LYNDON, Kan. – Eldon W. Mounkes, 89, passed away Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. He was born Oct. 5, 1931, in Bushong, Kan., the son of Elisha and Hattie (McKinley) Mounkes.

Eldon graduated from Olivet High School in 1950. He served in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1955, and was involved in Operation Castle, the hydrogen bomb test at Eniwetok. He had farmed with his father and then farmed on his own. Eldon worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation until his retirement.

VASSAR, Kan. – Larry Dean Bauerle Sr., 80, passed away Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, at the Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. He was born Jan. 21, 1940, in Holton, Kan., the adopted son of Roy and Dolly (Murphy) Bauerle.

Larry had lived in Topeka and had been coming to Pomona Lake since 1985. In 1994 he moved to Vassar, Kan., where he has lived since.

BURLINGTON, Kan. – Grace Marie Mayer died Jan. 13, 2021, at Burlington, Kan. She was 100 years old. She was born Grace Marie Lawson on Nov. 4, 1920, near Lyndon, Kan., to Frank F. Lawson and Maria Regina (Rohner) Lawson.

In 1942, Grace married Morris J. Wilson. They had two daughters, Patricia Marie (Wilson) Oestreich and Karen Kay (Wilson)(Allen) Reeves. In 1979, Grace married Arlie L. Mayer.

During her life, Grace lived in or near the Kansas towns of Lyndon, Melvern, Quenemo, Ottawa, Topeka, Garden City, Pomona, and Burlington. She had also lived in Paris, Mo., and Mission, Texas.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Dale Eugene Vandevord, 86, passed away Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, at Peterson Assisted Living, Osage City. Kan. He was born Aug. 8, 1934, in rural Scranton, Kan., the son of Clifford L. and Anna Mae (Jones) Vandevord.

Dale graduated from Burlingame High School, Burlingame, Kan.

He was joined in marriage to Mary Flora Fisher, Nov. 24, 1954.

MELVERN, Kan. – Mary Ellen Arb, 85, passed away Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, at her home in Melvern, Kan. She was born July 6, 1935, in Melvern, the daughter of Herbert and Mary (Barbee) Criqui.

Mary Ellen had lived most of her life in the Melvern community, where she graduated from Melvern High School in 1952. She worked for Bell Telephone as a payroll clerk until her retirement in 1997. She was a member of the Pioneers Club, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Melvern United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women.

AUBURN, Kan. – Lorena (McNabb) Fellers Carlat, 98, passed away Jan. 2, 2021, in Auburn, Kan. Lorena was born April 6, 1922, south of Melvern, Kan., the daughter of Lester and Clara (Patterson) McNabb.

Through her high school years, Lorena sang and performed at a radio station in Ottawa, Kan. Lorena graduated from Melvern High School in 1941.

She married Justin Fellers in Bentonville, Ark. Lorena went on the road to harvest wheat; she went from Texas to Canada. They divorced in 1952. She married Russell “Dale” Carlat, June 4, 1954, at Burlingame, Kan.

EFFINGHAM, Kan. – Paul Edward Lundgren, 76, passed away Dec. 28, 2020, at his home in Effingham, Kan. He was born in Emporia, Kan., the son of Albert H. and Pauline M. (Johnson) Lundgren.

Paul grew up on the family farm west of Osage City, Kan., and graduated from Osage City High School in 1962. He achieved the degrees Bachelor of Music Education in 1966, and Master of Music Education in 1974 from Kansas State University.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Lucille Keller, 101, Topeka, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020, at her home. She was born Nov. 18, 1919, in Burlingame, Kan., the daughter of Frank Greek and Margaret Ann (Beckley) Greek.

Lucille grew up and attended school in Burlingame.

On Aug. 14, 1936, Lucille was united in marriage to Clifford Keller, at Lyndon, Kan.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Travis Luney, 48, passed away Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in Overbrook, Kan. Travis was born Nov. 15, 1972, in Salina, Kan., to Charles E. “Sonny” and Mary L. (Corbin) Luney.

He grew up in Gypsum, Kan., and graduated from Southeast of Saline High School in 1991. Travis attended Hutchinson Community College, Hutchinson, Kan., for one year before entering the workforce. He started working at Tony’s Pizza, Salina, Kan. He then worked for Goodyear, Topeka, Kan., and moved to Overbrook to work at Ottawa Coop Feeds there. Most recently he was working at Walmart Distribution Center, Ottawa, Kan.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Cindy Moulin, 61, left her earthly home on Dec. 26, 2020, at KU Medical Center, surrounded by her husband and children. Cindy Lou Martin was born to Bill and Shirley Martin on Jan. 17, 1959, in Emporia, Kan.

To say that Cindy will be missed is inadequate. Her presence was larger than life, and while her physical absence will leave a deep hole, it will be filled with thousands of stories and memories she created with all those who knew and loved her.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Russell Wade Granberry, 50, Topeka, Kan., passed away Dec. 27, 2020, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka. He was born Aug. 26, 1970, in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Fred Granberry and Judith (Pancoast) Foster.

Russell grew up in San Antonio and graduated from John Marshall High School with the class of 1989. He then went on to serve his country in the United States Coast Guard from 1989 to 2005, attaining the rank of petty officer second class.

LYNDON, Kan. – Clayton Troy Spinks, 63, entered into heaven on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, surrounded by his family, at St. Francis Hospital, Topeka, Kan. He was born Dec. 12, 1957, in Springdale, Ark., the son of Troy and Margaret (Boyd) Spinks.

Clayton had grown up in Arkansas and had lived in Lyndon, Kan., since 1983. He graduated from the Tulsa Welding School in 1979, and had worked for General Electric as a welder during the construction of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant, Burlington, Kan. He had served in the Army National Guard. He worked as a drywall specialist for Drywall System Inc., Wichita, Kan., for the last several years.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Thomas “Tom” Martin Lane, 81, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, at the Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. Tom was born Jan. 20, 1939, on his family farm near Osage City, the son of William and Alice (Martin) Lane, and stepfather, John Black.

Tom graduated from Osage City High School in 1956. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army, with a tour in Germany 1959-1961 and returned for stateside duty until 1965. Upon returning home from his overseas tour, Tom took over the family farm operation in Osage City. 

OTTAWA, Kan. – Kenneth Arthur Garber, 62, of Ottawa, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at his home. He was born Sept. 24, 1958, in Yakima, Wash., the son of Harold Arthur and Wilma (Deamond) Garber.

He grew up and graduated from Yakima High School in 1977. Kenneth served our country in the U.S. Army National Guard.

QUENEMO, Kan. – Retha Mae (Fine) Shaw, 66, Quenemo, Kan., departed this life Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at her home surrounded by her family. She was born March 2, 1954, in Ottawa, Kan., the daughter of Thomas and Velma (Turner) Fine.

She grew up in Quenemo and graduated from Quenemo High School in 1972.

On Sept. 30, 1972, at Quenemo Baptist Church, Quenemo, Retha was united in marriage to Sanford “Sandy” Harold Shaw.

BURLINGAME, Kan. – Gilbert E. “Bud” Masters, 80, Burlingame, Kan., went home to be with the Lord on Dec. 14, 2020. He was born July 7, 1940, in Harveyville, Kan., and was raised in Burlingame and lived there his whole life. He was the son of Gilbert L. “Irish” and Mary Ingraham Masters.

He graduated from Burlingame High School in 1958. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1963. Through high school he worked for Fast Motor Company, which fed his love of driving Pontiacs. Upon return from the Navy, he worked for Martin Marietta, then farmed until he retired. After retirement he was a master daycare grandpa, and folk art craftsman.

SCRANTON, Kan. – Rosabelle “Petie” R. (Herr) Harris, 92, of Scranton, Kan., departed this life on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at the Aldersgate Village, Topeka, Kan. She was born Dec. 13, 1928, in Butler, S.D., the daughter of William Fredrick and Diana (Regneir) Herr.

Petie graduated from high school in Grand Rapids, Minn.

On June 14, 1958, at the base chapel at Forbes Field Air Force Base in Topeka, Kan., Petie was united in marriage to Martin Loyd Harris.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Jimmie R. Kebert, 66, of Rural Overbrook, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at his home with his companion, Debbie Lavis, by his side. Jimmie was born Sept. 9, 1954, in Topeka, Kan., the son of Harman and Pearl (Liggett) Kebert.

He graduated from Topeka High School in 1972. 

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Nancy Joan Cummings, 79, passed away Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at her home in Osage City, Kan. She was born Nov. 9, 1941, in Burlingame, Kan., the daughter of Arthur and Nadene Wiscombe Williamson.

Nancy graduated from Osage City High School in 1959. Nancy lived in Osage City until moving to Colorado in 1980; she moved back to Osage City in 2018. Nancy was a clerk and manager for Circle K and George’s True Value Hardware, in Ft. Lupton, Colo. She enjoyed quilt making, sewing, flower gardening, and helping others, and was a lover of animals, especially her dogs.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Arlene Loudell (Briggs) Peters, 94, of Topeka, Kan., departed this life Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, at Lexington Park Health and Rehab, Topeka. She was born April 14, 1926, on the family farm north of Burlingame, Kan., the daughter of Alvin L. and Elma I. (Wells) Briggs.

She grew up in Burlingame and graduated from Burlingame High School in 1943.

On Sept. 5, 1947, in Osage City, Kan., Arlene was united in marriage to Maurice Hayden Peters.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Mittchell Allen Elmore, 63, of Topeka, Kan., and formerly of Lyndon and Wellington, Kan., departed this life Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, at the Topeka Center for Rehab and Healthcare. Mittchell was born Oct. 15, 1957, in Wellington, the son of Leonard Corbett and Barbara Dawn (Hill) Elmore.

Mittchell grew up in Lyndon and graduated from Lyndon High School in 1975. He was a machinist by trade and worked most of his life for Plessey Aero Precision Corp., Wellington, as an aircraft machinist.