Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Chester L. Phelps
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. - Chester L. Phelps, 76, of Midwest City, Okla., died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003.
He was born Dec. 2, 1927, at Pittsburg to Ralph and Viola (Badart) Phelps. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years and the U.S. Air Force for 20 years.
He retired from the city of Midwest City. He was a longtime member of First Southern Baptist Church. He was a Mason at Midwest City No. 532, a 32-degree member of the Scottish Rite, and a member of Order of the Eastern Star.
He married Iris Cochran on Jan. 15, 1946, at Erie. She survives of the home.
Additional survivors include two sons, Wayne Phelps and Keith Phelps; three daughters, Sandy Stoner, Traci Wheat and Kris Wheat; 14 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by one son, Donald Phelps; two brothers, Ray Phelps and John Malle; and three sisters, Elizabeth Stover, Donna Pepper and Martha Pedro.
Services were Wednesday at First Southern Baptist Church. Burial was in Arlington Memory Gardens.
Leroy Logan Ross
JOPLIN, Mo. - Leroy Logan Ross, 84, of Joplin, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 2, 2004, at National Heath Care in Joplin following a period of illness.
He was born Feb. 15, 1919, at Chetopa to Roy Logan and Julia Augustine Pearson Ross.
He attended school at Mound Valley and served in the Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine during World War II. He was a serviceman for Sears in the Denver area for many years and moved to the Joplin area around 1984.
Survivors include his nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.
Graveside funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Mound Valley Cemetery with Jon Platte and Randy Satterfield officiating. Family and friends will gather at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Murdock Funeral Home in Columbus to go to the cemetery for services. Arrangements are under the direction of Murdock Funeral Home.
Lester Edwin Schaub
FORT SCOTT - Lester Edwin Schaub, 79, of Fort Scott, died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2004, at Freeman West hospital in Joplin, Mo.
He was born Feb. 6, 1924, at Arcadia to Joe and Mae Jenkins Schaub.
He was a heavy equipment operator for Mackie Clemens Coal Co. for 32 years and was a farmer and stockman. He was a member of Saint Gabriel's Catholic Church in Mulberry and the United Mine Workers. He moved to Fort Scott in October 1998.
He married Doris I. Harris on Feb. 24, 1945, at Arcadia. She survives of the home.
Additional survivors one daughter, Connie Morris of Arcadia; two sons, Larry Schaub of Olathe and Don Schaub of Arcadia; one sister, Ruby Myers of Pittsburg; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Charles "Bud" Schaub; and one sister, Barbara "Elva" Elliott.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Cheney Witt Memorial Chapel in Fort Scott with William James Schafer officiating. Burial will follow at the Garden of Memories Cemetery near Pittsburg. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. Tuesday until service time at the chapel. Arrangements are under the direction of Cheney Witt Memorial Chapel.
Gladys M. Schubert
Gladys M. Schubert, 71, of Pittsburg, died at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, 2004, at Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg.
Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Bath-Naylor Funeral Home of Pittsburg.
John D. Genser
John D. Genser, 76, of 1243 S. 230th St., died at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, January 2, 1999, at his home. He had been in ill heath for several years.
He was born June 14, 1922, at Kirkwood, to John P. and Jesse Hinkle Genser. He attended Kirkwood schools and was a lifelong Pittsburg area resident. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the European Theater as a T5 from 1942 to 1945.
He married Mildred Vankam, on Oct. 19, 1946. She survives of the home.
Mr. Genser farmed for several years. He also worked for the county road department and Pittsburg Ready Mix Concrete.
He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. He also was a member of the American Legion Post No. 64 of Pittsburg.
Additional survivors include a son, Doug Genser of Rogers, Ark., two daughters, Mona Browne and Lisa Wenzel, both of Pittsburg; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. today at the St. John's Lutheran Church with the Rev. James Banner officiating. Burial will be in the Crocker Cemetery. Graveside flag-folding services will be conducted by the Benjamin A. Fuller Post No. 64 of the American Legion. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brenner Mortuary, 114 E. Fourth St.
Steven Wallace Denby
Steven Wallace Denby, 39, of the Pittsburg area, died Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998, as a result of a single car accident on Highway 126 west of Pittsburg.
He was born Nov. 24, 1959, at Liberty, Texas, to Jack and Bobbie Jean Eddings Denby.
Survivors include his ex-wife, Brenda Jackson Denby of Fort Scott; three daughters, Selia Denby Morris of Pleasanton, and Nicole Leigh Denby and Stephanie Heather Denby both of Fort Scott; his father of Tenaha, Texas; a brother, David Denby of Texas; a sister, Darlene White of Carthage, Texas; and a grandson.
He was preceded in death by his mother and a brother, Bo Denby.
Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6 at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home at Fort Scott. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery at Fort Scott.
Edgar Barnett Jr.
Edgar Barnett Jr., 83, of 471 E. 520th Ave., died at 8:20 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4, 1999, at Medicalodge South.
He was born Aug. 14, 1915, at Kansas City, Mo., to Edgar Barnett Sr. and Beryl Piazer Barnett. He attended Kansas City, Mo. schools.
He married Naoma Schmidt, on April 1, 1943.
He worked for Pittcraft Printing from 1946, when he moved to Pittsburg, until 1977.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Eugene Schmidt of Arvado, Colo. and Richard Barnett of Vacaville, Calif.; three granddaughters; six great-grandchildren; a nephew; and a niece.
He was preceded in death by a brother.
Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at the Brenner Chapel with the Rev. Theodore Inman of the First United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in the Crocker Cemetery, southeast of Pittsburg. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brenner Mortuary, 114 E. Fourth St.
Anna Daisy Culp
Anna Daisy Culp, 82, of Kansas City, Mo., died at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at Mt. Carmel Medical Center.
She was born Nov. 1, 1918, at Faucett, Mo., to Gerald B. and Mary Rhodes Clark.
She attended KU Medical Center and received a practical nursing degree.
On Feb. 1, 1943, she married Dr. Roy V. Culp. He preceded her in death in February of 1994.
Mrs. Culp was a homemaker.
She was a member of the North Kansas City United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir. She also sang in the Greater Kansas City Area Sweet Adelines Organization.
Survivors include one daughter, Gloria M. Kurtz of Altamont; one sister, Willis Gilmore of St. Joseph, Mo.; one brother, Robert Clark of Wathena; and one grandson.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, William and James Clark.
Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Evergreen Cemetery, Effingham. Burial will follow the services. Arrangements are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, 522 S. Broadway, Pittsburg.
Jean Ann Curtis
Jean Ann Curtis, 68, of Weir, died at 2:10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, at Mt. Carmel Medical Center. She had been in ill health for one year and a patient at the hospital since Dec. 25.
She was born Aug. 18, 1932, at Weir, to Ray and Maude Lucas Ross. She graduated from Weir High School in 1950.
Mrs. Curtis lived in the Anaheim, Calif., area for 30 years before returning to Weir in 1987.
On June 17, 1949, she married Vernon A. Curtis at Houston.
She worked for the Social Rehabilitation Service at Columbus for five years as a home health caregiver. She retired in 1994.
Mrs. Curtis was a member of the First Baptist Church in Cherokee and a former member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary in California for 10 years.
Survivors include her husband of the home; two sons, Michael Ray Curtis of California and Russell E. Curtis of Leesburg, Fla; one brother, Clifford Ross of Pittsburg; one sister, Nellie June McLaughlin of Lubbock, Texas; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Ellen Green and Doris Feely.
Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir, with the Rev. Jamie Tickel of the First Baptist Church in Cherokee officiating. Burial will be in Hosey Hill Cemetery, Weir. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Friends may call after 9 a.m. Monday at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir, which is handling all arrangements.
Serberian Iretus Spurgeon
JOPLIN, Mo. -- Serberian Iretus Spurgeon, 76, of Lamar, Mo., died at 1:35 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, 2001, at Freeman Hospital West, Joplin, Mo., after a lengthy illness.
She was born Oct. 20, 1924, in South Dakota, to Edmund and Mabel Mustain. She was adopted at age 6 by D.W. and Fannie Bass of Lamar.
On March 25, 1942, she married Herbert Edward Spurgeon at Lamar.
Mrs. Spurgeon was a homemaker.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lamar, where she was active in the Baptist Association.
Survivors include her husband of the home; two sons, David Spurgeon of Wadsworth, Ill. and Kelly Spurgeon of Baldwin; a daughter, Rita Cowardin of Joplin; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Lake Cemetery, Lamar. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday at Daniel Funeral Home, which is handling all arrangements.
Harold C. Purdy
ARKANSAS CITY -- Harold C. Purdy, 71, of Arkansas City, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at his home.
He was born July 31, 1929, at Pittsburg, to Claude A. and Ethel (Holland) Purdy. He was reared and educated at Pittsburg.
Mr. Purdy served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
On Jan. 16, 1954, he married Georgia Faye Trenary at Arkansas City. They lived in Arkansas City throughout their marriage.
He was a longtime employee of the City of Arkansas City. He worked in the street department for 30 years, retiring in 1993. He was a member of the Shelton Beaty Post No. 18 American Legion.
Survivors include his wife of the home; one sister, Helen Bogatay of Pittsburg; five sisters-in-law; one brother-in-law; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Charles and Ed Purdy; and a sister, Gerry Casper.
Graveside services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, at the Riverview Cemetery, Arkansas City. Arrangements are under the direction of Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home, Arkansas City.
George M. Demings
LAMAR, Mo. - George M. Demings, 58, of Lamar, Mo., died at 3:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003 at Freeman West Hospital at Joplin, Mo., following a brief illness.
He was born May 25, 1944, at Joplin, to Brink Demings and Mable Anderson Woerner. He was raised by his grandparents, Ruth and Frank Anderson.
He married Darlene Miller on March 20, 1965, at Lamar. She survives of the home.
Mr. Demings was the department head of the wood division at O'Sullivan Furniture at Lamar.
He was of the Christian faith.
Additional survivors include one daughter, Teresa Shelton of Carl Junction, Mo.; one half-brother, Dana Woerner of Joplin; and two granddaughters.
Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Lohmeyer-Konantz Funeral Home at Lamar. Burial will be in Lake Cemetery at Lamar. Arrangements are under the direction of Lohmeyer-Konantz Funeral Home.
Mildred I. Shipp
Mildred I. Shipp, 76, of Pittsburg, died at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at her daughter's home, 1119 S. 220th St., Pittsburg. She had been in ill health for two years.
She was born Sept. 14, 1924, at Weir, to Fred W. and Cora Fern Garritson Ristau. She had lived in the Pittsburg area most of her life.
On Aug. 26, 1962, she married Roy Jack Shipp in Iowa. He preceded her in death Feb. 10, 1974.
Mrs. Shipp was a homemaker, and with her husband, operated the Trading Post and the Shipp Wrecking Company, both on Langdon Lane, Pittsburg. She also worked as a receptionist at Langdon Lane Animal Hospital, Pittsburg, until she retired in 1990.
Survivors include four daughters, Judy Thomas of Pittsburg, Marvel Lee "Pat" Cummings of Arma, Joyce Jacobs of Pittsburg and Della McDaniel of Pittsburg; one son, Roy C. Shipp II of Parsons; two sisters, Anna Marie Wells of Crestline and Sue Cobb St. Clair of Scammon; 14 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and five sisters.
Private graveside services will be Sunday at Hosey Hill Cemetery, Weir, with the Rev. Daryl Gaddy of the Lighthouse Tabernacle officiating. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. today at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir, where friends may call after 3 p.m. today. Friends also may call at their convenience at the home of Della McDaniel, 1119 S. 220th St. Arrangements are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir.
