Obituaries from May 2004

Mary E. Renfro, 81, Pleasant Hill, died May 30, 2004, at Lee's Summit Hospital in Lee's Summit. She was born on Nov. 11, 1922, in San Antonio, Texas, to Fred Newland and Myrtle B. Pattee Newland. On July 13, 1940, she married Hugh Renfro in Fort Scott, Kan...

Charles Loyal Malcom, 78, Augusta, Kan., died May 5, 2004. He was born May 14, 1925. Visitation will be on Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m., with family present from 2 to 4 p.m., at Hillside Funeral Home in Augusta, Kan. Services will be Monday, at 10 a.m., at the Hope Community Church in Andover, Kan. ...

Wayne Eugene Ryan, 74, Schell City, died May 5, 2004, at his home. He was born on May 3, 1930, in St. Francis, Kan., the son of John Roscoe and Florence LaDell (Cole) Ryan. He married Yvonne Roseline Slack on June 6, 1958, in Loup City, Neb., and she preceded him in death...

James N. Blackman, 96, died Wednesday, May 12, 2004, at Moore-Few Care Center, Nevada. He was born on March 4, 1908, in Liberal, the son of Sam Norton and Nell (Roberts) Blackman. He graduated from Liberal High School in 1926. He married Lucille Lasley on Dec. ...

Edith Mae Rider 72,, formerly of Nevada, died on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, at Macon Healthcare in Macon, Mo., following a lengthy illness. She was born on Sep. 1, 1931, in Lewistown, Mo., to Ralph Edward Fink and Mabel Mae Benner Fink. She married Lovell Glen Rider in June 1960 in Girard, Kan., and he preceded her in death on Jan. 17, 1997...

Paul F. Jenner, 70, St. Joseph, Mo., died Friday, April 30, 2004, at a Kansas City hospital. He was born on July 17, 1933, in Sibley, Iowa. He was a retired associate professor at Missouri Western State College. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church; the Optimist Club; Genealogy Club; and was an active volunteer with Camp Hope, the library and AARP Scores...

Cleo Ione Barrett, 81, Nevada, passed away Wednesday, May 12, 2004, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, following a brief illness. She was born Oct. 31, 1922, in Nevada, to Floyd Walter Smith and Inez Margaret Jones. Cleo was born and raised in Nevada, and graduated from Nevada High School in 1940. ...

Tai Tong (Papa) Yuan, 83, Nevada, died May 14, 2004, at 10:45 p.m. at his home. Born Feb. 28, 1921, in Zhejiang Shaoxing, China, he was the son of Tsai, and Kim Yuan, both of China. Mr. Yuan graduated from the Teachers Academy in 1936, joined the Chinese Air Force Weather Service where he served during World War II. ...

James Allen Rickey Jr., 23, the oldest son of James Allen Rickey Sr. and Donna Kay (Bryant) Rickey was born February 25, 1981, in Kansas city, Mo., and passed from this life on Friday, May 14, 2004, west of Rockville, Mo. Early in his life he, along with his family moved to Harwood. ...

Gilbert Coy Pawley, 88, passed away Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, Mo., following an illness of several weeks. He was born June 2, 1915, in Moundville, to Jesse Pawley and Cora Grooms Pawley. He was married June 21, 1965, in Camdenton, to Faye Butler Pawley. She preceded him in death in 1988...

Billy R. Edwards, 48, Nevada, died Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at Nevada Regional Medical Center in Nevada following a lengthy illness. He was born Dec. 4, 1955, in Kansas City, Mo., to Ronald W. Edwards and Rose M. Stevens Current. He lived in Kansas City for 20 years prior to coming to Nevada in 1975...

Victoria Anne Faith Middleton, 22 months, Walker, died May 17, 2004. She was born on July 27, 2002, in Walker to Steven Dale and Heather Lynn (Buttorff) Middleton. She is survived by her parents, Steven and Heather Middleton, Walker; five brothers, Steven, Matthew, Lawton, Benjamin and Michael; one sister, Christanne, all of the home; maternal grandmother, Wanda Buttorff, Walker; paternal grandfather, Duane Middleton, Clinton, Ark.; and a paternal grandmother, Beverly Middleton, Albion, Ind...

Edaward Lee Taylor, 85, Rich Hill, died Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at the Olathe Medical Center, Olathe, Kan. He is survived by his wife, Marcine Taylor, of the home; three sons, Lee Taylor, David Taylor and Kenneth Taylor, all of Rich Hill; and seven grandchildren...

Jack L. Ferrell, Rich Hill, died May 17, 2004, at Willow Lane Center, Butler. Veteran memorial services will be held Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m., at the Green Lawn Cemetery, Rich Hill, with burial following services. Services under the direction of the Heuser Funeral Home...

Hazel Marie Pokorny, 92, Nevada, died Thursday, May 20, 2004, at the Barone Alzheimer's Care Center in Nevada. She was born June 6, 1911, in Nevada, to Willis Earl Wilcox and Anna Updergraft Wilcox. She was married in Nevada, to Justin Merle Pokorny who preceded her in death. ...

Ernest Baertschi, 97, Nevada, passed away Thursday, May 20, 2004, at Moore-Few Care Center in Nevada. He was born April 30, 1907, in Thayer, Mo., to Mathias Baertschi and Emma Rose Munz Baertschi. He was married December 6, 1940, in Thayer, Mo., to Lorene Mills Baertschi. She preceded him in death Jan. 17, 1995...

Edna Virginia Keena Pearson, Tulsa, Okla., passed away Sunday May 23, 2004, at St. John Medical Center. She was born March 19, 1923, in Nevada, to Frank W. and Ella Sharp Keeno, who predeceased her. After graduation from Nevada High School in 1941, she attended Cotty College, graduating in 1943...

John E. Strack, 80, Bolivar, died Saturday, May 22, 2004, in the Missouri Veteran's Home, Mt. Vernon. He was born May 11, 1924, in Columbus, Neb., to John C. and Anna Korger Strack. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran. From 1964 to 1988 he was a resident of Nevada and employed as supervisor of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Department at the Nevada State Hospital...

Melvin K. Mosher, 82, Nevada, died Sunday, May 23, 2004, at Nevada Regional Medical Center following a short illness. He was born March 30, 1922, in Schell City, to Henry Grant Mosher and Lillian Echelle Mosher. He married Beatrice Lucille Belcher on March 9, 1968, in Nowata, Okla., and she preceded him in death on Feb. 22, 1997...

Douglas Lynn Payton, 36, Columbia, Mo., formerly of Nevada, died Friday, May 21, 2004, at his home in Columbia. He was born July 21, 1967, in Nevada, to David L. Smith and Betty Lou Payton. He grew up and went to school in Nevada. At the age of 17, he joined the National Guard and served for three years in Ft. Leonardwood, Virginia, Nevada, and Illinois. He has lived in Columbia, for the past eight years...

Michael E. Wright, 54, of Clinton, Mo., died Sunday, May 23, 2004, at his home in Clinton. Memorial services will be 11 a.m., Wednesday at Vansant-Mills Chapel, Clinton. Family will receive friends 1/2 hour before the service. Family suggests contributions to Twin Lakes Hospice, Clinton, or Eagles Lodge, Clinton, and may be left at the funeral home. Arrangements Vansaat-Mills Funeral Horne (660) 885-2021...

Neva Claudia Ames Post, 86, Bronaugh, died Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at Moore-Few Care Center, Nevada, following an illness of three months. The second daughter of John and Claudia (Neete) Ames, she was born August 26, 1917, at Green City, Mo. At the age of two years she moved with her parents and sister, Hazel, to a farm home east of Bronaugh. ...

Emmett W. Vaughn, 84, died March 8, 2004. He was born in Schell City on Feb. 20, 1920. He was a member of Masonic Lodge No. 448 A.F. and A.M. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and the Korean War. Before receiving his bachelor of arts and masters of arts degrees at the University of Northern Colorado he worked at the Denver Dry and did construction work in Morocco for several years...

Ruth Banwart, 86, Lamar, died May 24, 2004, at Cox South, Springfield, following a short illness. She was born on Oct. 30, 1917, in Burlington, Okla., the daughter of Sam and Anna Somerhalder Miller. On Aug. 26, 1945, she married Arthur Banwart in Burlington, Okla. He survives...

Marcus Blake Moberly, 21, El Dorado Springs, died Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at University Missouri Medical Center, Columbia, Mo., following a lengthy illness. He was born May 1, 1983, in Joplin, to William Mark Moberly and Margie Dawn Webster Moberly. He grew up and attended schools in Webb City and Carthage. ...

Bruce L. Quackenbush, 52, Nevada, died on May 25, 2004, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He was born on March 11, 1952, in Joplin, the son of Dee Otis and Ruth Barlow Quackenbush. He was a lifelong resident of Nevada. He was a machinist at Prince Equipment. He was a member of the Eagles Lodge...

Virginia "Jean" McKeithan, 82, Overland Park, Kan., died Thursday, May 27, 2004, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center following an illness of a few weeks. She was born June 12, 1921, in Kansas City, Kan., to Gus Hillix and Hildred Harriett Allingham Hillix. She married Bruce H. McKeithan on, Jan. 11, 1969, in Arlington, Va...