Obituaries
Robert L. Black
MOUND VALLEY -- Robert L. Black, 81, of rural Mound Valley died at 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 1, 2009, at his home. His wife, Ruby, survives of the home. The service will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Pleasant Hill Church and burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home.
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Brendan Rollins Harris
OVERLAND PARK -- Brendan Rollins Harris, 42, of Overland Park died Thursday, May 28, 2009, at his home. He was born Aug. 19, 1966, in Olathe to John Rollins and Phyllis Kay (Smith) Harris. He graduated from Cawker City Waconda East High School and Kansas Wesleyan College with a bachelor of science degree. He was an accountant for Cohen-Esrey Real Estate for two years. Survivors include his mother; a sister, Julie Regan Harris of Edgerton; ...
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George W. Pluto Jr.
DALLAS -- George W. Pluto Jr., 84, of Dallas, died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, in Dallas. He was born July 7, 1924, in Parsons. He served in the military in World War II. He attended Oklahoma State University, where he earned degrees in math and physics. Mr. Pluto was president and owner of the Dallas-based Texas Testing Laboratories. Survivors include his wife, Sara Lynn; two daughters, Susan Howden and Debbie Herring; two sons, Mitchell Plu...
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Lois Ann Kirk
WEBB CITY, Mo. -- Lois Ann Kirk, 69, of Webb City, Mo., died at 12:33 p.m. Sunday, May 31, 2009, at her home following a lengthy illness. She was born May 1, 1940, in Hallowell. She had lived in the Webb City area since 1969. She was employed with the former Jasper County Title Co. and Abbey Title Co. prior to her retirement in 2006. She was an active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Webb City. She married Dewey D. Kirk on July 11, 195...
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E. Lucille Tolle
ERIE -- E. Lucille Tolle, 96, of Erie died at 6:50 a.m. Thursday, May 28, 2009, at Guest Home Estates in Erie. The graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Clintonville Cemetery at El Dorado Springs, Mo. Burial will follow. The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home at Erie. Memorials are suggested to Guest Home Estates in Erie and may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, 303 N. Gra...
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Lawrence M. Riggs
WYANDOTTE, Okla. -- Lawrence Melvin Riggs, 84, of Wyandotte, Okla., formerly of Chetopa, died at 6:51 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at his home. He was born Dec. 24, 1924, in Webb City, Okla., to Charles G. and Grace (McKnight) Riggs. He served in the U.S. Navy. He worked as a first-class welder at Owens Corning Fiberglass Co., retiring from there in 1987. He married Eva Mae Dewey in December 1945. She preceded him in death in 1953. He marr...
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Margaret I. Peterson
A memorial service for Margaret I. Peterson will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Thayer with Pastor Brian Baierl officiating. Burial will be in the Thayer Cemetery.
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Lawrence Riggs
WYANDOTTE, Okla. — Lawrence Melvin Riggs, 84, of Wyandotte, Oklahoma, formerly of Chetopa, died at 6:51 a.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at his home. He was preceded in death by his wife, Genevieve (Rexwinkle) Wilson Riggs, on Feb. 19, 2005. Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa.
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Gertrude Peterson
Gertrude Peterson, 99, of San Juan, Texas, formerly of Rosemead, Calif., died at 5:05 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at the San Juan Nursing Home. She had lived in Rosemead most of her life before moving to San Juan in May 2007 to be near her niece, Joyce Patrick, and her husband, John, of Alamo, Texas. The graveside memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Oswego Cemetery under the direction of Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Cheto...
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Billy R. Cole
INGALLS, Okla. -- Billy R. Cole, 81, of Ingalls, Okla., formerly of Dennis, died Saturday, May 23, 2009, in Stillwater, Okla. He was born Nov. 19, 1927, in El Dorado, Okla., to Lester and Lilly Cole. He served in World War II in the Navy. He worked as maintenance superintendent for Dow Chemical Co. before retiring. He married Bonnie Lofton in 1953. She survives. Other survivors include a daughter, Belita Dawes of Ingalls; two sons, Bill Co...
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Betty R. Gifford
OSWEGO -- Betty R. Gifford, 85, of Oswego died at 7 p.m. Monday, May 25, 2009, at her home following a short illness. She was born Feb. 2, 1924, in Wichita to Kirwin Lucius and Lois (Reasor) Bowman. She graduated from Oswego High School in 1942. In 1959, she moved to Kansas City and resided there from 1959 to 1987. From 1987-1990, she lived in Burlington, Vt. She then later moved to Oswego to retire in 1990. On June 30, 1951, she married Raym...
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Geneva Grimmett
Geneva J. Grimmett, 66, of Parsons died at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 21, 2009, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Tonya and Darrin Hamilton, in Parsons. She had been in failing health. She was born Dec. 14, 1942, in Parsons to John Richard and Dorothy Ellen (Green) Ball. As a young girl, she grew up and attended schools in Parsons and was a graduate of Parsons High School. On Aug. 11, 1962, she married Leo Grimmett in Miami, Okla. He prec...
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Marian Hazel Adamson
Marian Hazel Adamson Marian Hazel (Sadler) (Lawrence) Adamson, 91, a resident of Parsons Presbyterian Manor, died at 4:12 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at Landmark Hospital in Joplin. Marian Hazel Sadler was born Dec. 21, 1917, in Parsons to Carl B. and Bertha Marian (Sparks) Sadler. She attended the McCune grade school. She moved with her family to Parsons in 1931 and graduated from West Junior High School. She attended high school until the ...
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Ruth Maurine Caldwell
CHANUTE -- Ruth Maurine Caldwell, 88, of Chanute, Kansas, loving wife, Mother, Mimi, Mimi-Great, and friend to many, went to the Palace of the Lord on May 20, 2009. She was the 1st born of 4 children to Fred and Myrtle Elizabeth (Simms) Manley on December 8, 1920. Her siblings were Robert (Bob), Charles Eugene (Gene), and Lawrence D. (Larry). She graduated from Chanute High School and attended Neosho County Community College. She worked as th...
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Robert 'Bob' L. Debald
Robert "Bob" L. Debald, 88, of Parsons died at 12:05 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at Elmhaven East nursing home. He was born Dec. 14, 1920, at Michigan City, Ind., to Henry J. and Catherine (Reicher) Debald. He was raised in Michigan City and attended school there. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in England, France, Belgium and Germany with HQ Company, 1149th, Engineer Construction Group. After his discharge, ...
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Joshua J. McCann
YATES CENTER -- Joshua J. McCann, 27, of Yates Center died Saturday evening, May 16, 2009, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident near Altoona. He was born May 29, 1981, in Winfield to Keith McCann and Mary (Miller) Reeves. He attended Central-Burden High School and later received his general education development diploma. He worked as a pipeline fitter for BRB Contractors in Topeka until the time of his death. He married Tiffany McC...
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Sylvia McGowan
Sylvia McGowan, 69, of Parsons, formerly of Chanute, died at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2009, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor. She had been in failing health. Complete obituary details will be announced by Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home.
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Edith A. Hackney
SAN ANTONIO -- Edith A. Hackney, 92, of San Antonio died on Thursday, May 14, 2009. She was born in Parsons on March 6, 1917, to Richard and Anna Kallberg. She was married to Robert M. Hackney. They were married for 60 years. He preceded her in death. Survivors include her son, Rod Hackney (Cynthia Burden) and Cynthia's two sons, Taylor and Alan Brite; a sister, Ruth Hornback; six nephews; and numerous great-nieces and nephews. She also wa...
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Paul E. 'Corkey' Smith
ERIE -- Paul E. "Corkey" Smith, 79, of Erie and a former Wichita resident, died Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Christian Church of Erie. A private commital service will be at Resthaven Cemetery in Wichita. Memorials are suggested to Prairie Mission Retirement Village of St. Paul and may be left in care of Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Erie. ...
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Norma Jane O'Hara
TOPEKA -- Norma Jane O'Hara, 79, of Topeka died on Saturday, May 9, 2009, in Topeka. She was born Aug. 11, 1929, in Seneca to Urban and Georgina Koelzer. She grew up in Seneca. She attended Mount Saint Scholastica Academy and later the University of Kansas, from which she graduated with a bachelor's degree in education in 1951. She obtained her master's degree in education from Washburn University in 1974. She married William Joseph O'Hara...
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