OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Ervin Gailey, 92, passed away on Monday, May 20, 2019, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. He was born on May 23, 1926, in Rocky Comfort, Mo., the son of Arthur and Ella Routhon Gailey.

Ervin grew up in Gentry, Ark., and had lived in Siloam Springs, Ark., before moving to Osage City in 1960.

Ervin owned and operated Gailey’s Cleaners, at Osage City, from 1960 to 1990. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was a member of the Osage City American Legion and the Salt Creek Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, Lyndon, Kan.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Benny J. Brouhard, 58, of Osage City, Kan., passed away at his home on Sunday, May 19, 2019. He was born Dec. 19, 1960, in Topeka, Kan., the son of Francis L. and Barbara Wood Brouhard.

He was raised in Topeka and lived there until moving to Osage County 20 years ago. He enjoyed hand working on knives and target shooting. Earlier in his life he enjoyed hunting. Benny also liked to spend as much time with his family as possible. He was known for his engaging personality and ability to give everybody a hard time.

LYNDON, Kan. – Linda S. Post, 68, passed away Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born May 15, 1951, in Topeka, the daughter of Floyd and Doris James Hoy.

Linda grew up in Osage County and attended Howard Grade School. Linda graduated from Overbrook High School with the last class that graduated from the school in 1969. She was a purchasing agent for the U.S. Army, in Maryland. Most recently Linda was a payroll clerk at Valeo, in Topeka. She enjoyed taking trips with Mike in their Mustang.

LYNDON, Kan. – Elton N. Decker, 86, passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at his home near Lyndon, Kan. He was born on Jan. 27, 1933, in Vermontville Township, Michigan, the son of Ard and Ina Hamilton Decker.

Elton grew up in Michigan and had lived in Haven, Kan., before moving to rural Lyndon in 1967. Elton served four years in the United States Air Force after high school. He then served in the Kansas Air National Guard at Forbes Field in Topeka until his retirement in 1993 at the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. He was a bus driver for the Lyndon school district for 17 years. He was one of the initial organizers of the Osage County Recycling Center.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Carl William “Bill” Spicer, 64, passed away Sunday, May 5, 2019, at his home surrounded by family. He was born March 1, 1955, in Emporia, Kan., the son of Clarence Edward and Claire Jean (Asklund) Spicer.

He graduated in 1973 from Osage City High School, Osage City, Kan. He played JUCO basketball one year and then attended Emporia State University for a year.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Margaret M. Coleman, 79, passed away May 5, 2019 at her home surrounded by family.

Margaret Marie Rudolph was born Aug. 17, 1939, in Stanley, N.D., the daughter of Oscar Charles and Edith (Fenstermacker) Rudolph.

She graduated from high school at Stanley. She had worked as a human resource manager for the U.S. Postal Service. She was a member of the Red Hats and Club 15.

LYNDON, Kan. – C.D. Olsen, 67, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at his home in Lyndon, Kan. He was born on Oct. 8, 1951, in Holdrege, Neb., the son of Eggert and Gevon Carlson Olsen.

C.D. had lived in Lyndon since 1989. He opened Sports-Mart in 1986 near Lake Pomona, then in Perry, Kan., and then north of Lyndon. He served in the U.S. Army and the Kansas National Guard.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Janet Douglas, 83, passed away on Thursday, May 2, 2019, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. She was born on Nov. 17, 1935, in Augusta, Kan., the daughter of Glenn and Bessie Richie Markley.

Janet grew up in Augusta and had lived in Neodesha and Emporia, Kan., before moving to Osage City in 1987.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Jill Nicole Casten Downing, 38, passed away on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at her home in Manhattan, Kan. She was born on June 17, 1980, in Ottawa, Kan., the daughter of the late Joyce (Stinson) Casten and Jeff Casten.

Jill grew up in Quememo, Kan., and graduated from Marais des Cygnes Valley High School in 1998. She had lived in Manhattan since 2014.

Jill received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics from Kansas State University in 2002, and a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 2005, along with a Ph.D. in agriculture and extension education from Virginia Tech in 2011.

EMPORIA, Kan. – Wanda Lucille (Raney) Hanks, 81, passed away Sunday, April 21, 2019, at Presbyterian Manor, Emporia, Kan. Wanda was born April 25, 1937, in Tulare, Calif., the daughter of Alva Robert and Jewell Louetta Ann (Hays) Raney. She moved to Norwood, Mo., at the age of 7 and attended school there.

CARBONDALE, Kan. – Hellen E. Starkebaum, 92, of Carbondale, Kan., passed away April 18, 2019, at her home. She was born Nov. 11, 1926, in Dover, Okla., one of nine children of Charles Tucker Beckmon and Anna Marie Chriestenson Beckmon.

She grew up in Kingfisher County, Okla., before moving to Kansas with her family as a teenager. 

TECUMSEH, Kan. – Bernadine “Bernie” C. Dreher, 79, of Tecumseh, Kan., left this earth on April 13, 2019, surrounded by her family. She was born on June 7, 1939, in Topeka, Kan., the daughter of Leo Francis and Georgia Frances (Koehler) Donahue. They preceded her in death.

Bernie taught ceramics for a period of time. When Fred, husband of 61 years, retired from Santa Fe, they made ceramics and stoneware pieces, attending craft shows to sell them for more than 25 years. She was a member of Mater Dei Assumption Catholic Church.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Albert Smith, 95, passed away on Monday, April 8, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan. He was born on July 17, 1923, on the family farm north of Osage City, Kan., the son of Virgil and Florence Anderson Smith Sr.

Albert had lived near Richland, Kan., before moving to a farm north of Overbrook, Kan. Albert served in the United States Navy as a Petty Officer 2nd Class from 1943 to 1946 during World War II. He had farmed for 68 years.

LYNDON, Kan. – Jack C. Wells, 68, was born May 24, 1950, in McPherson, Kan. He suffered a stroke and died unexpectedly at his home in Lyndon, Kan., on March 28, 2019.

Jack grew up in McPherson. He graduated from McPherson High School with the class of 1968. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. He was also very creative in his kitchen. He enjoyed volunteering with the Red Cross and Harvesters Community Food Network. Jack’s success as a sales representative allowed him to enjoy retirement for many years before his death. 

TULSA, Okla. – Darla Joy Terry, 58, passed away on Sunday, March 3, 2019, at her home in Tulsa, Okla. She was born on March 13, 1960, in Emporia, Kan., the daughter of Leroy and Jeannine Smith.

Darla graduated from Lyndon High School, Lyndon, Kan., in 1978. Darla loved to laugh and have a good time telling jokes, pulling pranks and playing cards. She enjoyed time with her sons and adored having her two grandsons visit. Darla enjoyed the companionship of her dog, Cowboy, and her cats.

POMONA, Kan. – passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2019, at Ransom Memorial Hospital, in Ottawa, Kan. He was born on Oct. 18, 1922, in Guide Rock, Neb., the son of Louie and Anna Schnittiker Kiehl.

Cliff grew up in Nebraska and travelled extensively working construction. He retired as a carpentry supervisor. He had lived near Pomona, Kan., for many years. Cliff served in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in North Africa, Sicily and the Italian Campaign at Anzio. He always loved camping, boating, fishing and hunting with his family, especially with his grandkids and great-grandkids.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – John Pankratz, 81, passed away on Monday, March 25, 2019, at the Olathe Medical Center, Olathe, Kan. He was born on March 2, 1938, in Halstead, Kan., the youngest of six children of John and Lydia Wiebe Pankratz.

John grew up in rural Hillsboro, and had lived in Wichita, Newton and Lyndon, before moving south of Overbrook, Kan., several years ago.

John owned and operated Pankratz Heating and Air for many years. Following that, he had worked for the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority as the building mechanic and FAA certified airport electrician.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Marjorie Louise Hunsicker, 101, went to be with the Lord on March 22, 2019, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. Marjorie Louise Jones was born Feb. 10, 1918, in Great Falls, Mont., the daughter of Clement Ira and Helen Margaret (Davis) Jones.

She graduated from Paseo High School, Kansas City, Mo.

She was joined in marriage to Noble Edward Hunsicker on June 29, 1940, in Kansas City, Mo. To this union five children were born, David, Dean, Darrell, Diane and Dallas. She was a homemaker and a mother.

LYNDON, Kan. – Janet Lorraine Howard, 81, passed away on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Comanche, Texas. She was born on July 11, 1937, in Holyoke, Colo., the second of five daughters to Glen and Winnie Kepler Alberts.

Janet grew up and attended school in Holyoke, and worked at the Dairy King with her mother and sisters. She had lived at Glen Elder, Kan., until moving to Lyndon, Kan., in 1967.
Janet was a homemaker until starting to work for Cook Construction Company, at Waconda Lake. After moving to Lyndon, she then worked for both Cook Construction and Neosho Construction during the building of Melvern Lake. She worked several years for Ned Hiatt’s RV Sales, near Vassar, Kan.

Janet was a founding member of the Lyndon United Methodist Preschool, where she worked as an assistant teacher for 12 years. Many children in the community knew her as “Grandma Janet”.

QUENEMO, Kan. – Jesse Hall Sr., 97, passed away on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, in Ottawa, Kan. He was born on Feb. 13, 1922, in Woodlake, Neb., the son of Thomas and Mary Jessep Hall.

Jesse attended school at Boatman School in Nemaha County, Neb., and lived in Falls City, Neb. He lived in Hiawatha, Kan., before moving to Quenemo, Kan. Jesse farmed for several years and then worked unloading coal cars in Nebraska. He worked at Monarch Egg Plant, in Hiawatha, until retiring in 1984.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Opal Morine Ireland, 88, of Overbrook, Kan., passed away Friday, March 15, 2019, at Brookside Manor, Overbrook. She was born Nov. 6, 1930, at Dearborn, Mo., the daughter of William Albert Richey and Laura Catherine (Mauzey) Richey.

Morine grew up in the Kansas City area attending Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, Kan.

On Feb. 3, 1951, Morine was united in marriage to Robert Wendell Ireland, in Kansas City, Mo. Bob and Morine were an inseparable pair. Their life journey together sent them all over the country, living in Hawaii, California, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. They settled in Overbrook in 1990, living in the area for the rest of their lives.