Nellie E. Neese

Nellie E. Neese, age 99, a former resident of the Presbyterian Village and more recently of Gladstone, Mo., died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, at the Woodbine Healthcare Center in Gladstone. She was born Jan. 13, 1907, in a sod house at Orion, Kan., the daughter of David M. and Clara L. Seybold Dennis.

She was the seventh of nine children. At the age of 2, she moved with her family to Mapleton, Kan. Her fondest memories were of those days together there with the family. She attended Harmony school near Mapleton, Fort Scott High School and graduated from Pittsburg High School. She was baptized as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at age 8 and remained a faithful member until her death. Nell first married Hubert F. Ellithorpe in 1929. They later divorced in 1954. She then married Vernon J. Neese.

Mr. and Mrs. Neese spent several years residing both in Topeka, Kan., and McAllen, Texas, prior to settling in Fort Scott. While in Topeka, Nell worked for the Employment Security Division for the State of Kansas for 22 years. Always faithful to her church, Nellie served as a youth leader in Topeka and also played the piano and organ for services. She recently belonged to the Restoration Branch Church. Her hobbies included gardening, canning, tending her flower beds, crocheting, quilting, traveling and spending time with her family. Family, church, and friends were shining moments in Nell's life. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

Survivors include her husband of 51 years, Vernon, of Gladstone; a daughter, Huberta Eisele, and husband, Don, Gladstone; two granddaughters, Wendy Miller and husband, Greg, of Gladstone, and Stacey Murray and husband, Don, of Jerseyville, Ill.; and a grandson, Scott Eisele, Overland Park, Kan.; five great-grandsons, Alex Murray, Nicholas Murray, Brett Murray, Elliott Eisele-Miller and Quinn Eisele; and four great-granddaughters, Hannah Eisele-Miller, Sydney Eisele, Rachel Murray and Stephanie Murray. She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Hollie, Leroy, Arthur, Orion, and Alpha Dennis; and three sisters, Maudie Dennis, Angie Quick, and Verna Nickelson.

Elder Joe Beckham and Elder Dale Crown will conduct funeral services at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Cheney Witt Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow in the U.S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m., until service time.

Memorials are suggested to either the Parkinson's Association or the Restoration Branch and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Memorial Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.