Obituaries
Patrick J. ‘Pat’ OBrien
Patrick J. “Pat” OBrien, 64, of Parsons died at 11:43 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, at Parsons Good Samaritan Society.  He was born on Feb. 8, 1948, in Labette County to John and Grace (Cleannan) OBrien. He lived in Parsons his entire life and worked as a self-employed painter. Through the years, he lived with his dear friends, the Heiskells. He was preceded in death by his parents. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick’s Cat...
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Patrick J. ‘Pat’ OBrien
Patrick J. “Pat” OBrien, 64, of Parsons died at 11:43 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, at Parsons Good Samaritan Society. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Grace (Cleannan) OBrien. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.  Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons will announce complete obituary details later. Online condolences may be left at www.forbes...
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June Volz
MOUND VALLEY — June Volz, 75, a lifelong resident of Mound Valley, died unexpectedly at her home Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012.  She was born on Feb. 13, 1937, in Mound Valley to Leonard and Ann (Blake) Billingsly. She grew up and attended school in Mound Valley and was a 1955 graduate of Mound Valley High School. She worked 28 years at the former Automotive Controls in Independence until retiring in the late 1990s. She enjoyed gardening, working ou...
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Shirley Sue (Burgess) Froelich
OSWEGO — Shirley Sue (Burgess) Froelich, 76, died at 3:10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, at Deseret Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Oswego, following an illness. She was born on Sept. 2, 1936, in Iola to Eugene and Clara (Wilson) Burgess. She graduated from Iola High School in 1954.  She worked at Rexall Drug, Iola, for several years before moving to Oswego in 1969. She worked at Groomers Ben Franklin and then at Don Froe Liquor Store. She l...
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Mina P. Adams
TOPEKA — Mina P. Adams, 92, of Topeka passed away Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2012. She was born Nov. 14, 1920, in Catesby, Okla., to Robert Dyral and Nellie Frances (Lightfoot) Baker. She married Donald Wayne Adams on March 31, 1940. During their 60 years of marriage, they lived in Galesburg and Parsons and spent 56 years on the family farm northwest of Altamont. She worked at Fred Ronald Manufacturing in Parsons as floor supervisor and engineer unt...
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Rosella A. Kelly
Rosella A. Kelly, 96, a longtime Parsons resident, died at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, at Villa Theresa in O’Fallon, Mo., with her loving family by her side. She was born in Tipton to John Baptist and Katherine Ann (Hake) Steichen. She grew up in Tipton, where she attended school and was a graduate of Tipton High School. In 1938, she graduated from St. Johns School of Nursing in Salina. As a registered nurse, she worked in St. Joseph, Mo...
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Marlene L. (Kerschen) McClure
PITTSBURG — Marlene L. (Kerschen) McClure, 75, of Pittsburg died at 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg of a sudden illness. She was born on Dec. 15, 1936, in Garden Plain to Albert and Gertrude (Strunk) Kerschen. She had been a resident of Pittsburg since 1976. She was a registered nurse and received a master’s degree from Indiana University. Ms. McClure taught in the nursing department at Pittsburg State ...
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Nadine Crooks
Nadine Crooks, 90, of Parsons died at 5:40 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, at Good Samaritan Society in Parsons. She was born on Feb. 6, 1922, in Aurora, Mo., to John Frederick and Zora (Tucker) Lonberg. She grew up in the Verona, Mo., and Miami, Okla., areas and graduated from Verona High School. Following graduation, she came to Parsons to attend Parsons Business College. On April 9, 1946, she married Leonidas Crooks Jr. in Phoenix. After t...
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Rosella A. Kelly
Rosella A. Kelly, 96, formerly of Parsons, died at 9:55 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, at Villa Theresa Nursing Home in O’Fallon, Mo., where she had resided the past few weeks. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Bernard Kelly, on Dec. 19, 1971.  Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home will announce complete obituary details and funeral arrangements later. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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Glenda Falkenstien
Glenda Falkenstien, 73, of Parsons, a retired teacher at Labette County High School at Altamont, died at 9:23 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. She was born on Feb. 20, 1939, in Garfield County, Okla., to Glen O. and Mary Ellen (Egelston) Serviss. She grew up near Lamont, Okla., and graduated from Lamont High School in 1957. She attended Northern Oklahoma Junior College at Tonkawa and then Oklahoma State Un...
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Del R. Veenstra
MOUND VALLEY — Del R. Veenstra, 52, of Mound Valley died unexpectedly at his home, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012.  He was born on Oct. 11, 1960, in Harvey, Ill., to Daniel and Mardell (Whitten) Veenstra. He grew up and attended school in Mound Valley. He was an auto body technician.  He married Cheryl Yoakum on Dec. 30, 1978, in Brandon, Fla. They later divorced. Survivors include his father, Dan Veenstra Sr. of Mound Valley; his mother, Mardell Veens...
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Del R. Veenstra
MOUND VALLEY — Del R. Veenstra, 52, of Mound Valley, died unexpectedly at his home, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012. He is survived by his father, Dan Veenstra Sr., and his mother, Mardell Veenstra, both of Mound Valley. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Altamont.  Following visitation, the body will be cremated. Complete obituary details will be announced. Online condolences may be lef...
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Loyal Monroe Clough

OSWEGO — Loyal Monroe Clough, 85, of Oswego passed away at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, Wichita. He was born March 6, 1927, in Fairview, Okla., to Harry Monroe and Anna (Harder) Clough. He has lived in Oswego for 47 years, moving there from Lubbock, Texas. He owned and operated Clough Construction until his retirement in 1993. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was assigned to the USS...
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Terry W. Walker
Terry W. Walker, 53, of Parsons died at 10:13 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012, at the home of his mother, Juanita Walker, following a brief illness. He was born on July 1, 1959, at Parsons to Raymond and Juanita (Robinson) Walker. He grew up and attended schools in Parsons, graduating from Parsons High School in 1977. He later attended Labette Community College. He worked at Ruskin Manufacturing for 34 years. He was a quality control foreman. He s...
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Barbara May Hughes
Barbara May Hughes, 75, of rural Parsons died at 7:19 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, at Oswego Hospital. She was born on May 23, 1937, at Neodesha to Lester L. and Mable (Hine) McCormack. She graduated from Neodesha High School. She had been employed at Electra in Independence, Aerosol in Neodesha, sewing factories in Cherryvale and Parsons, Hi-Lo in Chanute and Grandview Products in Parsons. She owned and operated the B and R Upholstery Co. in...
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Allen D. Hillis
COLUMBUS — Allen D. Hillis, 44, of Columbus died at 11:22 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in the emergency room at Mercy Maude Norton Hospital in Columbus. He was born on Nov. 22, 1967, in Parsons to Ronald Hillis and Janice (Ball) Evans. He grew up and attended school in Parsons. He worked at Millennium Rail in Neodesha. He married Frances (Beardmore) Valentine. They later divorced. He married Vickie L. Weaver on Dec. 11, 1992, in Parsons. She ...
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Marshall Lance Sage
BOISE, Idaho — Marshall Lance Sage of Boise, Idaho, passed away on Monday, Nov. 5, 2012. He was bird hunting in the mountains of Idaho, one of his favorite pastimes. Marshall was born in Parsons on March 23, 1947. He was one of four children and the only son of Marshall D. and Leota Lance Sage. He graduated from Parsons High School in 1965 and earned a bachelor of science degree from Pittsburg State University in 1969. Marshall joined the U.S....
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Terry W. Walker
Terry W. Walker, 53, of Parsons died at 10:13 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012, at the home of his mother, Juanita Walker, following a brief illness. Among his other survivors is his son, Hunter Harvey of Lawrence, a student at the University of Kansas. The service will be at 2 p.m. Nov. 17 at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Proud Animal Lovers Shelter...
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Robert E. ‘Bud’ Willis
CHETOPA — Robert E. “Bud” Willis, 85, of rural Chetopa died at 3:46 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin.  He was born on July 15, 1927, in Chetopa to James A. and Grace (Wright) Willis. He was a 1945 graduate of Labette County Community High School in Altamont. Following high school, he served in the U.S. Navy. Upon his honorable discharge, he returned to Southeast Kansas, where he worked at Goodrich Corp. in Miami...
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Clark A. Fletcher
OSWEGO — Clark A. Fletcher, 76, passed away at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, at his home. He was born on July 14, 1936, in Kansas City, Mo., to Charles and Lora Fletcher. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Dick. Clark is survived by his wife of 43 years, Lorena “Dena” Fletcher; two sons and daughters-in-law, Len and Kim Fletcher and Rob and Loree Fletcher; seven grandchildren; a great-grandchild; two brothers-in-law; a...
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