John William Page, age 71, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Friday, April 7, 2023, at his home.  He was born April 27, 1951, in Fort Scott, the son of Chris and Clara Chaplin Page.  Following high school, John served in the U. S. Navy.  He married Erlinda Llanita on April 16, 1973, in the Philippines.  John worked most of his life as a diesel mechanic in the farming industry.  He enjoyed riding and breaking horses, fishing, mechanical and bulldozing work, and anything outdoors.  He loved spending time with his family, especially the grandchildren.  He was a great husband, father, and grandfather.

 

Survivors include his wife Erlinda of the home; 2 daughters, Christan Page (Gage Brooks), Fort Scott, and Joy Kuns (Robert) Bronson, KS; 6 grandchildren, Ashton Anderson, Jazlynne Anderson, Haddlen Brooks, Madalynn Brooks, Avery Kuns, and Adeline Kuns; and 3 brothers, Carl Joe Page (Vicky), Jerry Lee Page (Leanna), and Gary Ray Page.

He was preceded in death by his father.

 

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Wednesday, April 12^th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Hepler Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM until service time Wednesday at the funeral home

.  Memorials are suggested to the John Page memorial fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

 

 

Richard L. “Rick” Nation, age 54, resident of Fort Scott, Kansas died Wednesday April 5, 2023, at Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park, Kansas after a lengthy battle with cancer. Rick was born in Fort Scott, Kansas to LD and Ruth Nation. He attended grade school at Mound City and Miami R-1 and graduated from Jayhawk Linn in 1987. He married Lisa Weddle in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 7th, 1997. Rick was an owner/operator of his dump truck for 15 years and then went to work for Union Pacific Railroad until the time of his passing. He was a man of many talents and could build anything from the ground up. We were truly blessed with a wonderful man that gave us the world.

 

Survivors of the home are wife Lisa, daughters Isabella, and Leah, and best furry companion Annie; parents LD and Ruth Nation, Butler Missouri; brothers Brent (Billie) of Hereford, Texas, Craig (Nikki) of Rich Hill, Missouri; sister Brenda (Travis) Anders of Adrian, Missouri; a daughter Kayla Poole, Pleasanton, Kansas; mother-in-law, Shirley (Tim) Goltra, father-in-Law, Ray (Connie) Weddle; bonus brother Steven (Stana) Weddle; sister and brother in-law Tessa (Adam) Feagins all of Fort Scott, Kansas. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, cousins, and numerous friends. He was preceded in death by paternal grandparents Les and Dorothy Nation, maternal grandparents Edward and Margaret Higgins, and brother in-law Larry Lee Shirley.

 

Rev. Paul Rooks will conduct funeral services at 1:00 PM Tuesday, April 11^th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Burial will follow in the Linnville Cemetery, Mound City, KS.  The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Monday evening at the funeral home.  Memorials are suggested to Nation Children’s Scholarship Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Richard L. “Rick” Nation, age 54, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park, KS.  Services for Rick Nation will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.

Allen Dale “AJ” Soverns, Jr., age 40, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Thursday, March 30, 2023, at his home.  There was cremation.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, April 15^th, at Gunn Park Shelter House #6.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the AJ Soverns Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

Allen Dale “AJ” Soverns, Jr., age 40, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Thursday, March 30, 2023, at his home.  He was born April 8, 1982, in Kansas City, KS, the son of Allen Sr. and Colleen Vaughan Soverns.  He married Angie Hall on July 11, 2020, in Fort Scott.

AJ enjoyed working outside in the yard, mowing and gardening.  He liked music, playing video games, watching movies, dogs, and cats.

 

Survivors include his wife Angie of the home; his mother, Colleen Pellett; a son Kiel Hall; daughters Rayne Soverns, Zoie Joles, and Rylee Joles; a sister Amy Majors (Trevor); nieces Alyson Howser (Brock), Bryttny Hall, Alexia Hall and Maize Hall; nephews Luke Majors, and Bentley Hall, and several others; as well as many cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father.

 

There was cremation.  The family will announce services at a later date.

Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel.  In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the AJ Soverns Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

 

 

Shirley Jean (Hoggatt) Palmer passed into the loving arms of Jesus on March 28, 2023.  She was born January 26, 1943, in Fort Scott, Kansas.  Her parents were Fred (Tony) and Verna (Ater) Hoggatt.  She grew up in Garland, Kansas, and attended the one-room Clarksburg Rural School from kindergarten through the eighth grade with her mother being her teacher.  During her youth, Shirley was actively involved in 4-H especially showing Angus beef cattle and cooking.  She graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1961, Fort Scott Junior College in 1963, and from Kansas State College of Pittsburg with a B.S. in Elementary Education degree in 1965, a Masters Degree in Education in 1971, and an Education Specialists Degree in School Administration from Pittsburg State University in 1979.

 

Shirley married Ron Palmer on June 2, 1963.  They have two sons, Brian and wife Carla Palmer and Gary and wife Kylene Palmer.  She also enjoyed her grandchildren: John and wife Katelyn, Elizabeth and husband Elijah, Sadie, Lexi, Riley, and Jentry.  She cherished all family time together.

 

Shirley taught nearly 40 years as a second-grade teacher in Leavenworth and Fort Scott, Kansas.  She was named Kansas Teacher of the Year in 1982 and was inducted into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame in 2002.  Shirley served as the first ever female Student Body President of Fort Scott Junior College in 1963.  Shirley was named Fort Scott Community College Outstanding Alum in 1987 and Pittsburg State University Outstanding Alum in 2016.  She served as both a member and President of the Alumni Associations for both the Fort Scott Community College and Pittsburg State University.  She was appointed by then Kansas Governor, Mike Hayden, to the Advisory Council of Community Colleges during 1989-1993 and she served seven years on the Kansas Board of Regents from 1987-1993 overseeing the state colleges including Chair of the Board in 1993.

 

Shirley was also very active in her community and held memberships in many civic organizations.  She served many years as a Democratic Precinct Committee Person and was elected to two terms as Kansas State Representative for the Fourth District of Kansas from 2006-2010.  Other organizations included Fort Scott Rotary, Delta Kappa Gamma now called AWE, American Association of University Women, Progressive Mother’s Club, Retired Teachers, Family Consumer Education, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, the Bourbon County Fair Board, and she served 30 years volunteering as a county-wide 4-H leader in Horticulture.  She was also a Mercy Hospital Auxiliary volunteer for many years.  Shirley was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star of Kansas for over 60 years and served as the Worthy Grand Matron from 1998-1999.

Shirley lived on a farm with Ron southwest of Fort Scott.  They were small business owners together in Fort Scott.  Her hobbies included gardening, entertaining, baking, canning, competing at the Bourbon County Fair, playing the accordion and piano, and spending time with family and friends.  Shirley often won awards for her homemade pies of various flavors, with her Cherry Pie earning top awards.

Throughout her life Shirley’s strong faith in God and love for Jesus motivated her to serve Him and others.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Fort Scott where she served on many committees including Chair of the Christian Board of Education and was a pianist for several years.

 

Shirley was a dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother-to-be, sister-in-law, and friend to many people.  As a friend described her, she was “dedicated, smart, talented, and caring.  Irreplaceable.”  She will be truly missed and her impact on our lives will only be fully known someday in heaven.

 

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Verna Hoggatt.  She is survived by her husband Ron Palmer of the home in Fort Scott, Brian and Carla Palmer of Olathe, Gary and Kylene, Sadie, Lexi, Riley and Jentry of Fort Scott, John and Katelyn Palmer of Lenexa, and Elizabeth and Elijah Vandepol of Spring Hill, Kansas.

 

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM Friday, April 7^th, at the First Baptist Church in Fort Scott.

Burial will follow in the Clarksburg Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Thursday at the Cheney Witt Chapel with the Order of Eastern Star service beginning at 6:00 PM.

Memorials are suggested to either the First Baptist Church of Fort Scott, the Ron & Shirley Palmer Scholarship Fund at Fort Scott Community College, or to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for cancer research and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

Sandra Sue “Sandy” Stinnett, 79, a resident of Fort Scott, passed away Tuesday morning, March 28, 2023. She was born February 29, 1944, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Roy William “Bill” Danley and Marie (Faulhaber) Danley.

She married Bud Stinnett on November 16, 1963, in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Fulton, Kansas. He preceded her in death on May 14, 1996.

 

Sandy graduated from Fort Scott High School with the Class of 1962, and she was a lifetime member of Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. She worked for the City of Fort Scott as a clerk in the Water Department, and retired after thirty-five years in 2006.

 

Sandy is survived by her daughter, Dena Engelland (Tom) of Sterling, Kansas; her longtime companion, Tom McNeil, of the home; two grandchildren, Kathleen Engelland Huelskamp (Leo), and Eric Engelland (Katharina); two great-grandchildren, Wade Huelskamp, Ty Huelskamp, and a third great-grandchild, Baby Engelland, arriving in July. Sandy is also survived by many wonderful friends.

In addition to her husband, Bud, she was also preceded in death by her parents, and a brother, Ronnie Danley.

 

Father Yancey Burgess will celebrate the Funeral Mass at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church (Kennedy Gym), with the Rosary beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery.

Services are under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

 

Merle Mayfield, 80, resident of Fort Scott, passed away Friday, March 24, 2023. He was born December 16, 1942, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of Wayne and Leona (Bean) Mayfield. He married Betty L. Jack on August 12, 1967, in Arcadia, Kansas. They later divorced. He later married Judy Shankle, and they divorced.

 

Merle worked for The Western Insurance Co. for six years before going into law enforcement, in which he spent twenty years. He retired in 1996, after working for Ward Kraft Printing for four years, due to health problems.

 

Merle is survived by Margaret Parker, his companion of twenty-five years, and two sons, Jason “Jay” Mayfield (Jonna), of Pensacola, Florida, and Joel Mayfield (Nicki), of Nevada, Missouri; a sister, Janice Mayfield, of Fort Scott; a sister-in-law, Diane Mayfield; three grandchildren, Trey Mayfield (Karen), Trenton Mayfield (Kasie), and Bethany Mayfield, and his step-grandchildren, John Varner (Kathryn), Matthew Varner (Paige), Lauren Meyers (Ben), Kris Varner (Katie), Samuel Varner, Morgan Trujillo (Jeff), and Myla Manly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Gary Mayfield.

 

Pastor Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

Visitation will be Friday evening, March 31, 2023, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Private burial will take place at a later date, following cremation.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Fort Scott Police Department and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

 

Laverne Cummings Person, age 95, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at the home of her daughter in Olathe, Kansas.

She was born August 12, 1927, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Booker T. Cummings and Cleo Mae Jenkins Cummings.  Laverne received her early education at the E. J. Hawkins School in Ft. Scott and went on to graduate from the Ft. Scott High School.

She married Dennis C. Person on March 2, 1946, in Ft. Scott.  He preceded her in death on November 15, 1950.

Because of the untimely death of her husband, Laverne had to work hard to meet the needs of her family.  In earlier years, she worked as a housekeeper and then took a job at the County Clerk’s office where she worked for a few years. Later, she was employed in human resources by the City of Ft. Scott where she worked for many years

Laverne had a life-long love of reading, and the last few years of her tenure with the City were spent working at the Ft. Scott Public Library

. In addition to reading, Laverne also enjoyed cooking and baking.   Laverne was a woman of faith and was a longtime member of the United Missionary Baptist Church.  She was also a past member of the Eastern Star and the Athenium Study Club.

Family was everything to Laverne, and they all pulled together to take care of her during her final years.  Many precious memories were made on the back porch on Hill Street where family and friends gathered to listen to her words of wit and wisdom.

Laverne will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her four daughters, Janice Greene (Arthur), Linda Wilson (Larry) and Cindy Becky (Brent) all of Olathe, Kansas and Holly Rogers (Richard) of Parker, Colorado; her daughter-in-law, Beverly Albertson Person of Kansas City, Missouri; twelve grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren.  Also surviving are two brothers, Jerry Cummings of Sacramento, California and Phillip Cummings (Mary Ann) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; sisters-in-law, Wava Cummings and Alta Cummings and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

In addition to her husband, Dennis, Laverne was preceded in death by her parents, Booker T. and Cleo Cummings, a son, Dennis Person, Jr. five brothers, Donald, who died in infancy, and Gardner, Charles, Albert and David Cummings and a sister, Maxine Gordon.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, March 31^st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Ft. Scott Public Library and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Leona Belle Harned, age 81, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.

She was born at home in Fulton, Kansas on July 3, 1941, the daughter of Luther Martin Harned and Julia Alma Cadwell Harned.  Leona’s early years were spent in Fulton, Kansas.  She attended the United Methodist Church in Fulton, Kansas during her youth. The Harned family later moved to Ft. Scott where Leona graduated from Ft. Scott High School and later from Ft. Scott Community College.

Throughout her life, Leona worked at various Ft. Scott restaurants which embodied her love for people and her love for serving others.  Her last places of employment were in the cafeteria at Ft. Scott Community College and later at Marsha’s Deli.  She reluctantly retired from Marsha’s Deli at age 78.

Leona had a strong love for Christ and shared her faith unashamedly.  She spent many hours watching the TBN network on television and had an extensive collection of Bibles.  She also enjoyed singing especially the old hymns of the church.  She was a member of the Faith Church located south of Ft. Scott.

 

Leona is survived by two sisters, Julia Turbeville of Houston, Texas and Darlene Robinson of Ft. Scott, Kansas, as well as numerous nieces and nephews

She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Edwin, Jimmy, and George Harned.

 

Following cremation, Pastor Matthew Hunt will conduct a memorial service at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, April 1^st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until service time on Saturday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Private burial will take place in the Memory Gardens Cemetery.  Memorials are suggested to the Faith Church where it will be used for outreach, Bibles and missions.  Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

Gale Eugene Holman, age 67, resident of Belton, MO, died Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the Research Medical Center, Kansas City, MO.  There was cremation.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS.

Laverne Cummings Person, age 95, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at the home of her daughter in Olathe, Kansas. She was born August 12, 1927, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Booker T. Cummings and Cleo Mae Jenkins Cummings. Laverne received her early education at the E. J. Hawkins School in Ft. Scott and went on to graduate from the Ft. Scott High School.

She married Dennis C. Person on March 2, 1946, in Ft. Scott. He preceded her in death on November 15, 1950. Because of the untimely death of her husband, Laverne had to work hard to meet the needs of her family.

In earlier years, she worked as a housekeeper and then took a job at the County Clerk’s office where she worked for a few years. Later, she was employed in human resources by the City of Ft. Scott where she worked for many years. Laverne had a life-long love of reading, and the last few years of her tenure with the City were spent working at the Ft. Scott Public Library.

In addition to reading, Laverne also enjoyed cooking and baking. Laverne was a woman of faith and was a longtime member of the United Missionary Baptist Church. She was also a past member of the Eastern Star and the Athenium Study Club.

Family was everything to Laverne, and they all pulled together to take care of her during her final years. Many precious memories were made on the back porch on Hill Street where family and friends gathered to listen to her words of wit and wisdom. Laverne will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her four daughters, Janice Greene (Arthur), Linda Wilson (Larry) and Cindy Becky (Brent) all of Olathe, Kansas and Holly Rogers (Richard) of Parker, Colorado; her daughter-in-law, Beverly Albertson Person of Kansas City, Missouri; twelve grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers, Jerry Cummings of Sacramento, California and Phillip Cummings (Mary Ann) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; sisters-in-law, Wava Cummings and Alta Cummings and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

In addition to her husband, Dennis, Laverne was preceded in death by her parents, Booker T. and Cleo Cummings, a son, Dennis Person, Jr.; five brothers, Donald, who died in infancy, and Gardner, Charles, Albert and David Cummings and a sister, Maxine Gordon.

 

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, March 31st at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Ft. Scott Public Library and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.