Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Dollie Frank
COLUMBUS, Kan. _ Dollie Geneva Frank, 85, 8551 SW 20th St., died at 4:20 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 1998, at Baptist Regional Health Center, Miami, Okla., after an illness.
Mrs. Frank was born June 18, 1912, in Cherokee County.
She lived in the rural Columbus area her entire life.
She was a carrier for The Joplin Globe for several years and was a homemaker.
She was later a caregiver for elderly adults in their homes.
She was a member of Keelville Church, east of Melrose.
She married Charles Elliott "Dutch" Frank on Oct. 21, 1932. He died July 24, 1968.
Survivors include three sons, Charles Frank, Darrell Frank and Richard Frank, all of rural Columbus; a brother, Raymond Earl Rich, rural Miami; three step-grandchildren, six great-grand-children and a great-great grandchild.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Keelville Church, with the Rev. Wilma Heavin and the Rev. Bob Martin officiating. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery, northwest of Treece.
Pallbearers will be Tim Alsbaugh, Phillip Alsbaugh, Paul Westerbelt, Ronnie Johnson, Fonda Cudney and J.D. Fry.
The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Paul Thomas Funeral Home, Picher, Okla.
Contributions may be made to the Center Christian Church Building Fund, in care of the funeral home.
Barbara Hamilton
FRONTENAC, Kan. - Barbara A. Hamilton, 70, Frontenac, died Saturday, Jan. 4, 1997, at Mount Carmel Medical Center, Pittsburg, after an illness.
Mrs. Hamilton was born Sept. 9, 1926, in the state of Vermont.
She attended nursing school at Trinity Lutheran Hospital, Kansas City, Mo.
She was a registered nurse and had worked at Kansas University Medical Center, Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Miami County Medical Center and Osawatomie State Hospital, where she was employed for 24 years.
She retired in 1988.
She was a member of Bucyrus (Kan.) Methodist Church and attended Assembly of God Church, Pittsburg.
She married Robert Hamilton on June 26, 1948 at LaCygne.
He preceded her in death.
She also was preceded in death by twin sons.
Survivors include two daughters, Karon Ratkay, Tulsa, Okla., and Joyce Hamilton, Pittsburg; three grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Bucyrus Methodist Church, with the Rev. Carl Walker officiating.
Burial will be in State Line Cemetery, west of Amoret, Mo.
Pallbearers will be Carl Schmidt, Terry Lutz, Russell Ratkay, Forrest Hamilton Jr., Ryan Hamilton and Steve Smyth.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lighthouse Temple Church of God in Christ, Pittsburg.
Arrangements are under the direction of Runyan Funeral Home, Louisburg.
Contributions may be made American Diabetes Association.
Tommy Reeves
GALENA, Kan. - Tommy J. Reeves, 67, Galena, died at 1:08 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, 1997, at Veterans Affairs Hospital, Little Rock, Ark., after a long illness.
Mr. Reeves was born March 13, 1929, at Olney, Texas.
He moved to Galena from the state of California.
He was an Army veteran and retired from the Army in 1955.
The body has been cremated.
No services are planned.
Arrangements are under the direction of Derfelt Funeral Home, Galena.
Gordon Menhusen
Gordon Minert Menhusen, 72, Tonganoxie, Kan., formerly of Joplin, died Friday, Dec. 27, 1996, at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center, Leavenworth, Kan., after an illness.
Mr. Menhusen was born Dec. 6, 1924, in Jewell County, Kan.
He retired in 1984 as a department manager for Montgomery Ward, Joplin.
He moved to Tonganoxie in 1995.
He was a member of Royal Heights United Methodist Church, Joplin.
He served in the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II.
He married Doris Marie Finley on May 16, 1948, at Glen Elder, Kan.
She survives.
Additional survivors include a son, Gary Menhusen, Tonganoxie; three daughters, Jeannie Morris and Cathy Menhusen, Joplin, and Debbie Gravatt, Tonganoxie; five brothers, Albert Menhusen and Paul Menhusen, both of Wamego, Kan., Merlin Menhusen and Benard Menhusen, both of Jewell, Kan., and Ronnie Menhusen, Rockaway Beach; a sister, Thelda Yapp, Manhattan, Kan.; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Services were held Dec. 30 at Tonganoxie Christian Church.
The Rev. Vernon Finley officiated.
Burial was in Jewell (Kan.) Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to American Lung Association, in care of Quisenberry Funeral Home, Tonganoxie.
Howard Litch
GALENA, Kan. - Howard T. "Pappy" Litch, 90, Galena route 2, died at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 1996, at a nursing home in Galena after an illness.
Mr. Litch was born July 17, 1906, in Galena and was a lifetime resident.
He owned and operated the Howard Litch Garage in Galena for more than 50 years.
He was a member of the Galena Volunteer Fire Department from 1933 to 1979, having served in various positions including fire chief and assistant chief.
He was the founder and curator of the Galena Mining and Historical Museum, which was organized in 1983.
He received the Kansas Governor and First Lady Award for volunteerism in 1990.
He was a member of the Assembly of God Church, Galena.
He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a mechanic from 1943 to 1945 in Europe and Germany.
He married Ruby Goodman Shears on July 9, 1943, at Columbus.
She died Jan. 5, 1994.
Survivors include a son, Bob Shears, Galena route 2; a daughter, Dixie Farris, Galena route 2; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Arrangements are pending with Derfelt Funeral Home, Galena.
Grace Ross
CHEROKEE, Kan. - Grace Juanita Lair Ross, 66, 501 Larch St., died at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, 1997, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, after a long illness.
Mrs. Ross was born Jan. 6, 1931, at Columbus.
She lived most of her life in Weir.
She moved to rural Cherokee in 1975 and to her current residence five years ago.
She was a homemaker.
She was the cook at Weir Grade School for 14 years.
She retired in October 1996.
She was a member of the Methodist Church.
She was a member of Kent Chapter No. 117 Order of the Eastern Star, Weir, and Chee-Craw Chapter No. 31 Cooks Organization in Southeast Kansas.
She married Samuel J. Ross on July 24, 1948, in Weir.
He died on Oct. 4, 1996.
Survivors include three sons, John Ross, Cherokee, Jim Ross, West Mineral, and David Ross, Scammon; a daughter, Sandra Westervelt, rural Cherokee; a brother, Archie Lair, Pittsburg; three sisters, Essie Mynatt, Pittsburg, Hazel Hartman, Springfield, Mo., and Ruby Mingori, Pittsburg route 2; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir, with the Rev. Jeff Martin officiating.
Burial will be in Hosey Hill Cemetery, Weir.
Order of the Eastern Star rites will be conducted by Kent Chapter No. 117 at 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Friends may call at their convenience at the home in Cherokee or after 2 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Contributions may be made to St. John's Hospice or the American Cancer Society, in care of the funeral home.
Larry Withrow
OSWEGO, Kan. - Larry Dale Withrow Sr., 50, Morenci, Ariz., a former Oswego area resident, died Sunday, Jan. 26, 1997, at a hospital in Morenci of an apparent heart attack.
Mr. Withrow was born Sept. 4, 1946, in Oswego. He grew up and attended school in Chetopa.
He had lived in Labette County for several years before he moved to Morenci, where he worked for the Phelps Dodge mining company as a truck driver and shovel operator until his death.
He was a veteran of the Army who served one year in Germany and two years in Vietnam.
Survivors include a son, Larry D. Withrow Jr., Morenci; two daughters, Anita L. Garcia and Laurie G. Billingsly, both of the state of Arizona; two brothers, Donnie Withrow, Joplin, Mo., and Kenny Withrow, Chetopa; two sisters, Carolyn Hull, Chetopa, and Diane Bentley, Oswego; a half sister, Debbie Withrow, Parsons; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Assembly of God Church, Chetopa.
The Rev. Jon Withrow will officiate.
Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, rural Chetopa.
Visitation will be from 7 to 8 p.m. today at Bath Funeral Home, Chetopa.
