Obituaries
Mildred G. Clark
Mildred G. Clark, 96, of Parsons died at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2, 2012, at Elmhaven West. She was born on Oct. 10, 1915, in Parsons to Herbert and Ethel (Baker) Sears. She grew up and attended schools in Parsons and graduated from Parsons High School and Parsons Junior College. She attended Pittsburg State Teachers College. For many years she taught schools, mostly in Labette County, and taught at Mound Valley Grade School before retiring ...
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Charles L. ‘Tuna’ Gatewood II
Charles L. “Tuna” Gatewood II, 45, of Parsons died at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 3, 2012, in Wichita. He had been in his usual health and death was not expected. He was born Sept. 20, 1966, in Parsons to Charles L. Sr. and Viola (Williams) Gatewood. He grew up in Parsons, where he attended McKinley Elementary School, Parsons Junior High School and was a 1985 graduate of Parsons High School, where he was active in sports.  He then attended Fort Scott...
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Manual ‘Junior’ Bayless
A graveside committal service for Manuel “Junior” Bayless, who died July 17, 2011, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Pleasant Hill Cemetery near Dennis with military honors given by Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars, in Parsons.КHis wife, Wilda Mae Bayless, survives. Services are under the direction of Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons.
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Charles L. 'Tuna' Gatewood II
Charles L. “Tuna” Gatewood II, 45, of Parsons died at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 3, 2012. He had been in his usual health and death was not expected. The service will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Watson Memorial Church of God in Christ. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church. Memorials are suggested to an educational fund for his children. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoff...
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John Joseph 'Joe' Duffy
John Joseph “Joe” Duffy, 87, a lifelong area resident, died at 5:35 a.m. Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at Labette Health. Death followed a brief illness. He was born Feb. 16, 1925, at South Mound to Nicholas and Ethel (Daxon) Duffy. He grew up on the farm and attended the Liberty School through eighth grade and St. Francis High School in St. Paul, graduating in 1942. On Oct. 1, 1949, he married Rosemary Marnell at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in ...
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Floyd Ray Sumpter
SPRINGFIELD, Fla. — Floyd Ray Sumpter, 86, formerly of McCune, died on Friday, June 1, 2012, at Sims State Nursing Home, Springfield, Fla. He was born on Sept. 2, 1925, in Miami, Okla. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He lived most of his life in East Moline, Ill., and moved to Florida in 2009. Survivors include a sister, Virginia Perkins and her husband, John, of Lincoln, Calif.; and a brother, Norman Sumpter and his wife, Co...
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Alan A. Jones
MOUND VALLEY — Alan A. Jones, 62, of rural Mound Valley died at 12:38 a.m. Friday, June 8, 2012, in the emergency room at Labette Health. He had been in his usual health, and death was not expected. He is survived by his wife, Deanna (Bradshaw) Jones of the home. The family will have a private graveside service. Burial will be in Mound Valley Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Mound Valley Community Cen...
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Tommy W. Franklin
Tommy W. Franklin, 55, of Parsons, formerly of Altamont, died Thursday, June 7, 2012, at his home. He was born April 30, 1957, in Webb City, Mo., to John E. and Fern Evelyn (Blackburn) Franklin. He grew up in Webb City until moving to Oswego, where he attended school and was a 1975 graduate of Oswego High School.  He worked at Columbian TecTank in Parsons for 28 years and was employed by Labette County. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge A.F...
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Rhonda Sue Hale
CHETOPA — Rhonda Sue Hale, 55, of Chetopa died Friday, June 8, 2012, at her home. She had been in her usual health, and death was not expected. Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa will announce complete obituary details and funeral arrangements later. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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Mildred G. Clark
Mildred G. Clark, 96, of Parsons died at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2, 2012, at Elmhaven West. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lynn R. Clark, on June 30, 1992. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home. Friends may call after 1 p.m. Friday. Complete obituary details will be announced. Online condolences may be left at www....
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Judith Shouse
CHERRYVALE — Judith Ann Shouse, 72, of Cherryvale died at 8:45 a.m. Sunday, June 3, 2012, in the emergency room at Labette Health. She was born Jan. 8, 1940, at Iola to Charles F. and Mary F. (Marler) Gibson. She attended school in Humboldt. She married Ferris Creighton. They later divorced. In August 1990 she married Bill Shouse in Miami, Okla. He survives of the home. Other survivors include a son, Daniel Creighton of Springfield, Mo.; t...
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Luverdia P. Porter
Luverdia P. Porter, 72, of Parsons died at 10:50 p.m. Friday, June 1, 2012, at Labette Health. She was born Aug. 1, 1939, in Parsons the daughter of Henry and Hilda (Mitchell) Nash. She had lived in Parsons for most of her life. She was a veteran serving in the Navy. She married Willie Joe Porter and he preceded her in death. Mrs. Porter worked as a licensed practical nurse and in records management for Sentara Hospital System in Norfolk, Va....
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Joy D. Bortmes
OSWEGO — Joy D. Bortmes, 87, of Oswego, formerly of Tulsa, died at 6 a.m. Friday, June 1, 2012, at her home. She was born Oct. 3, 1924, in Haskell, Okla., to Louis and Kelsie (Shinn) Hill. She grew up and attended school in Haskell, Okla., and later earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Tulsa.  After earning her degree, she worked for many years as a registered nurse. Through the years, she worked as a pediatric ICU n...
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Randy DeWayne Ventle
UNION CITY, Tenn. — Randy DeWayne Ventle, 48, of Union City, Tenn., formerly of Chetopa, died Sunday, May 27, 2012, at a medical center in Jackson, Tenn., following an illness. He was born on Aug. 11, 1963, in Oswego to Carl Eugene and Glenda Kay (Clark) Ventle. He had lived in Tennessee for the past three years after moving from Chetopa. He graduated from Labette County High School, Altamont. He had worked in the shipping/receiving department...
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Dr. Fred W. Johnson
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Dr. Fred W. Johnson, 79, of Springfield, Mo., formerly of Altamont, died on Jan. 27, 2012.  Survivors include his wife, Cindy Johnson of the home; five sons; a stepson; a stepdaughter; a sister, Eileta Creekpaum and her husband, Eddie, of Tulsa; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The graveside committal service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Altamont under the direction of Forbes-H...
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Herbert L. ‘Herb’ Baum
Herbert L. “Herb” Baum, 89, of Parsons died at 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at his home. He had been in failing health the past few weeks. He was born on July 30, 1922, at Caney to Perry and Ollie (Barnes) Baum. The family moved to Oswego when he was a small child and to Parsons a few years later. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in the battles and campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardenn...
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Herbert L. Baum
Herbert L. Baum, 89, of Parsons died at 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at his home. His wife, Lela Jo Baum, survives of the home. The service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial, with military honors, will be in Oswego Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Harry Hynes Hospice.
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Kassia L. Seager
WICHITA — Kassia L. Seager, 33, of Wichita, formerly of Mound Valley, died Thursday, May 24, 2012, at her home.  Following cremation, the service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Church in Mound Valley.  Memorials are suggested to the Kassia Seager Memorial Fund and may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, 67357. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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Peggy I. Clegg
NEODESHA — Peggy I. Clegg, 88, of Neodesha died Monday evening, May 28, 2012, at her home. Peggy Isabel Clegg was born on Nov. 14, 1923, in Grundy County, Mo., to William Dennis and Bertha (Patton) Runk. She attended and graduated from Trenton High School in Trenton, Mo., in 1941. She also attended Independence Community College. She worked as a secretary with USD 461 in Neodesha. She was a member of United Methodist Church, where she served a...
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Shirley Lorraine Thurman
WICHITA — Shirley Lorraine Thurman, 93, of Wichita died on Monday, May 28, 2012. She was born on Oct. 24, 1918, in Galesburg to Alvin and Lydia Wertz Heisey. She married Orville Thurman on April 7, 1940. He preceded her in death. Survivors include three children, James Thurman, and his wife, Doris, Marcia Calvert and her husband, Michael, and Kathy Hostetler, and her husband, Rolland; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. She also w...
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