For more information, see the Sept. 24 issue of the Labette Avenue. To locate previously posted death notices, enter the decedent’s last name in the archive search box on Labette Avenue’s home page. Labette Avenue publishes death notices free of charge. Paid obituaries ($20) are printed in their entirety in the Labette Avenue and online at taylornews.org.
Melva Dean Wilson
CHETOPA—Melva Dean Wilson, 79, a longtime resident of Chetopa, Kan., died at 9:35 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at her home. She had been in failing health.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the First Baptist Church in Chetopa. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, in Chetopa, after 10 a.m., Tuesday.
Memorials are suggested to the First Baptist Church in Chetopa. These may be left at or mailed to Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 346, Chetopa, KS 67336.
Melva Dean was born Nov. 9, 1928, in Cherokee County, Kan., to Martin Vincent and Lucretia Mae (North) Peters. She graduated from Columbus High School.
In earlier years, she worked at garment factories in Columbus and Oswego, and later attended cosmetology school in Miami, Okla. She then moved to Chetopa in the 1950s where she worked as a hairdresser/beautician at Maxine’s Beauty Salon in Chetopa, retiring from there in the mid 1990s.
She enjoyed gardening, yard work, and was a puzzle maker. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, in Chetopa, where she also served as children’s Sunday school teacher for many years.
On May 14, 1949, she married Marvin Wilson were married in Columbus. He preceded her in death July 7, 2001.
Survivors include one brother, Orville Eugene “Pete” Peters, Lebanon, Mo.; one sister, Mary Ellen Sharp, formerly of Columbus, Kan., and now of Parker, Kan., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Nathan B. “Nate” Banning
OSWEGO—Nathan B. “Nate” Banning, 30, of Oswego, Kan., died Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008, at his home. He had been in his usual health and death was not expected.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 19, at the Mound Valley Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Altamont from noon to 1:30 p.m., Friday, prior to the graveside service.
Charley I. Stevenson
PARSONS—Charley I. Stevenson, 63, of Parsons, Kan., died Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008, at his home. He had been in failing health.
Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Parsons. Burial will be in Springhill Cemetery. The parish rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. The family will receive friends immediately following the rosary.
Memorials are suggested to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Restoration Fund and may be left at or sent to the funeral home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, 67357.
Joseph D. Pike
PARSONS—Joseph D. Pike, 94, of Parsons, Kan., died Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008, at his home.
Funeral services were held Sunday, Sept. 14, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with president Stephen Richins presiding over the services.
Memorials are suggested to Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and/or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Parsons and may be left at or sent to Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, 104 W. Main St., Weir, 66781.
Steward E. Confer
WELCH, Okla.—Steward E. Confer, 77, of Welch, Okla., died Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, at Integris Baptist Regional Health Care in Miami, Okla.
Memorial services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Welch Baptist Church. A private family burial will be held at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of Thomas Funeral Home, Welch.
Thomas J. Crispell, DVM
PARSONS—Thomas J. Crispell, DVM, 79, of Parsons, Kan., died Sunday, Sept 14, 2008, at Elmhaven East Nursing Home in Parsons. He had been in failing health.
Following cremation, a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept 19, at the First Presbyterian Church in Parsons. The family will receive friends immediately following the service.
Memorials are suggested to “The Rock” or Unified School District No. 503 Foundation. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.
Cora L. Mobley
CHETOPA—Cora L. (Davis) Mobley, 66, of Chetopa, Kan., died at 7:28 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008, at Chetopa Manor Nursing Home. She had been in failing health.
Following cremation, a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Friday at the Faith Baptist Church in Chetopa.
The Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa is in charge of arrangements.
Alberta P. Wisdom
COLUMBUS—Alberta P. Wisdom, 68, of Columbus, Kan., died Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008, at the Medicalodge of Columbus after an illness.
Family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Simpson Funeral Home in Columbus. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Wednesday, at the Simpson Funeral Home with Dennis Johnson, Pastor, and Wally Baldwin officiating. Burial will be in the Edgmand Cemetery north west of Columbus. ‘
Memorials may be left for the Columbus Parks and Recreations Fund and may be left at the Simpson Funeral Home 323 S. Kansas Ave. Columbus, KS 66725 .
W. Mark Garrett
PARSONS—W. Mark Garrett, 45, of Parsons, Kan., died Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at Labette County Medical Center in Parsons.
Memorial service is pending and will be held at a later date in Parsons. Inurnment will be at the Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons.
Survivors include: his parents, Roger and Linda Garrett of Georgetown, Texas, formerly of McPherson, Kan.; a brother, Kirk Garrett of Brooklyn, NY; and a paternal grandmother, Dorothy Bennett of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Memorial donations may be given to Kansas Special Olympics.
Stockham Family Funeral Home, McPherson, is in charge of arrangements.
Raymond O. “Ray” Blevins
PARSONS—Raymond O. “Ray” Blevins, 90, of Parsons, Kan., died Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008, at the Good Samaritan Society in Parsons. He had been in failing health.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday at Carson-Wall Funeral Home. Burial will be in the East Bethany Cemetery with military honors conducted by the Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars in Parsons.
Memorials are suggested to the Good Samaritan Society in Parsons or Hospice Care of Kansas and may be left at or sent to the funeral home, 112 N. 26th, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Parsons.
Vicki L. Westervelt
COLUMBUS—Vicki L. Westervelt, 64, formely of Columbus, Kan., died Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at the St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin Missouri.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m., at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home in Columbus.
