Obituaries
Lois L. Blake
Lois L. Blake, 79, of Parsons died at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009, at Labette Health in Parsons. Death followed a brief and unexpected illness. She was born May 4, 1929, at McCune to Fred W. and Mary E. (Fowler) McMillan. She grew up in the McCune area and graduated from McCune High School. On May 28, 1949, she married Robert F. "Bob" Blake in Oswego. She had lived in Parsons since her marriage. Her husband preceded her in death on Feb....
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Katherine 'Kay' Rogers Breneman
Katherine 'Kay' Rogers Breneman Katherine "Kay" Rogers Breneman, 90, a former Parsons resident, died at 7:34 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, in Mansfield, Texas, surrounded by her family. She was a 27-year resident of Erie before moving to the Parsons area. In December of 2007, her family moved her into a nursing home in Texas close to them. She was born May 17, 1918, at Yates Center to Edward F. and Justine (Stockebrand) Light. She graduated f...
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Rose N. Carpenter
Rose N. Carpenter, 77, of Parsons, formerly of Walnut, died at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. She was born Feb. 6, 1931, in rural Walnut to Joe and Mary May (Crow) Clagg. She grew up and attended schools in Walnut and was a 1950 graduate of Walnut High School. She married James Wesley Carpenter on Oct. 22, 1951, in Erie. While her husband was in the service, they lived in various areas. Upon his d...
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Rose N. Carpenter
Rose N. Carpenter, 77, of Parsons, formerly of Walnut, died at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Carpenter, on Feb. 2, 1979. The service will be at 2 p.m. at Berean Baptist Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Walnut Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. today at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Memorials are suggested to Berea...
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Rosemary Hartman
Rosemary Hartman, 70, of Pittsburg died at 8:07 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, 2009, at Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center. She was born Oct. 22, 1938, at Hallowell to Ted and Lora Robbins Preston. She attended schools in Hallowell and graduated from Columbus High School in 1956. She was a homemaker. She married Raymond Lee Hartman on Sept. 23, 1956, at McCune. He survives of the home. She was a member of First Church of the Nazarene of Pittsburg...
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Mary Sue Riddle
CHETOPA -- Mary Sue Riddle, 74, of Chetopa died at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at Chetopa Manor nursing home. She was born May 3, 1934, in Neosho, Mo., to Charles and Mae E. (Patterson) Perky. She grew up and attended schools in the Neosho area. Prior to marriage, she worked at the Connors Hotel in Joplin as an elevator operator. She married Arthur Riddle on June 2, 1959, in Miami, Okla. He survives of the home. Survivors include a...
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Kimberly Sue Jeffries
CHETOPA -- Kimberly Sue Jeffries, 47, of Chetopa died at 12:59 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at her home. She was born Aug. 31, 1961, in Oswego to Basil and Sue (Corns) Jeffries. As a young girl, she grew up and attended schools in Chetopa. She worked as a certified nurse's assistant at the Good Samaritan Society in Parsons and also at Chetopa Manor. Survivors include her mother, Sue Jeffries of the home; and a brother, Rick Jeffries of W...
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Raymond M. 'Ray' Worthington
ST. PAUL -- Raymond M. "Ray" Worthington, 81, of St. Paul, formerly of Stark, died at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born Jan. 6, 1928, in Xenia to Lester and Zula (Walker) Worthington. He attended schools in Moran and was a graduate of Moran High School. He served in the U.S. Army. He worked as an ironworker foreman for Eby Construction for 29 years before becoming disabled from a wor...
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Mary Sue Riddle
CHETOPA -- Mary Sue Riddle, 74, of Chetopa died at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at Chetopa Manor nursing home. She is survived by her husband, Arthur Riddle, of the home. The service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Chetopa. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. Complete obituary details will be announced b...
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Ruby Winters
Ruby Winters Ruby Winters, 84, of Parsons died at 5 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, at Elmhaven West nursing home in Parsons. She was born Nov. 25, 1924, at Shawnee, Okla., to Clarence and Beulah (Echard) Ward. She grew up in the Edna area and attended school there. She had lived in Parsons all of her adult life. She married Joe Winters in February 1943, and he preceded her in death in 1992. She loved camping, family activities and especially...
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Kimberly Sue Jeffries
CHETOPA -- Kimberly Sue Jeffries, 47, of Chetopa died at 12:59 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at her home. She is survived by her mother, Sue Jeffries, of the home. Following cremation, the service will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. Complete obituary details will be announced by the funeral home.
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Elizabeth Emma French (wpc) FAIRVIEW, Okla
Elizabeth Emma French (wpc) FAIRVIEW, Okla. -- Elizabeth Emma French, 88, of Fairview, Okla., a former Thayer resident, went to be with her Lord on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 20, 2009, at the Fairview Fellowship Home in Fairview. She was born March 18, 1920, near Quinter to Charles Sydney and Minnie Ellen (Jamison) Williams. She grew up near Quinter and attended schools there. She resided in Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Oklahoma and California befo...
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Eileen M. Vargyas
JOPLIN -- Eileen M. Vargyas, 64, of Joplin died at 12:40 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, at Via Christi Regional Medical Center's St. Francis Campus in Wichita. She was born July 2, 1944, in Washington, D.C., to Herbert and Maxine (Haines) Tarpley. She grew up in Chevy Chase, Md. She married David Vargyas on Dec. 2, 1983, in Effingham, Ill. He survives of the home. Survivors also include a son, James; two daughters, Johnna and Maggie; five gran...
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Mary Lou Russell
NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Mary Lou Russell, 81, of Nashville died Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, at Nashville. She was born April 8, 1927, in Parsons to Clarence and Maude (Whealen) Main. She attended school in Parsons and the University of Kansas. She married Roy Eugene Russell on July 28, 1949. She was a freelance artist and cut silhouettes and painted in oil and watercolor for 50 years. The couple owned a bed and breakfast in Nashville. He survives o...
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Margaret L. Brooks
THAYER -- Margaret L. Brooks, 86, of Thayer died at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at Labette Health in Parsons. She was born on Nov. 2, 1922, at Attica to Olin J. and Jeanetta E. (Hoyt) Kinzer. She grew up at Attica and attended schools there, graduating from Attica High School in 1940. Following high school, she moved to Parsons, where she worked at the Edwards grocery store and a dry cleaning business. She married L. Meryle Brooks on ...
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Esther Mae Hardesty
Esther Mae Hardesty, 77, of Rose, Okla., formerly of Welch, Okla., and Vinita, Okla., died Monday Jan. 19, 2009, at the Select Specialty Hospital in Tulsa. She was born April 23, 1931, in Carter Nine, Okla., to Radford E. and Meddie Jane (Campbell) Stanley. She married Walter Floyd Henry, who preceded her in death. She remarried on April 15, 2000, to Charlie Hardesty. He survives of the home. She was a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church at Le...
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Eddie William Fager
DOWNEY, Calif. -- Eddie William Fager of Downey, Calif., died Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009. He was born Aug. 5, 1922, and grew up in St. Paul. He moved to California in 1941. Fager was a founding member of St. Raymond's Church in Downey, Calif., and a longtime member of Southern California Cortez Viajeros Motorhome Club. He was a member of Los Otros Motorhome Club as well. He married Lenore Volmer in 1942. He served in the military (coast artil...
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Robert Lisle Fincher
PITTSBURG -- Robert Lisle Fincher, 75, of Pittsburg died at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center. He was born March 19, 1933, at McCune to James and Elsie (Morris) Fincher. He attended McCune schools and graduated from McCune High School in 1951. On April 4, 1952, he married Bernieta McMillan at Parsons. She survives of the home. Mr. Fincher worked for Bottenfield Beauty Supply for 35 years, retiring in 1...
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Eileen M. Vargyas
JOPLIN -- Eileen M. Vargyas, 64, of Joplin died at 12:40 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, at Via Christi Regional Medical Center St. Francis Campus in Wichita. She is survived by her husband, David Vargyas, of the home. Complete obituary details will be announced by Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons.
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Marguarette G. Baunhofer-Davis
CHETOPA -- Marguarette G. Baunhofer-Davis, 91, of Chetopa died at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, at Chetopa Manor nursing home. She was born Sept. 24, 1917, in Charleston, Okla., to James Joseph and Silvia Esther (Warner) Dixon. As a young girl, she grew up and attended school there, and later moved with her family to a farm outside of Chetopa. In the early 1960s, she was ordained as minister in the Assembly of God Church. She was a memb...
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