methodist Church, 601 N.W. Brentwood, OK, 74003. Muninger was born at Chanute on Dec. ...
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Ada Jeane Orton 1930-2012
Jeane Orton, 82, of Chanute, died Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 at Chanute Health Care. Jeane was born in Erie on May 7, 1930, the daughter of Frank and Annie Fleming Mitchell. On Nov. 26, 1953 she married Jimmie Orton in Erie. He preceded her in death on Dec. 29, 2011. She worked in the ASC office in Erie and at the Chanute Livestock Auction. In addition to her jobs she farmed in Stark with her husband, Jimmie. Jeane is survived by one son, Frank O...
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David Wesley Ballinger 1947-2012
David Wesley Ballinger, 65 of Eaton, Colo., died at his home on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. He was born on Feb. 17, 1947 in Chanute, to Wesley Henry and Vena E. Sooby Ballinger After college in 1969, he began a farming career where he grew wheat, soy beans, milo, and other grain crops along with raising hogs near Stark. Farming was his passion and when he saw his first crop appear tears were in his eyes. These were tears of joy as he had succee...
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Donald Eugene Adams 1959-2012
Donald Eugene Adams, 53, of Chanute, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Don was born Sept. 22, 1959, in Chanute, the son of Roy D., and Pearl Irene Hanson Adams. He graduated Chanute High School. Don worked as a security officer, traveling many areas of the United States, insuring the safety of others. He was a third degree black belt in martial arts, and had achieved world champion amateur status. Don ...
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Betty G. Nelson 1929-2012
Betty G. Nelson, 83, of Chanute died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Betty was born in Fredonia on July 15, 1929, the daughter of William and Agnes Goetze Graham. She graduated from Fall River High School in 1947 and later attended Johnson County Community College. Betty married Allan Nelson on April 1, 1955 in Hernando, Miss. She worked for TWA in reservations, USDA, Social Security, and retir...
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Donald Eugene Adams 1959-2012
Donald Eugene Adams, 53, of Chanute, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Don was born Sept. 22, 1959, in Chanute, the son of Roy D., and Pearl Irene Hanson Adams. He graduated Chanute High School. Don worked as a security officer, traveling many areas of the United States, insuring the safety of others. He was a third degree black belt in martial arts, and had achieved world champion amateur status. Don ...
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Roy Joseph Stricklin 1949-2012
Roy Stricklin, 63, of Chanute died Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 at Neosho Memorial Regional Center in Chanute. Roy was born in Oniona, Ala., on May 8, 1949, the son of Walter and Jessie Stricklin. Roy is survived by his wife, Linda Stricklin; one son, Roy Stricklin of Franklin, Tenn.; three daughters, May Padgett of Fargo, Ga., Jeanett McCulley of Chanute, and Tyeisa Rogers of Chanute; 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and siblings; Barbara...
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Leona Fern Robinson 1924-2012
Leona Fern Robinson, 88, Wichita, formerly of Benedict, died Wednesday, Oct. 17 in Wichita. She was born August 18, 1924 in Virgil, the daughter of Jesse and Maude Saubers Moss. Leona was a 1943 graduate of Buffalo High School, and married Jack Robinson on Dec. 23, 1943 in Wichita. The Robinson’s lived in Benedict 59 years until the passing of Jack on May 24, 2002, at which time Leona moved to Wichita to be near family. Leona was baptized and...
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Freda W. Stange 1920-2012
Former Elsmore resident Freda W. Stange, 92, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, in Topeka. Freda was born Sept. 25, 1920, in Lebanon, Mo., the daughter of Roy and Chloda Davis Jones. She grew up in Lebanon where she attended school and was pianist in the Methodist Church. On June 8, 1941, Freda married Louis Stange and they made their home in Chanute where she worked at Johnson Hospital as a student nurse until Louis returned from the service. ...
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Larry L. Larkey 1932-2012
Larry Larkey, 80, of Chanute, died Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 at Chanute Health Care in Chanute. Larry was born in Iola on March 4, 1932, the son of Robert D. and Vivian Paugh Larkey. He graduated from Moran High School in 1950. On August 3, 1952 he married Christena E. Jackson in Eureka Springs, Ark. She survives. Larry retired as the service manager for Ranz Motor Company. He was a member of the First Christian Church in Chanute. He loved fishin...
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Wilma Faye Blom 1923-2012
Wilma Faye Blom, 89, Pittsburg, died Saturday, Oct, 13, 2012 at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, following an illness. Faye was born April 18, 1923 in Hartville, Mo., the daughter of William H. and Elmina Rose Reddick Wilson. She attended schools in Humboldt and was a graduate of Humboldt High School in 1940. During WWII she went to the National School of Aeronautics in Kansas City, Mo., and then worked at the North American Aviation...
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John McMeekin 1924-2012
John McMeekin, 87, Chanute, died Oct. 11, 2012. He was born Dec. 22, 1924 in Chattanooga, Tenn., to John and Winnifred McMeekin. The family moved to Shelby, Neb., where there were relatives. He graduated from North Platte High School. He joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a radioman on a destroyer during the war with Japan. The crew fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa until the ship was struck by a suicide plane Kamikaze. He returned ...
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Marjory Phillips 1928-2012
Marjory J. Phillips, 84, of Tucson, Ariz., died Oct. 11, 2012. She was born in Chanute. Marjory was preceded in death by her husband, Delbert, her son Michael, and one brother Vern Owens. She is survived by her daughter Debra Gross and husband, Ke,; four grandsons; three greatgrandchildren; and one brother Bill Owens. Graveside service is 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 19 in Fort Logan National Cemetery, Staging Area “B”. Memorials may be made to th...
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