TOPEKA, Kan. – Marianne Haag, 89, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, at Health Care Resort, Topeka, Kan. Marianne Waterman was born Sept. 4, 1930, in Washington, Kan., the daughter of George William and Laura Ellen (Day) Waterman.

She graduated from Washington High School.

QUENEMO, Kan. – Loren W. Gray, 81, passed away on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, at Morning Star, Ottawa, Kan. He was born on March 1, 1938, in Quenemo, Kan., the son of John and Lillian (Williams) Gray.

Loren had lived all of his life in the Quenemo community until moving to assisted living in Osage City and then Ottawa.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Max E. Heberling, 85, of Topeka, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka. He was born Oct. 5, 1934, in Topeka, the son of Eli and Lenora Heberling.

Max graduated from Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Kan. He served in the U.S Navy.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Edward James King, 88, of Osage City, Kan., passed away Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. He was born March 29, 1931, in Peterton, Kan., the son of David Thomas and Elizabeth Gasser King.

Ed attended Peterton Grade School and later graduated from Osage City High School with the class of 1948.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Loretta J. Massey, age 64, of Topeka, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, at Stormont Vail Hospital. Loretta was born Sept. 9, 1955. in Topeka, the daughter of Glenn and Lucille Holmes.

She attended Highland Park High School.

LAMPE, Mo. – Zane L. Wilson, Lampe, Mo., son of Jesse and Denzil (Tannehill) Wilson, was born March 14, 1946, in El Dorado, Kan., and departed this life on Dec. 27, 2019, at the age of 73.

Zane had been a resident of the Lampe area for three years, moving from Coolidge, Ariz., where he met his very best friend and partner, Juanita Gray. He was a Christian and member of Osage Methodist Church, but attended Lampe Baptist Church. Zane retired after 41 years with Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, Mo., as a machinist.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Bessie L. Bent, 87, Osage City, Kan., died Dec. 28, 2019, at Peterson Assisted Living. She was born July 13, 1932, in Atlanta, Neb., to Walter John and Gracie Ann Borden Lanning.

On Aug. 4, 1951, she married Curtis J. Bent, in Minden, Neb. They were the parents of a son and daughter. Curtis died in 1987.

AUBURN, Kan. – William “Bill” Birtell, 85, passed away Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan. He was born on Aug. 19, 1934, in Topeka, the son of Walter and Alta (Buchanan) Birtell.

Bill received his Doctorate in Veterinary Science from Kansas State University. He owned and operated Auburn Animal Clinic for many years, operated a hog farm operation, and was then a rural mail carrier until he retired.

LYNDON, Kan. – Mildred McCreight, 100, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. She was born on March 16, 1919, on the family farm near Vassar, Kan., the daughter of Vivian and Verna Redenbaugh Brecheisen.

Mildred grew up near Vassar and had lived in rural Lyndon, Kan., until moving into town. She graduated from Lyndon High School in 1937. She was a homemaker and farm wife and also worked as a CNA at Hilltop Nursing Home, Lyndon.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Jerald “Jerry” Schendel, 78, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka, Kan. He was born on April 1, 1941, on the family farm near Lyndon, Kan., the son of Henry and Zelma Sell Schendel.

Jerry had lived many years on the farm east of Lyndon, and then moved to Michigan Valley for a time before moving to Osage City. Jerry was a farmer most of his life and had been a bus driver for Topeka schools. He had attended Countryside Baptist Church, Osage City.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Mary Delores Rowe, 88, entered heaven on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, at Plaza West Healthcare, Topeka, Kan. She was born May 27, 1931, in Trenton, Neb., the daughter of Sam and Mary (Terell) Cemer.

Delores had lived many years in Blair, Neb., and had lived in Osage City, Kan., for the last 12 years. She graduated from Trenton High School, and she worked in housekeeping at Crowell Memorial Home, Blair, until retiring after 35 years.

BURLINGTON, Kan. – Jennarene Sarah Hawkins, 24, died in a tragic car accident north of Lyndon, Kan., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019. Jennarene was born Oct. 19, 1995, in Lebanon, N.H.

She was preceded in death by her father, Curtiss Bishop, and her grandfather, Roger Bishop.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Paul Francis Lawson Jr., 87, of Topeka, Kan., passed away Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Paul was born April 18, 1932, and raised by Russell “Chubb” and Pauline (Delano) Evertson.

Paul graduated from Melvern High School, Melvern, Kan. He served in the U.S. Air Force and fought in the Korean War. He worked at Goodyear for more than 30 years. He enjoyed driving for 1-70 Auto Auction after retirement.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Melvin L. Croucher, 92, passed away Nov. 23, 2019, at Clarehouse Hospice, Tulsa, Okla. He was born March 28, 1927, in Osage City, Kan., the son of Fred and Mabel (Plackett) Croucher.

Melvin graduated from Osage City High School. After high school, he proudly served with United States Navy.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Lowell D. Billbe, 68, passed away Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019, at his home in Topeka, Kan. Lowell was born Nov. 29, 1951, in Topeka, the son of Wallace and Myrtle (Hamilton) Billbe.

Lowell graduated from Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Kan., in 1969.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Richard Charles “Dick” Lindbloom, 81, passed away Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, at his home southwest of Osage City, Kan. He was born April 7, 1938, in Emporia, Kan., the son of Wilford C. and Eileen Pearson Lindbloom.

Dick attended Osage City High School and graduated with the class of 1956. Following high school he worked on the family farm west of Osage City.

Dick married the love of his life, Nancy Sue Evans, on June 6, 1965, in Lebo, Kan. During the early years of their marriage they made their home in the Stotler Community, until moving to their current home in 1984.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Gary Oliver Summers, 82, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019, at Midland Hospice House, in Topeka, Kan. He was born on June 9, 1937, in Royal Oak, Mich., the fifth child of Leslie Levi Summers and Edith Gibson Summers.

His parents divorced and Leslie married Anne Eggermont. The family moved to a farm near Poplar Bluff, Mo. Gary graduated from Campbell High School and served a short time with the Army Reserves.

He moved with friends to Kansas City, Mo., and worked in the die making and case making printing departments at Hallmark Cards. There, he met Frances Lea Ritchie, of Lawrence, Kan. They married Jan. 9, 1960, and settled in Warren, Mich.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Marilyn Elaine Hall, 84, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born on June 16, 1935, in Omaha, Neb., the daughter of John and Mary George Hoon.

Marilyn was raised in Springfield, Mass., until moving to Kansas City, Kan. She graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1953, and then she received a Bachelor’s in Education, Home Economics and Clothing from Kansas State University. She taught school in St. Louis and Webster Grove, Mo., and in Berkley, Calif.

GARNETT, Kan. – Frieda L. Hurt, 88, passed away Nov. 24, 2019, at St. Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. She was born Dec. 10, 1930, in California, Mo., the daughter of Fredrick and Mabel Lovick Schmutz.

Frieda had moved from Haven to Lyndon, Kan., in 1967, where she lived for more than 40 years, until moving to Topeka and then Garnett, Kan. Frieda was a homemaker and had worked in the office of the Osage County Clerk of the District Court for more than 15 years before retiring.

MELVERN, Kan. – Dale Lilly, 76, passed away Nov. 23, 2019, at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He was born Oct. 4, 1943, in Ottawa, Kan., the son of Warren W. and Dorothy (Sanderson) Lilly.

Dale graduated in 1961 from Melvern High School, Melvern, Kan. He served in the United States Navy 1965 to 1968. After completing basic training in San Diego, Dale served in the Naval Special Services at Pearl Harbor. While in Special Services, Dale was on the Navy basketball team. His SubPac Raiders basketball team participated in games throughout the United States and competed in the second and third Rainbow Classics in Honolulu, finishing second in 1966, losing to the University of California in the finals.

LYNDON, Kan. – Sarah Sue Reece, 60, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born on Oct. 15, 1959, in Topeka, the daughter of Donald and Nancy Streeter Reece.

Sarah had lived in the Lyndon and Melvern, Kan., communities for more than 40 years. She graduated from Lyndon High School in 1977.