U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Obituaries Published April 4, 2002
Murrell L. Graham
Murrell L. Grahan, 88, Mankato, died March 25 at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.
He was the youngest of four children, born to Charles and Alice (Malsbury) Graham July 21, 1913, on a farm in rural Marshall County, near Beattie.
In the spring of 1920, Murrell, moved to Jewell County, with his family to a farm south of Mankato. He attended West Buffalo Grade School, and Mankato High School. He attended Bethel Country Church southwest of Mankato.
Murrell married Jessie Marie Thronson June 2, 1934, in Beloit. Murrell was a farmer. He had his own plane and was a member of the Sunday Flyers Club. He was also a ham radio operator. He was a member of the Mankato Lions Club, Fraternal Order of the Elks, and the Mankato School board.
In 1958 Murrell and Jessie moved to Mankato where Murrell lived until he entered Jewell County Hospital Long-term Care in November 2000.
Murrell was preceded in death by his parents; infant sister, Thelma; brother, Lendell; sister, Itha; wife, Jessie; and a grandson, Steven Kelley.
In September 1991 Murrell married Mildred Fuller.
Survivors besides his wife are two daughters, Mrs. Jack Blair (Lola Jean) and Verla Houser; step-daughters, Mrs. Calvin Molzahn (Gayle), all of Mankato, and Mrs. Clyde Mickelsen (Joan E.) Kearney, Neb.; five grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; seven step-great grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren.
Services were Friday at Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mankato, with Pastor Steven Little officiating. Interment was in the Mount Hope Cemetery, Mankato. Melby Mortuary, Mankato, was in charge of arrangements.
Lucille K. Myers
Lucille K. Myers, 81, Sublimity, Ore., died March 31.
She was born May 25, 1910, in Burr Oak. She married Fay Willis Myers in 1927, and they moved to Silverton, Ore., in 1944.
She worked at several local businesses including Silverton Lockers, JC Penny's and Silverton Animal Clinic.
She was a member of the First Christian Church, Silverton. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1978 and her son, Willis, in 1999.
Survivors include: a daughter, Juanita Mallorie, Silverton, Ore.; eight grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild.
Interment was at Bethany Pioneer Cemetery, Silverton, Ore. Unger Funeral Chapel, Silverton, Ore., was in charge of arrangements.
Roseina LaVeda Hastings (Thrash) Padgett
Roseina LaVeda Hastings (Thrash) Padgett, age 71, Lawrence, formerly of Osage City, died March 26 at her home.
She was born on March 25, 1931, in Webster County, Neb., the daughter of Fredrick Lee and Nancy (Denton) Hastings.
She lived in Topeka and Manhattan, later moving to Osage City, where she worked for Head Start for many years.
Roseina was married July 20, 1949, to James Thrash. They divorced and Roseina married Winfield "Scott" Padgett May 13, 1959. He preceded her in death in 1990. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Emery Hastings, and a grandchild.
Survivors include children, Richard (Thrash) Padgett, Jamestown; Rose Marie (Thrash) Singh, Lawrence; Scott Padgett, St. Charles, Mo., Phillip Padgett, Osage City; Leslie Padgett, Centropolis; step-children, Donald Padgett, St. George; Gerald Padgett, Wamego; Rozella Klabenes, Clearwater, Neb; two sisters, Violet Thompson and Elsie Burden, both of Lawrence; a brother, Joe Hastings, Canon City, Colo.; 14 grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; 13 step great-grandchildren; and one great-great granddaughter.
The funeral was Friday at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Chapel in Manhattan with intermenty in the Valley View Memorial Gardens Cemetery east of Manhattan.
Eugene Rarick
Eugene L. "Gene" Rarick, 93, died Friday at the Loveland Good Samaritan Retirement Village, Loveland, Colo.
Rarick was born Aug. 17, 1908, at Chil- licothe, Mo., to George William Rarick and Mary Julia (Peek) Rarick.
He married Zoe W. Nicholas Aug. 38, 1934, in Nebraska City.
She preceded him in death Jan. 25, 1998.
He graduated from Auburn High School, Auburn Neb., and was a 1932 graduate of Peru State College, Peru, Neb., and received a master's degree from the University of Nebraska.
Mr. Rarick served in the U. S. Army with the rank of Sergeant during World War II. He was a member of Jordan Lodge No. 27 A. F. and A. M. in West Point, Neb., and a member of the First United Methodist Church, Loveland.
He worked as a school administrator in several Nebraska towns. He was superintendent of the Superior Schools when the bond issue was passed for the current Superior High School building and supervised during the construction.
He became the principal of the Loveland Junior High School in 1964, and retired as the principal of Garfield Elementary School in June, 1974, after teaching 40 years.
He was preceded in death by five brothers and three sisters.
He was cremated and private family services will be held at a later date.
Esther Agnes Herrmann
Esther Agnes Herrmann, 89, the daughter of Zackarias and Katherine (Dalsgar) Andersen was born Jan. 3, 1913, on a farm near Bostwick. She died Saturday at the North Kansas City Hospital, Kansas City, Mo.
She attended rural schools in the Bostwick and Mt. Clare area. On Oct. 9, 1949, she married Norman (Choc) Herrmann. She worked as a secretary at the Farmers Union Creamery and a cook at the Superior schools. She was a member of the Eagles, VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries and Danish Brotherhood.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband on March 16, 1989; sisters, Mary Hiatt, Hazel Winebar, Anna Moffett and Johanna Powell; brothers, Floyd, Alfred, Andrew, Soren and Eynner Andersen.
She is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Richard Collins (Jody), Kansas City.
Services were held Wednesday from the Megrue-Price Funeral Home Chapel in Superior, with Pastor Ken Fairbrother officiating.
Interment was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Superior.
Donald Charles
Donald Evans Charles, 88, Republic, died last Monday at Republic County Hospital, Belleville. He was born on the family homestead, Valley Point Farms, west of Republic on Sept. 17, 1913. He was the youngest of six children born to Tudor John Charles, Sr. and Eugenie (Thompson) Charles.
He attended the Pine School, a half mile west of the Charles home, and graduated from Republic High School in 1931. He attended college at Washburn (Topeka) and Kansas State College of Agriculture, Manhattan, taking his bachelor's degree in agriculture from K-State in the summer of 1939. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity at K-State.
After graduation, he took a job with the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture's Farm Securities Administration office in Osborne. A year later he became director of the FSA Office in WaKeeny. After just a few months, his brother, Tudor Jr., died. Don then returned to Republic to take over the family farming operation.
Although officially be retired from farming in 1975, he continued working on the farm until well into his 80s. In about 1940, office friends in Osborne introduced Don to a young schoolteacher named Jean Kendig. On May 14, 1941, they were married at the home of Don's sister, Esther Wright, in Manhattan. To this union, three children were born: Michael Kamp, Nancy Ann and John Patrick.
Don served on the Republic School Board, and several other Republic County Boards including that of the Soil Conservation District, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture's ASCS, Belleville Country Club, as well as the Federal Land Bank of Concordia. He was a member of the Republic United Methodist Church, the Republic Masons, the ISIS Shrine, the Superior Country Club and the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks in Concordia, Belleville and Superior.
He and Jean, along with several other Republic area families, founded the Republic Pioneers 4-H Club and served as the club's charter community leaders.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Nancy; brothers, Kamp, Gene and Tudor, Jr.; and his sisters, Esther and Ethel. Don is survived by his wife, Jean, of the home; sons, Michael, Republic and John; three grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Services were conducted at the Republic United Methodist Church Friday. Pastor Joyce Beam officiated. Private intermenty of cremains was at the Charles family plot in Lake Cemetery, Republic.
Arrangements were by Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, Belleville.
Gordon Watts
Gordon T. Watts, 81, the son of Charles and Grace F. (Horton) Watts, was born Sept. 2, 1920, on the family farm near Edgar. He died Thursday at the Rosebrook Care Center in Edgar.
As a young boy Gordon attended Antioch rural school near Deweese. Gordon farmed until he was drafted into the United States Army in June, 1942. He served in the European Theatre of Operations landing on Normandy Beach, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and in the Hurrican Forest. While in the service, he earned the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medals.
In December, 1945, he returned to the family farm and on March 31, 1946, he married Waneta Woodhead at Mankato. This union was blessed with the birth of one son, Charles.
Gordon and Waneta farmed together near Deweese for more than 56 years. He was a member of the VFW and Eagles in Hastings, and the American Legion at Fairfield.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Robert and James.
Survivors include his wife, of Edgar; a son, Charles Watts, Edgar; sisters, Lydia Harnett and Ruth Woodhead, Edgar, and a brother, Donald Watts, Fairfield; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services were Monday at the Williams Funeral Home Chapel in Edgar. The Rev. Dr. Ralph Sturdy officiated. Burial, with military rites by the Ft. Riley honor guard, was in the Edgar Cemetery.
