Obituary Of Carol Welch

Carol Louise (Meme) Welch, age 77, a former resident of Fort Scott, and more recently of Overland Park, Kansas, died Sunday, April 29, 2018 at St. Luke’s South Hospital. 

She was born December 14, 1940, in Fort Scott, Kansas the daughter of Victor Carpenter and Lucille Willey Carpenter. 

Carol was a 1958 graduate of Fort Scott High School.  She attended Pittsburg State College.  She was previously employed by American States Insurance in Overland Park. 

She married Denny O. D. Welch Jr. on August 29, 1987, in Overland Park. 

Her joy was spending time with grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, Denny O.D. (Papa) Welch; five sons, O. D. Welch III  and wife Melody, Chet Shellenberger, Stephen Shellenberger and wife Chris, Chuck Welch and wife Elizabeth, and Daniel Shellenberger; one daughter, Karin Shellenberger.  Also surviving are fourteen grandchildren; Lacey, Joseph, Lauren, Taylor, Kelsea, Phillip, Emma, Ashlyn, Victoria, Peyton, Charles, Meghan, Gabriel, and Oliver. 

She was preceded in death by her parents and a grandson, CPL Nicholas Gomez.

Following cremation, memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, May 5th, in the Cheney Witt Chapel. 

The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Chapel.  Memorials are suggested to the Wounded Warriors project and may be sent to Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com

 

Fort Scott Fifth-Graders To Learn of Mary Bickerdyke May 7

Throughout the day on Monday, May 7, The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes will be presenting the story of Mother Mary Bickerdyke along with the Tiffiny Durham from the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

“All of the 5th-graders from Eugene Ware Elementary will be attending the presentations,” Megan Felt said. “We would also like to invite the public.”

The presentations are at 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 1:00 p.m in the Lowell Milken Center at Wall and Main street in downtown Fort Scott.

Visitors can stop by anytime that day and learn more about the Unsung Hero and Civil War nurse Mother Mary Bickerdyke.

Obituary for Pauline Stoughton Beeler

Pauline Stoughton Beeler, age 95, a resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Sunday, April 29, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital Emergency Room.

She was born August 4, 1922, in Mapleton, KS, the daughter of Frederick and Mary Faulhaber Stoughton. She attended Mapleton grade school, Blue Mound High, and Ft. Scott Junior College.

Pauline worked in both the offices of Key Overall factory and Kansas Utilities.

She married Dale Warren in November 1942, one year after they met. From 1943 through 1947 they lived in Manhattan, KS, and their first two children, Gary and Pat were born. Dale graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dale’s father was a veterinarian and his son Stephen also received his veterinary degree from KSU 25 years later. Dale died in 1952 in a small airplane accident near Fulton, KS.

Pauline remarried Norbert Beeler (Bud) in 1953. Pauline’s fourth child, Rebecca, was born in 1954 on her mother’s birthday in Tacoma, WA, where Bud was stationed in the Army.

The family moved to Prairie Village, KS, where they lived 20 years. Bud spent that time employed by Stine & McClure funeral home. In 1973, they moved back to Fort Scott, owning and managing Cheney’s Chapel funeral home (now Cheney Witt Chapel). Bud retired in 1989 and died as a result of Parkinson’s disease in 2004.

Pauline is survived by her four children, Gary Michael Warren and wife Charlene, Patricia Pauline Morris and husband Jim, Stephen Dale Warren and wife Patti, and Rebecca Ann Beatson and husband Jim; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, and five siblings; Bernice Lawrence, and Raymond, Milton, Sheldon, and Ellis Stoughton; two husbands, Dale Martin Warren and Norbert Joseph Beeler; and her granddaughter Frances Elizabeth Warren (1985).

There was cremation.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM Friday, May 25, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association and may be left in the care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, PO Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

How To Keep the Family Farm in the Family

Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.

Succession planning is offered through Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services

Facilitated meetings can identify strengths, barriers, and opportunities.

Submitted by: Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director & Agent

Kansas farm and ranch families continuously look at best options for feasibility and profitability– they attend educational meetings, try out new practices, assess any risks involved and talk with their neighbor or consultant. They make numerous decisions from day to day that will affect the operation both now and in the future.

The future sustainability of the farm or ranch also depends on whether the family has planned for succession. The average age of U.S. producers continues to rise and families will need to explore options for the transitional feasibility of current and future operators. Succession planning is a step-by-step process where families work together to develop a plan to incorporate the next owner and pass on knowledge and resources that will sustain the operation.

Farm and ranch families may be uncertain of how to begin developing a succession plan and need guidance moving forward. This is where a succession planning facilitator plays a key role.

The facilitator can help the family identify strengths, barriers, and opportunities as they pass the farm business on to the next generation. They guide family members to resources and individuals who can help them find the information they need to develop an effective succession plan with help from facilitators and mediators from Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services, a program administered by K-State Research and Extension.

A facilitated meeting is described as guiding participants through shared discussions about important issues. Facilitators help families set an agenda and guide the process of planning their succession. The facilitator works to enable all voices to be heard within a respectful environment. While the facilitator remains neutral with the content of the discussion, they help everyone keep track of the substantive issues and options raised by the family as they chart their path forward.

Trained facilitators have experience working with Kansas farm and ranch families. They offer guidance and support as families cultivate options for creating a succession plan. Facilitation services can be requested by calling Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services at 800-321-3276.

Families may also visit the succession planning website and navigate through a variety of resources, such as “Transition Planning: 12 Steps to Keep the Family Farming” and more topic-focused areas such as estate planning or “FamilyTALK.” The website is available at Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services.

Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services is administered by K-State Research and Extension. The program supports Kansas producers in resolving a variety of agricultural-related concerns and maintains confidentiality during the process. Information and guidance on any ag-related issue will be provided at no cost through our toll-free hotline, 1-800-321-3276 or visit their website at Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services.