OBITUARIES

Mar 4, 2022

Gary Lynn Ratcliff, 75, passed Friday, March 4, 2022 at his home in Emporia. He was born April 4, 1946 in Emporia, Kansas the son of Doug and Mary Ratcliff. He attended Hamilton High School and graduated with the Class of 1964. Gary proudly served in the United states Army. Gary was joined in marriage to Darline Williams on May...

Mar 3, 2022

Patricia M. Noble, 80, passed away Thursday, March 3, 2022 at Brookside Retirement Community in Overbrook. Patricia Marie Blow was born March 28, 1941 in Reading, Kansas, the daughter of Harry and Agnes Marie (Newman) Blow. She graduated from Reading High School in 1959. She was joined in marriage to Larry J. “Buster” Noble on October 25, 1962 in Osage...

Feb 15, 2022

Gary Dean Crawford, 71, passed away Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at his home east of Emporia. He was born June 27, 1950 in Bushong, Kansas the son of Ray and Vicie Vanderslice Crawford. Gary attended Hartford High School. As a young man, Gary worked for a local farmer named Ray Wagers before taking a position at Bunge in Emporia. Through...

Feb 15, 2022

Verland D. O’Neal, 87, passed away peacefully at his home in Emporia on February 15, 2022. He was born February 17, 1934 on the family farm near Hope, Kansas the son of Silas and Lola Lininger O’Neal. His family moved to a farm in Chase County southeast of Cottonwood Falls where he attended a rural grade school. They later moved...

Feb 8, 2022

Trey August Fort, 27, passed away Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at his home in Osage City. Trey August Fort was born February 24, 1994 in Emporia, the son of Dennis Ray and Peggy (Teichgraeber) Fort. He graduated from Osage City High School in 2012 and attended Emporia State University. Trey attended Osage City schools and was proud to be an...

Feb 6, 2022

Juanita M. Kolbaba, 89, passed away Sunday, February 6, 2022 at Newman Regional Health in Emporia. Juanita M. Hogan was born June 15, 1932 in Osage City, the daughter of Thomas Burton and Lillion (Bergstrom) Hogan. She was joined in marriage to John Henry Kolbaba on October 3, 1950 in Osage City. To this union, three children were born Debra,...

Feb 3, 2022

Daniel A. Pierce, 61, of Osage City, Kansas, passed away early Thursday morning, February 3, 2022. Daniel was born on September 13, 1960, in Topeka, KS to Robert and Vera (Drummond) Pierce. He attended Lebo High School, graduating in 1978. Daniel was a quiet soul. He loved the time he spent down at the Senior Center in Osage City to...

Feb 2, 2022

Howard Duane Laws, 85, passed away Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at Presbyterian Manor with his daughters surrounding him. Duane was born on July 30, 1936 on a rural Hartford farm, the son of Howard and Hazel (Johnson) Laws. Duane attended Hartford schools and then transferred to Lamont in high school where he met Beverly in 1953. They were married at...

Feb 2, 2022

John Wesley Stevenson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend passed away peacefully on February 2, 2022 in Houston, TX. He had just celebrated his 96th birthday. He was born in Olpe, Kansas on January 24, 1926 to Wesley H. and Margaret E. (Taggart) Stevenson. He was the middle of three children and swore that he always...

Feb 1, 2022

Morris “Ira” Dodds, 90, of Lebo, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. He was born March 29, 1931 in Wakefield, Kansas the son of Jessie R. and Della M. Shaner Dodds. Ira served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He was inducted on September 3, 1951 and received his honorable discharge...

Jan 31, 2022

Ronny E. “Ron” Thuma of Hartford passed away peacefully at his home on January 31st, 2022 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 76 years old. Ron was born April 26, 1945 in Wichita to Donald and Myrtle (Lewis) Thuma. He graduated from Andover High School and then Pittsburgh State University with a Master of Science in Industrial Technology....

Jan 30, 2022

Gladean Mayone Burd, 92, passed away Sunday, January 30, 2022 at her home in Lebo. Gladean Mayone Griffin was born September 23, 1929 in Strawn, Kansas, the daughter of Veasy Ray and Gladys Eliza (Allen) Griffin. She graduated high school in Strawn. She was joined in marriage to Bobby Dean Burd on June 23, 1948 in Emporia. To this union,...

Jan 25, 2022

Nell “Nellie” J. Taylor, born February 21st, 1934, died Tuesday, January 25, 2022, in Eureka, KS at the age of 87. Nellie was preceded in death by her parents, Jay and Millie. She is survived by 5 siblings, Rosalie Garrison of Stilwell, KS, Annie Kepley of Humboldt, KS, Marvin Hollis of Hamilton, KS, Francis Brewer of Hermitage, MO, and Ralph...

Jan 24, 2022

Sam M. Kiefer, 54 of rural Lebo, passed away Monday, January 24, 2022 at University of Kansas Health in Kansas City. He was born June 14, 1967 in Tacoma, Washington. Sam attended Clear Creek High School in Idaho Springs, Colorado where he graduated with the Class of 1985. He later graduated from Ft. Scott Community in College in a1987 and...

Jan 20, 2022

George E. Benteman, 85, passed away Thursday January 20, 2022 at his home in Auburn, Kansas. He was born on April 17, 1936 in Frankfort, Kansas the son of Fritz and Erma Kipp Benteman. George joined the United States Air Force on August 27, 1954 and proudly served his country until receiving an honorable discharge on August 3, 1958. He...

Jan 18, 2022

Larry D. McCormick, 73, of Carbondale, passed away late Tuesday January 18, 2022 at Plaza West Care Center in Topeka.                         He was born February 21, 1948 in La Crosse, Kansas the son of Charles W. and Louise Erb McCormick. Larry grew up in Rush Center, Kansas and attended La Crosse High School, graduating with the Class of 1966. He would...

Jan 17, 2022

Roger Seth Gurtler, 86, of Osage City, Kansas, passed away on January 17, 2022. He passed away in Topeka, Kansas at Stormont-Vail Hospital. Roger was born October 1, 1935 in Maple Hill, Kansas to Seth Loren Gurtler and Fannie Lillian (Winsor) Gurtler. He grew up with Sisters Carol Kurtz (Don), of Burlingame and Sharon Holland (Virgil), of Seattle, WA and...

Jan 15, 2022

Floyd Eugene Crane, 75, of Virgil, Kansas, passed away in Wichita, Kansas on January 15, 2022. Floyd was born in Westphalia, Kansas, to Ernest (Bill) Crane and Blanche VanArsdale Crane, on July 25, 1946. He married Leota Mae Megli on November 1, 1965, in El Dorado, Kansas. They were married for 56 years. Floyd served in the United States Army,...

Jan 14, 2022

Jan 13, 2022

Hunter J. Ayers, 29, of Burlington, passed away Thursday, January 13, 2022 at his home. Hunter Joe Ayers was born April 17, 1992 in Emporia, Kansas, the son of Robert Joe and Kathy Sue (Kolbaba) Ayers. He graduated from Osage City High School in 2011. Hunter cared deeply about his family and friends. He loved spending time with them, especially...