Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Mildred L. Grant
COLUMBUS - Mildred Louise Grant, 88, of rural Columbus died early Tuesday, July 8, 2003, at her home, where she had lived for more than 70 years.
She was born Oct. 2, 1914, in Columbus to Albert George and Mary Elizabeth (Robbins) Scowden. She attended area schools.
She married Joseph J. Grant on Aug. 19, 1933. He preceded her in death on Jan. 7, 1995.
She was a homemaker.
She was a former member of St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Scammon and a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Columbus and its Altar Society.
She is survived by a son, Daniel Grant of rural Columbus; two daughters, Louise Ferraro of Columbus and Doris Grant of rural Columbus; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by five brothers, Arthur, Albert, Joseph, Ralph and Roland Scowden; and three sisters, Jennave Pennington, Della Hoffman and Ola Sims.
The service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Scammon with the Rev. Chrysostom Ah Maung officiating. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. today at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home in Weir, where the parish rosary will said be at 7 p.m.
Norman H. Grassi
PITTSBURG - Norman H. Grassi, 80, of Pittsburg died at 2:20 p.m. Thursday, July 31, 2003, at Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg.
He was born July 24, 1923, in Pittsburg to John and Dollie (Patten) Grassi. He was a lifetime Pittsburg resident and a 1941 graduate of Pittsburg High School.
He served in the Army during World War II and was stationed in Europe.
He married Maxine Fanska. They later divorced. He married Pauline Brunetti. They later divorced.
Mr. Grassi was a clerk for the United States Postal Service for 25 years, retiring in 1983.
He was a member of First Christian Church in Pittsburg, where he also served as elder. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Benjamin Fuller American Legion Post No. 64, the Kiwanis Club, Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center Red Coats, Masonic Lodge No. 187 and chapter No. 550 of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, where he also served as secretary, all in Pittsburg. He volunteered for the Southeast Kansas Humane Society and Project Warmth. He was a member of the American Red Cross, the Mirza Shrine, Scottish Rite of Free Masonry in Fort Scott and a former member of the Mirza Funsters. He performed and worked at the Pittsburg Municipal Auditorium. He had also delivered Meals on Wheels.
Survivors include a son, Richard J. Grassi of Topeka; a daughter, Nancy L. Wickes of Moreno Valley, Calif.; four grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; two brothers, Lewis A. Grassi of Seneca, Mo., and Harry L. Grassi of Cape Fair, Mo.; and two sisters, Ruby M. Grassi of Pittsburg and Mary Ann Wallace of Weir.
He was preceded in death by a brother, John Grassi.
The service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at First Christian Church in Pittsburg with the Rev. Geoff Moran officiating. Burial will follow in the Garden of Memories Cemetery, where the Benjamin Fuller American Legion Post No. 64 of Pittsburg will conduct a flag ceremony. The Pittsburg Masonic Lodge No. 187 will conduct Masonic rites at 7 p.m. Sunday at First Christian Church, after which the family will receive friends until 8 p.m.
Friends may call at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. until noon Monday.
Memorials are suggested to First Christian Church or the Mirza Shrine Transportation Fund and may be brought in or mailed to the funeral home, 522 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, 66762.
W.E. 'Gene' Gray
HALLOWELL - W.E. "Gene" Gray died Monday, June 30, 2003, at his home. He was born March 17, 1925, in Ramona, Okla., to Wally and Maulcie (Fiddler) Gray. He was a structural mechanic for Rockwell Aircraft and Aerospace Industries in Wichita until his retirement. He was in the Army from 1943 to 1946 during World War II.
He attended the Baptist Church in Oswego and was a member of the Joe Carter VFW Post No. 1372 of Columbus.
He married Ruth E. Hutson on Nov. 12, 1983, in Miami, Okla. She survives of the home.
Other survivors include four sons, Wallace "Wally" Gray of Oswego, Kenny Gray of Sommerville, S.C., and Dennis and Randy Gray, both of Tulsa; four stepchildren, Nelda of Tulsa, Sharon Jacobs of Oswego, Phyllis Arnold and Jeff Hutson, both of Cassville, Mo.; 15 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Everett Gray of Udall and Bill Gray of Wichita; and one sister, Joyce Coates of Bartlesville, Okla.
The service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Murdock Funeral Home in Oswego with the Rev. John Meckling officiating. Burial will be in the Oswego Cemetery. Friends may call until 8 p.m. today at the funeral home, where the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Charlotte M. Green
McCUNE - Charlotte M. (Stevens) Green, 82, of McCune died at 3:07 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004, at Cornerstone Village in Pittsburg.
She was born May 14, 1921, in Cherokee County to Daniel A. and Zana (Tabler) Morgan. She graduated from West Mineral High School in 1939.
She married Herbert C. Stevens on April 11, 1941, in Independence. He preceded her in death on Aug. 18, 1967.
She married Hap Green on Nov. 3, 1970. He preceded her in death on Nov. 27, 1992.
She was a mental health technician at Parsons State Hospital and Training Center for 28 years.
She was a member of Osage Church of the Brethren, Order of Eastern Star since 1957, Benjamin Fuller American Legion Auxiliary Post No. 64, McCune Improvement Club and the Jolly Quilters Club.
Survivors include one daughter, Marilyn Kirby of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; two grandchildren; and one brother, James Wells of Independence.
She was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.
The service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Osage Church of the Brethren with the Rev. Harold Groth officiating. The casket will remained closed at the church. Following the service cremation will take place. Private burial of the cremains will take place later at McCune Cemetery. Friends may call from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Brenner Mortuary Chapel in Pittsburg.
Memorials to Lupus Foundation-Kansas Chapter may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, 114 E. Fourth, Pittsburg, 66762.
Margaret A. Grover
CHETOPA - Margaret Ann Grover, 72, of Chetopa died at 7:55 p.m. Saturday, May 1, 2004, at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin.
She was born March 6, 1931, in Chetopa to Delbert Edwin and Lola Waunita (Clark) Plummer. She attended Chetopa High School. She left Chetopa in 1948 and moved to Texas, where she worked as a security guard for Republic Bank of Dallas. She retired in 1985.
She married Marion Grover on Sept. 13, 1981, in Mesquite, Texas. They returned to Chetopa in 1993, where they lived on the Neosho River. He preceded her in death on March 22, 2004.
Survivors include a son, Russell E. Finley of Waxahachie, Texas; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; her father, Delbert Edwin Plummer of Chetopa; a brother, Don Clark Plummer of Chetopa; and a sister, Wanda Lou LaGrassa of Rhome, Texas.
She was also preceded in death by two brothers.
The service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Thomas Funeral Home in Welch, Okla., with the Rev. Steve Kiernan officiating. Burial will be in Oakhill Cemetery in Chetopa.
Mary F. Hanson
CHANUTE - Mary F. Hanson, 83, of Chanute died at noon Wednesday, June 23, 2004, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute after a brief illness.
She was born Jan. 24, 1921, in Chanute to Charles and Mabel A. (McConnell) Polson. She graduated from Chanute High School and Neosho County Junior College at Chanute.
She married Charles Whitlock in 1940 at Chanute. He preceded her in death in 1950.
She married Vernon Hanson in 1958 in Chanute. He preceded her in death in 1981.
She was a pilot as a young woman. She enjoyed sewing and baking.
Survivors include one daughter, Barbara J. Mather of Earlton; two grandsons, Wade Mather of Boise, Idaho, and Tim Mather of Salol, Minn.; six great-grandchildren; and a brother-in-law, Charles W. "Web" Hanson of Englewood, Calif.
She was preceded in death by a son, Bob Whitlock.
Cremation will take place. A private service will be held later.
Memorials to Chanute Public Library may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons.
Melvin E. Harris
ST. PAUL - Melvin E. Harris, 75, of rural St. Paul died at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, May 1, 2004, at his home. He had been in failing health.
He was born Oct. 18, 1928, in Medford, Okla., to Herbert O. and Nettie (Centgraf) Harris. He moved with his family to Mountain Home, Ark., for a short time before moving to rural St. Paul at age 10. He attended elementary school on the Big Island near St. Paul and St. Paul High School.
He served in the Army in Korea. Following his discharge he returned to the St. Paul area. He farmed in the St. Paul and McCune areas all of his adult life. He was also a school bus driver for St. Paul and McCune schools.
He was a member of Galesburg Christian Church and was on the board of directors of Neosho County Farm Bureau.
He married Elsie Wort on Sept. 20, 1958, in McCune. She survives of the home.
Other survivors include a son, Daniel D. Harris of Casper, Wyo.; a daughter, Spring Harris of Pittsburg; six grandchildren; a brother, Robert Harris of Chanute; and two sisters, Beulah Wiley of Los Angeles, and Eva Nell Hurd of Bremerton, Wash.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, William, John and Elbert; and four sisters, Ida Seibert, Helen Guidry, Mabel Harris and Wilma Harris.
The service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home with Chris Burke officiating. Burial will be in McCune Cemetery with military honors given by Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Parsons. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to either Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice or Galesburg Christian Church and may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, 405 Main, Parsons.
John S. Harshaw
OSWEGO - John S. Harshaw, 78, of Oswego died Thursday, June 24, 2004, at the Infinia Nursing Center in Oswego.
He was born Jan. 17, 1926, to Oliver H. and Ona (Wilkins) Harshaw on the family farm southwest of Oswego. He attended Rural School District No. 57 (Campbell) and Oswego grade school and high school.
He married Marjorie May on June 11, 1948. They were divorced. He worked for Blue Valley Creamery, then for a number of years in oil fields in several states. He later moved to Wichita, where he was employed at Boeing Aircraft for more than 30 years, retiring in 1991. He lived in Andover when a tornado on April 26, 1991, destroyed his trailer home. He moved into a new home in the Oswego Hillside Trailer Park in August 2000, where he resided when he suffered a stroke on May 17, 2004.
He enjoyed tinkering, collecting what-nots and refinishing old clocks.
Survivors include three sisters, Lois Robison of Altamont, Marian Becker of Oswego and Elizabeth Cooper of Chetopa; and three brothers, Eldon Harshaw of Oswego, Kenneth Harshaw of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Maurice Harshaw of Fredonia.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Francis.
The service will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Murdock Funeral Home with burial in Oswego Cemetery. Friends may call until 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. until time of service Saturday at the funeral home.
John D. Hartman
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. - John D. Hartman, 79, of Carl Junction, Mo., formerly of Parsons, died at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday, May 26, 2004, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.
He was born May 7, 1925, in Weir to William D. and Elizabeth (Tempfer) Hartman. He graduated from Weir High School. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg.
He had been a teacher and football coach. He retired as district manager for Prudential Insurance in Joplin.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
He married Dolores Strahota on Aug. 20, 1949. She preceded him in death on Dec. 13, 1999.
He enjoyed golf and was a member of the Briarbrook Country Club, Joplin.
Survivors include three sons, John R. Hartman of Aurora, Colo., Steve Hartman of Coffeyville and Hal Hartman of Kansas City, Mo.; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The service was May 22 at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home in Pittsburg.
Memorials to American Cancer Society may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, 522 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, 66762.
DeLores D. 'Dee' Hayden
JOPLIN - DeLores D. "Dee" Hayden, 66, of Joplin, formerly of Bartlett, died at 8:40 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003, at Freeman East Hospital in Joplin. She had been ill for several months.
She was born Nov. 8, 1937, at Bartlett to Carl J. and DeReva D. (Thompson) Murphy. She grew up in Bartlett and graduated from Labette County Community High School in Altamont. She attended Coffeyville Junior College.
She married Harley R. Hayden on Aug. 26, 1956, at Bartlett. He survives of the home. They had lived in Wichita for 12 years and Hurst, Texas, for 32 years. They moved to Joplin in September 2000.
She was a member of St. Vincent Episcopal Church in Hurst and the Jane Dean Coffey Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, in Coffeyville. In her youth she was a member of Rainbow Girls.
Survivors include two sons, Rex A. Hayden and his wife, Kathi, of Huntsville, Ala., and Maj. Rodney C. Hayden and his wife, Shawn, of Colorado Springs; three grandchildren, Nicole M. Hayden of Wenatchee, Wash., and Katie and Zachary Hayden, both of Colorado Springs; her mother of Joplin; and one sister, Carla Diediker of Joplin.
She was preceded in death by her father.
The service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Parsons with the Rev. Richard W. McCandless officiating. Burial will be in Lake Creek Cemetery at Bartlett.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials to the Freeman Hospital Foundation can be sent to the hospital at 1102 W. 32nd Street, Joplin, 64804, or to the funeral home, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
