PITTSBURG -- Helen L. Kennedy, 65, of Pittsburg, formerly of Parsons, died at 2:53 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at the Landmark Hospital in Joplin.

She was born Nov. 15, 1943, in Parsons to Ferdie L. and Mary Alice (Musgrove) Smith. She attended St. Mary's Grade School and St. Patrick's High School.

She married Richard J. "Dick" Kennedy on Feb. 6, 1960, in the old St. Mary's Catholic Church. They lived in Parsons until 1989, when they moved to Lenexa. In 2002, they moved to Pittsburg.

Mrs. Kennedy was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Pittsburg and of the Autism Association of Johnson County. In past years she was active in the St. Patrick's Altar Society and in Beta Sigma Phi, both in Parsons. She had been employed in the food service area of the Parsons schools and in the Shawnee Mission School District.

Survivors include her husband, Dick Kennedy of the home in Pittsburg; a daughter, Sherri Beitzinger and her husband, Bob, of Pittsburg; four sons, Doug Kennedy and his wife, Linda, of Parsons, Scott Kennedy and his wife, Sarah, of Olathe, Mark J. Kennedy and Brandon Kennedy, both of Pittsburg; seven grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; five stepgreat-grandchildren; a stepgreat-great-grandson; a brother, Charlie Smith of Omaha, Neb.; three sisters, Margaret Gartner of Parsons, Mary Davis Kirkland of Washington and Betty Bonham of Oklahoma; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by four brothers, Jim Smith, Jack Smith, Dick Smith and Bernard Smith.

The Funeral Mass will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Friday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends until 8:30 p.m.

Memorials are suggested to the St. Patrick's Altar Society. They may be left at or sent to the funeral home, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.

Erven Lee Mattox

CHOCTAW, Okla. -- Erven Lee Mattox, 88, of Choctaw died Tuesday, March 3, 2009.

He was born Feb. 7, 1921, in Sharpsburg, Iowa, to George and Bertha (Fickess) Mattox.

He retired from the U.S. Air Force.

He married Norma Jean Ratliff on Oct. 24, 1945, in Erie. She survives.

Other survivors include seven children, Martha Whitaker, Donna Mira, Mary Kelpine, Marilyn Wilson, Marlene Grayson, Marsha Brewster and Mark Mattox; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; five brothers, Carl Mattox of Miami, Fla., George Mattox of Parsons, Jim Mattox of Derby, Bob Mattox of Mound Valley and Don Mattox of Elsmore; and two sisters, Lela Hutchinson of Wichita and Wilma Wintjen of Erie.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Mr. Mattox' life and legacy will be celebrated Friday in Midwest City, Okla., by family and friends. Friends may call all day Friday at Barnes Friederich Funeral Home in Midwest City, where family will receive friends from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday.

The family suggests memorials to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society or Hospice Quality Care.