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Rhoda Lavon Arnold
MAY 20, 1915 - DEC. 25, 2004
Rhoda Lavon Arnold, 89, formerly of Pleasanton, died Saturday, Dec. 25, 2004, in Country View Nursing Home in Prescott.
The daughter of Earl and Zella Pryer Kessel, she was born May 20, 1915, in Pittsburg. She and Thomas Seth Arnold were married Feb. 18, 1935, in Nevada, Mo.
In addition to being a homemaker, she worked in housekeeping at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Her memberships included the First Christian Church and Hope Chapter No. 80 of the Order of the Eastern Star, both of Pleasanton.
Those preceding her in death included two daughters, Sarah Mae Lounsbury and Dorothy Mead; a brother, Rollie Kessel; a sister, Josephine Taillez; and one grandson, Kirk Allen Carpenter.
Survivors include her husband, Thomas Seth Arnold of Prescott; a son, Robert Arnold of Pittsburg; a daughter, Dorothy Haggard of Raytown, Mo.; 14 grandchildren; and several great- and great-great-grandchildren.
Services were Tuesday in Coffel-Schneider Funeral Home in Pleasanton. Burial was in Littell Cemetery
in Pleasanton.
* Memorials may be made to the church or the Littell Cemetery
in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 525, Pleasanton, KS 66075.
Clifford E. Caswell
DEC. 24, 1924 - DEC. 27, 2004
Clifford E. Caswell, 80, a longtime Louisburg resident and former police and fire chief, died Monday, Dec. 27, 2004, following complications from heart surgery.
He was born Dec. 24, 1924, in Spring Hill, the son of Harry C. and Anna E. Wernicke Caswell. He married Geraldine L. Miller on Nov. 15, 1945, in Kansas City, Mo. She preceded him in death Aug. 18 of this year.
Mr. Caswell was a heavy equipment operator until he became police chief and fire chief of Louisburg in 1957. He retired after serving 25 years as police chief and 43 years as fire chief. He spent 50 years of his summer vacations working security at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.
Surviving are his three sons, John E. Caswell of Louisburg, Frank J. Caswell of Belton, Mo., and Timothy O. Caswell of Bucyrus; a sister, Mildred C. Winnie of Grandview, Mo.; a brother, Donald E. Caswell of West Drexel in Kansas; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
A gathering of family and friends will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the First Baptist Church, 406 S. Vine St. in Louisburg. A celebration of his life will be at 10 a.m. Friday in the church. Burial will be in Louisburg Cemetery.
* Contributions may be made to the Clifford E. Caswell Memorial Fund in care of Runyan Funeral Home, 120 S. Broadway, Louisburg, KS 66053.
Claude E. Christie
DEC. 6, 1904 - DEC. 24, 2004
Claude E. Christie, 100, Paola, died Friday, Dec. 24, 2004, in Louisburg Care Center.
Mr. Christie was born Dec. 6, 1904, in Republic, Mo., one of the seven children of Thomas N. and Edna May Garrett Christie. While he was a child, the family lived in New Mexico and Webb City, Mo., before moving to a farm in the western portion of Miami County.
On April 25, 1930, he and Grace Lucile Mannen were married in Olathe. They became the parents of two children and made their home on a farm west of Paola for more than 40 years. In 1976, they moved into Paola.
Mr. Christie farmed and worked in the oil fields for many years before going to work at the Sunflower Ammunition Plant in De Soto. He retired from Sunflower on Dec. 31, 1969.
He was a member of the 101 Stationary Engineers Union in Kansas City.
His pastimes included fishing, hunting, gardening and spending time with his family and friends.
Those preceding him in death were his wife, Lucile Christie, who died April 1, 1986; four sisters, Gertrude McKaig, Hazel Beets, Velma Christie and Opal Burns; and a brother, Paul Christie.
Survivors include his sons, David Christie of Paola and Lloyd Christie of Somis, Calif.; a sister, Irene Betherum of Paola; two granddaughters; two great-grandchildren; and three stepgreat-grandchildren.
Services were today in Wilson and Son Funeral Home in Paola and burial was in Paola Cemetery.
* Memorials may be made to Hospice of Kansas in care of the funeral home, 305 N. Pearl St., Paola, KS 66071.
Chester H. Coats
FEB. 20, 1916 - DEC. 22, 2004
Chester H. Coats, 88, Garnett, died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004, in Miami County Medical Center in Paola.
The son of John Arthur and Tina Pugsley Coats, he was born Feb. 20, 1916, in Garnett.
During his working years, he was in the implement business, the trucking business and the used car business.
He and Ada Marie Briggs were married in 1935 and became parents of three children. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1964.
Those preceding him in death were a brother, Orville Coats; two sisters, Ola Mullinex and Iva Campbell; and a grandson.
Survivors include a son, Dean Coats of Bolivar, Mo.; two daughters, Kay Hole and Margie Hole, both of Wichita; 12 grandchildren; six stepgrandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; 11 stepgreat-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Services were Monday in Farris-Feuerborn Memorial Chapel in Garnett, followed by burial in Garnett Cemetery.
* Memorials may be made to the American Red Cross in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 408, Garnett, KS 66032.
Elizabeth Ann Dingus
APRIL 12, 1936 - DEC. 21, 2004
Elizabeth Ann Dingus, 68, Pleasanton, died Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004, in Olathe Medical Center.
She was born April 12, 1936, in Edgerton, the daughter of Ancil and Beulah Jackson Secrest. She was a graduate of Pleasanton High School.
Mrs. Dingus had worked as a nurses' aide for nursing homes in La Cygne, Mound City, Pleasanton and Louisburg.
Her memberships included the Church of the Nazarene and the Red Hat Society.
Those preceding her in death included her husband, Howard Dingus; two brothers, Clyde Secrest and Bob Secrest; and a sister, Mary Avery.
Survivors include two sons, Joseph Cox and Roger Cox, both of Pleasanton; two brothers, Dick Secrest of Nevada, Mo., and Bill Secrest of Olathe; a sister, Alice Searle of Dallas, Texas; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Services were Friday in the Church of the Nazarene in Pleasanton. Burial was in Pleasanton Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Coffel-Schneider Funeral Home in Pleasanton.
* Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 525, Pleasanton, KS 66075.
George F. Ala
NOV. 18, 1919 - FEB. 3, 2005
George F. Ala, 85, La Cygne, died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, in his home.
He was born at his home in Leeton, Mo., on Nov. 18, 1919, the son of John H. and May Barger Ala. He had six brothers and two sisters.
After the family moved to Miami County, he met Bernita McDonald. They were married on her birthday, Feb. 28, 1943, in Mound City.
In 1949 they moved to the La Cygne area. Mr. Ala was a farmer, rancher and heavy equipment contractor. His work with the Soil Conservation Service can be seen throughout the area and surrounding counties by the numerous ponds, terraces, waterways and duck lakes that he built.
He had a love for flying and received his pilot's license in 1973. He flew his own Cessna 172, using a landing strip which he had built in the pasture behind the Ala home.
His love for cattle kept him working on his farm until he became ill in September 2004.
Mr. Ala was a member of the United Methodist Church, a 47-year member and past master of Masonic Lodge No. 61 and Swan Chapter No. 311 of the Order of the Eastern Star, all of La Cygne.
Those preceding him in death included two sisters, May Anderson and Violet Byrley, and four brothers, John Ala, Grover Ala, Harry Ala and Walter Ala.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Bernita Ala of the home; a son, Steven Ala of Heron, Mont.; a daughter, Melody Troth of La Cygne; two brothers, Charles Ala of Orville, Calif., and Gary Ala of La Cygne; and two grandchildren.
Services were Monday in the church, followed by burial in Louisburg Cemetery.
* Memorials may be made to the church or the Masonic Lodge in care of Coffel-Schneider Funeral Home, P.O. Box 304, La Cygne, KS 66040.
Doris Marie Arnold
DEC. 25, 1922 - FEB. 4, 2005
Doris Marie Arnold, 82, a former Spring Hill and Rantoul resident, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, in Village Manor Nursing Home in Ottawa.
She was born Dec. 25, 1922, in Spring Hill, the daughter of Leroy Waldene and Ethel Murnice Wilson Walters. She graduated in 1941 from Spring Hill High School.
She married Thomas Earl Arnold on May 10, 1941, in Rich Hill, Mo. They lived in Rantoul several years and moved from Melvern to Ottawa in 1950.
Mrs. Arnold worked at a Pratt & Whitney plant making aircraft parts during World War II. She was also a switchboard operator for Bell Telephone Co. and a homemaker.
Surviving are her husband, Thomas Arnold; three daughters, Virginia Welch of Ottawa, Linda Foltz of Rolla, Mo., and Barbara Williams of Lawrence; two sons, Thomas Arnold of Imperial, Mo., and Robert Arnold of Edgerton; two sisters, Harriet Askew of Sacramento, Calif, and Jeanette Locke of Enid, Okla.; 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services were Monday in Dengel & Son Mortuary in Ottawa. Burial was in Highland Cemetery.
