WICHITA — Wilbur J. McDaniel, 97, of Wichita, formerly of Erie, died at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at the Lake Point Nursing Home in Rose Hill.

He was born Sept. 28, 1913, at Neosho County, a son of Charles C. and Callie (Meyers) McDaniel. When he was 3 months old, his parents moved to Cimarron County, Okla., where he grew up. He worked in Oregon in the mid-1930s and later in California from 1937 until entering the Army in 1941. During World War II he spent 34 months stationed in the South Pacific. Upon his discharge in 1945 he settled at Erie, where he farmed. He moved to Derby in October 2001 to be near his son.

On July 21, 1946, he married Dorothy L. Reid at Helena, Ark. She preceded him in death on Nov. 2, 2003.

He was a member of Erie Federated Church and Madison Avenue United Methodist Church in Derby. He was also a member of the George L. Hendricks Post 102, American Legion.

Survivors include a son, John C. McDaniel and his wife, Diane, of Udall; a daughter, Debra L. Scammell of Wichita; six grandchildren, Andrew McDaniel, Jeremy McDaniel, Jenne Messer, all of Wichita, Elizabeth Bush and her husband, Morgan, of Lenexa, Jennifer Scammell of Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, and Shelly Conard and her husband, Clay, of Severy; a great-grandson, Dylan Conard of Severy; and a brother, Roy E. McDaniel and his wife, June, of Sparta, Ill.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Mildred L. Stringfellow.

The service will be at 11 a.m. today at Erie Federated Church. Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time today at the church.

Memorials are suggested to Erie Federated Church, or to the Madison Avenue United Methodist Church in Derby. These may be left at or mailed to the Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home, P.O. Box 182, Erie, KS 66733.

Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.