Obituaries
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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Carolyn Mae Patnode 1922-2012
Carolyn Mae Patnode, 90, a Las Vegas resident since 1956, died Dec. 23, 2012. She was born on Jan, 30, 1922 in Florence, Colo. Carolyn worked as customer service representative/supervisor at Nevada Power Company for 25 years. She is survived by her husband, Ralph “Jim” Patnode; daughters, Sharry Hickey and husband, William, and Julia Schoemann; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sister, Lola McCoy, Chanute; one niece and two nep...
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Bradley William ‘Brad’ Haviland 1951-2012
Bradley William “Brad” Haviland, 61, of St. Paul, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin. He was born Dec. 12, 1951 at Neodesha, a son of William and Lorene Schoonover Haviland. He was raised at Neodesha and Edna and attended Parsons schools. After completing high school he enlisted in the United States Navy at age 17. He was also a veteran of the Vietnam War. After he retired from service he moved to St. Paul. He wa...
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Nellie May Tomlinson Bartlett 1919-2012
Nellie May Tomlinson Bartlett, 93, of Olathe, formerly of Humboldt and Iola, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 at the Pinnacle Ridge Nursing Home in Olathe. May was born in Woodson County on Feb. 9, 1919, the daughter of Fred and Rose Hibbs Churchill. She attended schools in Woodson County. She was married to Johnie Tomlinson in 1937. He preceded her in death on Jan. 3, 1975. She later married Kenneth Bartlett. He also preceded her in death. May wor...
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Ralph Leonard Barclay 1937-2012
Ralph L. Barclay, 75, of Chanute, died Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 at Neosho Regional Memorial Medical Center in Chanute. Ralph was born in Tulsa, Okla., on Nov. 29, 1937, the son of William Roy and Eddie Waller Barclay. He graduated from Garden City High School in 1956 and later received his Master’s of Education from Pittsburg State University. He married Mary Kay Jenkins on Dec. 31, 1958 in Miami, Okla. He was a teacher and assistant football ...
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Bobby L. Duke 1933-2012
Bobby L. Duke, 79, of Chanute, died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Bobby was born in Independence on Dec. 18, 1933, the son of Pearl and Royal Duke. He grew up and attended schools in Independence. He entered the U.S. Army on October 27, 1953, serving during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 26, 1956. After the army, Bobby attended Pittsburg State University and received a de...
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Oren T. “Tom” Johnson 1946-2012
Oren T. “Tom” Johnson, 66, of El Dorado, died Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 at the Chanute Health Care Center. Tom was born in Chanute on Nov. 4, 1946, the son of Oren Franklin and Martha Jane Drake Johnson. He grew up on a farm in Wilson County and was graduated from Midway High School in 1964. He attended NCCJC and then moved to California to work. He entered the United States Army in 1967 and volunteered for a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was ho...
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