Gilbert O. Warnick Jr.
Gilbert O. Warnick Jr., 40, Half Way, died Saturday, May 5, 2001, in Springfield as the result of a homicide.
He is survived by three sisters, Enid Taylor of Arcadia, Kan., Debra Tennon of Kansas City and Julie Warnick of Half Way; and one brother, Robert Keener of Livingston, Texas.
He was a member of First Baptist Church, Mulberry, Kan., and had served in the U.S. Army.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Greenlawn Funeral Home North, Springfield.
Burial will be at a later date in Springfield Veterans' Cemetery.
Ella L. McShane
Ella Lona McShane, 97, Humansville, died Sunday, May 20, 2001, in Big Spring Care Center, Humansville. The daughter of Alonzo and Laura Wilson Kearney, she was born Sept. 5, 1903, at Collins. She married Neil McShane Sept. 15, 1923. He preceded her in death Sept. 21, 1982. She was preceded in death by a son, Wendell McShane; a great-grandson, Brian Eppinger; three sisters, Elsie Simrell and two who died in infancy; and four brothers, Vora Kearney, Fred Kearney, Dewey Kearney and Wilson Kearney.
A homemaker, she and her husband lived on a farm south of Flemington. She was a long-time member of the Flemington United Methodist Church, later joining the Humansville United Methodist Church. Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Jim Peters, Indian Wells, Calif.; five grandchildren and their spouses, Sandra and Ed Eppinger, Patsy and Mike Sprowls, Wendy and Billy Garver, Kenny and Deb McShane and Kathy Hill; 11 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 24, in Murray Chapel, Humansville, with the Rev. Dan Good officiating.
Music will be by Jon Neill accompanied by Arlene Lear. Pallbearers will be Troy McShane, Tyler McShane, Jeff Sprowls, Tyler Lear, Barry McCoy, Nathan Garver and Cody Garver. Interment will be in Flemington Cemetery under the direction of Murray Funeral Home. Visitation will be today (Wednesday) from 7 to 8 p.m.
Dwight Orrell
Glen Dwight Lee Orrell, 57, died Wednesday, May 2, 2001, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Kansas City after a lengthy illness. He was born February 23, 1944, to William Lee and Amanda Elizabeth Robertson Orrell. Dwight served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from 1960 to 1963. He then went to Kansas City where he worked as a drywall finisher for over 30 years. He was a member of Howard S. Keeling American Legion Post. His parents and three brothers, Lloyd Junior Orrell, Delmer Gene Orrell and William Ralph Orrell, preceded him in death. Survivors include a son, John Allen, Hemet, Calif.; two daughters, Monica Gail, state of Arizona, and Yvonna Faye, state of Arkansas; two brothers, Kenneth Dean Orrell, Bolivar, and Charles Arthur Orrell, Collins; four sisters, Ruth Rowan, Springfield, Vonda Truelove, Holland, Texas, Norma Smith, Van Buren, and Velma Gilmore, Half Way; four grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Graveside services were Saturday, May 5, at New Bethel Cemetery, south of Half Way, with the Rev. Harold Hendrickson officiating. Amvets Post No. 114 Honor Guard conducted military rites. Services were under the direction of Murray Funeral Home.
Patricia M. Petersen
Patricia Mae Petersen, 76, Humansville, died at 10:10 p.m. Monday, May 7, 2001, in her home. The daughter of Walter and Charlotte Lasater Babbitt, she was born at St. Louis May 1, 1925. She married Wallace D. Petersen Sept. 24, 1948, in Kansas City. A homemaker, she had lived in Humansville since 1978, previously living in Colorado for 15 years. Survivors include her husband, Wallace of the home; three daughters, Patricia A. Hudgens and Nancy L. Webster, both of Humansville, and Lynn M. Fisher, Denver, Colo.; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. No services are planned.
Her remains will be scattered in Colorado at a later date. Cremation was under the direction of Murray Funeral Home.
Phillip E. Pursley
Phillip E. "Phil" Pursley, Bolivar passed away on Friday, May 18, 2001, at 6:35 a.m. in his home after a short illness, at the age of 80 years, 7 months and 20 days. Phil was born Sept. 28, 1920, in Bolivar the son of Harry H. and Vera Johnson Pursley. He was united in marriage to Marie Davidson in March of 1942 and to this union three daughters were born; Phyllis, Dixie and Freddie. He was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Bolivar, where he attended until the time of his illness.
Phil served his country in World War II, being stationed at Fort Sill, Okla.
He was Honorably Discharged from service in 1943. He had worked as an electrician for more than 50 years. Phil was a loving husband, father, grandpa, and great papa. He is survived by his wife of 59 years Marie Pursley, three daughters and their husbands; Phyllis and David Davis, and Dixie and Danny Hitchcock, of Bolivar, and Freddie and Larry Moore of Polk. Also a sister, Avonell Strader of Springfield, and a brother, Lano Pursley and his wife Pauline of Walnut Grove. Nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law and her husband, Vinnie and Bud Bridges. Funeral services were Sunday, May 20, 2001, in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Finis R. Roberts and Pastor Mark Summers officiating. Music was provided by the Parsons Sisters, with Donna Cole as the pianist. Phil's request for musical selections were: "The Everlasting Arms," "The Last Mile Of The Way" and "In The Garden." Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery with Pastor Gary Parsons officiating. Full Military Honors were conducted by the Galmey V.F.W. Post No. 9638. Casketbearers were Frank Kepes, L. D. Silvey, Jerry Carson, Robert Breshears, Dudley Huckaby and Jerald Hofstetter. Honorary Casketbearers were Lavern Moore, Allen Capehart, Danny Breshears, Rusty Lashinske and Gerald Wistance.
Joe B. Richards
Joe B. Richards, 70, Kansas City, Kan., died Friday, May 11, 2001, at his home. He was born in Sentinel and had lived in Kansas City, Kan., for the past 48 years, moving from Bolivar. He was a self-employed barber in the Kansas City stockyards for 44 years after graduating from Barber College in California. He was a corporal in the Marine Corps serving in the Korean War and was a member of the American Legion and the Last Man's Club. He was preceded in death by his mother, Pearl Richards, in 1998 and his father Joe Richards, in 1930. He is survived by his wife, Sue of the home; a son and daughter-in-law, John Joseph and Karen of Linwood, Kan.; a daughter and son-in-law, JoBeth and Steve Roper of Kansas City, Kan.; a sister, Mari Frances Andrews of Ojai, Calif.; an aunt, Alice Hicks of Bolivar; his brothers and sisters-in-law; six granddaughters and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Services were Wednesday, May 16, at the Highland Park Funeral Home with burial in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
Crescencio Rivera
Camerino Rivera Crescencio Rivera, 23, and Camerino Rivera, 21, both of Kansas City, Kan., died Saturday, May 12, 2001, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident one mile south of Bolivar at the intersection of Mo. 83 and Mo. 13. The sons of Crescencio Rivera Montero and Modesta Suriano Mauricio, they were born in Acayucan, Vera Cruz, Mexico. Crescencio was a printing company machine operator and Camerino was a farm laborer.
They were Roman Catholic. Survivors include their parents, Crescencio Rivera and Modesta Suriano, Acayucan, Vera Cruz, Mexico; two brothers, Beato Rivera and Fabian Rivera, both of Kansas City, Kan.; and one sister, Ana Luz Rivera, Acayucan, Vera Cruz Mexico. Services and burial will be in Acayucan, Vera Cruz, Mexico. Local arrangements were under the direction of Murray Funeral Home.
James F. Rogers
James F. Rogers, 55, Pleasant Hope, died at 8:10 p.m. Monday, May 14, 2001, at his home.
He was retired from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corp.
Graveside services will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of Greenlawn Funeral Home North, Springfield.
Lena Scott
Lena Scott, 53, Flemington, died Tuesday, May 22, 2001, at St. John's Regional Health Center, Springfield. She was a homemaker and had moved to the Flemington area in 1983. Survivors include her husband of 25 years, John E. Scott of the home; two sons, John Scott Jr. of Ozark and Christopher Scott of the home; a daughter, Reva Spencer of Osceola; a sister, Mona Harrison of Carl's Junction; and three grandchildren. Services were Saturday, May 26, 2001, at Hathaway-Peterman Funeral Home Chapel, Wheatland, with the Rev. Larry Sherman officiating. Burial was in Lehman Cemetery, north of Elkton.
Venna Lavon Seamster
Venna Lavon Seamster, age 67 of Polk, died at Noon, Sunday, May 6, 2001, at Citizen's Memorial Hospital in Bolivar after a sudden illness.
She was born in Jamesport to Robert D. Barnes and Jewell Simpson Barnes on April 15, 1934. She lived most of her childhood in Polk. She was saved and baptized into Sentinal Missionary Baptist Church at a young age where she remained a member. She was united in marriage to Alvie K. Seamster on Nov. 11, 1950, and they spent most of their lives together in Wichita, Kan., where Venna made a career as a merchandiser and Alvie as a carpenter. They returned to Polk in 1998. Surviving is her husband, Alvie K. Seamster of the home; a daughter, Sandra Schmidt and her husband, Mick, of Rogersville; and two sons, Alan Seamster and his wife, Karla, of Yates Center, Kan., and Leslie Seamster of Polk; two brothers, Grimes Barnes of Polk, and Ronald Barnes of Aiken, S.C.; her eight grandchildren, James Seamster of Oklahoma, Jeremy Dale Seamster, Tracy Anderson, Sheri Resser, and Shane Skelley all of Wichita, Kan., Samantha Seamster of Yates Center, Kan., and Stasha Schmidt and Angela Schmidt of Rogersville; and five great-grandchildren, Cody Resser, Jacob Seamster, Christian Seamster, Keisha Anderson and Angela Anderson, all of Wichita, Kan. Venna was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Darrel Barnes; and a grandson, Chad Seamster. Venna knew no stranger. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and a friend to all. She had many young people who also called her grandma. She loved and accepted each of them as if they truly were her grandchildren. She loved the new house Alvie so lovingly built for them. Her family was very special to her. She had a precious gift of knowing just the right things to do and say that made each family member feel the love she had for each of them. Venna loved working outside with her flowers, watching the birds, and also spent many hours crocheting or embroidering gifts for others. She will be missed tremendously by all who knew her, but knowing she is with the Lord and reunited with her parents, brings some comfort to her loved ones. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. today (Wednesday) in the Butler Funeral Home Chapel in Bolivar with Bro. Donnie Lightfoot officiating. Musical selections will be "Amazing Grace," "Precious Memories," and "I'll Fly Away."
Burial will be in the Payne Cemetery north of Polk. Casketbearers will be James Seamster, Jeremy Seamster, Shane Skelley, Dave Anderson, Leroy Seamster, Randy Barnes, Gary Seamster and Bobby Monier.
