Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Betty Young
GALENA, Kan. - Betty Jane Hunt, 71, Galena, died at 9:16 p.m. Thursday, March 13, 1997, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo., after an illness.
Mrs. Young was born July 17, 1925, at Joplin.
She was a lifelong area resident.
She was a homemaker and a member of the Women of the Moose Lodge, Chapter 1990 of Joplin.
She married Billie E. Young on Nov. 19, 1949, at Bentonville, Ark. He died June 22, 1983.
Survivors include four sons, Marion Young and Carl Young, both of Galena, Wayne Dunn, Carl Junction, Mo., and Melvin Young, Joplin; a daughter, Sheila Boydston, Corinth, Texas; three sisters, Margie DeArmond, Joplin, Pat Case, Hermitage, Mo., and Naomi Case, Henderson, Colo.; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. today at Oak Hill Cemetery, Galena.
The Rev. Jeff Martin will officiate.
The family will be at the Wayne Dunn home, 1207 Scott Drive, Carl Junction.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Derfelt Funeral Home, Galena.
Helen Allen
SCAMMON, Kan. - Helen E. Allen, 93, Scammon, died Wednesday, March 12, 1997, at her home after a long illness.
Mrs. Allen was born Feb. 13, 1904, at Scammon.
She was homemaker and lifetime resident of Scammon.
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church.
She married James C. Allen on Aug. 31, 1926.
He died Aug. 1, 1973.
Survivors include six sons, James E. Allen, Tacoma, Wash., Walter Allen, Baxter Springs, Jack Allen, Brunswick, Mo., Bill Allen, Independence, Mo., Tom Allen, Miami, Okla., and Fred Allen, Scammon; four daughters, Mary Lou Ross, Cotter, Ark., Flora Lee Bowin, Melbourne, Fla., Alberta Flowers, Satellite, Fla., and Carole Thornton, Miami; a sister, Margie Aldridge, Columbus; 21 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Presbyterian Church, Scammon. Gloria Beagle and Larry Reynolds, ministers, will officiate.
Burial will be in Hosey Hill Cemetery, Weir.
Pallbearers will be Jeff Ross, Richard Ross, Joe Ross, Gary Allen, Ben Draeger and Steve Allen.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir, where friends may call after 9 a.m. Saturday.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Presbyterian Church in Scammon.
Jack Duvall
COLUMBUS, Kan. - Jack Dale Duvall, 66, Keller, Texas, formerly of Columbus, died at 11:13 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 1997, at Baylor Hospital, Grapevine, Texas, after an illness.
Mr. Duvall was born March 19, 1930, at Columbus.
He grew up there and was graduated from Columbus High School.
He was graduated in 1957 from Wichita State University and in 1960 from the University of Utah College of Law, Salt Lake City.
He retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1980 after 20 years of service.
He was director of corporate security for American Airlines. He retired in 1981.
He married Patricia Duvall in 1981 at Tulsa, Okla.
She survives.
Other survivors include a son, Mark Duvall, Oklahoma City, Okla.; a daughter, April Haas, Hutchinson; his mother, Helen Pearl "Dixie" Bilhartz, Columbus; a brother, Woody Duvall, Miami, Okla.; and four grandchildren.
Private graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Park Cemetery, Columbus, with the Rev. Edwin Thomas officiating.
Contributions may be made to St. Francis Catholic Church, Grapevine, or to the American Diabetes Association, in care of Murdock Funeral Home, Columbus.
Chester Hughey
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. - Chester Hughey, 86, Baxter Springs, died at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, March 13, 1997, in a Galena nursing center after an illness.
Mr. Hughey was born Dec. 15, 1910, at Garland, Okla.
He had lived in the area since 1940.
He was a truck driver with Yellow Freight Lines for 31 years.
He also was a driver for Fisher Truck Lines and PC Motor Freight for 13 years.
He was a member of First Christian Church, Baxter Springs.
He married Jimmie Linn Sturdy on July 14, 1934, at Stigler, Okla.
She survives.
Other survivors include a daughter, Glenda Gail Saunders, Stigler; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by two sons.
Arrangements are pending with Paul Thomas Funeral Home, Picher, Okla.
Charles Benelli
PITTSBURG, Kan. - Charles A. Benelli, 89, 410 Winwood Drive, died at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 1997, at Mount Carmel Medical Center, Pittsburg.
He was being treated for injuries sustained in a 1996 motorcycle accident.
Mr. Benelli was born Dec. 21, 1907, at Frontenac.
He attended St. Mary's Parochial Grade School and graduated in 1927 from Pittsburg High School.
He opened B&B; Pawnshop in 1928 at Pittsburg.
In 1942, he merged his business with his late brother's business at Benelli's Jewelry, also at Pittsburg.
He remained in the jewelry business for 68 years.
He was a pilot, having received his pilot's license in November 1941.
He was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and was a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, both of Pittsburg.
He married Margaret Pattison on June 27, 1933.
She died Oct. 3, 1968.
Surviving are a daughter, Karen Dunn, Pittsburg; a son, Robert C. Benelli, Pittsburg; a brother, Martin "Bud" Benelli Sr., Pittsburg; two sisters, Margaret Vietti and Isabelle Glick, both of Pittsburg; and six grandchildren.
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Pittsburg.
The Rev. Samuel Pinkerton will officiate.
Burial will be in Highland Park Cemetery, Pittsburg.
The rosary will be said at 7 p.m. today at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Pittsburg, where the family will receive friends until 8 p.m. today.
Friends may call after 11 a.m. today at the funeral home.
Rex Evans
COLUMBUS, Kan. - Ronald Rexford "Rex" Evans, 85, Columbus, died at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 1997, at a local nursing home after an illness.
Mr. Evans was born Nov. 11, 1911, in the Keelville community.
He attended school and grew up in Keelville and at Baxter Springs.
He lived most of his life in California.
He had been a plant supervisor for Arden Dairies, Los Angeles, Calif.
He moved to Columbus in December 1994.
He was a member of Westbeach Masonic Lodge No. 616, Westminister, Calif., and the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Los Angeles, Orient of California.
He married Gladys Bash, who died in 1950.
He later married Edna Dukes, who died in 1985.
Survivors include a son, Ronald D. Evans, Columbus; a daughter, Coralie Ann Costlow, Baxter Springs; a sister, Hortense Prigmore, Baxter Springs; 10 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson.
The body has been cremated.
A family service will be scheduled at a later date.
Contributions may be made to St. John's Hospice, Joplin, in care of Murdock Funeral Home, Columbus.
Mary Palmer
COLUMBUS, Kan. - Mary V. Palmer, 84, Halstead, formerly of Columbus, died at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, 1997, at Columbia Halstead Hospital, Halstead, after an illness.
Mrs. Palmer was born May 16, 1912, at Webb City, Mo.
She grew up and attended school in the Reeds, Mo. area.
She moved to Columbus in 1935.
She married Grant R. Palmer in 1931 at Reeds.
He died in 1961.
She was also preceded in death by a son and a daughter.
Survivors include two sons, Bob J. Palmer, Boise, Idaho, and Larry G. Palmer, Spring, Texas; a daughter, Carolyn Sue Pugh, Halstead, Kan.; 12 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Murdock Funeral Home, Columbus.
Burial will be in Park Cemetery, Columbus.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
