LYNDON, Kan. – Gerald “Jerry” Miller, 78, of Lyndon, Kan., passed away Nov. 13, 2019, following a long battle with COPD. He was born June 13, 1941, in Westmorland, Kan. He was the son of Alice and Charles Miller, formerly of Wamego, Kan.

He was in the U.S. Army during the Bay of Pigs invasion, and was a Nike missile radar operator at the base in Gardner, Kan.

SCRANTON, Kan. – Cassie Nicole “Otter” Ralston, 8, of Scranton, Kan., went to be with her Lord after passing away in her Daddy’s arms on Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. She was born June 27, 2011, in Topeka, Kan., the daughter of Terry and Becky (Thornton) Ralston. She was a third grader at Overbrook Attendance Center.

LYNDON, Kan. – Patricia Ann Burkdoll, 82, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, at the Fields of Brookside, in Overbrook, Kan. She was born July 10, 1937, near Quenemo, Kan., the daughter of Orville Jefferson and Edna Willine Wiggins Rose.

Pat had lived in Osage County all of her life – near Melvern for 12 years, and then east of Lyndon for more than 40 years.

ELGIN, Okla. – Frank J. Austin, 74, of Elgin, Okla., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, at his son’s home in Osage City, Kan. Frank James Austin was born Oct. 29, 1945, in Greensville, N.C., the son of George L. and Ada A. (Arnold) Austin.

Frank proudly retired from U.S. Army after approximately 21 years of service. After military career, he was a truck driver for many years.

WAVERLY, Kan. – Mary Edna (Burnett) Lacey, 98, passed away at her home Monday, Nov. 4, 2019. Mary Edna was born Oct. 2, 1921, to William Albert Burnett and Trilby Jane (Bell) Burnett, in Ha Ha Tonka, Mo.

She married Clarence Lacey, April 23, 1940. They shared 66 years of marriage.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Wanda Louise Fendley, 84, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, at Atria Hearthstone, Topeka, Kan. She was born on June 13, 1935, in Dennard, Ark., the daughter of Ralph and Glonah (Nunley) Miller.

Wanda had lived in Osage City, Kan., for almost 30 years.

BURLINGAME, Kan. – Betty Jean Hunter, 96, Burlingame, Kan., died Oct. 27, 2019, at Sunset Manor Nursing Home, Waverly, Kan. She was born Jan. 20, 1923.

Memorial services are pending in a few weeks.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Margaret Phillips, 70, of Osage City, Kan., passed away Oct. 22, 2019, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. Margaret was born Nov. 7, 1948, in Topeka.

Margaret lived most of her life in Osage City.

LYNDON, Kan. – Linda Short, 68, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born on June 24, 1951, in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of Everett and Beverly (Martin) Blackwell.

Linda had lived in Lyndon, Kan., several years. Linda was a homemaker most of her life and had worked at Jostens, in Topeka, Kan., as a printing press operator.

BERRYTON, Kan. – Paula L. Inman, 75, passed away Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, at her home in Berryton, Kan. Paula was born Feb. 9, 1944, in Huntington Beach, Calif., the daughter of James and Charlotte (Fiske) Kieffer.

She attended Tecumseh Elementary School, and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1962. She then graduated from Washburn University, Topeka, Kan., in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in English.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Rev. William “Bill” Tudor, 95, died Oct. 16, 2019, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. William Glenn Tudor was born June 7, 1924, in Lakeview, Ohio, the oldest of eight children of Omer William and Pauline Houchin Tudor.

He graduated from Belle Center, Ohio, High School in 1942, and worked as an aircraft mechanic at Wright Patterson Field before joining the Navy in 1943. He served on the USS Lake Champlain during World War II.

LYNDON, Kan. – Norma L. Allison, 98, passed away on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born on July 22, 1921, on the family farm near Vassar, Kan., the daughter of Henry and Edna (Kraft) Scheid.

Norma grew up around Vassar and had lived southeast of Lyndon, Kan., for more than 60 years. Norma worked on the farm, was a homemaker, had worked at Peterson Nursing Home, Osage City, Kan., for a time, and was the organist for the Melvern and Quenemo United Methodist churches.

LYNDON, Kan. – Mary Ann Goodrich, 85, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. She was born on Oct. 1, 1934, on the family farm near Melvern, Kan., the daughter of Harold C. and Sarah (Smith) Shelinbarger.

Mary Ann graduated from Melvern High School in 1953, then attended Topeka Beauty School. She owned and operated the Bluebird Beauty Salon, in Lyndon, Kan., until 1967. She had resided near Lyndon for more than 56 years.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Karen I. Hesseltine, 70, of Overbrook, Kan., died Oct. 11, 2019, at Midland Hospice Care Center, Topeka, Kan. She was the daughter of Merlin C. Bevitt and Doris N (Parrish) Bevitt.

Karen grew up and was a lifelong resident of the Overbrook area, graduating from Overbrook Rural High School with the class of 1967. Karen was a teacher’s aide at Overbrook Grade School and Scranton Grade School from 1980 to her retirement in 2012.

VASSAR, Kan. – Virgil Scheid, 87, passed away on Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. He was born Dec. 27, 1931, near Vassar, Kan., the youngest child of Henry and Edna Kraft Scheid.

Virgil had lived most all of his life around the Vassar community. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was discharged at the rank of staff sergeant. He worked at Goodyear Tire, in Topeka, Kan., for almost 40 years, he was also a farmer and stockman for most of his life.Virgil had served as an EMT and first responder, and was a member of the Vassar Cemetery Board and the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Delbert “Del” Dean Downs, 66, of Topeka, Kan., went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, at Stormont Vail Hospital. Delbert was born on June 3, 1953, in Topeka. He’s the son of Delbert and Virginia Waetzig Downs.

He married Sally, the love of his life, on Dec. 10, 1982, in Carbondale, Kan. Together they raised two children.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Judith Kay Tomlinson, 79, passed away Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. She was born Dec. 9, 1939, in Osage City, the daughter of Robert L. Sr. and Mildred E. Moore Tomlinson.

Judy was raised in Osage City and at the age of 13 moved to the Parsons Training Center. At the age of 21, Judy attended the KNI Training Center, in Topeka, Kan.

VASSAR, Kan. – Merlin Earl Smith, 81, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, at St. Francis Hospital, Topeka, Kan. He was born on May 2, 1938, in Lucerne, Mo., the son of Theodore and Pearl Guymon Smith.

Merlin grew up in Unionville, Mo., and after joining the Air Force, served at several air bases around the Midwest. He had lived in Topeka, Osage City and Vassar since 2003.

CARBONDALE, Kan. – Ronald E. Regester, 75, of Carbondale, Kan., passed away Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, at the Village Villa Nursing Home, Nortonville, Kan. Ron was born Aug. 6, 1944, in Clay Center, Kan., the son of Graham and Twila Carlson Regester.

He graduated from Appanoose High School. He served in the United States Air Force for 27 years. Ron worked at the Topeka VA Hospital for more than 22 years.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Shirley Ann Karr, 83, Overbrook, Kan., passed away Oct. 4, 2019, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born Feb. 4, 1936, in Kansas City, Kan., the daughter of James Knowles and Sarah Frances (Cox) Knowles.

Shirley grew up in Kansas City, and graduated from Argentine High School with the class of 1954.

CARBONDALE, Kan. – Pamela Rose Wideman, 62, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born Saturday, June 29, 1957, to Florence (Disney) and Edward Ferry, at St. Francis Hospital, Topeka.

Pam grew up in Topeka with her mom and younger brother Charlie. She enjoyed growing up very close to her Grandma Disney and extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins, especially her Aunt Sarah who was only 12 years older than her. She attended Highland Park Schools until the fall of 1973. Pam attended Shawnee Heights in 11th and 12th grade and graduated in May 1975.