Obituaries
Paul Eugene 'Corkey' Smith
ST. PAUL -- Paul Eugene "Corkey" Smith, 79, died Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born May 13, 1929, in Blue Mound to Roy John Sr. and Josie Alice (Brownback) Smith. Mr. Smith was diagnosed in 1954 with multiple sclerosis and then retired from Boeing. He enjoyed traveling, working around the house and in the yard. He married Lois Marie Carley on June 26, 1948, in Kincaid. She survives. Othe...
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Marjorie D. 'Marge' Johnston
Marjorie D. "Marge" Johnston, 84, of Parsons died at midnight, Friday, May 1, 2009, at her home. She had been in failing health. She was born Feb. 14, 1925, in Joplin to William and Pearl (Gray) Swiney. She grew up and attended schools in Joplin, where she graduated from Joplin High School and Joplin Business College. She worked as a secretary at Jim Walters Inc. in Joplin for one year before moving to Parsons in 1961. While living in Parsons...
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Robert A. 'Bob' Dent NEODESHA -- Robert A
Robert A. 'Bob' Dent NEODESHA -- Robert A. "Bob" Dent, 77, of Neodesha died Thursday, April 30, 2009, at Allen County Hospital in Iola. He was born June 20, 1931, in Newton to Ula A. and Elta W. (Walker) Dent. He attended school in Newton. Mr. Dent had been a Neodesha resident since 1977, moving from Longton. He joined the National Guard, and in January 1952, he joined the Marines. He was discharged from the Marines in 1953 as a private first...
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Gladys Viola Mathes
Gladys Viola Mathes, 91, of Parsons died at 8:58 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009, at the Memorial Herman Hospital at The Woodlands, Texas. She had been there since the Christmas holidays. She was born on Nov. 28, 1917, to John Henry and Addie Ray (Phillipy) Jones on the family farm five miles east of Parsons in an area that is now part of the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. She attended the little school house adjoining the farm and graduated fro...
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Tyler Jason Odaffer
Tyler Jason Odaffer, 26, of Parsons died Monday night, April 27, 2009, in a one-vehicle accident near Mound Valley. He was born Nov. 8, 1982, in Muskogee, Okla., a son of Steve L. and Kipra (Sperry) Odaffer. While he was in the third grade his family moved to Parsons, where he attended Garfield Elementary School, Parsons Middle School and Meadow View Grade School. He later attended Labette County High School and graduated with the Class of...
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Tonya Louise DeMoss
Tonya Louise DeMoss, 22, of Parsons died late Monday, April 27, 2009, in one-vehicle accident near Mound Valley. She was born Dec. 9, 1986, at Parsons to William and Connie (Blair) DeMoss. She grew up at Parsons, Tulsa and Springfield, Mo. She attended schools at Parsons. Tonya was a fun, loving daughter and sister. She was an awesome friend and always caring. She was also tough as nails and a fighter in all aspects of the word. We love h...
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Gladys Viola Mathes
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Gladys Viola Mathes, 91, a longtime Parsons resident, died at 8:58 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Memorial Herman Hospital in The Woodlands, Texas. The service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Free Will Baptist Church and may be left at the ...
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Louise W. Johnson
OSWEGO -- Louise W. Johnson, 93, of Oswego died Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at the Oswego Health and Rehabilitation Center in Oswego. She was born June 23, 1915, in Hackberry Township in Labette County, the daughter of George Elmer Sr. and Elizabeth Pearl (Wadsack) Cunningham. She graduated from Oswego High School. She married Cleo Johnson of Mound Valley on June 11, 1936, in Oswego. The couple lived in the Mound Valley area. She loved her famil...
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Ralph Mason Rust
SEBASTOPOL, Calif. -- Ralph Mason Rust, 92, died Thursday, April 16, 2009, of a cerebral hemorrhage. Mr. Rust was born in Parsons. He attended Montana State University, where he met and married Arlene Beth Cole, his wife of 60 years. He received a Ph.D. from Colombia University in clinical psychology and practiced in the field professionally until his retirement. His career included 13 years at the Yale Department of Health and more than 20 ...
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Henry E. George
DODGE CITY -- Henry E. George, 89, died Monday, April 27, 2009, at Western Plains Medical Complex in Dodge City. He was born Nov. 1, 1919, at St. Paul to Henry and Julia Purden George. He moved to Dodge City from Wichita in 1949, at which time he started George Nielsen Motor Co. He served in the Army during World War II as a machine gunner with the Heavy Weapons Company. On April 27, 1946, he married Alice Lietzan at St. Mary's Cathedral...
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Rexann Williamson
OSWEGO -- Rexann Etka Williamson, 63, of Oswego died Sunday, April 26, 2009. She was born Feb. 5, 1946, to Rex Steele and Phyllis Jane (Brader) Bray. She married Lucky Lee McCulley on Aug. 19, 1963. He preceded her in death in 1975. She later married Owen Eugene Williamson on Sept. 30, 1978. He preceded her in death in 1992. Survivors include two daughters, Lori and Lea; a son, Nicholas Williamson; four grandchildren; a great-granddaughte...
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Cecilia M. Baugher
Cecilia M. Baugher, 58, of rural Parsons died at 7:58 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009, at her home, following a courageous three-year battle with cancer. She was born March 16, 1951, in Kansas City, Mo., to James Edward and Mary Margaret (Switlik) Dreiling. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Parsons, where she attended St. Mary's Catholic School and then Labette County High School in Altamont, where she graduated in 1969. She later a...
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Gladys Viola Mathes
THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Gladys Viola Mathes of The Woodlands, Texas, a former long-time Parsons resident, died at 8:58 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009, at the Memorial Herman Hospital in The Woodlands. She had moved to Texas in December to be with her daughter and family. Further obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Parsons.
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Margaret Irene Shaw
Margaret Irene Shaw, 95, a resident of Parsons Presbyterian Manor and a former Galesburg resident, died there at 6:40 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 2009. She was born Feb. 23, 1914, in Galesburg the second child of Stanley Wilbur and Mayme (Byrne) Shaw. She grew up in the hectic household of a hands-on business family. Her parents, born of Kansas settler-farmers, were to be catapulted into the busy world of 20th century technology when Mr. Shaw ...
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Elizabeth Lavera Thomas
JACKSON, Wyo. -- Elizabeth Lavera (Depue) Thomas, 81, of Jackson, Wyo., formerly of McCune and Fort Scott, died on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at St. John's Living Center at Jackson, Wyo. She was born Feb. 11, 1928, in Monmouth to Murl Lewis and Bertha Oreen (Sartin) Depue. She was a graduate of McCune High School in 1945 and graduated from Fort Scott Community College in 1964. She worked at Liberty Savings and Loan in Fort Scott for many y...
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LaDonna Sue Stephenson
LEBANON, Mo. -- LaDonna Sue Stephenson, 69, of Lebanon, Mo., died Thursday, April 23, 2009, at her residence. She was born on Sept. 4, 1939, in Parsons to Ewing Thomas and Dollie (Clark) Pruitt. She married Wayne Stephenson on Dec. 8, 1963. He preceded her in death in 1966. She was a district manager for Service Master. She was a member of Brownfield Baptist Church. Survivors include a brother, Bob Pruitt of Nebo, Mo.; and four sisters, Mary ...
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Chris M. Cornell
Chris Michael Cornell, 18, of Parsons died at noon Monday, April 20, 2009, from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. He was born July 4, 1990, in Parsons to Michael L. and Belinda T. (Sullivan) Cornell. He grew up in Parsons, where he attended Washington and Guthridge elementary schools and Parsons Middle School. He was currently a senior at Parsons High School and also was attending Labette Community College. Chris had planned to atte...
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Chris Michael Cornell
Chris Michael Cornell, 18, of Parsons died at noon Monday, April 20, 2009, from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. He is survived by his parents, Mike and Belinda Cornell of Parsons. The service will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at Wesley United Methodist Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the church. Memorials are suggested to Wesley United Methodist Church and m...
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Chad Stangle
THAYER — Chad D. Stangle, 32, of Thayer died at 10:32 a.m. Saturday, April 18, 2009, in the emergency room at Labette Health. He had been in his usual health and death was not expected. He was born April 29, 1976, in Parsons to Gary Lee and Sharon Mae (Moore) Stangle. He attended schools in Altamont and was a 1994 graduate of Erie High School. While in high school, he worked at the Fireside Inn in Thayer and later at the National Garment Fac...
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Chris M. Cornell
Chris M. Cornell, 18, of Parsons died around noon, Monday, April 20, 2009, from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. He is survived by his parents, Mike and Belinda Cornell, of Parsons. Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home.
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