Stanley L. Crooks, 89, Augusta, passed away on Monday, Feb. 6, 2006.
Services will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the First United Methodist Church in Augusta.
Viewing will be from 1 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, with visitation with family greeting friends from 5 to 6 p.m., at Headley Funeral Chapel in Augusta.
Stanley Leroy Crooks rode into Kansas on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle in 1935. He had left his parents, Leroy and Anna back in Kenton, Ohio, where he was born, and was on his way to Arizona, looking for work. He never made it. They offered him a job in Augusta at the Mobil Refinery when he stopped overnight to visit an Ohio friend. Stanley enjoyed working for Mobil and riding Harleys in Kansas, but he had to trade his bike in for a coupe when he met Cletius Castor, and they married on April 20, 1941. Their life together was interrupted by his military service in World War II, but blossomed upon his return and they settled down on State Street where they raised their two girls, Carol Ann (1947 - 1992) and Cletius Kay.
Stanley retired after 40 years with Mobil in 1975, though he never retired from devoted service to the American Legion Post #189 in Augusta. He lived in the house on State Street in Augusta until he passed away this past Monday after a short stay at the St. Francis hospital in Wichita. Cletius preceded him in death in 1984.
Stanley's daughter Cletius Kay, and her husband Alan Watson, make their home on the Big Blackfoot River in western Montana, and their children Jubal, Jessie and Shandi all live nearby in Missoula and Mill Town. Ann Victoria (Vicki), Carol Ann's gift to Stanley, resides in Wichita. Stanley also leaves wonderful evenings and morning phone calls behind with his close friend and companion for many years, Dorotha Bogard of Augusta.
Arrangements are under the direction of Headley Funeral Chapel in Augusta.
Memorials may go to American Legion Post #189 in Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Thom Eckley, Sr. 60, Towanda, formerly of Augusta, passed away on Friday, Feb. 10, 2006.
Services were held this morning at Hope Community Church in Andover, followed by a graveside service this afternoon at Greenwood Cemetery in Eureka.
Tom was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on Aug. 5, 1945, the son of Richard and Mary B. (Steele) Eckley. He retired as Finance Director at Scholfield Brothers and was former owner of Early Bird in Augusta. On Feb. 26, 1983, he married Mary Campbell Brown in Montevista, Colo. She survives.
Other survivors include: sons, Tom Eckley, Jr. and his wife, Jeania of Wichita, Terry Brown and his wife, Janet of Burden, Brent Brown and his wife, Dawn of Rifle, Colo.; daughters, Connie Jo Sharpe and her husband, Aaron of Haxtun, Colo., Lorrie Yoshinaga of Denver, Colo.; brothers, Dick of Sidney, Neb., Jim of Topeka, and John of Farmington, N.M.; sisters, Susan Steele and Polly Steele of Seattle, Wash.; grandchildren, Josh, Nicole, Kelli, Adam, Sam, Amanda, Branton, Alex, Morgan, Hope, Anna, and Ian; great-grandchildren, Alysa, David and Xaviour.
Memorials may go to Hope Community Church.
Arrangements were under the direction of Headley Funeral Chapel in Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Monday, Feb. 13, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Oliver G. Elliott, 73, El Dorado, retired Beech Aircraft tool licensing inspector for 37 years, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006.
Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Haverhill Christian Church. Burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery in Augusta.
Visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Dunsford Funeral Home in Augusta.
He is survived by: wife, Emma; sons, Randall D. (Judy) Elliott of Towanda, Dale G. Elliott and Jeffery C. (Crystal) Elliott, all of Augusta; daughter, Kathy I. (William) Standefer of Augusta; three sisters; two brothers; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister.
Memorial donations may go to Kansas Specialty Dog Services and Haverhill Christian Church.
Dunsford Funeral Home in Augusta is in charge of the arrangements. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Thomas W. Faye, 46, Augusta, food service manager, passed away on Monday, Jan. 9, 2006.
Memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at Headley Funeral Chapel in Augusta.
He is survived by: sons, Mark Jahn of El Dorado and Andrew Fay of Augusta; father, Edgar Fay of Margate, Fla.; brothers, Jeff Fay of Wichita and Greg Fay of San Francisco, Calif.; sister, Leslie Fay of Utah; one grandchild.
Memorials to Thomas W. Fay Memorial Fund.
Arrangements are under the direction of Headley Funeral Chapel of Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
William H. "Bill" Garner, 78, Leon, died on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006.
Memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, at Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. Cremation will precede the service.
He was born on June 2, 1927, in Tracy City, Tenn., the son of William Henry and Ora Estelle (Overturff) Garner. He attended school in Tracy City and spent three years in the United States Navy during World War II, and then 20 years in the U.S. Army during Korea and Vietnam. After retiring from the military, he was an oil pipe line supervisor for Kaneb Pipe Line for 20 years. Bill was an avid golfer and played whenever possible. On March 9, 1962, he married Betty Ruth Snell at York, S.C.
His survivors include: wife, Betty of the home; children, Marie Denny of El Dorado, Bill Garner of Salt Lake City, Utah, Peggy Denney of Topeka, Patty Short of Ariz., Billie Sue Hodge of Wash., Shirley Redden of Leon; nine grandchildren, Donna Peterson, Keith Kerschner, Bonnie Kuch, Christ Short, Billy Hodge, Kaitlin Garner, Allison Garner, Rachel Garner; 14 great-grandchildren, six sisters, Helen Allison of Tenn., Estelle O'Brien of Louisville, Ken., Rose Ledbetter of Nashville, Tenn., Ruth Earp of Lawton, Okla., Carolyn Hughes of Chattanooge, Tenn., Nelda Kane of Winston-Salem, N.C.; brother, Louis Garner of Chattanooga, Tenn.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother.
Memorials in his memory may go to the Augusta Country Club Bridge Fund or the Leon Senior Center.
Arrangements are under the direction of Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
W.A. "Bill" Graves, 91, Douglass, retired oil field and aircraft worker, died on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at the Douglass Cemetery.
There will be no visitation.
His survivors include: daughter, Janet Polk of Douglass; eight grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by: his wife, Austie, daughter, Lorraine; son, Gary.
Memorials established with the Douglass Public Library and the American Heart Association.
Hilyard-Smith Funeral Home of Douglass has charge of the arrangements. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Don Kimbro, 75, Towanda, retired tool and die maker, died on Monday, Feb. 6, 2006.
His funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ.
His survivors include: son, Kim (Kari) Kimbro of Colwich; daughter, Tammy (Bob) Brundage of Augusta; brother, Acy Kimbro of Miami, Okla.; sisters, Virginia Starr of Towanda and Sally Jean Kimbro of Bixby, Okla.; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren.
Memorial established with Total Homecare & Hospice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Mang T. "Mai" Nesler, 58, Augusta, died on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Prairie Hills Southern Baptist Church, 9599 S.W. Pampas Rd.
Mai was born on May 13, 1948 Lam Vien (Da Lat) Vietnam. She married Gerald K. Nesler of Augusta on July 26, 1971 in El Dorado and became a U.S. citizen on Sept. 20, 1974. She was employed by Beech/Raytheon, where she worked for 28 years. She was a member of the Buu Quang Temple of Wichita.
She is survived by: her husband, Gerald K. Nesler of Augusta; son, Kennedy K. Nesler, his wife, Katrina and grandson, Kysen, of Augusta; daughter, Mary M. Kunkel, her husband James and granddaughter, Jessica of Benton; brother, Jon Phan, wife, Sherry and family of Augusta; sister, Mai Le, husband Calvin Ong and family of Wichita; brother, Don Lei, wife Linda Phan of family of Wichita; brother, Ly Loan, wife, Minh Ngyn and family; brother, Cong and wife, Hanh Phan and family of Wichita; sister, Cuc, husband, Phu Ngyen and family of Ban Me Thout, Vietnam.
She was preceded in death by: her parents, Luong Phan and Du Huynh; brother, Duy Cuong Phan; cousin, Thu Thao Phan, all of Vietnam.
In Lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials by made to Buu Quang Temple or Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice.
Hillside Funeral Home of Augusta has charge of the arrangements. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Kathleen E. O'Neil, 78, Douglass, retired school teacher, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006.
Funeral service was held this afternoon at the First Baptist Church in Douglass.
Her survivors include: her husband, Russell Marvin O'Neil; son, Joe (Patricia) O'Neil of Douglass; daughter, Judy (Jim) Hatfield of Douglass; brothers, Richard S. Reynolds of Clearwater and Kenneth O. Reynolds of Argonia; sisters, Barbara Ginest of Clearwater and Molly Frazee of Wellington; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her grandchildren, Ryan Price O'Neil and Dustin Drake O'Neil.
Memorials to the Douglass Senior Center or American Diabetes Association.
Arrangements were under the direction of Headley Funeral Chapel in Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Shirley A. Reinhart, 68, rural El Dorado, passed away on Monday, Jan. 16, 2006.
A celebration of Shirley's life will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ. Interment will follow at Walnut Valley Cemetery in El Dorado.
Shirley and her husband, J.D. were the owners and operators of the JD's Carry Out and the Wrangler Cafe in Towanda. She also worked for Litwins and Farm & Home, both in El Dorado.
Surviving family include: her husband of 53 years, J.D. of the home; three sons, John and wife, Beth Reinhart of Fredericksburg, Va., Mickey and wife, Shirley Reinhart of McPherson, Jerry Reinhart and Patricia Martin of El Dorado; brothers, Acy Kimbro of Miami, Okla. and Don Kimbro of Towanda; sisters, Virginia and husband, Fred Starr of Towanda and Sally Jean Kimbro of Bixby, Okla.; brother-in-law, Harold "Hank" and wife, Ruth Burchard of Towanda; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild.
A memorial has been established with the Towanda Historical Museum. Contributions and condolences may be left with Kirby-Morris Funeral Home in El Dorado. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Clyde B. Ruple, 72, Augusta, retired Consolidated Freightways (Wichita) operations manager, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006.
A service of remembrance will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the First United Methodist Church in Augusta.
His survivors include: wife of 49 years, Donna; sons, Doug Ruple of Joplin, Mo., daughters and sons-in-law, Doreen and Ed Kittle of Augusta, Diane and Larry Kittle of RAF Lakenheath, England; brother, Kent Ruple of Magnolia, Ark.; sister, Lois Winget of Minden, La.; grandchildren, Emily, Melissa (Tom), Matthew, Nathan, Isaac, Adam, and Michael.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Alvis, sisters, Marie and Carolyn.
Memorial donations may go to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Route 1, El Dorado, 67042.
Arrangements are under the direction of Hillside Funeral Home in Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Monday, Jan. 30, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Georgie K. Skaer, 97, Augusta, homemaker, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at First United Methodist Church in Augusta.
She was born on Jan. 4, 1909 in Ellsworth, the daughter of Edward and Emma Purma.
While still young, her family moved to Yocemento, where she started her schooling in a one-room school house.
Her teenage years were spent in Grinnell, where she finished high school. During those years, she was active in sports, school musicals and local activities. Georgie received her Bachelor of Science degree in commerce and business administration from Kansas State University in Hays. She was active in women's glee club, drama club, and various functions associated with Delta Sigma Epsilon social sorority.
She also taught school in her hometown, Grinnell, and Oakley.
In 1935, she married to Dean Skaer and they made their permanent home in Augusta.
During the years her sons, Dean and Richard were growing up, her time was spent at home.
She later was employed by Beech Aircraft for 17 years as a secretary and statistical typist in the accounting department. Her main concern was making a home for her family. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Women's Society.
Georgie had great interest in playing golf and traveling, when she was able. She knitted children's toys that were given to many children as special gifts. Oil painting was a special hobby, which she especially enjoyed. All of these activities contributed to a close association with many friends, whom she held dear.
She leaves: two sons, Dean A. Skaer and wife, Sharon of Little Rock, Ark., and Richard E. Skaer and wife, Carol of Grand Junction, Colo.; brother, John Purma of Ft. Collins, Colo.; 12 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by: her loving husband of 71 years, Dean; brothers, Edward, Arthur; sister, Matilda.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Women's Society and to Save Our State Street (SOS) program.
Dunsford Funeral Home of Augusta is in charge of the arrangements. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Bobby Ray Smith, Sr., 71, Towanda, father of Benny Smith of Augusta, died on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ. Interment will follow in Towanda Cemetery.
He was born on Dec. 17, 1934, in Bastrop, Texas, the son of Linson and Emma (Thompson) Smith. On Dec. 29, 1952, Bobby and Donna Parry were united in marriage in El Dorado. In 1968 they moved to Towanda where they have made their home since that time. He worked in the oil fields as a pulling unit operaor at the time of his retirement. He attended Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ.
His survivors include: his wife, Donna of the home; sons, Bob Smith, Jr. of El Dorado and Bill Smith of Towanda; brother, Zane Smith of Barstow, Calif.; sister, Margie Clay of Neosho Falls; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Berry; three brothers and three sisters.
Memorials in his memory for the Towanda United Methodist Church may be left at Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Raymond Charles Spires, Jr., 81, Augusta, retired Santa Fe Railroad foreman, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006.
Funeral service was held this afternoon at Hillside Funeral Chapel in Augusta.
His survivors include: sons, Rick and David, both of Augusta, Mike of Douglass; brothers, Leon and Charley, both of El Dorado; sisters, Delores Walker of Benton and Pat Shields of Fall River; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by Hillside Funeral Home of Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Monday, Jan. 16, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Rita L. Wendler, 68, Augusta, homemaker, passed away on Monday, Jan. 23, 2006.
Friends and family may pay their respects from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Augusta residence.
Her survivors include: sons, Dale and Eric of Towanda, and Kevin of Peabody; daughter, Patricia "Peggy" of Augusta; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Arrangements are under the direction of Hillside Funeral Home in Augusta. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
Sandra Jean Wendt, 59, Leon, Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital nurse, died on Friday, Feb. 3, 2006.
Visitation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening at Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. There will be no service.
Her survivors include: husband, Rick; daughters, Tracey Bastion and Cassy Brooks; step-daughters, Stacey Nichols and Shawna Rae Wendt; brother, Jerry Reynolds; sister, Linda Cole; 10 grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. (Augusta Daily Gazette, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006. Submitted by Diana Herrman)
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