Obituaries
Willie Racy
LABETTE CITY — Willie Racy, 59, of Labette City, died at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the Coffeyville Regional Medical Center at Coffeyville. He was born on April 14, 1951, at Parsons to Herman and Caroline (Ball) Racy. He grew up at Parsons and attended Parsons schools. He lived in Labette County most of his life except for the few years that he lived in California. He worked in production at several manufacturing companies includ...
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Betty Hellwig
OSWEGO — Betty Helwig, 85, of Oswego died on Friday, April 30, 2010, at Chetopa Manor. The service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Oswego. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Murdock Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to St. Paul Lutheran Church.
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Iva June Johnston
LEAVENWORTH — Iva June (House) Johnston, 91, of Leavenworth, a former Parsons resident, died at 7 a.m. Friday, May 30, 2010, at the Country Care Nursing Home in Easton, where she had been the past year. She was born June 21, 1918, in Parsons to William and Anna (Showalter) House. She graduated from Parsons High School and Parsons Junior College. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pittsburg State University. For nine ...
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Donald J. Martin
OSWEGO — Donald J. Martin, 78, of Oswego died at 9:10 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Oswego Nursing and Rehab Center. Further obituary details will be announced by Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home.
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Roy ‘Neil’ Graver
ERIE — Roy “Neil” Graver, 89, of Erie died at 1:08 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. He was born Oct. 12, 1920, in Las Animas, Colo., to Bert Lee and Elizabeth A. (Kimball) Graver. He attended schools in the Union and McCune areas. He farmed northwest of McCune. He married Winona Ruth Hammonds on Oct. 26, 1941, in Girard. She preceded him in death on Dec. 22, 1984. On Feb. 7, 1987, he married Freda (Amo...
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Dorothy Wirth
BUFFALO, Mo. — Dorothy Wirth, 82, of Buffalo, Mo., died at 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2010, in the Colonial Springs Healthcare Facility at Buffalo. She was a retired social worker for the state of Kansas and based in Parsons. Survivors include a daughter, LeeAnn Phillips of Windyville, Mo.; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Spring Hill Cemetery south of Parsons. The Montg...
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Fern M. Tedstrom
Fern M. Tedstrom, 91, of Parsons passed away at 6:35 a.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at the Presbyterian Manor in Parsons where she had resided since September 2007. She was born May 14, 1918, near Dennis to Alva and Rose Anna (Cooper) Stevenson. She grew up and attended schools near Dennis, including one year at Dennis High School. She also attended Labette County Community High School in Altamont. Prior to marriage, she worked as a caregiv...
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Roy ‘Neil’ Graver
ERIE — Roy “Neil” Graver, 89, of Erie died at 1:08 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. He is survived by his wife, Freda Graver, of the home. Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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Connie Y. Ervin
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Connie Y. Ervin, 66, of Buckeye, Ariz., formally of Independence, died Monday, April 26, 2010, at Jane Phillips Medical Center, Bartlesville, Okla. She was born March 11, 1944, in Parsons to George and Treva (Piesker) Wilson. She attended Independence schools. In October 1959, she married Raymond E. Ervin in Miami, Okla. They later divorced. She worked as a city carrier for the postal service in Independence until she ret...
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Jack J. Gartner
INDEPENDENCE — Jack J. Gartner, 84, of Independence died Monday morning, April 26, 2010, at Mercy Hospital in Independence. Jack Junior Gartner was born Oct. 16, 1925, at Franklin to Jacob and Louisa (Semmerneg) Gartner. He graduated from Arma High School. In 1942, Mr. Gartner joined the U.S. Navy and served on the destroyer U.S.S. Foote. He was discharged in 1946. Gartner worked as a barber in the Mound Valley area for more than 35 years. He...
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Fern M. Tedstrom
Fern M. Tedstrom, 91, of Parsons died at 6:35 a.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor, where she had resided since September 2007. The service is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Mound Valley Christian Church. Burial will be in Mound Valley Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Complete obituary details will be announced. Online condolences ma...
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Lawrence E. ‘Larry’ Crow
BARTLETT — Lawrence E. “Larry” Crow, 43, of Bartlett died at 8:35 a.m. Monday, April 26, 2010, at his home following a courageous battle with lung cancer. He was born Jan. 24, 1967, in Modesto, Calif., to Adrian Leon and Martha Louise (Earl) Crow. He grew up and attended schools in Modesto, Calif. He attended Farrier school in Oklahoma City and truck driving school in California prior to becoming an over-the-road truck driver. In 2001, h...
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Freda M. McMunn
Freda M. McMunn, 87, of Parsons died at 5:50 p.m. Sunday, April 25, 2010, at Elmhaven East in Parsons. She had been in failing health. She was born April 17, 1923, in rural Parsons to Fred W. and Edna L. (Landreth) Palmer. She was a lifelong resident of Labette County, where she attended Altamont schools and was a 1941 graduate of Labette County Community High School. Following high school graduation, she taught three years at Hiatt School an...
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Ruth Catherine Holden
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Ruth Catherine Holden, 90, of Harrisonville, Mo., died Friday, April 23, 2010, at Cass Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville, Mo. She was born Nov. 16, 1919, in Hallowell to Charles Henley and Alta Ruth (Adkins) Alexander. She married Archie Leroy Holden in Columbus on June 12, 1937, in Columbus. Mrs. Holden was an accountant and bookkeeper for Seaboard Milling Corp. in Kansas City, Mo., until retiring in 1975. S...
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Ervin W. ‘Ernie’ Wolfe
CHETOPA — Ervin W. “Ernie” Wolfe, 69, of Chetopa died at 10:40 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2010, at Chetopa Manor. He was born May 25, 1940, in Welch, Okla., to John and Alma (Sheffield) Wolfe. He was a lifelong area resident and a 1958 graduate of Chetopa High School. He was a farmer. Survivors include a brother, John “Buddy” Wolfe of Chetopa; and two sisters, Pat Blaich and Annie Cook, both of Chetopa. He was preceded in death by his pare...
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Dollie Underwood
Dollie Underwood, 98, a resident of Parsons Presbyterian Manor, died there at 7:10 a.m. Sunday, April 25, 2010. She was born Feb. 5, 1912, at Galena to Clarence E. and Mamie (Martin) Randall. She grew up in the Crestline and Columbus areas and attended Columbus High School. On May 4, 1944, she married Howard R. Underwood at Reno, Nev. They moved to Parsons in 1968. He preceded her in death on Sept. 25, 1983. She was a member of First Bapt...
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Freda M. McMunn
Freda M. McMunn, 87, of Parsons died at 5:50 p.m. Sunday, April 25, 2010, at Elmhaven East. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene McMunn, on Oct. 16, 1994. The service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Center Bethel Union Church. Burial will be in Springhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to The 506 Foundation Inc. for scholarships or Cente...
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Charles R. Hoskins
ROCKAWAY BEACH, Mo. — Charles R. Hoskins, 77, of Rockaway Beach, Missouri, died at 4:59 a.m., Friday, April 23, 2010, at the Kansas City Veterans Administration Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. He was born Jan. 11, 1933, in Ponca City, Okla., to Arvil and Leona (Ray) Hoskins. He grew up and attended schools in Ponca City. In 1951, he entered the U.S. Army and in 1953 received an honorable discharge. On Jan. 11, 1987, he married Barbara J. ...
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Lawrence E. ‘Larry’ Crow
BARTLETT — Lawrence E. “Larry” Crow, 43, of Bartlett died at 8:35 a.m. Monday, April 26, 2010, at his home. He is survived by his wife, Dana Crow, of the home. The service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church in Bartlett. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Flat Rock Cemetery in Quitman, Ark. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. Memorials are su...
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Sheila Catherine Miller
Sheila Catherine Miller, 66, of Parsons died at 10:37 a.m. Saturday, April 24, 2010, at her home. She had suffered with multiple sclerosis for many years and death was anticipated. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Stephen F. Miller, of the home. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday, May 3, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Parsons. The rosary will be at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Forbes-...
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