Obituaries
Jerry Calvin Collins
ERIE -- Jerry Calvin Collins, 84, of Erie died Sunday, July 19, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born in Jerico Springs, Mo., on April 1, 1925, to Charles Alonzo and Nellie May (Rice) Collins. He attended schools in Humboldt and Waco, Mo. He worked as a maintainer/operator for Neosho County until his retirement on April 1, 1990. Survivors include three nephews, Wayne Collins and his wife, Theresa, of Plains, Russ...
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Shirley 'Mick' York
Shirley "Mick" York, 87, of Pittsburg died at 2:10 p.m. Thursday, July 16, 2009, at Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center. She was born April 12, 1922, at Cherokee to Everette W. and Nola V. (Blackburn) York. When she was 5 years old, her family moved from Cherokee to McCune. She graduated from McCune High School in 1939 and moved to Pittsburg in 1949. She was the office manager for Prudential Insurance in Pittsburg for 30 years, retiring in 1978...
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Verdenia 'Pauline' Brown
MELROSE -- Verdenia "Pauline" Brown, 87, of Melrose died at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at her home. She had been in failing health. She was born Aug. 28, 1921, in Bartlesville, Okla., to Charles and Addie (Billington) Leonard. She attended schools in Chetopa. On Jan. 16, 1939, she married Gilbert A. Brown in Joplin. The couple farmed most of their married lives in the Melrose area. He preceded her in death Jan. 6, 1993. Survivors includ...
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Ida Merwarth
ANGOLA -- A memorial service for Ida Colleen (Moore) Merwarth, who died Feb. 2, 2009, at Brady, Texas, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Angola Community Building. The service will follow the Kastler reunion, scheduled for earlier that day. Merwarth is survived by her husband, Howard Merwarth of Brady, Texas; and her sister, Dorothy Holt of Edna. Family and friends are welcome. Dean Knewtson of Edna is making arrangements.
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Georgie E. Paul
Georgie E. Paul, 84, died at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, following an illness. Mrs. Paul was born Sept. 25, 1924, in Chetopa to Vernie and Maude (Wagner) Pearson. She attended Gore School in Labette County as a child and graduated from Oswego High School in 1942. She worked for 20 years as the secretary to the principal at Oswego Junior High School. Survivors include a sister, Retha Merritt of ...
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A.R. 'Dick' Finnerty
A.R. "Dick" Finnerty, 93, of Parsons died at 6:45 p.m. Monday, July 13, 2009, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. He was born Feb. 4, 1916, at Hartford to Frank E. and Elizabeth (Holden) Finnerty. He grew up there and graduated from Hartford High School in 1933. From November 1942 until January 1946, he served on active duty with the U.S. Army in Italy and in North Africa and was awarded the Purple Heart. He continued in the U.S. Army ...
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Verdenia 'Pauline' Brown
MELROSE -- Verdenia "Pauline" Brown, 87, of Melrose died at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at her home. She had been in failing health. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert A. Brown, on Jan. 6, 1993. The service will be at 9 a.m. Friday at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, rural Chetopa. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials are...
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John Owen Hannon
LANOKE, Ark. -- John Owen Hannon, 73, of Lonoke died on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at Baptist Springhill. He was born on Jan. 16, 1936, to John and Pauline (Smith) Hannon in Parsons. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He operated John's Auto Repair in Lanoke. Survivors include his wife, Sue; a son, Vince Hannon of Sherwood, Ark.; a daughter, Vicki James of Fort Smith, Ark.; three stepsons, Jeff Desbrow, Tim Desbrow and Greg Culvey; four grandchildr...
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Helen Garcia
CHERRYVALE — Helen Garcia, 85, of Cherryvale died at 1:05 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at Cherryvale Care Center. She was born March 29, 1924, at Lamar, Mo., to Charlie and Jessie Byrd (Davis) Frazier. She was raised in Lamar and attended school there. She married John Harvey Ambler in 1938 at Lamar. They later divorced, and he preceded her in death on April 12, 1969. Throughout her life, she worked as a waitress. Survivors include a daughter...
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A.R. 'Dick' Finnerty
A.R. "Dick" Finnerty, 93, of Parsons died at 6:45 p.m. Monday, July 13, 2009, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. Among survivors is his wife, Ethel, who resides at the nursing home. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. A Knights of Columbus and parish rosary will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. The family will receive friends following...
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Louis P. Gartner
ALTAMONT — Louis P. “Louie” Gartner, 94, a longtime barber of Altamont, died at 11:13 a.m. Friday, July 10, 2009, at the Parsons Good Samaritan Society, where he had resided the past two weeks. He was born June 15, 1915, in Franklin to Jacob and Louise (Semmernig) Gartner. He grew up and attended elementary school in Franklin. During World War II, he served 20 months in the U.S. Navy. Following his discharge from the Navy, he worked three ye...
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Vera M. Little
Vera M. Little, 71, of Parsons, died at 6:35 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 2009, at her home. She had been in failing health. She was born on Feb. 21, 1938, at Dodge City to Waldo W. and Mary V. (Hutchens) Hitch. She grew up and attended schools at Wichita, graduating from Wichita North High School in 1955. She married Ron Little on Aug. 17, 1956, at Wichita. He survives of the home. She lived at Meade and Hutchinson before moving to Parsons in 1965...
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Mary Catherine Daley
OLATHE — Mary Catherine “Kitty” Daley, 89, of Olathe, formerly of Parsons, died at 5:25 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, 2009, at Villa St. Francis Care Facility in Olathe, where she had resided since June 2006. She was born Dec. 19, 1919, to Henry and Esther (Stapleton) Altepeter in Parsons. Through the years, she worked at several banks, and during World War II, Kitty even ventured to work for Bank of America in San Diego for a brief time. She reti...
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Orlyn E. Bennett
LAKEVILLE, Ind. -- Orlyn E. Bennett, 82, of Lakeville, Ind., died at 7 a.m. Wednesday, July 8, 2009, at Hubbard Hill Estates in Elkhart, Ind. He was born Aug. 28, 1926, in Altamont to Clayton and Mabel (Houck) Bennett. Mr. Bennett graduated from Labette County Community High School in Altamont. He was a self-employed farmer and carpenter and drove a school bus for Altamont USD 506 for 24 years. He moved to Lakeville in September 2007. On Dec....
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Robert E. "Bob" Niebaum
Robert E. "Bob" Niebaum, 67, of Parsons died Tuesday morning at his home in Parsons. His death was unexpected. He was born on Sept. 5, 1941, at Caldwell to Ben and Thelma (Sanders) Niebaum. He grew up on the family farm near Caldwell and at McCune. He attended school at McCune, graduating from McCune High School. He worked briefly at the McCune Coop and at the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center as psychiatric aide and later as a se...
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Marjorie Orr
MONETT, Mo. — Marjorie Orr, 69, of Monett, Mo., formerly of Kansas City, Mo., died at 1:44 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at Cox Medical Center in Monett. She was born June 22, 1940, in Winchester to Boyd H. and Viola K. (Davis) Orr. She grew up in Parsons, where she graduated from Parsons High School in 1958 and earned an associate business degree from Parsons Junior College in 1960. She served as vice president of Columbia Union National Bank a...
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Treva J. Vandervoort
Treva J. Vandervoort, 77, of Parsons died at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. She was born Sept. 1, 1931, at Cherryvale to Laverne and Clara (Headley) Isnard. She grew up in Cherryvale and Parsons and graduated from Parsons High School in 1949. In January of 1954, she married Earl Vandervoort Jr. in Parsons. He survives of the home. Mrs. Vandervoort was employed at Hallmark Card Co. in Parsons in her e...
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Mary Catherine 'Kitty' Daley
OLATHE -- Mary Catherine "Kitty" Daley of Olathe, formerly of Parsons, died at 5:25 a.m. Wednesday, July 8, 2009, at Villa St. Francis in Olathe. She had been in failing health. She is survived by her husband, John E. Daley of Overland Park. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. The rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Sunday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home i...
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Luznicky memorial
CHETOPA -- A graveside memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 20, at Oakhill Cemetery at Chetopa for Milan Clarence Luznicky, 86, of Miami, Okla., who died Thursday, July 2, 2009, at Integris Baptist Regional Health Center in Miami after an illness. The family suggests memorials to First United Methodist Church in Miami or Regency Hospice of Integris Baptist Regional Health Center in Miami. These may be sent in care of Thomas Fun...
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Herman Hearson
SCOTT CITY -- Herman Hearson, 85, of Scott City died Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Scott County Hospital in Scott City. He was born Feb. 3, 1924, in Scott City to John and Sylvia (Gier) Hearson. Mr. Hearson was a carpenter. On March 27, 1948, he married Martha J. Sloan in Colby. She died Dec. 25, 1988. On July 21, 1990, he married Reba R. Sager in Scott City. She survives. Other survivors include two sons, Jay Dee Hearson of Aurora, Colo., and W...
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