Obituaries
Paul E. ‘Corkey’ Smith
Paul E. “Corkey” Smith, 79, Erie, died Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. Funeral will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the First Christian Church, Erie. Private committal services will be held at Resthaven Cemetery in Wichita. Arrangements are under the direction of Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home, Erie. Contributions to Prairie Mission Retirement Village may be made in care of the funeral home.
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Brandon Lee Bean 1982-2009
Brandon Lee Bean, 27, Thayer, died Monday, May 11, 2009, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center. He was born Feb. 13, 1982, in Chanute to David Lynn and Judy Ann Huffmaster Bean. His favorite hobby was tracking the weather with his weather record books, starting in 1997, and watching the weather channel. He also loved studying geography and learning about mountains, as well as playing his Nintendo. He is survived by his parents, David an...
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Robert J. ‘Bob’ Gillihan 1931-2009
Robert J. “Bob” Gillihan, 78, Raytown, Mo., died Friday, April 24, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. He was born Feb. 4, 1931, in Chanute to Fred Michael and Reba L. Sparks Gillihan. He graduated from Chanute High School and attended Rockhurst College. He joined the Marine Corps in 1949 and served in Korea. He was employed with the Teamsters Union, eventually serving as president from 1990 until his retirement in 2003. Survivors include four children...
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Bobby Dale Hamilton 1939-2009
Bobby Dale Hamilton, 69, Chanute, died Sunday, May 10, 2009, at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice in Wichita after suffering a heart attack. He was born Aug. 1, 1939, in Chanute to Floyd and Mildred Hamilton. He attended Chanute schools. He married Virginia Enos in 1969. He enjoyed sports and loved to fish and hunt. He cherished the time he spent with family, especially his grandchildren. Bobby’s memory will live forever joyfully in the hearts of ...
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Lee Leonard Tharp 1918-2009
Lee L. “Max” Tharp, 90, died Monday, May 11, 2009 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, Chanute. Born in Rogers, Ark., Dec. 5, 1918, he was the son of William Thomas Tharp and Grace Luker Tharp. At the age of three, he and his family moved to Chanute. After graduating from Chanute High School, he attended Chanute Junior College until enlisting in the United States Army in 1941. He served until the end of World War II, at which tim...
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Melba Lou Tindle 1933-2009
Melba Lou Tindle, 75, a resident of Longton, formerly of Fredonia, died Sunday, May 10, 2009 at Mercy Hospital in Independence. She was born Nov. 3, 1933 in rural Gridley, the daughter of Floyd and Lydia Ehrhardt Edwards. She was graduated from Garnett High School in 1951. Melba was a homemaker and served as the Board of Education clerk for USD 283-Longton for 10 years, retiring in 1991. In October of 1955, she married Gene Johnson. He preced...
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Brandon Bean 1982 – 2009
Brandon Bean, 27, Thayer, died Monday, May 22, 2009 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Funeral will be 2 p.m. on Friday, May 15 at the First Christian Church in Thayer. There will be no visitation. A full obituary will follow when provided by the family. Penwell-Gabel Gibson Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
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Wayne Jerome King 1941-2009
Wayne Jerome King, Great Bend, 67, passed peacefully into eternal life at Central Kansas Medical Center the evening of Saturday, May 9, 2009. Wayne was born to Clarence and Notra Milton King on Sept. 26, 1941, at Humboldt. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1960. He was a service technician for OPI for 47 years. Wayne fell in love with the love of his life Barbara “Bobbie” Dian Chard. They wed on Jan. 9, 1962, at Humbodt. Together they...
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E.L. ‘Mac’ McCullough 1924-2009
E.L. “Mac” McCullough Jr., 85, Humboldt, died Thursday, May 7, 2009, at his home. He was born April 14, 1924, in Humboldt to Edgar L. Sr. and Myrtle Dixon McCullough. He graduated from Chanute High School in 1942 and attended a year at Neosho County Community College. He married Rogene Baldwin on Feb. 8, 1947, in Emporia. She survives. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Mac was an Installer-Repairman for Southwestern Bell Telep...
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Margaret Ranabargar 1926 – 2009
Margaret Ranabargar, 83, Chanute, died Friday, May 8, 2009 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Margaret was born on May 8, 1926 in Chanute, the daughter of Ralph and Grace Williams Drake. She attended Chanute High School and Neosho County Community College. She was united in marriage to Carl Ranabargar on Jan. 28, 1943 in Iola. He preceded her in death on Jan. 1, 2003. Margaret worked as a Claims Technologist for Wester...
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Dorothy J. Brice 1919-2009
Dorothy J. Brice, 89, Boise, Idaho, formerly of Chanute, went to be with the Lord on April 24, 2009. She was born Dece. 5, 1919, in Miles City, Mont., the fourth of eight children. She grew up in North Dakota and graduated from Rhame High School. She moved to Washington where her first three children were born. They relocated to California where she had three more children. She then moved to Idaho in 1969. She managed The Lively Day Nursery ...
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Alberta May Perry 1923-2009
Alberta May Petty, 85, died Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at Westy Community Care Home in Westmoreland. She was born Oct. 4, 1923, in Burlington to James and Ethel Lovett Kiser. She graduated from Erie High School. She was a member of Bible Baptist Church (now New Life Baptist Church) in Wamego. On Sept. 14, 1943, in Iola she married Arthur “Ray” Petty. He died June 9, 1998. Survivors include two daughters, Linda Hume, St. George, and Cindy Easoz, Cu...
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Carol Beth Thompson Smith 1933-2009
Carol Beth Thompson Smith, 75, died Tuesday, May 5, 2009, in Richardson, Texas. She was born Sept. 21, 1933, in Moran to Earl and Leona Thompson. Survivors include her husband, Wayne Smith; a daughter and son-in-law, Sunny and David Shreeve; a son, Calvin Smith; granddaughters Kristal Arano Leo and Stacy Avery; seven great-grandchildren; and two nieces, Loretta Julich and Karen Sanchez. A memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Messiah Lu...
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Carol Beth Thompson Smith
Carol Beth Thompson Smith, 75, died on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 in Richardson, Texas. Carol was born in Moran, to Earl and Leona Thompson on Sept. 21, 1933. She is survived by her husband, Wayne Smith; daughter and son-in-law, Sunny and David Shreeve; son, Calvin Smith; granddaughters, Kristal Arano Leo and Stacy Avery; 7 great-grandchildren and two nieces, Loretta Julich and Karen Sanchez. A memorial service will be held at Messiah Lutheran Chu...
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Joseph R. “Joe” Gormley Jr. 1930 – 2009
Joseph Robert “Joe” Gormley, Jr., 78, Chanute, died Sunday, May 3, 2009 at the St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. He was born in White Cloud on Dec.12, 1930, the son of Joseph Robert Gormley and Ruth Inez Gibson Gormley. He graduated from White Cloud High School, and the Federal Aviation Academy in Oklahoma City, Okla. Joe served his country in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He was united in marriage to All...
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Walter C. Vitt 1929-2009
Walter C. Vitt, 79, St. Paul, died Monday, May 4, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He had been in failing health. He was born Aug. 16, 1929, in St. Paul to George H. and Helen C. “Nellie” Judge Vitt. He attended schools in St. Paul, graduating from St. Francis High School. He then attended Kansas State University for a short period before entering the United States Navy where he served three years during the Korean Con...
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Margaret Peterson 1920-2009
Margaret Peterson, 88, Thayer, died Monday, May 4, 2009 at her home. She had been in failing health. She was born Dec. 23, 1920, near Castleton, to Carey and Imogene Lyle Hanes. She grew up in the Hutchinson area and graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1938. Following high school she attended a business college. Her first marriage was to Homer Pollock and he preceded her in death. On April 13, 1997 she and Orval E. Peterson were married...
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Theodore P. Gray 1923-2009
Theodore P. Gray, 86, Fredonia, died Monday, May 4, 2009, at Fredonia Regional Hospital. He was born April 15, 1923 in Bonita, Kan., the son of John W. and Jessie P. Gray. He was a graduate of Miami, Okla., High School. Ted served in the United States Marine Corps 1942-1945. He worked for more than 41 years as a depot agent for the Frisco Railroad, which later became the Burlington Northern-Frisco Railroad, retiring in 1982. On August 17, 1...
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Joseph Gormley
Joseph Gormley, 78, Chanute, died Sunday, May 3, 2009, at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. Funeral will be 2 p.m. Friday at First Christian Church in Chanute. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Penwell-Gabel Gibson Chapel. A full obituary will follow.
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Death notice
Walter C. Vitt, 79, St. Paul, died Monday, May 4, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He had been in failing health. He is survived by his wife, Pauline Vitt, of the home. The funeral Mass will be 10 a.m., Friday, May 8 at St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. Burial will be in St. Francis Cemetery. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Thursday, at St. Francis Catholic Church where the family will receive friends imme...
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