OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Ilene Mueller, 78, passed away Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, at Osage Nursing Manor, in Osage City, Kan. Ilene Kay Freeman was born Nov. 2, 1940, in Santa Maria, Calif., the daughter of Milton B. “Pete” and Wilma Mae (Cokeley) Freeman.

She attended Osage City High School until the tenth grade.

She was joined in marriage to Edwin C. Mueller on Aug. 23, 1957, in Osage City. She had worked at Hallmark Cards as a napkin wrapper. Ilene was a former Scout commissioner for the Jayhawk Area Conference, and a Coast Guard auxiliary officer.

LYNDON, Kan. – Donald W. Jones, 68, passed away on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, at his home in Lyndon, Kan. He was born on May 7, 1951, in Emporia, Kan., the son of Donald and Doris Burns Jones.

Don lived all of his life in the Lyndon community. He graduated from Lyndon High School in 1969. He worked as an over the road truck driver for Don Jones and Son Trucking for many years, and then worked as an equipment operator for the Kansas Department of Transportation. He was a member of the Lyndon Jaycees. He was a member of the St. Patrick Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus, in Osage City.

BURLINGAME, Kan. – Larry Ray Smart, 68, Burlingame, Kan., died peacefully Sept. 7, 2019, surrounded by his beloved family. Larry was born June 10, 1951, in Topeka, Kan., the son of Faye Byron Smart and Irene Louie Salsbury Smart.

Larry spent the first few years of his life in Carbondale, Kan., before the family moved to Osage City, Kan. While attending Osage City High School, Larry worked for his father at the Vickers filling station and doing custom wheat harvest. He graduated from Osage City High School in 1969.

MADISON, Kan. – Ronald Dwain Presley, 70, of Madison, Kan., passed away Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at a Wichita, Kan., hospital. He was born June 26, 1949, in Rickman, Tenn., the son of A.P. and Beulah Copeland Presley.

He moved with his family to northeast Kansas when he was 14 years old. Ron developed a strong lifelong work ethic as a young man. At the age of 16 he went out on his own and took a job at a local apple orchard and later at a local cheese factory.

Loyal F. Seifert, 83, passed away Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Midland Hospice Care, Topeka, Kan. He was born April 1, 1936, in Aline, Okla., the son of John F. and Maggie (Prisk) Seifert.

He graduated from Labette County High School, Altamont, Kan.

Loyal was joined in marriage to Margaret A. Terril, Aug. 1, 1954, on a family farm near Altamont.

VALLEY FALLS, Kan. – Roger K. Frakes, 77, Valley Falls, Kan., died unexpectedly Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, at his home. He was born Dec. 20, 1941, at Valley Falls, the son of Raymond C. and Ruth Smith Frakes.

He graduated from Effingham High School in 1960. He served in the U.S. Navy, and attained the rank of second class petty officer. Roger retired in 1991 from Southwestern Bell Telephone Company after 27 years of service.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Frances V. Kunard, 91, formerly of Overbrook and Topeka, Kan., passed into eternal life on Aug. 29, 2019, at Horizons Care Center, Eckert, Colo. Frances was born on April 25, 1928, in Augusta, Iowa, the daughter of Edward L and Biddy Lou Nina (Richardson) Kentch.

She was a member of Carbondale Baptist Church, Carbondale, Kan., and later an active member of Northland Christian Church, in Topeka.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Glenn L. Moon, 80, of Topeka, Kan., passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka. He was born July 29, 1939, in Topeka. He was raised by his parents, Glenn W. and Olive Moon, in North Topeka.

Glenn spent some years of his life in California and Texas before returning to Topeka.

READING, Kan. – Dale Melvin Davies, 93, passed away Tuesday morning, Aug. 20, 2019, at his home in Reading, Kan. He was born on Nov. 24, 1925, in Emporia, Kan., the son of Jacob Charles and Olive Jernigan Davies.

He began attending the Reading United Methodist Church as a child and continued throughout his life. Dale attended Reading High School and graduated with the class of 1943.

MELVERN, Kan. – Yvonne Petrechko, 65, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019, at Kansas City Hospice House, Kansas City, Mo. She was born on Aug. 11, 1954, in Olathe, Kan., the daughter of Herbert and Sarah Poe Grimes.

Yvonne had lived near Bonner Springs, Kan., and graduated from DeSoto High School. She lived in Lebo, Kan., for a number of years and had been in Melvern, Kan., for the last year and a half. She had worked for Southwestern Bell and AT&T as an operator.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Ruth Anderson, 94, of Overbrook, Kan., passed away Aug. 20, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan. She was born Jan. 12, 1925, in Exeter, Calif., the daughter of Miles Daniel Durkee and Percie Jane (Severn) Durkee. Her mother died just three months after Ruth was born.

Ruth grew up living with various relatives in Nebraska and Iowa, and attended a boarding school in Gravette, Ark. In 1943, she graduated from Baldwin City High School, Baldwin City, Kan.

LYNDON, Kan. – David W. Wilson was born on Nov. 1, 1955, in Ottawa, Kan., the son of Robert K. and Betty J. Peterson Wilson. He departed this life on Aug. 17, 2019, at his home in Lyndon, Kan., at the age of 63.

David had lived in Ottawa, Kan., for nearly 30 years before moving to Lyndon in 1982. David attended school in Ottawa, but his real education came from hard work, friends, and his interest in making things work. He worked for Duke Manufacturing, Hanna’s Auto, Wolf Creek Power Plant and the city of Lyndon, with many other jobs in between. David started working for the city of Lyndon in 2003. He held the job of maintenance supervisor for 16 years. He took great pride in the small town that is his family’s lifetime home.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Henry Keith Murphy, 57, passed away Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, at his home in Osage City, Kan. He was born May 9, 1962, in Prescott, Ariz., the son of James Wesley Murphy and Lorie Havlick.

He was an iron worker and finish carpenter.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Kathryn “Kathy” Coffman, 61, passed away on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan. She was born on April 12, 1958, in Wichita, Kan., the daughter of Rex and Leona Orindgreff Fanning.

Kathy grew up in Melvern, lived in Osage City, and had been in Overbrook, Kan., for more than 30 years. Kathy was an insurance agent for many years in Osage City and Overbrook. She was co-owner of the Scranton Tavern for the last several years.

LYNDON, Kan. – Wilma Schwemmer, 96, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. She was born on Oct. 27, 1922, in Lawrence, Kan., the daughter of W.C. and Lydia Hildenbrand Wulfkuhle.

Wilma had lived in Stull, Kan., for many years before moving to rural Lyndon, Kan., in 1969. Wilma worked for Gibb’s Clothing as a sales clerk and bookkeeper. Most of her life was spent as a farmer’s wife.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Carleen H. “Carla” Bach, 98, was lovingly supported by family and friends until she passed away Aug. 4, 2019, in Topeka, Kan. She was born in Dwight, Kan., on Sept. 7, 1920, on the family farm, a child of the Great Depression, Prohibition and Dust Bowl era. She was the daughter of John Harrison “Harry” and Birdie Lynn Crute Swartz.

Carla graduated from Dwight Rural High School in 1938 and attended nursing school in Salina, Kan.

ESKRIDGE, Kan. – Todd E. Lewis, 53, of Eskridge, Kan., died on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, from injuries suffered in an accident south of Eskridge on July 31. He was born April 12, 1966, in Topeka, Kan.

Todd was a generous and loving man who enjoyed the outdoors and working with his hands. He graduated from Lyndon High School, Lyndon, Kan., in 1984, joined the Army, and fought in Desert Storm. He was honorably discharged in 1997.     

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Opal Zetmeir, 100, passed away on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan. She was born on Feb. 19, 1919, near Olivet, Kan., the daughter of Homer and Bertha Criqui Allison.

Opal grew up near Olivet, lived around the Melvern Lake area, and then lived many years east of Osage City. Opal had worked as a riveter at Boeing in Wichita, Kan., during World War II, and was then a homemaker most of her life. She attended the United Methodist Church.

VASSAR, Kan. – Charles E. Sypher passed away on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan., at the age of 80. He was born on March 9, 1939, in Mullinsville, Kan., the son of Orville E. and Ovie E. (Pedigo) Sypher.

At an early age, the family moved to Greensburg, Kan., where Charles attended elementary school and graduated from Greensburg High School in 1957. After graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force National Guard while working for Panhandle Eastern Pipeline.

LYNDON, Kan. – Floy McElfresh, 71, passed away May 26, 2019, in Ogden, Utah. She was born Sept. 10, 1947, in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of Floyd and Wilma Brim McElfresh.

Floy had lived in Lyndon, Kan., for the last 49 years, and had been in Utah with her son for three months.

Floy worked for the Osage County Sheriff’s Department for 32 years until her retirement.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Allene Coffman Hesseltine, 97, died July 29, 2019, at home in Overbrook, Kan. She was the daughter of Ross A. Coffman and Maudie E. (Radcliff) Coffman. She was born Feb. 19, 1922, on a farm one mile south of Overbrook.

She had two brothers, Gerald Coffman and Albert Coffman, and two sisters, Marjorie Coffman and Doris Marshall. She attended Overbrook Rural School, graduating from high school in 1939. She worked in Kansas City.

She started dating Ralph Hesseltine, whom she had known since the eighth grade and had been good friends.