Obituaries
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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Charles T. Lawson
OSWEGO — Charles T. Lawson, 92, of Oswego died at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012, at Oswego Hospital surrounded by his loved ones. He was born on June 28, 1919, in Neosho, Mo., to Thomas W. and Anna Virginia (Watkins) Lawson. As a young boy, he grew up and attended school in Neosho. He then moved to Webb City, Mo., where he lived for a time before moving to Kansas, where he made his home and farmed for many years in the Faulkner area.    On Jun...
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Lucille M. Noriega
WICHITA — Lucille M. Noriega, 83, of Wichita died on Saturday, May 26, 2012.  She was a former nurse and social worker.  Survivors include a son, Roger Noriega; three daughters, Rita Prahm and her husband, Michael, Emilie Palmer and Rosalie Jackson and her husband, Douglas; a sister, Lydia Ahumada; a brother-in-law, Sam Ramirez; a sister-in-law, Socorro Romero; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and an honorary daughter, Irene Flore...
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Charles T. Lawson
OSWEGO — Charles T. Lawson, 92, of Oswego died at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012, at Oswego Hospital. He had been in failing health. Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Chetopa will announce further obituary details and funeral arrangements later.
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Evelyn M. Reeves
Evelyn M. Reeves, 83, of Parsons died at 4:40 a.m. Sunday, May 27, 2012, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. She had been in failing health, but her death was unexpected. She was born on Aug. 7, 1928, at Wichita to Clarence and Anna (Gitt) Bonnett. She grew up in the Bronaugh and Nevada, Mo., area and attended schools there. She graduated from Bronaugh High School. She married Ernest Reeves on Dec. 3, 1949, at Nevada, Mo. He preceded her...
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Eleanor M. Carr
PITTSBURG — Eleanor M. Carr, 86, of Pittsburg died Thursday, May 24, 2012, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg following an illness. She was born on May 8, 1926, in Parsons to Michael Timothy and Grace (Moore) Carr. She resided in the Pittsburg area for her early years and later moved to California following a career in nursing. She received nurse’s training at Fort Scott Community College and later received her masters in nursing degree at ...
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Helen L. Norris
ST. PAUL — Helen L. Norris, 90, of St. Paul died at 11:44 p.m. Friday, May 25, 2012, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. She was born on Dec. 14, 1921, at Walnut to Thomas J. and Celia J. (Reeves) Marnell. She grew up and attended school there and graduated from Walnut High School. She then attended Parsons Junior College and Pittsburg State Teacher’s College. She taught in rural schools from 1940 to 1947. On Jan. 3, 1946, she m...
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Ola B. Kendrick
Ola B. Kendrick, 59, of Parsons died at 4:55 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. She was born on Jan. 21, 1953, in Oak Ridge, La., to Josh A. Sr. and Casseal (Ford) Kendrick. She grew up and attended school in Louisiana before moving with her family in the mid-1970s to Parsons, where she had lived since. Through the years, she worked in housekeeping at various nursing homes in the area. She was a member of Macedonia...
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