Obituaries
E. Leona McElhaney-Lee
E. Leona McElhaney-Lee, 92, of Parsons died at 9:52 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011, in the Emergency Room at Labette Health. She was born Sept. 3, 1918, at Wathena, a daughter of Ernest M. and Melissa Fern (Ebersole) Hudkins. She lived in Arkansas until she was 8 and then came to Parsons and attended school here. She received her general equivalency diploma in 1970 and then attended nurse’s school at Independence. She was employed as a certi...
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Oval (Dunnick) Watson
FRONTENAC — Oval (Dunnick) Watson of Frontenac died at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at Via Christi Hospital at Pittsburg. Mrs. Watson was born at West Mineral to Clarence and Hazel West Kennedy. She was raised in West Mineral and graduated from West Mineral High School. She was a homemaker and also worked for McCune Mutual Telephone, later Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative, as an operator. She also worked at Brodrick’s and the Kansas Army ...
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Peggy M. Kolb
HIAWATHA — Peggy M. Kolb, 66, of Hiawatha died Thursday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2011, at her home. She was born Aug. 27, 1944, at Parsons one of six children born to Eldred and Elsie Ginn Phillips. She grew up in the Parsons area and later graduated from Labette County High School in Altamont with the Class of 1961. She moved to Kansas City, Mo., and worked for insurance companies. She married Louie Cobb. They later divorced. She returned to Pars...
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E. Leona McElhaney-Lee
E. Leona McElhaney-Lee, 92, of Parsons died at 9:52 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011, in the Emergency Room at Labette Health. The service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial will be in Springhill Cemetery. Friends may call at their convenience. Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association and may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357. Online condolences may be left at ww...
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Arliene L. Willis
CHANUTE — Arliene L. Willis, 96, a resident of the Heritage Health Care Center in Chanute, and a former longtime resident of Luray, died at 5:25 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26, 2011 at the care center. She was born Jan. 5, 1915, at Luray to Charles and Ada (Girton) Lorenc. She grew up in Luray and graduated from the Luray High School. Following her high school graduation she moved to Chanute and was employed at the J. C. Penney store. Mrs. Willis was e...
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Nancy Taynor
The memorial service for Nancy Margaret Taynor , 61, Parsons, who died on Friday, Aug. 12, 2011, at Freeman West Hospital, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at First Assembly of God Church, 16th and Dirr. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.
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Shirley Mae Davis
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Shirley Mae Davis, 83, of Kansas City, Kan., died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011. She was born Oct. 25, 1927, in Girard. Mrs. Davis was an Avon representative, a floral designer at Mickey's Florist and a bridal consultant at J.C. Penney before retiring. She was a member of Merriam Christian Church. Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Russell Eugene Davis; two sons, Rick Davis and his wife, Peggy, of Kansas City, Kan., Je...
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Philip Arthur Willard
MOBILE, Ala. — Philip Arthur Willard, 83, a native of Parsons and resident of Mobile, Ala., died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in a local health care facility. He was born Sept. 16, 1927, in Parsons. Mr. Willard was a veteran who served in the Navy during World War II. He was a graduate of the University of Colorado. He had a long-time career in the oil and gas industry, which moved him from Texas, Oklahoma and finally to Alabama. Survivors inclu...
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Joe R. Chalker
MORAN — Joe R. Chalker, 77, of Moran died on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, at his home. He was born Jan. 18, 1934, in Parsons the son of Joseph Daniel and Ruby Ingram (Hanna) Chalker. After graduation from Parsons High School, he attended Parsons Junior College, Iola Junior College and graduated from Emporia State Teachers’ College. He received his master’s degree and did post graduate work at Wichita State University. He began his teaching career ...
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Jeanne Ellen 'Jee-Jee' Moon
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Jeanne Ellen "Jee-Jee" Moon, 71, of Albuquerque, N.M., died on Sunday, Aug. 21, in Albuquerque. She was born on Feb. 15, 1940, in Coffeyville to Robert and Irene Moon. She was raised in Mound Valley. She was a public school counselor for 35 years. Survivors include her sister, Cheryl Gavin; and a brother, Jack Moon. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Irene Moon; and a brother, Robert "Bobby" Moon. The ser...
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Sandra Sue Dixon
McCUNE — Sandra Sue (Samp) Dixon, 71, of McCune died at 7:43 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22, 2011, at the Sunset Manor Nursing Home in Frontenac.She had been ill for the past year. She was born March 29, 1940, at rural McCune to Ralph and Evelyn (Harley) Samp. She graduated from McCune High School in 1958. After graduation, she married Eugene Dixon. They later divorced. Sandra lived her entire life on the family farm. She worked for the United States P...
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Oscar W. Kroenke
WALNUT — Oscar W. Kroenke, 89, of rural Walnut died at 5:25 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born on Dec. 22, 1921, at rural Hepler to Arthur C. and Lydia Dorthea (Weber) Kroenke. He grew up near Hepler and attended the Lutheran Grade School and Hepler High School. He served in the Army during World War II. Following his honorable discharge, Oscar returned to the area where he farmed ...
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Lyle Edward ‘Papa’ Parsons
GIRARD — Lyle Edward “Papa” Parsons, 82, of Girard, formerly of McCune, died at 11:25 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, 2011, at the Girard Hospital in Girard. He was born July 7, 1929, in McCune the son of Leslie Jay and Thelma Faye Streetmaker Parsons. He had lived most of his life in McCune, moving to Grove, Okla., in 1994. He had lived in Girard since 2008. He married Nyda Charlene Page on March 4, 1950, in Miami, Okla. She survives at the home in G...
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John R. Foister
EDNA — John R. Foister, 75, of Edna died at 10:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011, at Jane Phillips Medical Center in Bartlesville, Okla. He was born Jan. 25, 1936, in rural Edna to Jesse and Alta (Hayes) Foister. As a young boy, he grew up in rural Edna where he attended Parkville School and was a 1954 graduate of Edna High School. He worked at John Deere Coffeyville Works as a machinist for 30 years, retiring from there in 1993. He was a membe...
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Phillip E. ‘Burt’ Blackburn
Phillip E. “Burt” Blackburn, 55, of Dennis died at his home Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011. He was born Dec. 10, 1055, in Parsons to Marvin L. and Donna L. (Phillips) Blackburn. He attended the Meadow View School and Labette County High School, graduating in 1973. For several years he drove a truck for David Winters and later was employed at Taylor Products in Parsons. He married Nancy Whitwer and they later were divorced. Survivors include his f...
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Linda E. Hague
CHANUTE — Linda E. Hague, 55, of Chanute died unexpectedly at her home Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. She was born Dec. 7, 1955, in Medicine Lodge to Jack and Betty (Harmon) Groendyke. Survivors include her husband, Lloyd Moore, of the home; and a daughter, Jennifer Wheeler of Chanute. The body has been cremated under the direction of the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. No service is planned. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoff...
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Phillip E. Blackburn
DENNIS — Phillip E. Blackburn, 55, of Dennis died at his home Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011. Arrangements will be announced by Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Parsons.
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Linda L. ‘Lynn’ Beard
GALESBURG — Linda L. “Lynn” Beard, 67, lifelong resident of the Galesburg and Parsons areas, died at 3:26 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, at Labette Health in Parsons. Death was unexpected. She was born Dec. 20, 1943, in Parsons to Ralph F. and Erma Lea (Horn) Carson. She attended school in Galesburg and graduated from the Galesburg High School in 1961. On March 13, 1961, she married John E. Beard at the Galesburg United Methodist Church. They c...
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Linda L. ‘Lynn’ Beard
GALESBURG — Linda L. “Lynn” Beard, 67, a lifelong Galesburg resident, died at 3:26 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, at Labette Health. Her death was unexpected. Among survivors are her husband, John, of the home. The service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery in Galesburg. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested...
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Bill John Caswell
ST. PAUL — Bill John Caswell, 60, of St. Paul died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011, at his home in St. Paul. He was born at Tyro on April 26, 1951, to Kenneth and Mina (Long) Caswell. He served his country in the Air Force from 1973 to 1976. Bill worked as a welder for Beachner Construction for 25 years. On Feb. 21, 1981, he married Sara Ward in Neodesha. She survives. Other survivors include his children, Jeremy L. Caswell and his wife, Johnna, ...
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