Obituaries from May 2015

William Paul Spaur, 64, of Nevada, Mo., died April 27, 2015. Bill was born on Oct. 3, 1950, in Fort Scott, Kan. He was married to Deborah Lynn Williamson, of Joplin, Mo., on Dec. 26, 1969. They have three children, Darren Spaur and his wife, Megan, of Waukegan, Ill., Brandon Spaur and his wife, Heather, of Pittsburg, Kan., and Kristen Schroer and her husband, Charles, of Nevada. ...

David G. Rogers, 53, Nevada, Mo., passed away on April 22, 2015, after a brief battle with cancer. David was a long-time Nevada resident, born here in 1961. He was preceded in death by his sister, Catherine Lynn; and his parents, Nevada natives Carl and Ginger Hickman Rogers...

Earl Lee Fisher, 88, of Sheldon, Mo., passed away April 26, 2015, at the Veterans Hospital, in Fayetteville, Ark. He was born April 4, 1927, in Mountain View, Mo., the son of Lee Earl and Nellie Merle (Vanvacter) Fisher. He was preceded in death by his beautiful wife of 56 years, Betty Jean Fisher, who passed away April 19, 2010; also his parents; one brother, Rex Fisher; one sister, Dorothy Klipper; and great-grandson, Aaron Warren...

Iva Lorene Spillman, 90, Nevada, Mo., passed from this life on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at her home in Nevada. She was born on July 1, 1924, in Bates County, Mo., to Bennie and Iva Adams. She married her high school sweetheart Lloyd Lee Spillman on June 21, 1943, in Fort Scott, Kan., and had together they one son, Robert Lee Spillman. They shared 70 years together...

Russell Reece Morerod, 61, of Schell City, Mo., was born Sunday, April 4, 1954, in Belen, N.M., the youngest child born to the union of Shurley Bewick and Etalka Mae (Reece) Morerod. He passed from this life Friday, May 1, 2015, at Freeman Health Systems, in Joplin, Mo...

Bess E. Sellens, 83, of LaCrosse, Kan., died on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at Locust Grove Village, of LaCrosse, Kan. Bess was born March 30, 1932, in Milo, Mo., the daughter of Allen and Mary (Brown) Laflen. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 6, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, Hoisington, Kan. ...

Ethel Elizabeth Thurman, 92, Nevada, Mo., died Sunday, May 3, 2015, at her home in Nevada. Ethel was born on Dec. 18, 1922, in Breckenridge, Texas, to Lloyd Winfield and Ethel Mae (West) Vinyard. Graveside services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, at Green Mound Cemetery, Harwood, Mo. Friends may call now and until the hour of service at Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada...

Carolyn Sue Neff, 71, Linn Creek, Mo., (formally of EI Dorado Springs) was called home to Heaven on May 2, 2015, after a lengthy illness. She was born on July 18, 1944, in Cedar County, daughter of James and Eula Hutsell. She graduated from EI Dorado Springs High School in 1962. After high school, she attended a data processing school and was employed by AT&T for six years. In 1969, she married Fred Green. To this union, two children were born: Janelle Elizabeth and David Huston...

Homer Lee Koehn was born May 7, 1934, to Fred and Sarah Koehn, at Montezuma, Kan. He passed away April 20, 2015, in Nevada, Mo., at the age of 80. Homer was raised on a farm northwest of Montezuma. He loved farming and enjoyed helping the local farmers. ...

Coleene Fay Leavell, 65, Joplin, Mo., passed from this life on Friday, May 8, 2015, in Joplin, following a sudden illness. Coleene was born on Oct. 4, 1949, in Holdrege, Neb., to Otis F. and Ola Wilma (Owens) Atkins. Coleene, along with her family, came to Missouri at a young age and settled in the El Dorado Springs and Osceola areas. ...

Donald Lee Claypool, 86, Nevada, Mo., passed from this life on Monday, May 11, 2015, at his home in Nevada, following a lengthy illness. Donald was born on Sept. 6, 1928, in Richards, Mo., to Raymond Edward and Ida Irene (Streich) Claypool. On July 4, 1953, he was united in marriage to Jeanette Maus, in Nevada, and she preceded him in death in 1994...

Jay Warren Borders Jr., 63, was born Feb. 5, 1952, the oldest child of Jay and Jeannette Borders. He accepted Jesus as his personal savior as a young child, and graduated from Nevada High School, in 1970. After serving in the U.S. Navy for six years, Jay returned to Nevada with a young daughter. In 1977, he married the love of his life, Sharon (Winters) Gauthier, who also had two young daughters, and together they raised their three daughters in a loving, Christian home...

Elsie L. Farnsworth, 68, of Rich Hill, Mo., died on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m., at the Heuser Funeral Home, in Rich Hill, with burial in the Green Lawn Cemetery.

Ronald Everett Thompson, 72, of Rich Hill, Mo., died on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Funeral services will be held today, at 2 p.m., at the Heuser Funeral Home, in Rich Hill, with burial in the Green Lawn Cemetery, Rich Hill. The family received friends from 7 to 8 p.m., on Thursday, May 14. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rich Hill Safe Room in care of the Heuser Funeral Home...

Phylis Marian Tucker, 81, of Springfield, passed away on Thursday, May 14, in her home. She was born Oct. 16, 1933, in Nevada, Mo., the eldest daughter of Ernest and Mary Gonterman. Phylis lived most of her adult life in Springfield, enjoying 55 years of marriage to Claude D. Tucker, also of Nevada. She attended Galloway Baptist Church and was a regular Auxiliary volunteer in the Mercy Endoscopy Department. She loved her family, reading, quilting, and watching sporting events on TV...

John Thomas Fisher, 60, Nevada, Mo., died on Thursday, May 14, 2015, at Freeman West, in Joplin, Mo. John was born Dec. 7, 1954, in Springfield, Ill., the son of John Edward and Shirley Jean (Guy) Fisher. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at Ferry Funeral Home, in Nevada...

LaRue Fengler, 87, of Moundville entered Heaven's gate to be with her Lord on Saturday, May 16, 2015, at the Moore-Few Care Center, in Nevada. She was born April 20, 1928, in Bronaugh, the daughter of William David and Zilpha Angeline (Jones) Young. She was united in marriage to Edward Fengler on Feb. 22, 1947, in Fort Scott, Kan., and he preceded her in death on Sept. 17, 2007. Their union was blessed with three daughters...

Rose Marlene Greer, 79, of Milo, Mo., passed from this life Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at the Moore-Few Care Center, in Nevada. She was born Sept. 13, 1935, the daughter of Vaughn Eldred and Lyda Mildred (Baker) Attebery, in Butler. On Dec. 21, 1956, she was united in marriage to and became the loving wife of Willard Dean Greer for more than 58 years and he survives of the home...

Wanda Yvonne Foster, 73, Nevada, Mo., passed from this life on May 22, 2015, at her home, in Nevada, following a short illness. Wanda was born on Sept. 22, 1941, in Weaubleau, Mo., to Elsie Richard and Myrtle Columbine (Swopes) Allen, the oldest of 10 children. She was united in marriage to Raymond L. Foster on June 16, 1959, in Colorado Springs, Colo., and he survives of the home...

Timothy Wayne Hansen, 60, most recently of Nevada, Mo., died Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at NRMC with his wife by his side. Tim is survived by his wife, Jamie Sullivan, of Nevada, Mo.; his mother, Barbara A. Hansen, of Boise, Idaho; his brother, Darren D. ...

Dr. Dwight Anthony Wagenknecht, D.O., 58, Nevada, Mo., passed from this life on Monday, May 25, 2015, at St. Joseph Medical Center, in Kansas City, Mo., following a sudden illness. Dwight was born April 8, 1957, in Sedalia, Mo., to Carol Leroy and Elizabeth Mae (Renno) Wagenknecht. He was united in marriage to Sherry L. Burris on Aug. 11, 1984, in Kirksville, Mo., and she survives of the home...

Richard William Boss, 80, Nevada, Mo., died on Saturday, May 23, 2015, at Nevada Regional Medical Center, in Nevada. He was born March 17, 1935, to Alfred and Helen (Linder) Boss. His wife, Lila Mae, survives. A memorial service will be held at a later date...

Nigel Kent Fleming, 57, Nevada, Mo., passed from this life on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at Kansas University Medical Center, in Kansas City, Kan., after suffering a long illness. Nigel was born March 2, 1958, in Fort Scott, Kan., the only son of Norman Baker Fleming and Nesta (Llewellyn) Fleming. He was united in marriage to Sherri Dawn Highley on Aug. 9, 1979, and she survives of the home...