Lyon County, Kansas
Obituaries
AMERICUS
- Arndt, Beau Mitchell, 18, died Dec. 15, 2007. Service 11 a.m. Thursday, Flint
Hills Christian Church.
Survivors: parents, Robert "Bob" and Christine Arndt; brother, Seth; sister, Annabelle all of the home;
grandmother, Eleanor "Grammy" Stout of Emporia. Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, Emporia.
Published in the Wichita Eagle on 12/18/2007.
The
funeral for Charles Loraine Finney of Americus will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Roberts-Blue-Barnett
Funeral Home. The Rev. Norbert Tegtmeier of the Messiah Lutheran Church will conduct the service. Burial will be
at Fruitland Cemetery, west of Americus.
Memorial contributions to the Americus Volunteer Fire Department may be sent in care of the funeral home, P.O.
Box 175, Emporia, KS 66801.
Mr. Finney died Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, at his home in Americus. He was 78.
He was a farmer and rancher most of his life and also worked several years for the railroad. He then was a firefighter
for the Emporia Fire Department and later, a laborer for Markowitz Builders until he retired 15 years ago.
The son of Elmer and Eva Viles Finney, he was born Feb. 4, 1928, in Americus. He married Marjorie Ann Brown on
Oct. 30, 1965, in Strong City. She died Jan. 29, 2001, at Emporia.
Mr. Finney was a member of the Americus Presbyterian Church at Americus.
He is survived by three daughters, Wanda Grimsley of Americus, Alice Brandon of Alta Vista and Mary Ann Kohls of
Lincolnville; one son, Chuck Finney of Benton; two brothers, William Finney of Emporia and Clayton Finney of Dunlap;
three sisters, Roberta Lewis of Dunlap, Eleanor Hackman of Missouri and Mary Elizabeth Sowers of Trinity, Texas;
10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. A daughter, Rita Gardner; and a brother, Gene Finney, died earlier.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 21 Nov 2006)
HEILMAN, RUBY ESTELLA NEWTON
The funeral for Ruby Estella Heilman, 88, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Roberts-Blue-Barnett
Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Leonard Wagner of the Church of God of Prophecy will conduct the service. Burial
will be in Fruitland Cemetery, west of Americus. The family will meet friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral
home.
Memorial contributions to the Max Baer Heart Fund may be sent to the funeral home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS.
Mrs. Heilman died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005, at the Emporia Rehabilitation Center, where she was a resident.
She worked for Hallmark Cards in Emporia for 12 years and then, in Lawrence for 18 years. She retired from Hallmark
in 1982.
The daughter of Fred S. and Jennie Dennis Newton, she was born Feb. 11, 1917, in the Fruitland community west of
Americus. She graduated from Americus High School in 1936.
She married Edward L. Heilman on Nov. 24, 1938, in Emporia. They lived in Americus until 1943, then moved to Emporia,
where they lived until 1968. They moved to Lawrence, where he died March 8, 1977. She returned to Emporia in 1986.
Mrs. Heilman was a member and past president of the Auxiliary to Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 2587.
She is survived by two daughters, Hazel Odgers and Ella Duncan, both of Emporia; one son, Eugene Heilman of Hugoton;
13 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and 18 great-great-grandchildren.
An infant sister, Hazel Newton; a brother, Claude Newton; three grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren
died earlier.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 10 Aug 2005)
G.
R. "Bob" Byrd, 71, Chase
County and Holcomb resident, rancher and cattleman, died Saturday, May 30, 1987. Service 11 a.m. Tuesday, Brown-Bennett-Alexander
Funeral Home.
Survivors: son, Jerry of Strong City; daughters, Marjorie Alice Taylor of Dodge City, Roberta Mae Heins, Carol
Jean Hall, both of Emporia, Patricia Byrd of Hutchinson; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren. Memorial
has been established with the Father Flanagan Boys Home, in care of Brown-Bennett- Alexander Funeral Home.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 1 June 1987)
COTTONWOOD
FALLS - Graham, Mary A., 86, homemaker, died May 17, 2006. Service 2 p.m. Wednesday,
Brown-Bennett-Alexander. Memorials to Hand in Hand Hospice.
Published in the Wichita Eagle on 5/20/2006.
HEINS, ROBERTA M.
Roberta M. Heins, 65, of Americus
died Monday, Dec. 9, 2002, at her home.
Roberta M. Byrd, the daughter of George R. "Bob" and Dorothy M. Scharff Byrd, was born Oct. 18, 1937,
at Emporia. She married John Heins on Aug. 12, 1953, at the Cottonwood Friends Church in Emporia.
Mrs. Heins, a homemaker, was a member of the Saffordville United Methodist Church and the Saffordville United Methodist
Women. She also was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Grandview Club.
She is survived by her husband; one daughter, Sherry Edmiston of Council Grove; two sons, Russ B. Heins of Americus
and John Robert "Robbie" Heins of Wilsey; three sisters, Carol Hall and Pat Byrd Scott, both of Emporia,
and Marge Taylor of Udall; one brother, Jerry Lee Byrd of Cimarron; two stepsisters, Jeanette Eidman of Saffordville
and Peggy Grundy of Hutchinson; one stepbrother, Chuck Grundy of Hutchinson; and four grandchildren.
A daughter, Terry Lynn Heins, and a granddaughter died earlier.
The family wil meet with friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday in Charter Funerals-Emporia Chapel. The Rev. Nancy Harris Stotts
will conduct the service. Inurnment will be in Grandview Cemetery.
The family suggests, instead of flowers, memorial contributions to Hand in Hand Hospice, sent in care of the funeral
home, 501 W. Sixth Ave., Emporia, KS 66801.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 11 Dec 2002)
KIMBREL,
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, JR.
Kimbrel,
Benjamin Franklin, Jr., 60, retired
machinist, died Thursday, Sept. 3, 1998. Service 3 p.m. Tuesday, Grandview Cemetery.
Survivors: daughters, Darlene Gehrke, Susan Johnson, both of Emporia, Jean Eppens of Odell, Neb.; brother, Robert
of Olpe; sisters, Jean Bible of Pueblo, Colo., Ann Saffer, Betty Rowland, both of Emporia, Rose Adams of Rockville,
Colo., Linda Metcalfe of Council Grove; 12 grandchildren. Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 5 Sep 1998)
McCLAIN,
FRANK D. "BRONC"
Frank D. "Bronc" McClain,
99, a resident of Holiday Estates died Monday, Feb. 28, 2005, at Newman Regional Health.
Mr. McClain farmed for many years in the Grandview community, southwest of Emporia. He retired in 1980.
The son of Charles and Clementina Duane McClain, he was born May 12, 1905, at Boston, Mass. He married Thelma Fuller
on Feb. 18, 1929. She died Feb. 23, 1986.
Mr. McClain was a member of the Saffordville United Methodist Church. He also was a member of Masonic Lodge 12
in Emporia.
He is survived by one daughter, Carol Stone of Raytown, Mo.; one son, Richard McClain of Mesa, Ariz.; six grandchildren;
13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. A son, David McClain, died in 1975.
The graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Grandview Cemetery. Mr. McClain was cremated.
The family suggests that, instead of flowers, memorial contributions be sent to the Saffordville United Methodist
Church, Route 5, Box 54 AA, Emporia, KS 66801.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 2 March 2005)
Thelma
E. McClain, 72, homemaker, died Sunday.
Service 2 p.m. Wednesday, Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Survivors: husband, Frank D.; son, Richard of Mesa, Ariz.; daughter, Carol E. Burch of Emporia; sisters, Frances
Stagner of Blue Springs, Mo., Mildred Lemon of Kansas City, Mo.; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren. Memorial
has been established with Saffordville (Kan.) Methodist Church.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 25 Feb 1986)
Nurnberg,
Chad David, 23, former West Plaza
Veterinary Clinic employee, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 1995. Service 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Grandview Cemetery.
Survivors: parents, Howard and Karen Nurnberg at home; brother, Justin, sister, Kerri, both of Emporia; grandparents,
Carl and Dorothy Nurnberg of Emporia, James and Mary Graham of Strong City. Memorial has been established with
Chase County High School - Chad Nurnberg Memorial Scholarship Fund. Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 28 Nov 1995)
Nurnberg,
Frieda Evelyn, 84, retired food service
manager, died Monday, Aug. 28, 2000. Service 2 p.m. Thursday, Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Survivors: sons, Robert, Ronald both of Emporia, Richard of Harris, Rodger of Wichita; daughters, JoAnne Bunk of
Santa Maria, Calif., Judy Thomas of Wichita, Sue Sill of Valley Center, Linda Potter, Evelyn Dix both of Emporia,
Patricia Henry of Overland Park, Jane Collins of Kansas City, Nancy Kain of Salem, Ore.; brother, John Bond of
Freeport, Ill.; sisters, Frances Drew of Edwardsville, Fannie Barrett of Hope; 31 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren.
Memorial has been established with Hand in Hand Hospice.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 30 Aug 2000)
Nurnberg,
Robert Louis, 86, farmer, Nurnberg
Truck Line co-owner and Santa Fe Railway employee, died Wednesday, April 22, 1998. Service 10 a.m. Monday, Roberts-Blue-Barnett
Funeral Home.
Survivors: wife, Frieda; sons, Robert, Ronald, both of Emporia, Richard of Harris, Rodger of Wichita; daughters,
Jo Anne Bunk of Santa Maria, Calif., Judith Thomas of Wichita, Leona Sill of Valley Center, Linda Potter, Evelyn
Dix, both of Emporia, Patricia Henry of Olathe, Elizabeth Collins of Kansas City, Kan., Nancy Cain of Salem, Ore.;
brothers, Carl of Emporia, Roy of Olathe, Colo.; sister, Helen Kinghorn of Yuma, Ariz.; 31 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren.
Memorial has been established with Chase County, Kansas School District.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 25 April 1998)
Roy
Ernest Nurnberg, born and raised near
Saffordville, died of congestive heart failure on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007, in Arizona. He was 90.
The son of John Louis and Anna Nurnberg, he was born March 31, 1916, near Grandview. He graduated from Toledo Township
High School in 1934. After school he went into a trucking business with his two brothers until he was drafted during
WWII. During the war, he held the rank of Master Sergeant and was awarded the Bronze Star and the French Crois
de Guerre.
Mr. Nurnberg, a master carpenter, was known for his craftsmanship in finishing luxury homes in the Denver area
where he lived with his wife, Jean, for 25 years. He later moved to Arizona.
He is survived by a son, Doug Nurnberg of Clarkdale, Ariz.; a sister, Helen Kinghorn of Englewood, Colo., and one
granddaughter. He also is survived by several family members in and around Emporia. His wife; a sister, Leona;
and two brothers, Bob Nurnberg and Carl Nurnberg, died earlier.
An informal, graveside service is planned for Feb. 18 in Grandview Cemetery. A reception celebrating his life will
follow at the Toledo Township High School.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Roy Nurnberg Baseball Camp Scholarship Fund, 675 Cliffside Dr.,
Clarkdale, AZ 86324 or the donor's favorite hospice.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 24 Jan 2007)
NORTH NEWTON - Claassen, Arnold, 85, died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003.
Memorial service 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, First Mennonite Church.
Survivors: wife, Anna Margaret; sons, Timothy, Hutchinson, Samuel, McPherson; daughter, Marjie Warkentine, Wichita;
sister, Gertrude Claassen, Beatrice, NE. Petersen Funeral Home.
Published in the Wichita Eagle on 9/8/2003.
HAMILTON, ALLEN J.
Allen J. Hamilton died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003, at Holiday Resort, where he had lived nearly four years. He
was 91.
The burial service was at 1:30 p.m. today at Greenwood Cemetery, south of Emporia, with the Rev. Allen Epp officiating.
He was born March 1, 1911, in Philadelphia and married Ruth L. Thomas on March 28, 1969, in Mountain Home, Idaho.
She died May 20, 1984.
Mr. Hamilton was a veteran of World War II, serving as a radioman in the Army Air Corps. He was a 50-year member
of Ball-McColm Post 5 of the American Legion. He worked as a librarian for the Air Force and the Veterans Administration
for 50 years and had retired after 28 years. Earlier in his life, he had been a teacher.
He was a member of the Sardis Congregational Church, where he taught Sunday school for 20 years. He had also volunteered
for the Meals on Wheels program in Emporia.
Two brothers also died earlier.
Memorials to the church can be sent in care of the Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS
66801.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 1 March 2003)
Edith Harriet Humphreys, 88, homemaker, died Thursday,
May 10, 1990. Service 2 p.m. today, Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Survivors: son, Verl S. of Emporia; daughter, Barbara L. Riggs of Torrance, Calif.; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren;
one great-great- grandchild.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 12 May 1990)
EMPORIA - Mayes, Claudia Williams, 94, died March
25, 2006. Service 2 p.m. Thursday, First Congregational Church.
Survivors: nieces and nephews. Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Published in the Wichita Eagle on 3/28/2006.
Mildred (Russell) Murphy, 81, retired restaurant chef,
died Monday, Feb. 15, 1988. No service will be held.
Survivors: son, Arley of Carey, Ohio; brothers, Hal Russell, Carl Russell, both of Emporia; sister, Lois Morrill
of Emporia; two grandchildren. Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 16 Feb 1988)
Hannah Mary Snyder, 89, a resident of the Holiday
Resort care center, died Friday, Oct. 15, 2004, at the center.
Mrs. Snyder owned and operated the C&H Cafe in Olpe (now the Olpe Chicken House) for 14 years. She then was
a caregiver for elderly people for most of her life.
The daughter of John and Mamie Rees James, she was born Aug. 5, 1915, in Emporia. She married Cecil Taylor in 1940
in Cottonwood Falls. They were divorced. She married Harold Snyder on Aug. 4, 1961, in Medicine Lodge. He died
earlier.
Mrs. Snyder was a member of the Sardis Congregational Church.
A sister, Margaret Cole, died earlier.
The burial service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Greenwood Cemetery. The Rev. Allen Epp will conduct the service.
Memorial contributions to the church may be sent in care of the Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, P.O. Box 175,
Emporia, KS 66801.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 18 Oct 2004)
Lillian A. Watkins, 93, a resident of the Vintage Manor, died Aug. 16, 2002, at the manor.
Miss Watkins was a secretary before she retired. Early in her career, she was William Allen White's secretary at
The Emporia Gazette and also worked at the Scott Insurance Agency. In 1942, she moved to Kansas City, Mo., where
she worked as a secretary and legal secretary until 1977, when she returned to Emporia.
Lillian A. Watkins, the daughter of William Roy and Hannah E. Williams Watkins, was born Jan. 26, 1909, in Emporia.
She graduated from Emporia High School in 1928.
Miss Watkins was a lifetime member of the Central Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Mo. She also was a member
of the Beta Sigma Phi International Sorority and the National Federation of Professional Women's Clubs.
Survivors include a sister, Lucille H. Talbard and a nephew, Wayne Nichols, both of Emporia.
The graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Greenwood Cemetery, southwest of Emporia near the Sardis
Church. The Rev. Gordon Bechtel will conduct the service.
Charter Funerals-Emporia Chapel has the arrangements.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 20 Aug 2002)
The graveside service for Marion W. Stine, 90, a resident
of Alterra Sterling House, will be at 10:30 a.m. in Haworth Cemetery southwest of Emporia. The Rev. James Darby
of the First United Methodist Church will conduct the service. Military services will be given by American Legion
Ball-McColm Post 5 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Lowry-Funston Post 1980.
The family will meet friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home. Memorial contributions,
to a fund to be designated later, may be sent to the funeral home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS 66801.
Mr. Stine died Saturday, May 1, 2004, at Sterling House.
He was a self-employed carpenter and contractor and built many custom houses in Emporia before he retired. In 1956,
he and his wife, Evelyn, moved into the house he built at 924 Prairie St., where they lived until her death in
2000.
He joined the Army in February 1941 and was a member of the 41st Quartermaster Company in the Pacific Theater.
He served in the southern Philippines, Papua and New Guinea and received several medals and awards. He was discharged
on Oct. 20, 1945, as a sergeant.
The son of Edward R. and Claire Mead Stine, Mr. Stine was born Aug. 15, 1913, at Marion. He and his family moved
to the Grandview neighborhood near Saffordville in 1920. He attended Grandview Grade School and graduated from
Toledo Township High School at Saffordville.
He married Evelyn Jacobs on Dec. 26, 1945, at Emporia. They lived in California until 1949, when they returned
to Emporia. She died Aug. 16, 2000.
Mr. Stine was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He was also a member of American Legion Post 5, VFW
Post 1980 and the Carpenter's Union.
He is survived by a brother, Kenneth E. Stine of Kansas City, Kan.; 11 nieces and nephews; and many grandnieces
and grandnephews. Three sisters, Maxine McCracken, Eunice Jacobs and Pauline Gove, died earlier.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 4 May 2004)
BICKFORD, DEBORAH DIANE
The graveside service for former Emporia resident Deborah Diane Bickford, 51, of Glendale, Ariz., will be
at 2 p.m. Monday in Mount Hope Cemetery at Neosho Rapids. The Rev. Kay Bishop of the Memorial United Methodist
Church at Neosho Rapids will conduct the service. The family will meet friends from 5 to 6 p.m Sunday at the Roberts-Blue-Barnett
Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions for the college education of Mrs. Bickford's son, Christopher Shepard, may be sent to the
funeral home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS 66801.
Mrs. Bickford died Sunday, May 16, 2004, at her home in Glendale, Ariz., after a lengthy illness.
She was a registered nurse and worked at Topeka State Hospital, beginning in 1986 and a psychiatric nurse at the
Menninger Institute. From 1989 to 1993, she was a psychiatric nurse for the Veterans Administration in Topeka.
In 1993, she moved to Phoenix, Ariz., and was a registered nurse at Arizona State Hospital. She was a supervisor
for Best Western Hotels, Accommodations and Call Centers at the time of her death.
The daughter of James and Marilyn Prall Shepard, she was born July 13, 1952, at Des Moines, Iowa. She moved with
her family to Emporia in 1966 and graduated from Emporia High School in 1970. She graduated from the Newman School
of Nursing as a registered nurse in 1980 and from Emporia State University with honors in 1986 with a bachelor's
degree in psychology and sociology. While attending Emporia State University, she was inducted into the Phi Delta
Phi Honor Society in 1984.
She married Mark Bickford on April 8, 1999. He survives.
Mrs. Bickford is also survived by two sons, Shawn Gerardy of Wichita and Christopher Shepard of Glendale, Ariz.;
a sister, Kathleen Biggs of Hutchinson; three brothers, Dennis Shepard of Hanau, Germany, Kevin Shepard of Independence
and Todd Shepard of Topeka; and four grandchildren. Her parents died earlier.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 22 May 2004)
DAILY, KEVIN
Emporia native Kevin Daily of Nickerson died Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2005.
Mr. Daily, 47, who lived in Nickerson for 45 years, was a former employee of Deluxe Specialties in Yoder.
The son of Ross and Juanita Daily, he was born June 16, 1958, in Emporia. He grew up and attended school in Nickerson.
Mr. Daily was a member of the First Baptist Church in Nickerson.
He is survived two sons, Jake Daily and Dax Daily, both of Nickerson; his mother and stepfather, Gerald and Juanita
Daily Massey; and two sisters, Teresa Rife of Nickerson and Linda Nelson of Augusta.
His father died earlier.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday in the First Baptist Church at Nickerson. The graveside service will be at
2:30 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery in Neosho Rapids. The family will meet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at
Heritage Funeral Home in Hutchinson.
The family suggests that, instead of flowers, memorial contributions be made to a fund established for his sons'
education and sent in care of the funeral home, 528 N. Main St., Hutchinson, KS 67501.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 13 Oct 2005)
Daily, Roger Eugene, 67, former farmer, died Sunday,
Nov. 14, 1993. Service 11 a.m. Wednesday, Mount Hope Cemetery, Neosho Rapids.
Survivors: brother, Charles of Wichita; sisters, Adeline Wood, Faye Jaggard, Jo Anne Fowler, all of Emporia, Fern
Gray of Topeka, Leona Mayhill of Newton, Mary June Clemmer of Tampa, Dorla Kay Sharp of Wichita. Memorial has been
established with Emporia Friends of the Zoo. Parker-Price Mortuary.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 16 Nov 1993)
Daily, Ross O'Dell, 58, farmer and Nickerson Farmers
Cooperative employee, died Monday, Dec. 21, 1992. Services 10 a.m. Thursday, First Baptist Church; 3 p.m., Mount
Hope Cemetery, Neosho Rapids.
Survivors: wife, Juanita; son, Kevin of Nickerson; daughters, Teresa Rife of Nickerson, Linda Nelson of Augusta;
brothers, Roger of Topeka, Loye of Wichita; sisters, Adeline Wood, Faye Jaggard, Jo Anne Fowler, all of Emporia,
Fern Gray of Topeka, Leona Mayhill of Newton, Mary Clemmer of Tampa, Dorla Sharp of Wichita; three grandchildren;
one great-grandchild. Lamb Funeral Home.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 24 Dec 1992)
Jim E. David, 49, retired truck driver and heavy equipment
operator, died Friday, Jan. 11, 1991. Service 2 p.m. Tuesday, Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Survivors: wife, Shelia; son, Daniel of Emporia; daughter, Sherri Currier of Wichita; mother, Cecille Smith of
Waverly; sisters, Dorothy Young of Little Rock, Ark., Sharon Dryden of Ottawa, Wanda Moss of Westville, Okla.;
five grandchildren.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 12 Jan 1991)
Davis, Lila E., 79, homemaker, died Monday, Oct. 28,
2002. Graveside service 1 p.m. Friday, Mount Hope Cemetery, Neosho Rapids.
Survivors: son, Philip Davis of Wichita; daughter, Linda Davis-Stephens of Jennings; six grandchildren. Memorial
established with First United Methodist Church, TV Ministry, 330 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202. Downing &
Lahey Mortuary East. Condolences may be sent to the family via www.downingandlahey.com.
(Wichita Eagle ~ 29 Oct 2002)
GORDON, ROBERT WILLIAM
The service for Robert William Gordon, 64, of Neosho Rapids will be at 3 p.m. Thursday in Mount Hope Cemetery
at Neosho Rapids. The Rev. Kay Bishop of the Neosho Rapids United Methodist Church will conduct the service. The
family will meet friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Mr. Gordon died Monday, Dec. 13, 2004, at Vintage Manor.
The son of Ernest F. and Margaret E. Cook Gordon, he was born Jan. 14, 1940, in Emporia. He married Darlene M.
Jenkins on Dec. 29, 1977. She survives.
A sister, Margaret Janet Birr, died earlier.
Mr. Gordon was a machine operator at Didde Web Press for 29 years until he retired in July 2001. He previously
worked at Crawford Manufacturing for 10 years.
He was an Army veteran and a member of the Neosho Rapids United Methodist Church. He also was a member of American
Legion Ball-McColm Post 5.
Memorial contributions to the Emporia Friends of the Zoo or the Neosho Rapids Community Building may be sent in
care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS 66801.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 14 Dec 2004)
Private graveside services for Donavan Love Gray,
infant son of Gerald and Mary Gray of Lawrence, will be Tuesday at Mount Hope Cemetery, Neosho Rapids.
The child died Saturday, May 1, 1993, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He was born May 1, 1993.
Survivors include his parents, Gerald and Mary Gray, Lawrence; his paternal grandmother, Fern D. Gray, Topeka;
and his maternal grandparents, Howard H. Harrison Sr. and Mary Harrison, St. Joseph, Mo.
Amos Family Funeral Home, Shawnee, is handling arrangements.
(Lawrence Journal-World (KS) ~ 3 May 1993)
GRAY, FERN DAILY
Neosho Rapids native Fern Daily Gray, 85, of Topeka died Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at St. Francis Hospital
in Topeka.
Mrs. Gray taught at McClure Elementary School in Topeka for 19 years before she retired. During World War II, she
was the first female certified airframe welder in Wichita.
The daughter of the Charles Victor and Mary Charlotte Bills Daily, she was born Oct. 18, 1919, at Neosho Rapids.
Her family settled in Lyon County in 1855. She left junior high school to help support her family, then went on
to complete bachelor's and master's degrees with honors at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia.
She married Howard Samuel "Sam" Gray on May 18, 1941, at Council Grove. He died May 6, 1991.
Mrs. Gray was a member of the Countryside United Methodist Church. She also was a member of the Shawnee County
Landlords Association.
She is survived by a daughter, Gaylynn Dickey of Meriden; two sons, Gerald Gray of Lawrence and Geoffrey Gray of
Meriden; four sisters, Adeline Wood, Faye Jaggard and JoAnne Fowler, all of Emporia, and Mary Clemmer of Tampa;
a brother, Charles "Loy" Daily of Wichita; and four grandchildren. Three sisters, Leona Mayhill, Charlotte
Kemp and Dorla "Kay" Sharp; four brothers, Homer Daily, Roger Daily, Ross Daily and Eldon Daily; and
one grandson, Donavan Love Gray, died earlier.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Countryside United Methodist Church. The graveside service will
be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Mount Hope Cemetery at Neosho Rapids. The family will meet friends from 7 to 8 p.m.
Friday at the Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel in Topeka.
The family suggests that, instead of flowers, memorial contributions be sent to the Alzheimer's Association. P.O.
Box 1427, Topeka, KS 66601.
Messages to the family may be left at www.penwellgabel.com.
(Emporia Gazette ~ 3 March 2005)
Funeral services for Howard S. "Sam" Gray,
80, Topeka, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Countryside United Methodist Church in Topeka with the Rev. Paul
Mitchell officiating.
Graveside services and burial will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Mount Hope Cemetery in Neosho Rapids with military
honors conducted by a Fort Riley military detail.
Mr. Gray died Monday at a Topeka nursing home. He was born Jan. 11, 1911, in the Fruitland neighborhood near Americus.
He attended Americus schools and graduated from Emporia High School in 1930.
He served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 until 1945. Mr. Gray worked as a carman for the Santa Fe Railway in Topeka
and Emporia before retiring in 1975.
He was a member of Countryside United Methodist Church of Topeka, the Santa Fe Retired Employees Club, the Transportation
and Communications International and Topeka Area Retired Teachers.
He married Fern Daily on May 18, 1941, in Council Grove. She survives of the home.
Other survivors include a daughter, Gaylynn Karns, Topeka; two sons, Gerald, Lawrence, and Geoffrey, Ozawkie; a
brother, Hugh, Smiths Ferry, Idaho, and three grandchildren.
Friends may call from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Parker-Price Mortuary in
Topeka, where the family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.
The family suggests memorials to the Topeka Chapter of Alzheimer's Assn., P.O. Box 1427, Topeka 66601, or to the
Sam Gray Medical Scholarship Fund in care of Super Credit Union, 501 Northlake, Topeka 66616.
(Lawrence Journal World (KS) ~ 8 May 1991)
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