Obituaries
Mabel Mary Brannin
OSWEGO — Mabel Mary Brannin, 97, died at Deseret Health and Rehabilitation Center in Oswego after an illness. She was born July 17, 1915, in Labette County near Oswego to Vernie William and  Frances Isabelle (Silkey) Mosler. She was a lifetime resident of Oswego. She was a production worker, for several years at Glen Berry Manufacturing in Oswego and then at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, Parsons, from which she retired. She was a member of...
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Mabel Marie Simmons
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Mabel Marie Simmons, 100, of Bowling Green, Ky., died Sunday, March 31, 2013, at Colonial Manor Care and Rehab. The Labette County native was a daughter of Walter Ross and Anna Marie (Heimsar) Cook and wife of the late Jesse Walker Simmons. She was a secretary, a member of the Presbyterian Church and the Order of the Eastern Star. Survivors include her daughter, Sally Marie Calkins; two grandsons, Chris Calkins and Craig C...
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Myra Wilkinson
OKLAHOMA CITY — Myra Wilkinson, 100, of Oklahoma City, a former longtime El Reno, Okla., resident, died Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Oklahoma City. Myra was born Jan. 14, 1913, in Jonesboro, Ark., to Willie and Albert Cooper. A graduate of Skiatook High school, she attended Hardin College and then earned a bachelor of science degree from Oklahoma A&M, where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She was a teacher in Skiatook and Bristow, ...
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Ivan E. Whetstone
CHERRYVALE — Ivan E. Whetstone, 76, of rural Cherryvale died Monday, April 1, 2013, at his home.  Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons.
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Donald E. 'Don' Born
ST. PAUL — Donald E. “Don” Born, 89, of St. Paul died Sunday, March 31, 2013, at his home. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Born, of the home. The funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. Burial will be in St. Francis Cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Francis Catholic Church. The family will receive friends immediately following the rosary in Parish Hall. Memoria...
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Betty Warstler
ERIE — Betty Warstler, 87, a lifelong resident of the Erie area, died at 10:55 a.m. Monday, April 1, 2013, at the Anderson County Hospital Long Term Care in Garnett. Further obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by the Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Erie.
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Nichole Dawn Ward
Nichole Dawn Ward, infant daughter of Nick Hanigan of Coffeyville and Ashley Ward of Parsons was stillborn at 1:11 p.m. Friday, March 29, 2013, at Labette Health in Parsons.  The service will be at 4 p.m. Friday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will be in East Bethany Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3 p.m. until service time Friday at the funeral home. Complete obituary details will be announced. Online condolen...
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Irwin Diediker
Irwin Diediker, 96, a longtime resident of the rural Parsons area, died at 4:15 p.m. Friday, March 29, 2013, at Labette Health. He was born Oct. 24, 1916, at Spring Hill to John W. and Grace E. (Bryce) Diediker. The family moved to Meridian, Idaho, when he was 1 and to the rural area north of Parsons when he was 8. He attended the Ladore Country School and worked on the family farm. On Dec. 28, 1941, he and Opal M. Eccles were married at the O...
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Irwin Diediker
Irwin Diediker, 96, a longtime Parsons area farmer, died at 4:15 p.m. Friday, March 29, 2013, at Labette Health. Carson-Wall Funeral Home will announce obituary details and funeral arrangements later.
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Jerry W. Ward
Jerry W. Ward, 67, of Parsons died at 2:55 p.m. Friday, March 29, 2013, at Labette Health in Parsons. Among his survivors is his wife, Cleo Ward of the home. Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Parsons will announce further obituary information and arrangements later.
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Donna Harrell
Donna Harrell, 70, of Parsons was found dead at her home Thursday afternoon. Death was unexpected. She was born on May 12, 1942, in Tulsa to Jim and Peggy (Williams) Davis. The family moved to Parsons when she was 5 years old. She graduated from Parsons High School in 1960 and from Parsons Junior College. Her father was a well known columnist at the Parsons Sun for many years. She was married to Mervyn Giltner from 1962 to 1978. On Jan. 1, 198...
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Vickie Sue McCarter
Vickie Sue McCarter of Parsons, 56, died on Friday, March 29, 2013, at Elmhaven West nursing home. She was born on April 9, 1957, in Parsons to Deloris McCarter-Blaich. She graduated from Labette County High School. Survivors include two sons, Allan Farran of Parsons and Russell Farran of Galesburg; a daughter, Renea Whitaker of Parsons; 10 grandchildren; and a sister, Christy Cannon. There is no service planned.
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Amelia L. Peterson
CHERRYVALE — Amelia L. Peterson, 79, of rural Cherryvale died at 6:38 a.m. Thursday, March 28, 2013, at Oswego Community Hospital. She had been in failing health. She was born on Dec. 14, 1933, at Faulkner to Leslie E. and Fern P. (Harrington) Smith. She grew up near Columbus and attended country and Columbus schools, graduating from Cherokee County Community High School in 1951. She briefly lived at Parsons and worked at the Kansas Ordnan...
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Amelia L. Peterson
CHERRYVALE — Amelia L. Peterson, 79, of rural Cherryvale died at 6:38 a.m. Thursday, March 28, 2013, at Oswego Community Hospital. She had been in failing health. Among her survivors is her husband, Harold Peterson of the home. The service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery at Cherryvale. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials are sug...
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Claude Lee ‘Bob’ Bates III
OSWEGO — Claude Lee “Bob” Bates III, 64, of Oswego died at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at his home.  He was born on Sept. 19, 1948, in Pryor, Okla., to Claude Lee Bates Jr. and Helen (Baker) Bates. He grew up and attended school in Pryor and Bristow, Okla., and graduated high school in Sarcoxie, Mo. He then served in the U.S. Navy. In the 1970s, he assisted his father at Bates Funeral Home in Chetopa. He then worked at Atlas Steel in Os...
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Claude Lee ‘Bob’ Bates III
OSWEGO — Claude Lee “Bob” Bates III, 64, of Oswego died at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at his home. He is survived by his wife, Susan Bates of the home. The service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Oswego Community Center. Friends may call at their convenience from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Oswego Community Center. Family and...
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Clella Fay Zietz
POMONA, Calif. — Clella Fay Zietz, 71, of Pomona, Calif., died on Friday, March 22, 2013, at Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona. She was born June 7, 1941, in Wilson County to Clyde and Esther Heck. She graduated from Thayer High School. She married William A. “Bill” Zietz on Sept. 27, 1977, in Las Vegas. He survives of the home. Clella enjoyed cooking, crocheting, fishing, gardening and her cats. Other survivors are a son, Michael Lee Hale of P...
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Eugene M. ‘Gene’ Bortmes
OSWEGO — Eugene M. “Gene” Bortmes, 89, of Oswego, formerly of Tulsa, died at 5:10 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2013, at his home. He was born on April 2, 1923, in rural Chandler, Okla., to Merle A. and Viola (Dye) Bortmes. He grew up and attended school in Chandler and continued his education at Oklahoma State University, where he earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering. Through the years, he worked at Douglas Aviation, Rockwell Aerospace a...
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Albert J. Miller
ATTICA — Albert J. Miller, 86, of Attica died Sunday, March 24, 2013, at Attica Long Term Care in Attica. He was born on Oct. 29, 1926, in Strauss to Albert Pearl and Edna Frances (Bigham) Miller. He worked for an electric company for 27 years, retiring from Aquilla in 1988. He served in the Army during World War II. On June 20, 1948, he married Arlene Rexwinkle at Oswego. She survives. Other survivors include a son, Keith Miller of Medicine L...
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Karen Kay Myers
CHERRYVALE — Karen Kay Myers, 62, of Cherryvale died Monday, March 11, 2013, at Mercy Hospital, Independence. She was born on Feb. 17, 1951, in Parsons to Keith O. and May L. (Kimmell) Knetzer. She grew up in Erie, attended Erie schools and graduated from Parsons High School. On March 13, 1974, in Erie she married Bobby Myers, and the couple made their home in rural Cherryvale. He survives of the home. She was the owner and operator of a flea ...
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