Obits for Butler County, Kansas Genealogy Trails

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

OBITUARIES

HANDLE, LOREN HENRY

Funeral services for Loren Henry Handle, 77, Cassoday, who died here yesterday will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Cassoday Methodist Church.

Rev. Viola Ross will officiate and burial will be in the Cassoday cemetery. The Kirby Funeral Home is in charge.

Mr. Handle was born Sept. 24, 1877 at Carroll, Ohio, and came with his parents to Kansas 75 years ago. The family settled on a farm in Sycamore township.

A farmer, Mr. Handle served for several years on the Oakdale School district board. He was married May 22, 1912, to Ada Sale in El Dorado. He has been ill six days at the time of his death.

Survivors include his wife of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Glenwood Hursh, Cassoday, a son, Paul H. Handle, Burns, and four grandchildren. Two sisters and two brothers preceded him in death. (El Dorado times, May 31, 1955)

HARSH, MAMIE

Funeral services for Mrs. Mamie Harsh, 89, Cassoday who died yesterday of Strong City, following an illness of two months will be conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Cassoday Methodist Church.

Rev. Viola Ross, pastor and Rev. Leonard J. Smoot, pastor of the El Dorado Methodist Church will officiate.

Mrs. Harsh as born July 29, 1862, in Harford, county, MD., near Baltimore. She came to Butler county in 1879, settling with her family in the old Sycamore Springs community. For four years she taught in various schools including the old Sycamore school. She was married to Leonard Harsh on November 20, 1884, at Sycamore Springs. He died in 1926. Mrs. Harsh has always been active in Cassoday community affairs and in the affairs of the Methodist church there, of which she was a member. She also held membership in the Eastern Star of El Dorado.

At the time of her death she had been a resident of Cassoday community for 72 years.

She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Marjorie K. Whitham, Cassoday and Mrs. Fern E. Wichers, El Dorado, two sons, Karl and Ross Harsh, both of Cassoday, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Three daughters and two sons preceded her in death. Her son, Dwight Harsh, died in 1951. (El Dorado Times, March 11, 1952)

HOOD, HARRIET

Mrs. Harriet Hood, 43, Kansas City, Mo., and former resident of Butler County, died there early yesterday following a heart attack. Services will be held at the Byrd Funeral Home at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon and burial will be at Cassoday.

Mrs. Hood was born at Cassoday, Jan. 11. 1908 and attended school in El Dorado. She had lived in Kansas City since 1925.

Surviving are her husband, Clyde B., three sons, Clyde B. Jr., Frank and Clark Hood, all of the home, a daughter, Miss Vitula Ruth Hood of the home; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. Watkins, Towanda, three sisters, Mrs. Frank Scott, Shreveport, La., Mrs. Olin Stansbury, El Dorado, and Mrs. Orene Howard, Fredonia.

Services Thursday will be in charge of Rev. Donald C. Morrison, pastor of the Presbyterian Church. (El Dorado Times, February 27, 1951)

HOY, MARY ANN

Mrs. Mary Ann Hoy, 95 years old, a well-known and highly respected resident of the Cassoday community for 62 years, died at her home this morning after a short illness.

The deceased was born in Perry County, Ohio, December 20, 1844, and was married in Ohio in 1869. Mr. Hoy preceded her in death. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. H. Robinson of Cassoday and Mrs. F. R. Goodnight of Englewood; one son, F. P. Hoy, of Cassoday; 22 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later. The Arnold-Kirby Funeral Home is in charge. Mrs. Hoy was a member of the Methodist Church at Cassoday. (El Dorado Times, August 20, 1940)

MANKA, AGNES V.

Funeral services for Mrs. Agnes V. Manka, 58, of Route 3, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at the Dietz Colonial Chapel with the Rev. Gerald Morris, assistant pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Cassoday cemetery.

Mrs. Manka died Thursday at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital.

Born March 31, 1912, she had lived most of her life in the El Dorado area. She was married to Wayne Manka.

She had been employed as nurse aide until October 1969, when she became ill.

She is survived by her husband, Wayne of the home; two sons, Monte Manka of Anaheim, Calif., and Ralph Schaffer of Fairbanks, Alaska; two daughters, Mrs. Marjorie Underhill of Simpson, Kan., and Mrs. Carol Brooks, El Dorado, three brothers, Bryan Cornwell of Lyndon, Kan., Wesley Cornwell of Cottonwood, Ariz., and Ralph Cornwell of Harrison, Ark., and 12 grandchildren. (El Dorado Times, June 20, 1970)

MANKA, WAYNE

Wayne Manka, 84, formerly of Route 3, died Wednesday morning at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Kirby-Morris Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow the services in the Cassoday Cemetery.

Mr. Manka was born May 31, 1899 at Springfield, Mo., the son of John and Nona Ballenger Manka. In 1906, after the death of his mother, his father brought the family to the Pontiac, Kan., community. In 1917 he moved to Chelsea to work for the Ves Carter family. He lived in that home until 1980 when fire destroyed his home.

In 1926 he married Marjorie Early. She along with his son died as a result of an automobile accident in 1941. In 1946 he married Agnes "Peggy" Cornwell Schaffer. She died in 1980. Mr. Manka was associated with the United Methodist Church. He was a retired farmer.

Survivors include one son, Monte Manka, of Anaheim, Calif., one daughter, Mrs. Don (Carol) Brooks, of Parsons, one step-son, Ralph Schaffer, of Plano, Texas, one stepdaughter, Mrs. Dale (Marjorie) Underhill, of Downs; and 15 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Kirby Morris Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements. (El Dorado times, November 3, 1983)

McGREGOR, JESSIE BELLE

Services for Jessie Belle McGregor, 93, were held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 17, 1971 in Dietz Colonial Chapel in El Dorado. She died Monday, November 15, in the Kansas Soldiers Home in Fort Dodge, Kansas where she had been a resident for the past month.

Officiating at the service was the Rev. C. M. Nutter of the First United Methodist in El Dorado. Chad R. Patton sang "Near to the Heart of God," and "Sunrise Tomorrow" with organ accompaniment by Mrs. Amos Marsh. Casket bearers were Everett Gifford, Estel Bliss, Dan Shull, Ted Brown, Leburn Dunn and Ronald Holmes. Burial was in the Cassoday Cemetery.

Mrs. McGregor was born in Geary County, Kansas on January 25, 1878. She married Robert L. McGregor on March 7, 1898. He died in October of 1943. Mrs. McGregor had lived in the Cassoday and Rosalia community before moving to El Dorado in 1946. She cared for Hannah Weaver, mother of Jim and the late Ralph Weaver, and also for Mrs. Oma Prather in their homes in Leon during their latter years.

Survivors include three sons, Arthur of Vinita, Oklahoma, Harrison E. of Riley, and Keith of rural Leon; and three daughters, Mrs. Dollie Fisher of Ogden, Kansas, Mrs. Della Gifford of El Dorado, and Mrs. Ferna Gould of rural Leon; as well as ten grandchildren and twenty four great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two sons, Robert L. and Carl lee; a granddaughter, Mrs. Lois Wilson and a great grandson Gordon Beavers. (El Dorado Times, November 18, 1971)

NEUKIRCH, LEWIS AUGUST

Lewis August Neukirch, 85, of Onaga, Kan., formerly of El Dorado, died Wednesday, Nov. 7, 1990. Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Cassoday Methodist Church with burial following in Cassoday Cemetery.

Mr. Neukirch was born on a farm near Cassoday, Feb. 17, 1905 to Fred and Ivy (Pippig) Neukirch.

On Feb. 13, 1926, he and Mollie Ellen Davidson were married. She preceded him in death in October 1975.

He was a past grand noble of the I. O. O. F. Lodge in El Dorado, past officer of Cassoday Lyons Club, former fire chief of Cassoday and former president of Cassoday Telephone Co.

Survivors include sons, Calvin of Ognaga, Eddie of Norway, Kan., daughters, Edna McClain of Onaga, Luella Dahlquist of Garfield, brothers, William of Coldwater, Fred, Jr. of Willard, Mo., Reigh of Lake Geneva, Wis., sisters, Mary chase of Laverne, Okla., Gladys Link of Alva, Okla., 17 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Thelma Griffin and an infant son. (El Dorado Times, November 8, 1990)

SCHOWALTER, DENNIS D.

Dennis D. Schowalter, 30, 1756 West Third, died at Allen Memorial Hospital this (Monday) morning. He had been in failing health the past six years.

The funeral service is set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Dietz-Carlson Colonial Chapel. Interment will be in the Cassoday cemetery.

A resident of this area for most of his life, he had lived for a time in Harvey county.

He attended grade school at Cassoday and was graduated from El Dorado High School. He had also attended Bible College in Kansas City, Missouri.

Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eno Schowalter, El Dorado, Dean Schowalter, Andover, Dalin Schowalter, El Dorado and Virgil Schowalter, Route 3, one sister, Mrs. Larry (Darlene) Adams, Eureka and six nephews and nieces.

Casket bearers were: Jimmy Loucks, Bill Loucks, Michael Loucks, Terry Loucks, Gary Loucks, and Gregory Loucks.

Interment was in Cassoday Cemetery. (El Dorado Times, March 25, 1974)