Obituaries
Leola Mae Ramsey
RUSSELL — Leola Mae Ramsey, 80, of Russell died on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, at Hays Medical Center in Hays. Leola was born on March 12, 1931, in St. Paul to Elmer G. and Iva Jane (Smith) Ashcraft. She grew up in the St. Paul area and attended local schools. She met, fell in love with and was united in marriage to Wilbern Ramsey Sr. on June 27, 1949. From this union they were blessed with five children, Wilbern Jr., Kenneth, Roger, Linda and P...
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Darren Ray Manley
CHERRYVALE — Darren Ray Manley, 51, of Cherryvale died Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, at Mercy Hospital, Independence. He was born on Aug. 17, 1960, in Coffeyville to Darrel L. and Norma L. (Epperson) Manley. He attended South Coffeyville, Okla., schools before graduating from Lenapah (Okla.) High School in 1978. He married Brenda Wooldridge in 1979. They later divorced. He married LeAnn Fought on July 4, 2008. She survives of the home. He worked ...
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Genevia E. Mathis
Genevia E. Mathis, 63, of Parsons died Friday morning, Sept. 16, 2011, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg. Carson-Wall Funeral Home, Parsons, will announce further obituary details and funeral arrangements later.
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Loyd Lee Zinn
Loyd Lee Zinn, 66, of Parsons died on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, at Galichia Heart Hospital in Wichita. He had been in failing health, but his death was unexpected. He was born on Nov. 28, 1944, in Nevada, Mo., to Loyd J. and Bertha M. (Faubion) Zinn. He graduated from Labette County High School in 1962. He married Joyce A. Cameron in 1971. They later divorced. Survivors include a son, Rodney Zinn of Parsons; two grandchildren; and a sister, Mar...
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Richard E. Weston
OSWEGO — Richard E. Weston, 83, of Oswego died at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, at Freeman Hospital in Joplin from cancer. He was born Dec. 1, 1927, in Dexter to Ollie and Sadie (Gardner) Weston. He graduated from high school in Arkansas City. He enlisted in the Army in 1946. He owned and operated Weston’s Flowers and greenhouse in Oswego for 32 years. He married Barbara Hettick on Oct. 27, 1972, at Oswego. She survives of the home. Other ...
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Donald Wright Lietzke
VERSAILLES, Mo. — Donald Wright Lietzke, 97, of Versailles, Mo., died Monday, Sept. 12, 2011, at Good Shepherd Care Center in Versailles. He was born Dec. 6, 1913, in Parsons to Ferdinand Crawford and Nell (Wright) Lietzke. He graduated from Parsons High School. On Oct. 6, 1933, he married Juanita Witten Hunter. She preceded him in death. Mr. Lietzke worked for the Katy Railroad, retiring in 1975. Survivors include four sons, Jack Lietzke of L...
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Erma Louise Gough
ERIE — Erma Louise Gough, 86, of Erie died at 6:35 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village at St. Paul. She was born on June 14, 1925, in rural Thayer to Charlie Francis and Sibyl (Oakley) Jones. She was raised in rural Thayer and graduated from Thayer High School. On Feb. 21, 1948, she married Bobby Dean Gough at Thayer. The couple moved to Erie around 1950. She was a homemaker and worked with her daughter at Conn...
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Richard E. ‘Dick’ Weston
OSWEGO — Richard E. “Dick” Weston, 83, of Oswego died at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, at Freeman Hospital in Joplin following a battle with cancer. The service will be at 11 a.m. Sept. 24 at Oswego United Methodist Church. A private burial will be at a later date.
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Hazel L. Mayfield
CHETOPA — Hazel L. Mayfield, 92, of Chetopa died at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, at Chetopa Manor nursing home, surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was born April 30, 1919, in Bentonville, Ark., to Charles W. and Mary M. (Holcomb) Breshears. Hazel grew up, attended school and lived in various communities within the Four States. Throughout her many working years, she found some of her most fulfilling job-related times were wh...
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Boyd Norris Mason
SEDGWICK — Boyd Norris Mason, 82, of Sedgwick died on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011. He was a retired Beech Aircraft quality inspector. Survivors include his wife, Bonnie Mason; two children, Denise Mason of Sedgwick and Brent Mason of Parsons; three grandchildren; and a sister, Margie Falkenberg of Wellington. The service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Plymouth Congregational Church, Sedgwick. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery, Sedgwick. Vis...
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Robert Bailey ‘Bob’ Smith
ERIE — Robert Bailey “Bob” Smith, 89, a lifelong farmer and stockman of rural Erie, died at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born on Dec. 15, 1921, on a farm west of St. Paul to Harry E. and Emma Jane (Bailey) Smith. He attended Mentor Grade School, was a graduate of Parsons High School and attended Parsons Junior College. In addition to farming and managing his cattle operation, he h...
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Robert Bailey ‘Bob’ Smith
ERIE — Robert Bailey “Bob” Smith, 89, a lifelong farmer and stockman of rural Erie, died at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. His wife, Theresa (Steinbacher) Smith, survives of the home. The funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Erie. Burial will be in St. Francis Cemetery in St. Paul. The rosary will be prayed at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Ambrose, w...
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Flora McKee
EDNA — Flora McKee, 57, of Edna died at 4 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12, 2011, at Landmark Hospital in Joplin. She had been battling cancer the past four years. Flora and her husband, Mark McKee, are owners of the Parsons Livestock Market. She was born on Nov. 24, 1953, at McPherson to Jake and Florence (Balzer) Penner. The family lived in Inman and then in Salina, where she graduated from El-Saline High School. She also attended Calgary Bible College...
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Shirley Marie Aiken
SHOREVIEW, Minn. — Shirley Marie Aiken, 72, of Shoreview, Minn., died on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. She was born June 16, 1939, in rural Kimball to Thomas E. and Dorothy L. (Hopeman) Simmons. She graduated from Galesburg High School in 1956 and attended Parsons Junior College. She formerly worked for Whirlpool. She married Scott Aiken on Feb. 11, 1962. They later divorced. Survivors include a daughter, Sheri Fairbanks; two grandchildren; three si...
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Hazel Mayfield
CHETOPA — Hazel L. Mayfield, 92, of Chetopa died at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, at Chetopa Manor nursing home. Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, Chetopa, will announce complete obituary details later. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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Barry L. Farmer
ELK CITY — Barry L. Farmer, 30, of Elk City died Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, at Mercy Hospital. He was born Feb. 23, 1981, in Kansas City, Mo., to Leslie Otto and Gina (Lewis) Farmer. He attended Neodesha schools. He was an iron worker. He married Lora Wall. They later divorced. Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Gina and Mike Zinser of Elk City; a son, Dylan Farmer of Neodesha; a daughter, Addison Farmer of Neodesha; three sisters, A...
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Phyllis Crail
NEWTON – Phyllis Audrey Crail, 92, died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, at her home in Newton. She was born April 23, 1919, in Hartford the daughter of Elmer Joseph and Maybelle Alice Foster Musselman. On Dec. 11, 1937, she married Alvin A. Crail in Hartford. He preceded her in death in 2006. Mrs. Crail worked many years as a clerk in Newberry’s Department Store in Parsons. Survivors include her daughters, Alyce (Willis) Dyck of Newton and Beverley G...
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Randy Raymond Littlejohn
CHETOPA — Randy Raymond Littlejohn, 56, of Chetopa died at 1:40 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, at Labette Health in Parsons. He was born July 25, 1955, in Oswego to Richard and Verda (Molitor) Littlejohn. He was a lifetime resident of the Chetopa area and was a 1973 graduate of Chetopa High School. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and woodworking. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and grandchildren. He married Karla Burton on Oct. ...
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Flonnie P. Knewtson
EDNA — Flonnie P. Knewtson, 99, of Edna entered her eternal home on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, at Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. She was born Feb. 17, 1912, to George W. and Minnie Campbell Burnett near Monticello, Ky. At age 9 she moved to Kansas with her family, settling near Edna. She attended Ripon Grade School and graduated as valedictorian of her class at Edna High School. At 13, Flonnie received Jesus Christ as her Savior at a rev...
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Isaac ‘Ike’ Norman Kinsch
Isaac “Ike” Norman Kinsch, 70, a lifelong Parsons resident, died peacefully at his home at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. He had been in declining health for the past 10 years and home bound for the past five years. He was born Aug. 5, 1941, in Parsons, a son of Henry Arthur and Nettie Belle (Wilkerson) Kinsch. He grew up in Parsons and attended school here. He lived his entire life in the Orchard Park community. During his life he worked ...
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