Obituaries
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...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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....
full story
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 ...
full story
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...
full story
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...
full story
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 ...
full story
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...
full story
Betty Louise Winkler 1928-2011
Betty Louise Winkler, 82, Chanute, died Sunday, August 7, 2011 in Lakewood, Colo. Betty was born in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 15, 1928, the daughter of Everett J. and Hazel Monroe Booe. She graduated from Humboldt High School in the Class of 1946, and attended Neosho Junior College. She was united in marriage to Joe Winkler on August 7, 1949 at the Grace Episcopal Church in Chanute. He preceded her in death. Betty worked as the office manager f...
full story
Nancy Jean Patton 1959-2011
Nancy Jean Patton, 59, Sperry, Okla., died Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, at St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, Okla. She was born Jan. 1, 1959, in Oswego, the daughter of Joseph A. and Ellen Elsworth Rhodes. She grew up in Edna and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1969. On Oct. 1, 1971, she married Joseph E. Wilson in Coffeyville. They later divorced. On March 12, 2005, she married Gary Patton in Eureka Springs, Ark. He survives. ...
full story
Darrell Joseph Honas 1958-2011
Darrell Honas, 52, Humboldt, died Sunday, August 7, 2011 at his residence in Humboldt. Darrell was born in Pittsburg on August 13, 1958, the son of Herman and Flo Dinkel Honas. He graduated from Chanute High School in 1976. He also attended Neosho County Community College in Chanute. Darrell worked at Gates Rubber Company for 27 years. He married Linda Frederick on May 12, 1984 in Chanute. She survives. He enjoyed all sports and especially p...
full story
Virginia A. Piatt 1930-2011
Virginia A. Piatt, 81, Arkansas City, died Friday, August 5, 2011, at the Medicalodges of Arkansas City. Funeral services have been scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, August 11, at the Hillcrest Bible Baptist Church. Jimmy McCullough will officiate. Burial will follow in the Parker Cemetery. Friends may greet the family 6-8 p.m. this evening, at Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home. Virginia was born June 4, 1930, to Benjamine P. and Martha A. Albertson Mill...
full story
Elsie Bruenger 1922-2011
Elsie M. Bruenger, 89, Humboldt, died Friday, August 5, 2011, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. She was born Feb. 1, 1922, on the family farm east of Humboldt, the daughter of Louis Fred and Agnes Margaret Mueller Bruenger. Until her health failed, she lived on the same family farm all of her life. She attended Center Grove Rural School, studied music and attended classes later at Allen County Community College. She worked...
full story
William O. Fail 1915-2011
William “Bill” O. Fail, 95, Chanute, died Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Bill was born in Rest, Kan., on Oct. 18, 1915, the son of George Roy and Bessie M. Ramp Fail. He attended Altoona schools. He was united in marriage to Winifred W. Worley on May 2, 1937 in Los Angeles, Calif. They made their home in Los Angeles until 1947 when they moved to this area. She survives. Bill worked as a mac...
full story