Obituaries
Elmer Amos Vance Jr.
OSWEGO -- Elmer Amos Vance Jr., 74, of Oswego died Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at his home following illness. He was born Sept. 25, 1934, in Oswego to Elmer "Peck" Sr. and Alma (Burris) Vance. He graduated from Oswego High School and was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the Navy. Mr. Vance worked for B.F. Goodrich, Bartlett Co-op, Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, Peabody TecTank and Ruskin Manufacturing. He was owner and operator of the Va...
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Anita B. Craig
ERIE -- Anita B. Craig, 94, a lifelong Erie resident, died at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul, where she entered on May 12. She was born on Jan. 1, 1915, near Erie to Walter and Hallie (Walker) Beard. She grew up on the family farm and attended country schools and Erie High School. She graduated from Erie High School in 1931 at 16. She married Roy Ernest Craig on Dec. 24, 1932, at Erie...
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Anita B. Craig
ERIE -- Anita B. Craig, 94, a longtime Erie resident, died at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. Further obituary information and funeral arrangements will be announced by Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Erie.
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Thomas H. (Tommy) Britts III
Thomas H. (Tommy) Britts III, 48, passed away Wednesday, June 17, 2009, in Hurst, Texas. He was born Aug. 15, 1960, to Thomas and Helen (Winters) Britts of Cherryvale. He moved in 1971 to Mound Valley, where he lived with his maternal grandparents, Herman and Marie Winters. He graduated from Labette County High School in 1978. Mr. Britts moved to Arlington, Texas, shortly thereafter. He was employed with Matsco for 20 years as a machinist ...
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Edna Thompson
Edna Thompson, 95, a longtime Parsons area resident, died at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the Elmhaven West. She was born Sept. 14, 1913, near Carthage, Mo., to Ora L. and Anna M. (Evans) Smith. She grew up in the Reeds, Mo., area and came to the Parsons area in 1931. She graduated from Labette County High School at Altamont in 1932. On Nov. 2, 1935, she married Irvin Thompson. They lived in the Springhill area south of Parsons th...
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David Glen Evans
GARNETT — David Glen Evans, 59, of Garnett died on Thursday, June 18, 2009. He was born on Oct. 6, 1949, at Coffeyville to John Henry and Velda Mae (Isle) Evans. He attended schools in the area and attended high school at Labette County, graduating in 1967. He then attended Coffeyville Junior College, where he played football. He attended one year at Pittsburg State University. Following school Dave began working construction. This job too...
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Marvin Eugene Biggs
WICHITA -- Marvin Eugene Biggs, 80, retired vice president of engineering for Power Flame and a former vice president of engineering of Peabody-Gordon-Piatt of Winfield, died Thursday, June 18, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Esther, of the home; a son, Brian Biggs of Paola; two daughters, Janet L. Gee of Stafford and Loretta Camp of Aberdeen, N.C.; seven grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Ronald D. Biggs of Indianapolis, ...
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Betty J. Seeley
Betty J. Seeley, 85, of Parsons, died at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at Elmhaven West. She was born March 14, 1924, at Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of Oran Earl and Anna Lillian (Kaiser) Watson. She attended rural schools in the Sherman City/McCune area and graduated from Oswego High School. During World War II she worked in Wichita in the aircraft industry. After the war she returned to Parsons and was employed at Sears and at t...
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Raymond E. 'Ed' Dixon Jr
Raymond E. "Ed" Dixon Jr., 66, of rural Parsons died at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at his home following a brief illness. He was born April 25, 1943, in Parsons to Raymond E. Sr. and Ruth M. (Tunget) Dixon. As a young boy, he grew up in the Edna, Bartlett and Parsons areas, where he attended elementary schools and later attended Labette County Community High School in Altamont. He worked at Swift and Co. in Parsons 1 1/2 years be...
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Melvin D. Beasley
Melvin D. Beasley, 81, a lifelong Parsons resident, died at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He had been in failing health the past several years. He was born in Parsons on March 28, 1928, to Joseph F. "Fred" and Edna K. "Kate" (Farran) Beasley. He graduated from Parsons High School and Parsons Junior College. In his early adult life he was employed by the Railway Express Agency. Later he drove an oil tan...
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Betty J. Seeley
Betty J. Seeley, 85, of Parsons died at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at Elmhaven West. She was the widow of Walter E. Seeley Jr., who died on Feb. 17, 2000. The service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery. Memorials are to either Wesley United Methodist Church or Operation Bright Touch and may be left at the funeral home, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
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Melvin D. Beasley
Melvin D. Beasley, 81, of Parsons died at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at the St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He had been in failing health for the last few years. The service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the American Alzheimer's Association and ma...
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Forest W. Newell
Forest W. Newell, 90, of Parsons died at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, June 14, 2009, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor, where he resided since September 2007. He was born April 2, 1919, at Nash, Okla., to O.L. and Maude B. (Ragains) Newell. He grew up in Nash and graduated from Nash High School in 1937. On March 24, 1941, he was inducted into the U.S. Army and served 4 1/2 years as a dental technician stationed in Hawaii and England. He was discharged on O...
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Daryl J. Lorenz
Daryl J. Lorenz, 83, formerly of Altamont, died at 4:15 a.m. Monday, June 15, 2009, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor, where he had resided since December 2007. He was born Nov. 2, 1925, in Okeene, Okla., to Harry and Freda (Weber) Lorenz. After graduating from Loyal High School in Loyal, Okla., he served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. Following his discharge from the Navy, he returned to Loyal and for a time worked at J.C. Penne...
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Margaret Ellen Brooker Thiebaud
WOODSTOCK, Ga. -- Margaret Ellen Brooker Thiebaud, 94, a former resident of Fort Scott and Parsons, died Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Woodstock, Ga. She was born April 13, 1915, in Forest Burg, S.D., to Alvin J. Brooker and Mattie Louise Fick Brooker. She lived most of her life in Kansas before moving to Georgia in 2003. She worked in education as a school teacher. She married Charles Edwin Thiebaud. He preceded her in death. Survivors include...
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Thelma F. Foster
IOLA -- Thelma F. Foster, 94, of Iola died Sunday, June 14, 2009, at Windsor Place in Iola. She was born May 30, 1915, in Tarkio, Mo., the daughter of John A. and Ethel (Plotner) Brown. At age 3 she moved with her family to Morehead, where she graduated from Morehead High School. She then moved to the Altamont area, where she lived most of her life. She worked as a deputy clerk for Labette County from 1965 until 1977 and then served as Labett...
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Deanna Dee Lane
LIBERTY -- Deanna Dee Lane, 70, of rural Liberty died Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Mercy Hospital in Independence. She was born March 4, 1939, in Hastings, Neb., to Charles "Bud" and Lois (Wald) Allison. She graduated from Caney High School in 1957 and received an associate's degree from Coffeyville Community College in 1971 and a bachelor of science in education from Pittsburg State University in 1973. She taught elementary school in Cherry...
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Daryl J. Lorenz
Daryl J. Lorenz, 83, formerly of Altamont, where he served as postmaster for 17 years, died at 4:15 a.m. Monday, June 15, 2009, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor, where he had resided since December 2007. He had been in failing health. He is survived by his wife, Mickey V. Lorenz, of Parsons. The service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church in Altamont. Burial will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Altamont. Friends may call after 9 a....
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Dorothy J. Torchia
OSWEGO -- Dorothy J. Torchia, 90, of Oswego died at 10:45 p.m. Sunday, June 14, 2009, at Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg. She was born Nov. 6, 1918, at Mackie Camp to Santo and Loretta (Caputo) Torchia. On Nov. 9, 1935, she married Frank Torchia at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, Scammon. He preceded her in death on Jan. 16, 1989. Mrs. Torchia owned and operated Torchia Firestone Store in Oswego with her husband. Survivors...
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Helen Frances Columbia
CHETOPA -- Helen Frances Columbia, 93 of Chetopa died Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Chetopa Manor. She was born Sept. 29, 1915, south of Oswego on the family farm to Leo C. and Myrtle (Kirkman) Ruttgen. She graduated from the eighth grade from the rural Labette County Gore Grade School and from Oswego High School in 1933. At age 16 she had her own radio show, "Helen the Yodeler," on KGGF, Coffeyville, for several years. She accompanied hersel...
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