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Ray Wilmeth
ARKANSAS CITY – Ray Dwight Wilmeth Jr., 79, of Arkansas City, died July 11, 2002, at his residence.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Mount Hope United Methodist Church near Geuda Springs. Pastors Greg Linderberger and Doyle Wolfe will officiate.
Wilmeth donated his body to medical science through the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
A memorial has been established with the American Heart Association. Contributions may be made through Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home.
Wilmeth was born March 19, 1923, in Beloit, to Opal (Weldon) and Ray D. Wilmeth. He was raised and educated in Fallon and graduated from high school there in 1941.
He served in the U.S. Army.
In 1949 he married Norma Jean Wohlgemuth. She died in 1979.
He later married Retha McCarty, then Elizabeth Campbell. In June 1997 he married Dortha Bilyeu-Clary.
Wilmeth worked as a dairy farmer at Grenola. He and Norma Jean worked as house parents for Methodist Youthville in Newton. He also owned and operated a Novice Windshield Repair Service for several years.
Wilmeth delivered Meals on Wheels for several years and was also a beekeeper and sold honey.
He attended Mount Hope United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Dortha Wilmeth, Arkansas City; a son, Bruce Wilmeth, Whitehall, Wis.; two daughters, Terry Bernick, Spencer, Wis., and Audrey Redford, Wichita; two brothers, Stanley Wilmeth and Elwood Wilmeth, both of Wichita; his stepmother, Ethel Wilmeth, Mulvane; and 10 grandchildren.
Evelyn Coon
DEXTER – Evelyn W. Coon, 89, longtime resident of Winfield, died July 13, 2002, at Grouse Valley Manor.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Miles Funeral Service. Burial will be in New Salem Cemetery, north of Winfield.
Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 to 9 tonight. The family will greet visitors from 7 to 8.
Memorials have been established with the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer's Association. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.
Coon was born July 13, 1913, in Winfield, to Mae Elizabeth (Ludlow) and James William Wood. She was raised in Winfield and graduated from Winfield High School in 1931.
On July 26, 1933, she married Freddie Earl Coon in Newkirk. They made their first home in Dexter. In 1950 they returned to Winfield. Coon was part owner of Coon Construction Co. for a number of years. Her husband died Dec. 5, 1983.
She was a member of the First Christian Church in Winfield and active in the Eaton Community Ladies Club and the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliaries.
A son, Donald Dean Coon, and a daughter, Juanita Moore, preceded her in death.
Survivors include two sons, Kenneth Lee Coon, Temple, Texas, and Earl Leon Coon, Winfield; 13 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Robert Hudson
Services for Robert Ezra Hudson were held at 2 p.m. July 12, 2002, in Colonial Chapel of Miles Funeral Service. The Rev. Paul Hudson officiated. Inurnment was in Cherryvale Cemetery.
Music included “In the Garden” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”
Honorary casket bearers were Bob Dawson, Jim Hughes, James Rozell and Loren Wade.
The Winfield and Arkansas City lodges of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons performed special ceremonies.
Memorials have been established with the Kansas Masonic Home in Wichita and the Children's Miracle Network.
William Bonnell
WICHITA – William Lusk Bonnell, 76, of Wichita, formerly of Dexter, died July 14, 2002.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Resthaven Mortuary. Burial will be in Resthaven Gardens of Memory.
A memorial has been established with the American Heart Association.
Bonnell was a self-employed home improvement craftsman and retired employee of ARKO Manufacturing Co.
Survivors include his wife, Juanita Bonnell, Wichita; a son, James E. Bonnell, Rose Hill; two daughters, Barbara Cline, Derby, and Diane Van Gorder, Haysville; a brother, David Bonnell, and two sisters, Virgie Reynolds and Mary Ellen Gordon, all of Phoenix; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Ruth Pollock
KERRVILLE, Texas – Ruth Mary (Cole) Pollock, 84, of Kerrville, formerly of Winfield, died July 10, 2002, in Las Cruces, N.M., due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 1327 N. Miranda, Las Cruces, at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Graham's Mortuary, 555 W. Amador, is in charge of Las Cruces arrangements.
Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Highland Cemetery
at Winfield. Swisher-Taylor & Morris Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Pollock was born Sept. 27, 1917, in Winfield, to Mary Alberta (Staggers) and George Harvey Cole.
She received a bachelor's degree from Kansas State University in 1942.
On May 6, 1944, she married Morris John Pollock in Kansas City, Kan. They lived in Coffeyville, Coulee Dam, Wash., Walla Walla, Wash., Houston, Alexandria, Va., and Champaign, Ill., before retiring and moving to Elgin, Ore. In 1998 they moved to Kerrville, Texas, to be closer to family.
Survivors include her husband, Morris Pollock, Kerrville, Texas; four sons, John Pollock, Houston, Stephen Pollock, Las Cruces, Thomas Pollock, Caldwell, Texas, and Robert Pollock, Cheyenne, Wyo.; a brother, Dr. Ward M. Cole, Wellington; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Duana Elder
WICHITA – Duana Berneice Grant Elder, of Wichita, formerly of Arkansas City, died July 13, 2002, in Wichita after a short illness.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Memorial Lawn Cemetery
chapel, north of Arkansas City. Oxford Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
A memorial has been established with the Kansas Humane Society.
Elder was born in Arkansas City to Carrie Bernice (Arnett) and Clifford D. Grant. She was a licensed funeral director in Arkansas City until the late 1970s.
In the early 1980s Elder moved to Wichita where she was a receptionist for Dr. Thomas Coleman. After retiring, she worked at the Gerard House and the American Red Cross.
On Aug. 30, 1944, she married A. Lee Elder in California.
Elder was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Arkansas City, Business and Professional Women, Victory Chapter 151 Order of Eastern Star, Daughters of the American Revolution, Spencer Ralston Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1254 Ladies Auxiliary and World War I Auxiliary 1204.
A son, Wilbur Elder, preceded her in death.
Survivors include three sons, Grant Elder, Wichita, Roderic Elder, Topeka, and Clifford Elder, Park City; a daughter, Leanna B. Tyler, Arkansas City; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Thomas Shorter
LONG BEACH, Miss. – Thomas Joseph “Tom” Shorter, 60, of Long Beach, formerly of Winfield and Cedar Vale, died July 12, 2002, in Gulfport, Miss.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Moline Cemetery. Lloyd G. Zimmerman will officiate.
Memorials have been established with the American Heart Association and for the benefit of the family. Contributions may be made through Zimmerman Funeral Home of Howard.
Shorter was born Jan. 8, 1942, in Winfield and attended school in Cedar Vale.
On Feb. 3, 1962, he married Mary Lou McGlasson in Oxford. They lived in Winfield, Arkansas City, Ponca City and Tonkawa, Okla., before retiring and moving to Long Beach in 1997.
Shorter owned and managed a painting and sandblasting company in Kansas and Oklahoma for 28 years.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Lou Shorter, Long Beach; two sons, Michael Shorter, Ponca City, and Tommy Lowry, Oxford; a daughter, Paula Shetterly, Atlanta, Ga.; a brother, Steve Shorter, Hutchinson; and four grandchildren.
Evelyn Coon
Services for Evelyn Wanieta Coon were held at 10 a.m. July 16, 2002, in Colonial Chapel of Miles Funeral Service. The Rev. Shawn Sturm officiated. Burial was in New Salem Cemetery.
Music included “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “God Will Take Care of You.”
Honorary casket bearers were Don Amrine, Delbert Graham and Jay and Keith Wood.
Casket bearers were Coon's grandsons, Chad, Christian, Craig, Curtiss, Kevin and Paul Coon and Alan and Eric Moore.
Memorials have been established with the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer's Association.
Margaret Persinger
LONGTON – Margaret Althea Persinger, 64, of Longton, died July 16, 2002, at the Gansel House in Independence.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Longton United Methodist Church. The Rev. Burt Santee will officiate. Burial will be in Longton Cemetery.
Memorials have been established with the Longton United Methodist Church, Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice in Wichita and Gansel House. Contributions may be made through Zimmerman Funeral Home of Howard.
Persinger was born Jan. 25, 1938, south of Longton, to Mildred Ernestine (Woodworth) and Woodrow Gordon Dyer. She attended Cove rural school and graduated from Longton High School in 1955. She also attended Wichita State University.
On Jan. 31, 1958, she married Ernest Eugene Persinger in Longmont, Colo. They made their home in Denver where she was employed by Martin-Marietta Co. She also worked for commercial banks in the Denver area.
Persinger and her husband moved to Longton in 1959 and remained there except for 1961 when they lived in Junction City.
She was co-owner and manager of Frontier Auction and Realty and Persinger Sales and Service in Longton for more than 30 years. For several years, she also worked for banks in Independence, Longton and Moline.
Persinger was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Longton Historical Society and Longton United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Ernest Persinger, Longton; two sons, James Persinger, Ogallala, Neb., and Jeff Persinger, Sedan; a brother, C. Wilbur “Bill” Dyer, Independence; a sister, Sharon Greenleaf, Paradise, Calif.; and five grandchildren.
