Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Robert Ryon
RIVERTON, Kan. - Robert Leon Ryon, 52, Riverton, died at 2:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, 1997, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo., after a long illness.
Mr. Ryon was born March 12, 1944, in Baxter Springs.
He was a lifetime Riverton area resident.
He retired on Dec. 19, 1994, as a maintenance worker for The Empire District Electric Co.
He was a Navy veteran.
He was a member of Iron Gates Christian Church, Joplin, and Galena Masonic Lodge.
He married Donna Hayward on April 8, 1966, in Joplin.
She survives.
Additional survivors include a daughter, Debbie Rawlins, Lowell; a brother, Richard Ryon, Lowell; two sisters, Florence Martin, Galena, and Betty Williams, Joplin; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Derfelt's Baxter Chapel, Baxter Springs.
The Rev. Hubert Hinton will officiate.
Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Galena.
Pallbearers will be John North, Wade Palone, Mike Myers, Tim Smith, Carl Morgan and Albert Melton.
The Northeast Oklahoma Veterans Funeral Detail will perform burial rites at graveside.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Raymond Fryar
GALENA, Kan. - Raymond Walter Fryar, 90, Galena route 1, died at 2:14 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, 1996, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo., after an illness.
Mr. Fryar was born Nov. 13, 1906, in rural Burrton.
He had lived on Galena route 1 for 51 years, moving here from rural Kingman.
He received a bachelor of science degree from Fort Hayes University and had attended Wichita Business College and the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
He was a self-employed farmer and rancher before retiring in 1988.
He was a member of Lowell Friends Church and the Cherokee County Farm Bureau.
He married Lois June Kitch on May 26, 1935, in Lowell.
She survives.
Also surviving are a son, Jackson Eugene Fryar, of the home; two daughters, Rayma June Bishir, Independence, and Mary Gail Bullerdiek, East Aurora, N.Y.; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He also had been a foster parent to 26 children.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Lowell Friends Church.
The Rev. Danny Thomas will officiate.
Burial will be in Lowell Cemetery under the direction of Derfelt's Baxter Chapel.
Pallbearers will be Randall Bishir, Harry Bullerdiek, Steve Bishir, Burgis Taber, John Kinion and Kenny Kinion.
William Lehr
SCAMMON, Kan. - Funeral Mass for William G. Lehr, 63, 202 N. Wall St., Scammon, who died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 1996, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, at St. Bridget' Catholic Church, Scammon.
Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, followed by the Knights of Columbus service.
The family will receive friends after the rosary.
Burial will be under the direction of the Murdock Funeral Home, Columbus.
Lillie Tunnell
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. - Lillie Mae Tunnell, 67, 616 Grant St., Baxter Springs, died at 8:25 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27, 1996, at St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo., after a sudden illness.
Mrs. Tunnell was born Dec. 13, 1929, in Skiatook, Okla.
She had lived in Baxter Springs since 1949.
She was a member of the First Christian Church and the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion.
She married Emmett Eugene "Gene" Tunnell on July 2, 1949, in Miami, Okla.
He survives.
Also surviving are four sons, Estell Tunnell, Joplin, John Tunnell and Dennis Tunnell, both of Baxter Springs, and Jim Tunnell, Galena; a daughter, Kathy Sappington, Peoria, Okla.; her mother, Lottie Mae Edwards, Sperry, Okla.; three sisters, Margaret Hoover, Overland Park, Phyllis Carson and Shirley Hembree, Tulsa, Okla.; 13 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at First Christian Church.
Dr. Ed Snider will officiate.
Burial will be in Baxter Cemetery under the direction of Derfelt's Baxter Chapel.
Pallbearers will be Robert Tunnell, Bruce Tunnell, Larry Tunnell, Russ Tunnell, Jared Tunnell, David Tunnell and John Nathan Tunnell.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral chapel.
Martin Watt
WEIR, Kan. - Martin W. Watt, 76, 402 E. 160 Highway, died at 6:05 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, 1996, at his home after eight months of ill health.
Mr. Watt was born Aug. 20, 1920, in Weir, where he attended school.
He returned to Weir 14 months ago from Dayton, Ohio.
He was a pipefitter and had been a maintenance foreman for 20 years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton until retiring 10 years ago.
He was a charter member of Knollwood Masonic Lodge No. 774, AF&AM, Beavercreek, Ohio; and a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars at Medway, Ohio; and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local of Dayton.
He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving in the European theater.
He married Virginia Keene on March 29, 1946, at Philadelphia, Pa.
She died March 28, 1995.
Survivors include a sister, Hazel Ross, Weir.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Northridge Chapel of the George C. Martin Funeral Home, Dayton.
Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery, Tipp City, Ohio.
Masonic services and military rites will be conducted.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home in Dayton.
Pallbearers will be Barney Poling, Bill Wilhelm, Earl Garrett, Fred Casebolt, Ed Littleton, Jackie Gabbard and Jimmie Garrett.
Local arrangements are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Pittsburg.
Sara Emmons
COLUMBUS, Kan. - Sara E. Buckner Emmons, 99, formerly of Columbus, died Thursday morning, Dec. 26, 1996, at a Eureka nursing home after an illness.
Mrs. Emmons was born Dec. 9, 1897, in Mississippi.
She was reared in West Mineral.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Herbert Bruckner and Charles Emmons.
Survivors include three sons, Edward Gumm, Macomb, Okla., Charles Gumm, Wichita, and E.J. Gumm, El Dorado; four daughters, Jannie Burke, Columbus, Ruby Dean, Las Vegas, Nev., Virginia Bryant, Yates Center, and Christine Staley, Parump, Nev.; 22 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren; 32 great-great-grandchildren and a great-great-great-grandchild.
She also was preceded in death by five children.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Murdock Funeral Home, Columbus.
The Rev. Clifford Smith will officiate.
Burial will be in Park Cemetery, Columbus.
The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Ervin Hitchcock
COLUMBUS, Kan. - Ervin G. Hitchcock, 95, formerly of Columbus route 4, died at 9:55 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1996, at a Columbus nursing home after an illness.
Mr. Hitchcock was born Nov. 26, 1901, at Weir.
He moved with his family to Colorado in 1907, where he was schooled and worked in a feed lot.
His family returned to Weir in 1919.
He was a mechanic with a repair garage on Columbus route 4 until he retired.
He was a Jehovah's Witness.
Survivors include a stepson, Floyd Beasley, Columbus; a stepdaughter, Pauline Hodge, Columbus; a brother, David Hitchcock, Berryville, Ark.; a sister, Eunice Ferry, Susanville, Calif.; three step-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Park Cemetery, Columbus.
Elder Gregory Daniels will officiate.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. today at Murdock Funeral Home, Columbus.
