For more information, see the March 25 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 www.taylornews.org/lba.

William Hall

CHETOPA—William Hall, 85, of Chetopa, Kan., died at 4:23 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at Labette Health in Parsons.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, March 20, 2009, at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa. Burial will be in Lake Creek Cemetery, rural Bartlett. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church in Chetopa.  These may be left at or mailed to Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 346, Chetopa, KS 67336.

William was born Dec. 20, 1923, in Durant, Okla., to William and Ollie Mae (Whitting) Hall. He attended Clearfield School in Oklahoma, and later served 12 years in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II and the Korean Conflict.

From 1953-1973, he worked as a mechanic at the former Parsons Ford Motor Company.  He then worked as a millwright for 12 years in Oklahoma and Texas before returning to southeast Kansas.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Chetopa, the Oswego Masonic Lodge, and the Order of the Eastern Star.

In August 1950, he and Thelma Kepner were married in Chetopa. She survives of the home.

Additional survivors include four sons, William C. Hall and wife Robin, Parsons, Kan.; Dale Hall and wife Elizabeth, Parsons; James M. Hall, Dallas, Texas; and Terry D. Hall, Claremore, Okla.; one daughter, Sharon Robinson and husband Peter, Collinsville, Okla.; 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Porter Harris

OSWEGO—Porter Harris, 89, of Oswego, Kan., passed away Saturday, March 21, 2009, in Oswego.

Funeral services will be held 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 25, at Murdock Funeral Home, Oswego, with Art Furguson officiating. Interment will follow in the Oswego Cemetery with Pastor Fred Schmidt officiating. Military rites will be provided at the graveside by Parsons VFW POST #704. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening at the funeral home.

Condolences may be left online at murdockfuneralhomes.com. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society with the funeral home, 203 Illinois, Oswego, KS 67356, serving as custodian.

Porter was born on May 9, 1919, to Orin Lee and Mary (Houts) Harris in Oswego. He attended school in Oswego.

He joined C.C.C. Camp in 1939, serving till 1942, and was drafted into the Army Air Force in 1942. He was gunner on a B-29 bomber, serving on the South Pacific Islands of Siapan, Tinain and Guam. Porter was a stand by for an atomic bomb drop in Japan from Tinain Island in 1945. He later served on Mainland China, India Burma Country, helped in the Berlin Airlift in Germany as a flight engineer on a C-54 cargo aircraft, served in the Korean War, served in Germany, Japan and North Africa, retiring from the Air force as a Tech Sergeant E6 in 1965.

After retirement, he settled in Oswego on a small farm. He was the third person to join  Masonic Lodge #899 F & AM.

He is survived by his wife, Betty, of the home; two daughters, Portia Wahl of Furgus Falls, Minn.; and Donna McQueen of Cullman, Ala.; one stepdaughter, Delores Sharp of Pomona, Kan.; 16 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren, which he loved very much.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary; son, James; three step daughters, Donna Riblett, Velma Kiser and Rosalea Whitcher; and one brother, Fred Harris.

Mary D. Ashcraft

PARSONS—Mary D. Ashcraft, 79, of Parsons, Kan., died at 5:45 p.m., Tuesday, March 17, 2009, at Labette Health.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, March 20, 2009, at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, at the funeral home.

Kerwin J. Brown

PARSONS—Kerwin J. Brown, 58, a longtime Parsons, Kan., resident, died Monday, March 16, 2009, at the Oswego Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He had been in failing health.

His body will be cremated, and there will be no service.

Herman Joe Turner, Sr.

PARSONS—Herman Joe Turner Sr., 82, of Parsons, Kan., died at 2:34 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2009, in Freeman Hospital, Joplin, Mo. He had been in failing health for the past several years.

Funeral services will be held at Carson-Wall Funeral Home on Thursday, March 26, at 2 p.m., with burial in the Mt. Hope Cemetery at Humboldt, Kan. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, at the funeral home.

Agnes A. Hurley

PARSONS—Agnes A. Hurley, 75, of Parsons, Kan., died  Thursday, March 19, 2009. Her husband, Leo Hurley, died on March 15, 2009, and was buried Thursday morning on the day of her death.

Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, at Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons.

Memorials are suggested to either the American Cancer Society or the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and may be left at or sent to the funeral home at Box 942, Parsons, 67357.

 Jack W. Ford

PARSONS—Jack W. Ford, 55, of Parsons, Kan., was pronounced dead at his home Saturday evening, March 21, 2009. His death was unexpected.

No services are scheduled. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Parsons.

Lonnie D. Hodge, Sr.

COLUMBUS—Lonnie D. Hodge, Sr., 67, of Columbus, Kan., DIED Sunday March 22, 2009, at the Medicalodge of Columbus after a short illness.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Thursday March 26,at the Simpson Funeral Home in Columbus with Bob Simon officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 25. Burial will be in the City Cemetery in Columbus. Family asked that memorials be to the local American Heart Association in lieu of flowers. Friends may come by after 4 p.m., Wednesday.