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Obituary

Obituary of Alice Walker

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Alice A. Walker – After living a full and adventurous life of ninety-six years, Alice Walker of rural Blue Mound passed away on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Alice Amy Frazier was born in Kingston, NY, on September 3, 1928, to Olen and Eleanor (Griffes) Frazier. She first began her lifelong learning in New York City, where her leadership and feisty nature showed early. Home for Alice, though, was growing up in New Paltz, NY, where her father was a university professor and the mountains were at her backdoor. There, she became an accomplished pianist and flutist, earned the highest award possible in Girl Scouts, and was an active member of the Dutch Reformed Church. Her love of travel developed from family vacations throughout the East and summers spent in Kansas with her grandparents.

Alice began college at Texas Women’s University before graduating from Emporia State University with a Library Science degree as well as a double major in English and Social Science in Secondary Education. She later acquired an elementary degree as well, so she could teach PK-12. She was an honor student, played in the orchestra, marched with the band, and worked at the university library. Alice began her career as a librarian in Missouri. Her love of reading and books led to her being a Governor’s Appointee to the Southeast Kansas Regional Library Board and serving on the William Allen White Book Selection Committee, on the Kansas State Reading Circle Selection Committee, and as the DAR State Librarian. Although she never intended to teach, she actually taught a total of thirty-two years at Centerville, Kincaid High School, and Crest Unified School District.

A life of surprises awaited her when the city girl from New York met her future husband, Howard, a Kansas farmer, on the steps of a church one summer. They were married on February 5, 1950, and celebrated fifty-six years of happiness. They truly approached life as a team. Together they raised their two children through college, bought three farms, designed and built a house themselves, operated an income tax business for forty-five years, were 4-H Club and project leaders, hosted foreign-exchange students, and were active members of the Blue Mound Federated Church and then, later, Ordained Elders of the Presbyterian Church in Garnett until it closed. One of the greatest gifts that they gave John and Alicia, their children, was traveling to all the forty-eight continental states as well as Canada and Mexico during the summers.

Alice became a superb seamstress, a grand champion recipe winner in national contests, a test cook for Betty Crocker for thirteen years and Farm Journal for six years, 4-H County Day judge, church pianist and organist, author of three genealogical books on family history, contributing writer for Heritage Quest, and a dedicated regent of the Four Winds DAR Chapter in Garnett. With DAR, Alice also served as President of the Kansas State Officers Club and President of the National State Vice Regents Club.

She loved to cook for others and do historical research. Because of her wealth of knowledge, she was an early version of the internet for anyone who sought her help or advice. Three of Alice’s biggest joys were serving as the 35th State Regent of Kansas DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), being inducted into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame at Dodge City, and earning the title of Fellow of the American College of Genealogists as a certified genealogist.

Alice was able to live on the farm alone until ninety-five with the company of her dog, Honey B, the help of her farm renters – Kevin Whitcomb and Melvin Holloman, and the faithful Centerville Community Church that she had come to value so much. After a bad fall, her final year was spent at Moran Manor, where she was treated like family.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Steve Frazier; son-in-law, Dale Jackson; daughter-in-law, Peggy Walker; and grandson by marriage, Zachery Wisely; but the most profound loss was when Howard, her true love and soulmate, died in 2006.

She leaves behind a legacy with two children, John H. Walker of McFarland and Alicia A. Jackson of Uniontown, along with their families, including six grandchildren – Mary (Brad) Finney of Eskridge; Julie (Kenny) Ten Eyk of McFarland; Jubal (Wendy) Walker of Edmond, OK; Gretchen Magee of Gravette, AR, Meaghan (Matt) Russell of Redfield, and Caitlin (Clayton) Nading of Fort Scott. She was Grandma-Great to twelve: Virginia and Jonathon Walker; Candace (Chris) Davis; Amiee (Ryan) Runyon; Tyler Ten Eyk; Keagan, Layton, Preston, and Jocelyn Magee, and Brayden, Kohlton, and Aubrynn Russell. Her great-great grandchildren are Reever and Rook Davis as well as Luna and Damon Runyon.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel in Garnett, Kansas. Burial will follow in the Garnett Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Howard & Alice Walker Scholarship at Emporia State University and left in care of the funeral home.

K-State Extension

Good Mental Health is Ageless

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Tara Soloman-Smith, Family and Wellness Agent, Sunflower District of Kansas State University’s Extension Office. Submitted photo.

You are not alone if you have ever had more than ‘just the blues’ sometime in your life.  According to Mental Health America, one-in-five American Adults have one or more mental health conditions, with 50% meeting the criteria of a condition sometime in their life.  Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being.  So much of what we do physically impacts us mentally –it’s important to pay attention to both.

Let’s focus on how a healthy lifestyle will help prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions, as well as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems! Eating healthy foods, managing stress, exercising, and getting enough sleep can go a long way in making you both physically and mentally healthy.  To find the right balance to benefit both the mind and body, let’s tackle the sensational ‘S’ items from this list:  Sleep and managing Stress.

Quality Slumber

Sleep plays a role in all aspects of our life and overall health. Getting a good night’s sleep is important to take on daily responsibilities.  Adults should have 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.  Here are just a few tips for a good night’s sleep:

 

  • Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—including weekends.
  • Get outside! Getting natural sunlight during the day helps to maintain your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
  • Limit caffeine to the morning. The effects of caffeine can take 8 hours to wear off.
  • If you can’t fall asleep for more than 20 minutes after going to bed, get up and do something calming until you feel sleepy.
  • Get rid of anything in your bedroom that might distract you from sleep, like noises or bright lights. The light from screens can confuse your body’s internal clock.

 

Reduce the Impact of Stress

Stress can make even day-to-day life difficult. Research shows that stress is closely linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. It also shows that people who feel depressed or chronically stressed may have a greater risk of physical illnesses.

 

  • Be realistic: You may be taking on more responsibility than you can or should handle for yourself or your family.
  • No one is perfect: Shed the “superman/superwoman” urge for yourself and others.
  • One thing at a time: For people under tension or stress, day-to-day workload can sometimes seem unbearable. Multi-tasking actually often leads to more stress.
  • Exercise: Regular exercise is a popular way to relieve stress.
  • Explore a hobby: Take a break from your worries by doing something you enjoy. Whether it’s gardening, painting, doing puzzles or playing games, schedule time to indulge your interests.

 

No matter where you happen to be on our own personal journey to health and wellness, looking at your overall health every day – both physically and mentally – can go a long way in ensuring that you focus on your fitness and future!

Southwind Extension District can help, have your heard about our OWL (Older Wiser Livelier) Hour?  Full details https://bit.ly/4iHKR27.  For more information contact Tara Solomon-Smith, [email protected], 620-244-3826.

 

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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Government, Health Care

Ten Cases of Measles In Kansas Are Reported

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Per the Kansas Dept. Of Health & Environment: “As of March 21, 2025, Kansas is reporting 10 measles cases in Grant, Morton, and Stevens counties, with no hospitalizations or deaths reported. The CDC is also reporting increases in measles with 378 cases nationwide across 15 jurisdictions. Due to measles’ highly contagious nature, additional cases are expected, especially among unvaccinated individuals in Kansas and nearby areas. The KDHE advises healthcare providers to promptly report suspected cases and to submit specimens to the Kansas Health and Environment Laboratory for testing. KDHE is providing new vaccine recommendations for those in outbreak-affected areas.”
If you live in or near the counties listed and have questions about your measles immunity, please contact your local health department.

There are no known cases of measles in Allen, Anderson, Bourbon or Woodson Counties at this time.

Submitted from Becky Johnson, Administrator/Southeast Kansas Local Health Officer

 

Area News, Health Care

NRMC obtains Hospital Accreditation

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Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality seal

NRMC obtains Hospital Accreditation

Hospitals that participate in the Medicare program must be in compliance with the Conditions of Participation by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). NRMC was recently surveyed by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and has successfully met the requirements for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating compliance with CIHQ Standards. They have been NRMC’s deeming authority for 12 years.

NRMC was subjected to a rigorous unannounced onsite assessment February 4-6, 2025. The CIHQ team toured the hospital, reviewed medical records, observed care practices, and interviewed staff and patients. The hospital is surveyed every three years & NRMC team members spent months preparing for their arrival.

 

“CIHQ’ goal is to partner with hospitals to improve the care provided in our communities,” states Richard Curtis, Chief Executive Officer of CIHQ. “CIHQ is proud to recognize Nevada Regional Medical Center for achieving accreditation.”  When asked what this means for patients at Nevada Regional Medical Center, Chief Operating Officer Holly Bush noted “the goal of the survey process for hospitals is to continue to improve the care provided in our community.  This recognition reflects NRMC’s commitment to safety and quality patient care.”

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About Nevada Regional Medical Center
NRMC is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital providing comprehensive health care services.  Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties including ear, nose & throat, family practice, general surgery, gynecology, internal medicine, orthopedics, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry and wound care services. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in cardiology, dermatology, neurology, podiatry, pulmonology and urology.

NRMC is centrally located between Kansas City and Joplin along the I-49 corridor.

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Opinion, Youth

Letter to the Editor: Christa Horn

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The Difference One Voice Can Make

When seven-year-old Mia entered the foster care system, she carried everything she owned in a single trash bag. But what weighed heavier than her few belongings was the loneliness and confusion of being shuffled between homes, schools, and strangers — all while missing the mother who could no longer care for her.

In the middle of court dates and caseworkers changing every few months, there was one person who stayed: her CASA volunteer, Linda.

Linda wasn’t paid. She didn’t work for the system. But she was there, just for Mia.

At first, Mia didn’t say much. But Linda showed up, week after week — reading books, listening, sitting quietly with her when words felt too hard. Slowly, Mia opened up. Linda learned Mia loved to draw and dreamed of becoming an artist. She noticed Mia struggled in school, not because she wasn’t bright, but because the moves had caused her to fall behind.

At court hearings, where decisions about Mia’s life were made by adults in suits, it was Linda’s report that said, “This is what Mia needs.”

Because of Linda’s advocacy, Mia got extra tutoring and art supplies that helped her express feelings she couldn’t yet say out loud. Linda advocated Mia stay in a stable foster home that nurtured Mia’s creativity and let her be a kid again.

And two years later, when a forever family came forward — one who loved Mia’s big imagination and gentle heart — Linda stood beside her in the courtroom as the adoption was finalized.

Today, Mia is thriving. She still keeps in touch with Linda. Sometimes they talk about art projects, sometimes life. But Mia never forgets that when her world felt uncertain, one steady, caring voice made all the difference.

Not a caseworker. Not a judge.
Just Linda.
Her CASA.

Learn how you can become a “Linda” to a child here in Bourbon County.  Call Christa at 620-215-2769 or email [email protected].

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott Community College

FSCC Theatre to stage Sartre classic

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Fort Scott Community College

Considered an “existential classic,” the play “No Exit,” written in 1944 by French author Jean-Paul Sartre, explores the burning question, “What is hell?”

“That query stays relevant as long as the afterlife remains ambiguous,” said Allen Twitchell, Fort Scott Community College’s theater instructor, who is directing a version of the play that opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center. “In the end (or the beginning, if you will) hell might just turn out to be the eternal tortures we devise for ourselves.”

The play also runs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is free (donations are always appreciated), but Twitchell cautions that some content might be a little intense for younger children.

Sartre’s tale involves an apparently unlikely trio of newly assigned residents of the netherworld who struggle to gain an understanding of the transgressions committed during their lives that resulted in eternal damnation and their relocation together.

“It is a powerful presentation, wrought with conflict and emotionality,” said Twitchell, “and the cast was eager to take on the challenge. I believe the results will speak for themselves.”

The cast features sophomore Isaiah Subbert as Garcin, and freshmen Jericho Jones as the Valet, Jaedyn (Ray) Lewis as Inez, and Regen Wells as Estelle.

The stage manager is freshman Jesse Dinneen, while Joshua Ramsey serves as technical director and Zachary Loper as audio engineer.

“No Exit,” however worthy, is not the show originally scheduled as the spring theater offering.

“Honestly, until fate determined otherwise, it was the plan to stage a musical, ‘The Fantasticks,’ which 30 years ago helped launch the career of film and television actor/writer/producer Jason Sudeikis, then a student-athlete at FSCC,” said Twitchell. “Unable to effectively match our talent pool with the vocal ranges required for the musical, we prudently decided to shuffle that show to the back burner and replace it on the schedule with a play that more adequately suited our resources.”

Theater scholarships are available for the 2025-26 school year. Contact Twitchell at [email protected] for information.

The play opens next Thursday (March 27) and runs through Saturday (March 29.

 

 

 

 

Opinion

Scam by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

 

When my credit card sent an alert that Netflix had increased our monthly charge, I called Netflix to ask why.  A kind, young man answered and said that he would investigate.  Within minutes, he asked if we (Dave or I) had given someone in Ohio permission to use our account.  We had not.  Did we want that account removed?  We did.

To do that, he needed to get into my account.  And that’s when I became a fool. I gave him access to my computer, something my brother, Jim, years before had told me never, ever to do.  How stupid can one get?

 

He told me that we had $145 due in refunds.  He knew what we had paid and when.  He seemed trustworthy.  Thirty minutes later, I was passed on to another technician, and when he asked me to type in my phone number, I became suspicious.  “Why do you need that?” I asked.  He then told me he already knew it and said it correctly.  They would refund my bank account in two installments, one for $20 and one for $125.  I was told to type in $20.00.  When I did that, $20,000 appeared.  I immediately tried to correct it, to no avail.

“What have you done?” the technician yelled at me.  You just tried to get $20,000 from us!”  I recognized the scam.  I had read about it.  Next, they would tell me that I need to refund the $20,000 to them, and they would take money out of my account.  I wanted to throw up.

I hung up and immediately called my bank in Fort Scott.  Did they see any attempt to take money out of my account?  Yes–$20,000 from our savings to our checking.  I panicked. “Stop it.  Please.  It’s a scam.”    The bank employees shot into action, teaming to stop the transaction.  Had it been a few seconds later, our savings account would have been wiped out.

Meantime, the scammer tried multiple times to call me back. I refused to take his calls.

You know what happened next.  Our bank accounts had to be closed, all our creditors needed to be alerted, automatic payments had to be changed, etc.  For two days I labored to make all the corrections.

With every contact, I became madder at myself…and the scammers.  How many people had they ripped off?  Wiped out their life savings?  I contacted the Geek Squad with Best Buy where I had bought my computer.  The scammers had added an app that would give them access to my computer (which was removed), but, praise God, there was no other damage.

But how did I know if the Geek Squad was trustworthy?  Is there anyone we can trust?  Clearly, I couldn’t trust myself to make wise decisions. I’ve met spouses who could not trust each other, kids who could not trust their parents, parishioners who could not trust their pastors, and businesspeople who could not trust their partners.  The list is endless.

The Bible gives us direction on the One we can trust.  In Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV), we read: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Why didn’t I pray for guidance when this call began? In spite of myself, I believe that God made my paths straight by having me hang up in time, by banking in a small town where I could connect with caring women instead of a robot, and by having a credit card company that walked me through the steps to stay safe.

I learned a valuable lesson.  I hope my foolishness prevents you from making the same mistake.

 

Government, Kansas

Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission to Meet in Topeka on March 27

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TOPEKA – The Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission will hold its next public meeting on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at the Topeka & Shawnee County Library in Topeka. The meeting will begin at noon and continue until all agenda items are addressed.

The meeting will open with a report from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, during which commissioners will hear about regulations currently in promulgation. Following the department report, commissioners will take comments on non-agenda items and listen to remarks from KDWP Secretary Christopher Kennedy.

A discussion on the night vision coyote hunting season will then take place, followed by workshop session items – topics that may be voted on in the future – including:

  • 2025-26 Waterfowl Season Date, Bag and Possession Limits
  • Kansas Duck Zones
  • K.A.R. 115-25-8 – Elk; open season, bag limit, and permits
  • K.A.R. 115-25-9 – Big Game Regulations
  • 2025 Deer Permit Quotas

The meeting will conclude with an additional opportunity for public comment on non-agenda items. The complete agenda can be viewed HERE.

Attendees can participate in the meetings in person or virtually. Instructions for joining via Zoom, phone, or live streaming are available HERE under “Instructions to Participate in Virtual Meeting.” Those who wish to provide input but cannot attend may fill out the “Contact All Commissioners” form HERE.

An interpreter for the hearing impaired can be requested by calling the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Individuals with disabilities may request other accommodations by contacting the Commission secretary at (620) 672-0702.

The next commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Flint Oak Hunting Resort in Fall River.

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