Obituaries
Leona Emma Cowen 1927-2013
Leona Cowen, 85, of Chanute died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, at Heritage Health Care in Chanute. Leona was born Chanute on June 12, 1927, the daughter of Sylvester and Pearl Young Reed. She attended Chanute High School. She married Delmer Cowen on June 10, 1944 in Tyronza, Ark. He preceded her in death on Sept. 23, 2000. She worked as a seamstress in Cherryvale and retired from KAAP in Parsons. Leona is survived by her children, Delmer Cowen of...
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George Leighty 1946-2013
George Leighty, 66, of Chanute died Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013 at Chanute Healthcare. George was born on August 3, 1946, the son of Ivan and Ida Vatterodt Leighty. He was a truck driver and enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. George is survived by his three children, Samantha McMillan of Chanute, and Austin and Jamie Burke and Sierra and Craig Kirkpatrick, all of Walnut; seven grandchildren, Megan McMillan of Chan...
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Mariellen Bradley Meeker 1924-2013
Mariellen Bradley Meeker, 88, of Erie went home to be with the Lord Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence. She was born July 24, 1924 in Milton, the daughter of Edward Leon and Lena Fulkerson Bradley. She grew up in the Milton and Conway Springs area. Mariellen went to grade school in Milton, and was so proud of the fact that she got to ride a school bus. Her parents farmed during her early childhood, and there were m...
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Richard Almus Davis 1941-2013
Richard Almus Davis, 71, of St. Paul, died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, at Girard Medical Center. He was born Nov. 18, 1941, in Bolivar, Mo., to Jess Harrison and Nellie May Craft Davis. He resided at the Winfield State Hospital and Training Center from 1970 through 1977. He then lived at Hardtner, the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, Living Skills and most recently Connections in St. Paul. Survivors include a brother, Merle Davis, Chan...
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Richard “Dick” Coykendall 1926-2013
Richard “Dick” Coykendall, 86, of Humboldt, died Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 at Midland Care Hospice House in Topeka. Dick was born August 26, 1926, on the family farm south of LaHarpe, the son of John O. and Ruth Winscott Coykendall. He grew up on the farm and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1944. On Oct.11, 1953, Dick married Janice Clements at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt. They always made their home in Humboldt where they rai...
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L. Ollideen Wright 1917-2013
L. Ollideen Wright, 95, of Chanute, and a former Thayer resident, died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 at the Chanute Healthcare Center in Chanute. She had been in failing health. She was born on March 11, 1917 at Savonburg, to Frank and Anna Jordan Stierwalt. She grew up at Savonburg and attended Savonburg schools graduating from Savonburg High School. She moved to Topeka and worked at a clothing store for a few years before moving back to Savonburg ...
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Ray Leland Aikins 1925-2013
Ray Aikins, 87, of LaHarpe, died Saturday, Jan, 5, 2013 at his residence. Ray was born at South Mound on Sept, 30, 1925, the son of Oliver and Anna Beecher Aikins. He married Zana Neagle on June 29, 1945 in Girard. To this union, his children were born. They later divorced. On Feb. 5, 1982 he married Helen Christy in Miami, Okla. She preceded him in death on May 14, 2001. When Ray was young he and his family moved to a farm near Shaw, an...
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Ruth C. Wehlage 1929-2013
Ruth C. Wehlage, 83, of Erie, died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 at the Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. She was born July 23, 1929, at St. Paul, to John Michael and Catherine Mae Thomas Schoenhofer. She grew up there and attended local schools, graduating from St. Francis High School. After graduating from high school she worked at the Kansas Ordnance Plant in Parsons and for Hallmark Card Co. in Kansas City. On June 7, 1952 she and Gerald A. ...
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Thomas Barron Schaake 1953-2013
Thomas Barron Schaake, 59, of Benedict, died Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita.¬†¬† Tom was born on Feb. 12, 1953 in Wichita, the son of Donald Dean and Patricia Ruth Barron Schaake. Tom was a graduate of Lawrence High School.¬†On Sept/ 24, 1977 in Benedict, Tom married Mary Gallon.¬†Tom and Mary were married for 35 years. She survives, of the home. Tom worked several years for Cleaver’s in Chanute. Tom was a member o...
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Zana Mae Meadows 1921-2013
Zana Mae Meadows, 91, died Sunday morning, Jan. 6, 2013 at home in Fredonia. Zana was born Oct. 29, 1921 to Charles D. and Lula Blanche Ross Deal in Elk County, Liberty Township.¬†Zana graduated from Coyville High School in 1938.¬†On Jan. 4, 1941 in Independence, she was united in marriage to Carl Rayness Meadows. Zana completed her Normal School and taught in local rural schools. During the summers, she worked at Boeing as a “Rosie Riveter.”...
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David H. Moore 1938-2012
David H. Moore, 74, died on December 31, 2012 in Iola. He was born in Wichita on Dec. 3, 1938 to parents Richard H. and Annie Elizabeth Moore. Early childhood and adolescent years were carried out on the family farm east of Haven, working alongside his father. David married Myrna Jantz on March 30, 1961 in Haven. He entered the pastorate in August of 1963 and served churches including Iola, all for the Wesleyan denomination in Kansas. He al...
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Bernita Norma Sorensen Rusk 1917-2013
Bernita N. Sorensen Rusk died Jan. 1, 2013, at the age of 95 at Amethyst Gardens Retirement Community in Peoria, Ariz. She was born in rural Ruthven, Iowa. She was baptized and attended Sunday School and  church with her family at the South Walnut Lutheran Church, rural Graettinger, Iowa. She earned her high school diploma as an adult. She went on to take several college classes. She married her husband, Bless R. Rusk, when he was in the ...
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Ronald James Courter 1956-2013
Ronald James Courter, 56, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Chanute. He was born Dec. 28, 1956, in Wichita, the son of Billy Gean and Joetta Marie Morrison Courter. He attended Chanute schools. He was united in marriage to Mona Bockover on July 3, 1987. They later divorced. Ronnie was a welder, oilfield worker and over-the-road truck driver. He enjoyed fishing, motorcycles and playing pool with his friends. He is survived by his father of Chanut...
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Charley N. Ferguson, Jr. 1922-2012
Charley N. Ferguson, Jr., 90, of Thayer, died Jan. 1, 2013 at his home. Cremation has taken place and services will be held at a later date. Charley was born July 31, 1922 in Hill City, Mo., to Charley N. and Myrtle G. Miller Ferguson. He was raised in Kansas until he was 16 and his family moved to Idaho. He returned to Kansas in 1990 where he farmed until moving to Thayer. He was employed as a janitor for the Thayer Schools until his retirem...
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Nyla Peter 1931-2013
Nyla Peter, 81, Chanute, died Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 at Chanute Healthcare. Nyla was born in Onaga on Oct. 23, 1931, the daughter of William and Emma Berges Zeckser. She was married to Floyd Peter on March 28, 1951 in Westmoreland. He preceded her in death. She was a homemaker. She enjoyed spending time watching her grandchildren play baseball, Sunday dinners with her family, and traveling. Nyla is survived by her children, David and Julia P...
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Melanie R. Waddell 1959-2012
Melanie R. Waddell, 53, of Blue Mound, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 at Golden Heights, Garnett. She was born Oct. 11, 1959, in Bradford, Pa., the daughter of George and Sandra Heffner Hawkes. Melanie married Richard Henderson, living in Xenia, and later divorced in 2004. She married James Waddell on Oct. 14, 2007 in Miami, Okla. They made their home in Blue Mound. Melanie worked for Pump-N-Pete’s and then worked at Moran Manor for a short tim...
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William “Bill” Whitmore 1933-2012
William “Bill” Whitmore, 79, of Longmont, Colo., died Dec. 28, 2012 at his home. Bill was born on August 5, 1933 in Chanute, to Joseph and Reba McPhillips Whitmore. Bill attended schools in Chanute, graduating from Chanute High School where he was a letterman in basketball and baseball. He attended college at Washburn University, graduating with an engineering degree. Bill grew up fast, helping his family, beginning work at a young age of 1...
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Wendell Wayne Frazell 1925-2013
Wendell Wayne Frazell, 87, of Iola died Jan. 1, 2013 in his home. Wendy was born April 19, 1925 in Iola to the late Jay C. and Ethel M. Baker Frazell. He grew up in Iola and attended the Iola schools. On Dec. 28, 1944, Wendy married Georgia L. Blohm. Georgia preceded Wendy in death Dec. 28, 2011. Wendy served in the United States Navy in World War II, from 1943-1945. He was a Coxswain Boatswain’s Mate on the naval ship Allioth. The ship an...
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Edith Mae Gier 1924-2012
Edith Mae Gier, 88, of Chanute, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2012 at the Heritage Health Care Center in Chanute. Edith was born on Nov. 30, 1924 at rural Savonburg, the daughter of John Asbury and Mille May Goff Gier. She attended rural schools around Savonburg and Erie. She moved to Chanute in 1947. She worked at Jensen’s Egg Plant from 1947 until it closed in 1964. She then worked at Self Service Grocery from 1964 until 1985, when she retired at ...
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Marie Eleana Sinclair 1941-2012
Marie Eleana Sinclair, 71, rural Humboldt, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Marie was born Sept. 9, 1941, the daughter of Frank and Mary Kipp Heiman on a farm northwest of Humboldt. She spent most of her childhood in the Humboldt area and graduated from Humboldt High School. On Dec. 16, 1961, Marie married Jerry R. Sinclair at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Humboldt. She did in-home care ...
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