Community News
Bill John Caswell 1951-2011
Bill John Caswell, 60, St. Paul, died Sunday, August 14, 2011 at his home in St. Paul. Bill was born at Tyro on April 26, 1951, the son of 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 was united in marriage to Sara Ward in Neodesha. She survives. Along with his wife Sara, he is survived by his children, Jeremy L....
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Altamont man dies in train accident
CHETOPA — A Labette County man died Sunday morning when he was struck by a southbound Union Pacific Railroad train. Joshua W. Traxson, 29, Altamont, died from injuries suffered around 5 a.m. Sunday near the football field in Chetopa on Hardin Street. Chetopa Police Chief Scott Feagan said the tracks are about 300 feet south of Hardin. He said the death is still under investigation. No foul play is suspected but Feagan couldn’t say until the i...
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Kansas schools rising to AYP challenge; Students with disabilities targeted in USD 413
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Kansas public schools continue to make improvements each year and 84 percent met the adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements. “It is amazing to me that our schools continue to perform at this level, even as the bar is constantly rising,” said State Board Chairman David Dennis. “I’m proud of the way Kansas schools have risen to the challenge, but I also know it will become increasingly difficult to maintain...
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Donna Gerdsen 1941-2011
Donna Gerdsen, 69, Iola, died Saturday, August 13, 2011, at Victoria Falls in Andover. Donna was born August 17, 1941, in Harrison County, M0., the daughter of Thomas G. and Edith Catherine Carson Johns. She grew up in Humboldt where she graduated from Humboldt High School in 1959. On Sept. 1, 1962, Donna married Clyde E. Gerdsen. Clyde preceded her in death on March 3, 2009. Donna worked as a seamstress for H.L. Miller & Son Dress Factory in ...
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Ralph Sumner, M.D. 1931-2011
Ralph N. Sumner, M.D., 80, a longtime resident and family practice physician in Fredonia, died Sunday, August 14, 2011 at Fredonia Regional Hospital. He was born June 23, 1931 in Independence, the son of William G. and Norah L. Sumner. He was a graduate of Independence High School, Independence Community Junior College, and received his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Kansas. Ralph then attended and graduated with his doctorate degre...
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Claney Willey 1925-2011
Funeral services for former Shamrock resident, Claney Willey, were held 11 a.m. Saturday, August 13, 2011 in the Shamrock First Baptist Church. Interment followed in the Stroud City Cemetery at Stroud, Okla. Memorial contributions may be sent to: Animal Aide of Tulsa - 3307 E. 15th Street - Tulsa, OK 74112.  Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of Michael’s Funeral Home, Drumright, Okla. Claney Willey was born in Iron Post, Okla., o...
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Linda Moore -2011
Linda Elaine Groendycke Moore, Chanute, died at her home on Monday August 8, 2011. She was born in Medicine Lodge, the daughter of Jack and Betty Groendycke, Woodward. She and graduated from Woodward High School in Oklahoma. She was a resident of Chanute for 26 years. She is survived by her loving husband, Danny Moore, Chanute; her loving daughter Jennifer Wheeler and three grandchildren, Raymie, Taj and Ayverie, all of Chanute; four loving ...
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Golfers injured by lightning at Katy
PARSONS — Two golfers were injured, one of them seriously, by a lightning strike Friday afternoon at the Katy Golf Course, 2307 North Blvd. Parsons police, Parsons fire and Labette Health ambulance crews responded to the course just after 2 p.m. Friday. The two golfers were practicing for the Galesburg Relief Fund tournament, which was to take place Saturday at the Katy, according to Stan Brewer, owner of the pro shop and manager of the golf c...
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Latest book about Johnsons available
Conrad Froehlich, director of Osa and Martin Johnson Safari Museum, has announced that Osa’s Ark Museum Shop now has for sale copies of the new Johnson biography “Osa and Martin: For the Love of Adventure” by Kelly Enright.  The Chanute Tribune did a story about Enright’s research  in Chanute in July, 2010.   Froehlich said this is the first major release of a Martin and Osa Johnson biography since “They Married Adventure: The Wandering Lives...
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Shoppers busy buying back-to-school items
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Even with the unsteady economic times, national and local retailers are reporting a strong back-to-school season. “We’ve seen a lot of families coming in, and it seemed like this year people started shopping a little earlier than normal,” said store manager at JCPenny’s Tonja Senn. “A lot of little kids are excited about the school year. Our junior area is doing very, very well. Our young men’s area is doing w...
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Dietsch hospitalized after four-wheeler accident at home
A Chanute resident was airflighted to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, on Thursday night after he was found south of his home on Brown Road pinned under a four-wheeler in a ditch. Doug Dietsch was reportedly in the Intensive Care Unit on Friday, with small bleeding on the brain, laceration on his left leg and cuts and bruising. Burn ban over, but notice requested The burn ban that had been issued for Neosho County for the past few weeks was...
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Local scam email attempt reported
A Tribune reader reported receiving an email reportedly from the Department of Treasury of the IRS. It said they needed more information to process tax returns. “It didn’t look very professional and I called my accountant and they said it’s a scam. They would probably use the mail service for something like that. Please post a warning of this for the public.” Safari Saturday August 27 at Independence INDEPENDENCE — All ages are invited to pa...
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Osa Johnson’s 100-year-old dress being restored locally
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter One hundred years after Osa Johnson first wore her famed “honeymoon dress” a local seamstress is restoring the vintage piece in an effort to preserve it for the next 100 years. The dress was Osa Johnson’s first store bought dress and was purchased shortly after Osa and Martin married in 1910. Conrad Froehlich, director of the Osa and Martin Johnson Safari Museum, estimates it was purchased in late 1910 or early...
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Funds sought for Humboldt downtown revitalization project
Stu Butcher Tribune Editor HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Downtown Action Team has a vision. The committee, co-chaired by Paul Finney and Sarah The committee, co-chaired by Paul Finney and Sarah Hart, has worked a year on a plan for “restoring and revitalizing our downtown for tomorrow’s generation.” Hart, has worked a year on a plan for “restoring and revitalizing our downtown for tomorrow’s generation.” “It’s time to do something downtown,” Finney ...
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Foster families fill a huge need
Kathleen Carney Tribune Reporter Chanute resident Shawnda Dixon has always wanted to adopt children, but she never thought she would end up with four. After becoming a foster parent Dixon decided to adopt a four-year-old and a sibling set of three — ages 7, 10, and 11. She is also currently a foster parent to a 14-year-old. “I always thought that I wanted to adopt. I wasn’t thinking four at the time. But three of them come as a package deal,...
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Robert Eugene Phillips 1928-2011
Robert Eugene Phillips, 83, Chanute, died Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at the Chanute Health Care Center. Robert was born at Lacenter, Wash., on July 30, 1928, the son of George and Lorene Mumford Phillips. He graduated from Altoona High School in the Class of 1947. Robert was united in marriage to Barbra Wagmet at Neodesha. They later divorced. He was a self-employed truck driver. Robert is survived by his three children, Mike Phillips, Carl Junct...
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Betty Louise Winkler 1928-2011
Betty Louise Winkler, 82, Chanute, died Sunday, August 7, 2011 in Lakewood, Colo. Betty was born in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 15, 1928, the daughter of Everett J. and Hazel Monroe Booe. She graduated from Humboldt High School in the Class of 1946, and attended Neosho Junior College. She was united in marriage to Joe Winkler on August 7, 1949 at the Grace Episcopal Church in Chanute. He preceded her in death. Betty worked as the office manager f...
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Nancy Jean Patton 1959-2011
Nancy Jean Patton, 59, Sperry, Okla., died Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, at St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, Okla. She was born Jan. 1, 1959, in Oswego, the daughter of Joseph A. and Ellen Elsworth Rhodes. She grew up in Edna and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1969. On Oct. 1, 1971, she married Joseph E. Wilson in Coffeyville. They later divorced. On March 12, 2005, she married Gary Patton in Eureka Springs, Ark. He survives. ...
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Darrell Joseph Honas 1958-2011
Darrell Honas, 52, Humboldt, died Sunday, August 7, 2011 at his residence in Humboldt. Darrell was born in Pittsburg on August 13, 1958, the son of Herman and Flo Dinkel Honas. He graduated from Chanute High School in 1976. He also attended Neosho County Community College in Chanute. Darrell worked at Gates Rubber Company for 27 years. He married Linda Frederick on May 12, 1984 in Chanute. She survives. He enjoyed all sports and especially p...
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Virginia A. Piatt 1930-2011
Virginia A. Piatt, 81, Arkansas City, died Friday, August 5, 2011, at the Medicalodges of Arkansas City. Funeral services have been scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, August 11, at the Hillcrest Bible Baptist Church. Jimmy McCullough will officiate. Burial will follow in the Parker Cemetery. Friends may greet the family 6-8 p.m. this evening, at Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home. Virginia was born June 4, 1930, to Benjamine P. and Martha A. Albertson Mill...
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