Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
JAMES DALE MELROY
James Dale Melroy, 73, Ottawa, died Monday, June 4, 2007, at his home. Graveside services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa.
He was born Dec. 26, 1933, at Ottawa, to Thomas M. and Iris I. (Slane) Melroy.
He was a lifelong Ottawa resident.
He graduated from Ottawa High School in 1951.
He was a member of the United States Army from 1954 to 1955 in the 79th A.A.A. Battalion Gun and Guided Missiles. He achieved the rank of corporal.
He was a member of Aerie Lodge No. 2700 Fraternal Order of Eagles, Ottawa.
He worked as a professional painter. He worked for Hercules Inc. and Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, DeSoto, for 18 years. He also worked at Pelton-Morrisey Painters and Mealman-Gorton Contractors, both of Ottawa; Salb Construction, Lawrence; and Baker University, Baldwin City, for two years. He retired in 1997.
He married
Juanita M. Clark in 1957. They divorced. He married
Leah T. Smith in 1975 at Burlington. She survives.
Survivors also include son, James Melroy, and his wife, Judy, Wichita; daughter, Lora (Melroy) Johnson, Florence, S.C.; stepdaughters, Jane Smith and Larry Geiss, Lawrence, and Terri Smith, and her husband, Robert, Longford; sister, Mary Cockrell, and her husband, Don, Platte City, Mo.; granddaughter, Amie Dubuisson, Carriere, Miss.; step-grandson, Ryan Horne, Mission; step-granddaughters, Robin Smith, and Kendra Smith, both of Kansas City, Mo.; great-grandson, Jace Bentley Dubuisson, Carriere, Mo.; and step great-grandson, Rhett Stephen Horne, Gridley.
He was preceded in death by brothers, Robert G. Melroy and Paul Melroy; and sisters, Donna A. Melroy and Joyce Robinson.
Friends may pay their respects after 5 p.m. Friday to the service hour at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa. Family will meet with friends from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Midland Hospice in care of Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory St. Ottawa KS 66067.
NELLIE MORRIS
Nellie Morris, 94, Ottawa, died Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at the Richmond Care Center, Richmond. Graveside services will be 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Fouts Cemetery, Franklin County.
She was born Sept. 6, 1912, in Franklin County to William Edward and Maud (Hamilton) O'Neal.
She was a lifetime resident of Franklin County. She had lived in the same house in Ottawa from 1945 until she moved to Richmond in 2006.
She was a member of Ottawa Church of the Nazarene and Far and Near Community Club.
She was a homemaker.
She married
Frank Morris March 6, 1940, at Ottawa. He preceded her in death Dec. 25, 1976.
Survivors include a son, Wayne L. Morris, and his wife, Laraine, Overland Park; granddaughters, Lori Bell, Lee's Summit, Mo., Shelley Hayward, Princeton, Libby Godambe, Memphis, Tenn., Tracy Warner, West Des Moines, Iowa, Karen Colwell, Shawnee, and Mindi Masoner, Chaunte; and 17 great-grandchildren.
She also was preceded in death by sisters, Etta Irene Taylor and Mary Gladys Finch.
Family will meet with friends at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa, and proceed to thecemeteryat 2 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Ottawa Senior Center Activity Fund in care of Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory St. Ottawa KS 66067.
BRUCE C. STARKS
Bruce C. Starks, 72, Ottawa, died Monday, June 4, 2007.
The funeral will be 10 a.m. Friday at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa.
Visitors may pay their respects after 10 a.m. Thursday at the mortuary, where the family will meet friends from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa.
MICHAEL LEROY STEVENS SR.
Michael LeRoy Stevens, 46, Joplin, Mo., died Thursday, May 30, 2007. Services will be 4 p.m. Sunday at Ottawa Community Church.
He was born August 23, 1960, at Fort Wayne, Ind., to James and Bertha Stevens.
He graduated from Gardner High School.
He worked as a long haul driver.
He married
Leslie Jeanne Crittenden Feb. 19, 1999, at Ottawa. She survives.
Survivors also include a son, Michael Stevens Jr., Salina; his parents, Joplin. Mo.; brothers, Tim Stevens, Joplin, Mo., Ed Stevens, Huntsville, Ala., and George Stevens, Hollister, Mo.; sister, Darla Adams, Warroad, Minn.; stepchildren, Tino Calderon, Katie Calderon and Samuel Harrison; and grandsons, Bubba Calderon, Ethan Calderon, Elias Calderon and Evan Calderon.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Misty Stevens.
He was cremated.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Ottawa Community Church, 109 W. Ninth St., Ottawa KS 66067.
BILLY V. COOPER
Billy V. Cooper, 78, Welda, died Thursday, June 7, 2007, at Pinecrest Nursing Home, Humboldt. Services will be 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Farris-Feuerborn Memorial Chapel, Garnett.
He was born Feb. 11, 1929, at Toronto to William Vance and Dorothy Jane (Williamson) Cooper.
He graduated from high school at Vilas.
He was a member of the United States Army.
He worked as a switchman for the Sante Fe Railroad.
He married
Ophelia Heidelberg in 1952. They divorced. He married
Maxine Turner Rook in 1972. She preceded him in death. He married
Frances Miller March 21, 1992. She survives.
Survivors also include sons Billy Justin Cooper, Camden, Mo., and Timothy Brian Cooper, Independence, Mo.; a stepson, Douglas Nickelson, Overland Park; daughters Teresa Lynn Cummins, Gravois Mills, Mo., and Sherry Diane Spence, Holt, Mo.; stepdaughters Debra Brooks, Garnett, and Kathi Nickelson, Paola; a brother, Eddie Cooper, Burlington; a sister, Leah Melroy, Ottawa; stepmother, Eunice Cooper, Iola; 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Burial will be at Welda Cemetery, Welda.
Friends may pay their respects from 1 p.m. to the service hour at Farris-Feuerborn Memorial Chapel, Garnett.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Welda Community Building in care of Farris-Feuerborn Memorial Chapels Inc., P.O. Box 408, Garnett KS 66032.
DR. GARY L. WRIGHT
Dr. Gary L. Wright, 70, Leawood, passed away Thursday, June 7, 2007, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by funeral services at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 9, at Mt. Moriah & Freeman Funeral Chapel, 10507 Holmes Road. Burial will be in Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
Dr. Wright was born May 23, 1937, in Casey, Iowa. He was a graduate of Greenfield High School in Greenfield, Iowa, the University of Iowa and University of Iowa, College of Dentistry. He practiced as a dentist in Fayette, Iowa, Charles City, Iowa, and in the Kansas City area. He also taught at the University of Missouri, Kansas City Dental School and Johnson County Community College.
Gary was a kind, gentle and loving father and grandfather. He felt that one of the most important things in life was to help others. He will be greatly missed.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Olen "Bud" and Mildred Wright. He is survived by his son, Brent Wright and his wife Kelley; his daughter, Shelly Frank and her husband Ken, Ottawa; his brother, C. Larry Wright and his wife, Jeanette; his brother, Ronald Wright and his wife Sandra; and his six beautiful granddaughters, Sarah and Gracie Wright, and Lindsay, Rachel, Lauren and Katie Frank, all of Ottawa.
Arrangements made by Mt. Moriah & Freeman Chapel, (816) 942-2004.
