Ruth Maxine Larsen Burchett passed away peacefully on her 89th birthday on Friday, November 8, 2024, surrounded by loved ones! She was born November 8, 1935, in Richards, Missouri, the daughter of George Christian and Myrtle Elizabeth (Schnedler) Larsen.

Ruth was first a mother, but she did have several jobs in the business field. Most notably, she worked at Western Insurance in Fort Scott and State Street in Kansas City, Missouri.

Ruth had a hunger for knowledge and bettering herself as a person. One of her accomplishments in life includes earning an associate degree at Fort Scott Community College while raising six daughters. She may be the only person that has read the Webster’s Dictionary more than once. This pastime came in handy as she did crossword puzzles in her spare time.

Ruth was an avid Chiefs and Royals fan getting to attend a winning World Series game in 2015. Ruth did not let her shy personality hold her back – she learned how to swim and tried water skiing as an adult. She also learned how to snow ski as a 50+ grandma! But that may have been more about getting the good-looking ski patrol to help her down the mountain!

She loved to travel to the many places her children lived because she absolutely loved spending time with family.

For exercise, Ruth loved walking and loved taking care of her many flowers. She was a woman that loved the outdoors! Ruth loved the Lord and encouraged all her daughters to be women of faith.

Ruth will be lovingly missed by her children, Vicki (Robert) Kerley of Ozark, Missouri; Sherry (Roger) Kellogg of Springfield, Missouri; Regina (Cameron) McAllister of Fort Scott, Kansas; Donna (Jim Jr) Banwart of Fort Scott, Kansas; Tonia (Mike) West of Norman, Oklahoma; and Trina (Kirk) Whitson of Clarksville, Tennessee; and 16 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, 10 great great grandchildren; her sister, Geraldine Neth and brother Charles “Buck” Larsen, both of Fort Scott. She was preceded in death by brothers Leonard Larsen and Raymond Larsen, and three sisters, Ruby O’Dell, Alice Gilkey, and Helen Larsen.

The family will hold private family services under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel. A private burial will be in White Cemetery, Richards, Missouri. Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association and may be left in the care of Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S Main, PO Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701.

Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Claude Franklin (Frank) Durossette, age 73, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away at his home on Thursday, November 7, 2024. He was born to Grover William Durossette and Maxine Lavon (Gibson) Durossette on December 17, 1950, in Fort Scott, Kansas. He married his best friend and the love of his life Ethel Mary (Michalek) Durossette on July 20, 1968.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents and one son, Charles Franklin (Frankie) Durossette. Survivors include his wife Mary of the home; and children, William and Christi, Kevin and Autumn, and Melissa Durossette; 12 grandchildren, Josh (Tabatha), Jake (Kinsley), Cody (Kim), Wyatt, Sophie, Kasen, Cash, and Ellie Durossette, and Caleb Briggs; 5 great-grandchildren, Kinley, Kane, Kaizley, and Wilder Durossette, and Cutler Briggs; one brother Billy Gene (Shiela) Durossette, and sisters, Bonita (Ron) Jones, and Carolyn Lotterer, all of Fort Scott. And numerous nieces and nephews.

Frank loved to hunt and fish. He especially enjoyed weekend camping trips and get-togethers with his wife and family. He was a very caring person and always ready to help. He worked at Tower Metal Products for 27 years and at age 50 opened 3D Alternator and Starter Repair. He later added a mechanic shop with the help of his son, Frankie. He retired this year and spent most of his time working around the home, helping his wife babysit for the grandkids, and going on camping trips with the family. He loved spending time talking with his sons, Billy and Kevin and spending time with his wife.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday, November 12^th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to Care to Share 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.co

Marilyn Fay Nuzum, age 91, resident of Fort Scott, KS passed away Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the Horton House, Fort Scott.  She was born May 16, 1933, in Vernon County, MO the daughter of William Dewey Ferguson and Leona Myra Dugan Ferguson.  Marilyn graduated from Arcadia High School with the class of 1951 as Valedictorian.

She worked and retired from the Western Insurance Company as an assistant supervisor of key punch.  She married Paul Nuzum on December 20, 1986, in Fort Scott.  He preceded her in death on December 19, 2009.

In her spare time, Marilyn enjoyed baking, tending her flowers, and her cat Laura.  She attended Parkway Church of God (Holiness).

Survivors include her sister, Jo Ann Goans, Fort Scott; a stepdaughter, Nancy Sivcovich (Ken), CA; and 3 step grandsons.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents.

Private family graveside services with burial will take place in the U. S. National Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to Parkway Church of God (Holiness) and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.

Ruth Isabel (Evans) Jackson, 93, our beautiful mother went to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, October 30, 2024, at 12:50 p.m. at St. Luke’s East Hospital, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Our plan was getting her back to her home on hospice. Instead, the Gates of Heaven opened up and the Angels began to sing as our mother reached her destiny, her eternal home, her loving father, God, awaiting her. The heavens lit up and the angels rejoiced!

Ruth was born May 2, 1931, in a small farm home that was built by her parents. She married Roy Clifford Jackson June 12, 1949. Ruth was married to Roy for seventy beautiful years, and celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary on June 12, 2019. Roy passed in October of 2019.

Ruth and Roy were blessed with six children, fifteen grandchildren, twenty-nine great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Ruth is survived by her children, Pamela Sue Russell, Fort Scott, Connie Annette Jackson, also of Fort Scott, Gwendolyn Kay Norbury (Danny), Hume, Missouri, R. Mark Jackson (Lynette), Fort Scott, Brenda Leigh Denby, also of Fort Scott, and Jan Elaine Kierl, Mound City, Kansas.

We know that she was rejoined with her loving family that preceded her, our father Roy Clifford Jackson, her father and mother, Faye Irene (Bybee) Evans, Francis Raymond Evans, Sr.; a sister, Lois (Evans) Haynes Owings; and two brothers, Robert Evans and Junior Evans, and other loved ones she deeply missed.

Ruth remained on their farm north of Fort Scott. She loved living there and loved to fish with her kids and grandkids. She was a lifetime member of the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, and often stated that “I was in my mother’s womb when I started going to church.” Her father helped to build the Nazarene church with his family members.

Ruth was a full-time homemaker, raising six kids and taking care of her husband. She also worked at Bruce Marble and Granite Works as an engraver, The Western Insurance Company, Mercy Hospital, and managed Hillside Guest Home, and then Home Health. She eventually retired to the family farm. Ruth enjoyed raising her children and seeing her grandchildren. They all gave her great joy!

Ruth was a devoted Christian, Christ-follower, and went to church every Sunday, taking her mother and family. She loved watching and listening to Jimmy Swaggart and many other Christian ministries in her later years.

Ruth was an artist. She loved writing poetry, and she loved painting and using clay to make her arts and crafts. She was very talented and artistic. She also loved cooking meals for her family. The whole family will have wonderful memories of huge family gatherings, especially the great 4^th of July picnics and barbeques. Thanksgiving and Christmas were always filled with lots of love and warmth. Ruth will always be remembered for her love for God, and her time spent with family, those were so very special to all of us.

As a child, Ruth went to school at the old Independence School House northeast of Fort Scott, where she walked to school every day in her clothes that her mother made out of “feed sacks,” in ice, sleet, and snow. Every Christmas Ruth and her sister received a doll and one pair of shoes for school to last a full year. Often shoes were plugged with material as they became worn out after a years wear. Lunch was a cold piece of fat on bread from the hog her dad raised.

Ruth helped her father and mother on the farm. She helped her father with the horses and heavy work in the hay fields during the hot summer months until harvest. She also helped raise her little brother Junior as her mother was always cooking and caring for the family. They also enjoyed trips to Redfield to see her grandparents.

Ruth was a very devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She wanted all of her family to know our creator, God. Well done, good and faithful servant of God! We will deeply miss our God-loving mother.

Trevor Jacobs will officiate funeral services at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8, 2024, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

The family will welcome friends at 1:00 p.m. prior to services.

Ruth will be laid to rest at Oak Grove Cemetery immediately following services.

There will be a luncheon at Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene at 11:00 a.m.

Contributions may be made to the Ruth Jackson Memorial and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, KS, 66701.  Friends and family may sign the online guest book and share memories at www.konantzcheney.com.

Jo Carol Herrmann was born March 18, 1952, in Pittsburg, Kansas, and died October 28, 2024, in Wichita, Kansas.  She married Gary Herrmann in Arma, Kansas, on August 31, 1974.

Jo received her sonographer certificate and began working at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1975 and continued there until 2001.  She then joined Mt. Carmel Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas, and worked there as a sonographer until her retirement in 2018.  Even after retirement, Jo retained her sonographer certifications continuously until her death, which allowed her to volunteer her services and extraordinary abilities at the Vie Medical Clinic in Pittsburg.

Jo was fiercely loyal and a social butterfly, allowing her to have and maintain innumerable friendships throughout her life.  Her zest for life led her to be active in the community and she volunteered in numerous civic, community, and alumni organizations.  Jo was also a lifelong camper and card player.  Her true passion, however, was attending and cheering for her children, and then her grandchildren, during their athletic and academic activities.

Jo is survived by her husband of 50 years, Gary; her two children Shelley Cooley (Joe Cooley) and Garth Herrmann (Kieu Nguyen); her five grandchildren Dylan and Brody Cooley, and Ty, Evie and Ian Herrmann; and her two brothers John Clarkson and Jamie Clarkson (Bev Clarkson).

Jo was a very special person, and her hugs and smiles will be greatly missed.

A visitation for Jo will be held at the Cheney Witt Funeral Chapel, in Fort Scott, Kansas, on Tuesday, November 5, from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.

The funeral service will be held at Countryside Christian Church in Pittsburg, Kansas, on Wednesday, November 6, beginning at 11:00 A.M., followed by a private burial in Blue Mound, Kansas.

Donations in honor of Jo may be made to the Vie Medical Clinic or to the Arma-Northeast Alumni Association and left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.

Phyllis Plaster, age 82, resident of Hiattville, KS passed away Monday, October 28, 2024, at her home.  She was born Phyllis Jean Fricke on October 6th, 1942, in Kansas City, MO. She was the daughter of Virgil and Helen Fricke of the same city.

She went to school at Southeast High School in Kansas City, where she met her husband, Steve, at age 13. In algebra class, she kept asking him what the algebra equation meant and what the answer was. And he, of course, provided the answers to this young blonde beauty. Later, at the age of 16 and 10 months both of them were brought together at the Fairyland Park swimming pool in July of 1959. They hit it off and were a steady couple from October 20th, 1959, until their marriage on September 1st, 1963. In between that time they were lavaliered, pinned, engaged, and then finally married. They were blessed to be kept together because Steve went to the University of Kansas and Phyllis went to Research Hospital and the University of Missouri, Kansas City. So they were 50 miles apart, but they made sure for three years, 1960 through 1963, that they were a couple on each and every weekend, whether in Kansas City or in Lawrence, KS.

In. late October 1964, their first son, Brad Plaster was born. What a joy. They now lived in Kansas City and Steve had gotten a job at Union Carbide in July of 1964. Phyllis had already been working from September 1963 at Research Hospital as a Registered Nurse. They were both interested in moving from Kansas City to have more opportunities on the East Coast. Steve in particular wanted to be with a large public corporation such as Union Carbide, which was headquartered in New York City, NY. So they moved in 1968 to Willingboro New Jersey. Then they moved to Yorktown, NY in 1970. Along the way, in 1967, their daughter Jennifer, or Jen as she’s called, was born in Kansas City and was with them there for one year before moving with her parents to New Jersey. What a joy she is. Eric Plaster, their third child, was born in 1968 in Willingboro, NJ where they resided. What a joy. Then in 1970, they moved another time 2 times in Yorktown.

The Lord found them at the age of 28 and they accepted the Lord at that time at Community Bible Church in Ossining, NY.

They worked at various places in the New York area and enjoyed bringing up their family. Steve continued to go to school throughout the many years they were married, which Phyllis tolerated graciously. They then transferred to Westlake, OH and spent four years raising high schoolers. In Westlake, OH. at Westlake High School all of their kids were athletes and Friday Night Lights was the big event. They then returned to the East Coast living and working in Connecticut, both Ridgefield and Danbury, CT and attended the same church, Community Bible Church. During this time, Phyllis worked in Connecticut and New York.

In all, she had 50 years of nursing work experience. In 1985, Union Carbide was challenged with a takeover and was ultimately broken up into divisions to be sold. The Eveready-Energizer Battery Company was sold to Ralston Purina of St. Louis, MO. So after four years in Connecticut, they moved to St. Louis, MO. And, at this time, Phyllis got her Bachelor’s Degree from Webster University in nursing. Steve worked at Ralston Purina with Eveready Battery Company from 1987 until his retirement in 1996.

In 1996, the oldest son Brad felt that our immediate family was too spread out and so he thought we ought to move together all in the same area. And so he scouted out the various areas and selected Florida as our next home, so in 1994-95. Eric and Brad moved down to Florida, Brad first to Clearwater and then on down to Naples. Brad married Kristin in 2004. Eric married Angie and moved to Naples in 1995. Then Jen and Chuck still living in Connecticut moved down in 2008, so that we were all together within 3 miles of each other. The boys started their own company and it was a pool building and service company that has been very successful. They live next door to each other and they work together in the same complex that they own. Chuck is a very successful Carpenter and skilled in those matters of repair and has his own business and also works for a franchise.

All three of Phyllis’s children live in Naples. A couple of years ago Phyllis and Steve decided to begin to transition more back to Missouri and Kansas, as Phyllis had inherited a farm and some acreage in Hiattville, Kansas in 1990, near Fort Scott, Kansas. Phyllis added some land and a couple more houses and she and Steve began to come down first on a couple of weekends in the summer and then for a month and then more and more, then as they were much older in their sixties and seventies, for example, they came down for two months and three months respectively. During the last three years, they decided to be in their beloved Hiattville for six months and in Naples, FL, where our family is for six months. They had always wanted to spend their last years together here. And also to be buried right next to their property in the cemetery next to Virgil Fricke, who is Phyllis’s father.

Phyllis is dear to many people both in Florida and every church and community she has lived in. They were transferred nine times with Steve’s job. Phyllis worked at a total of 28 different jobs in nursing, health care, and home care across the Eastern half of the country. So she was employed for a long time, 50 years, although sometimes part time.

They accepted the Lord together at age 28. And were determined to raise their three children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They’ve been blessed with seven grandchildren and that would be: Brad’s children, who are Dietrich and Harrison, with Jen’s four children who are Erica, Rachel, Alli and Luke, and then with Eric’s five children, who are Zane, Cheyenne, Josephine, Grant, and Olivia. Erica and Rachel live in on the East Coast in Stuart, and West Palm. Alli lives in North Carolina. Luke lives in Nashville, TN and Zane is in the Los Angeles area of California. Erica is married to Andy Hall with their two children Marley Jeane and Julie. Rachel is married to Garrett Bechtel with their three children Reagan, Joshua, and Grady. Alli is married to Jacob Van Proyen. Cheyenne is married to Nic Hannigan with two children Anakin and Rohan. So Phyllis has three children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Phyllis has been a person that has been a blessing all of her life. She loves the outdoors, she loves exercise, and she loves projects. She loves serving others and she is a giver rather than a receiver. She has been the love of her husband’s life, for a total of 65 years. They’ve been married for 61 years since September 1, 1963. They presently are residing in Hiattville, Kansas. They have attended multiple churches. Between the ages of 18 to 28, Phyllis was a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Then she was a member of a Bible church for eleven years, and then a member of a Baptist Church for four years, each time they were transferred to a different state. Then she was a Plymouth Brethren for about 22 years and then, a member of a Bible church in Naples and then, a Southern Baptist Church for the past 18 years. Phyllis has enjoyed sewing, cooking, bike riding, swimming, and particularly buying little gifts for her great-grandchildren. Steve says. “To have friends like you here today and some who are not here because of distances and other encumbrances is a blessing. Phyllis wanted each one that hears this message to know that she loves them and that she prays for them and has done that for many years, particularly the family and close friends.” Phyllis has probably 50 cousins in the Sedalia, Warrensburg, and Concordia, MO area. Her closest cousins are Kathy Wilburn, Connie Skelton, Mary Siard and Carl Ray Colson.

Rev. Joel Crippen will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Thursday, October 31^st, at the Hiattville United Methodist Church.

Burial will follow in the Hiattville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the First Southern Baptist Church, Fort Scott 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 online at cheneywitt.com.

Alberta Grace Weddle, 90, formerly of Fort Scott, passed away Thursday morning, October 17, 2024, at Ascension St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was born on April 2, 1934, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Lars Huggins and Hazel Leona (Hawks) Huggins. She married Russell Marvin Weddle on July 21, 1949, in Kansas City, Missouri, and he preceded her in death May 26, 1994.

Alberta grew up in hard times as an only child, having lost an infant sister, Ilene, and a young brother, Freddy. She stayed with her Great-grandma McCoy and Grandma Grace most of the time, and because things were so hard, she often didn’t have much food to eat, toys, or the simple things that other children had. Alberta, however, was not defined by her circumstances, and instead chose who she would grow up to become.

Alberta found and fell in love with Russell Weddle, a career-military man, and in July of 1949, they began their lives together. She followed him from the East Coast to the West Coast as he served our great country first in WWII and then combat in Korea. Eventually, along came their children, Ray, Marie, Julie, and Morine. Russell wanted to stop having children at four, but Alberta always wanted seven children, having grown up an only child. Otherwise, Connie, Albert, and Carol, their children, and the children following them would not be on this planet.

Alberta treasured each and every one of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. Everything centered around family for her. She “took care of business,” always giving, and touched the lives of everyone who entered her home and who she met. She was a doer, not a talker. She loved kids, no matter who they were: her own family, children she met in restaurants, especially babies. She was “Mom” to her children’s friends in many ways. Alberta was not a social butterfly, but instead spoke in a genuine way, conveying that she was listening and truly cared.

Alberta had beautiful, soul-piercing eyes, and loved shiny, sparkly, glittery everything! She loved red birds, flamingos, and flowers, and purple was her favorite color. She was not a complainer, instead she was always thankful and grateful. She was sweet and peaceful, and would wash your mouth out with soap if you even THOUGHT about the F-word! Alberta accepted and loved Jesus, and taught her family about the need to ask for forgiveness, and to just to talk to Him. Read John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10, and believe in His Word. She built character into each of her children while still letting them be themselves. She gave them the power to choose who they could be.

Alberta is survived her children, Ray Weddle (Connie), Deerfield, Missouri, Morine Santmeyer (Jim), Tulsa, Oklahoma, Connie Snyder (Roger), Chelsea, Oklahoma, Albert Weddle (Susan), Fort Scott, Carol Carter (James), Owasso, Oklahoma, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents; infant sister Ilene, brother, Freddy; two daughters, Grace Weddle and Julie (Skaggs) Kantz; a grandson, Matthew Weddle, and great-granddaughter Cadence Marie Crumbly.

Matthew Kendrick will officiate funeral services at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 24, 22024, at the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, with burial following at the Evergreen Cemetery, under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

A family visitation will be Wednesday evening, October 23, 2024, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Friends and family may sign the online guest book and share memories at www.konantzcheney.com.

William “Will/Bill” James Sampson, Jr., age 45, a native of Fort Scott, KS passed away Saturday, October 19, 2024.  He was born July 23, 1979, in Fort Scott, KS the son of William James Sampson, Sr. and Mary Lynn Wiggans Sampson, both Fort Scott natives.  He attended school in Fort Scott from kindergarten through high school.  Bill was married to Jennifer Leighty for 21 years.  They later divorced.  He worked at Ward Kraft for 13 years.  He later transitioned to BNSF Railroad where he worked for 12 years as a Union Signalman.

Bill enjoyed surrounding himself with family and friends, wind therapy, fixing things, working on cars, hunting, and exploring nature.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; paternal grandparents Harry and Wilma Sampson; and maternal grandfather, Donald Wesley Wiggans.

He is survived by his daughter, Kaitlynn Sampson (Jonathan Harp); and son Dakota Wiley (Amelia); grandchildren Emmett and Hudson Harp, and Henry Wiley; girlfriend Catrina Canfield-Hurl and her children, Jarika and Preston, Johnny and Dora, and Jamison, and grandchildren Autumn, Mayleigh, and Rowan; maternal grandmother Betty Wiggans; cousin Patrick Earnest; and friend Doug Sinn.  Also surviving are his biker brothers, BNSF Union family, and many family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Monday, October 28^th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Cremation will follow.

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

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

Sheryl Irene Harper (Garten) 85, formerly of Peculiar, MO passed away Sunday, October 20, 2024 at her home in Ft. Scott, KS.

Sheryl was born April 7, 1939 at the family farm in rural Peculiar. She was the eldest child of John L. Garten and Glessie I. Garten (Phillips).

She married Donald Gene Harper Sr. on May 18, 1957 at Harrisonville Baptist Church. They were blessed with six children Donnie, Jonalin, Sherri, Jeff, John Philip, and Tim.

Sheryl lived most of her life in and around Peculiar and worked as Postmaster at Peculiar Post office, where she retired. She also worked as the secretary for the Superintendent of Raymore-Peculiar School District for many years. She played the piano at Peculiar First Baptist Church and Pleasant Prairie Baptist Church.

Sheryl was preceded in death by her beloved sons, Jeffrey Harper and John Philip Harper, her parents John and Glessie Garten and one brother J. L. Garten Jr.

Cherishing her memory are her loving husband of 67 years Donald Gene Harper Sr., her surviving children Donald Harper Jr. (Julie), Hutchinson KS, Jonalin Witt (Larry), Raymore, MO, Sherri Catron, Harrisonville, MO, and Timothy Harper (Janet), Ft. Scott, KS; two sisters, Saleta Hentschel (David), Dee Ora Hunter (Joe), one brother, Mark Garten (Gale); ten grandchildren: Amanda, Matthew, Laura, Ashleigh, Zach, Michael, Katie, Seth, Jonathan, and Shaydon – plus numerous beloved great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 28th at 1:00pm at the First Baptist Church of Freeman, 303 N. Washington St, Freeman, MO 64746.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Mount Carmel Hospice left in care of Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, PO Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guest book at cheneywitt.com.

JoAnn Copelin, age 89, of Mansfield, TX passed away peacefully, Saturday, October 12, 2024 at her home in the Isle at Watercrest Mansfield.  She was born June 23, 1935 in Enid, Oklahoma, the daughter of Alfred and Dulsa Clark.  She graduated from Rogers High School in Arkansas with the class of 1953.  Shortly after, she married the love of her life, Buddy Copelin, on May 18, 1953.  They built a life in the Kansas City area and had 69 wonderful years together.  She worked as a cosmetologist at Mr. Emery’s Salon for over 30 years.  JoAnn enjoyed gardening, sewing, knitting, oil painting and spending precious time with family and friends.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Peculiar for 50 years where she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir.

JoAnn will be lovingly missed by her daughter, Debbie Taylor,  (husband, Steve), her 3 grandsons, Nathan Taylor, (wife, Sonya), Nick Copelin, (wife, Jennie), and Zack Copelin; 3 great-grandchildren, Presley, Foster and Judah Copelin; 2 sisters, Esther Tanner; Wanda Daniels, (husband, Tom), brother, Dean Clark, (wife Ardythe), and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Preceded in death by her parents; 2 sisters, Ruby Rounds and Melva Varnell; a brother, Eugene Clark and her husband, Buddy and son, Randy.

Graveside services will be held at 1:30 P.M. Thursday, October 24^th at the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel on Thursday prior to leaving for the cemetery at 1:15 P.M. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Jacquin “Jacki” Lorraine Provence went home to meet our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday October 15th, 2024, at KU Medical Center.

Jacki was born on May 5^th, 1952, in Lenexa, KS to Donald and Neva Provence. Jacki grew up in Kansas City, KS but she spent many of her favorite childhood summers in Fort Scott, where she decided to move and raise her two children, Nic and Erika Provence.

Jacki worked as an insurance claims processor for Cobalt MedPlans/First Source until she retired and moved from Fort Scott, back to the Kansas City area.

She was an avid movie lover and frequent attendee of many cinemas across multiple cities. She will be remembered for not only her big laugh, but her even bigger heart. Anyone who frequented her household were not only guests but were welcomed with open arms into what many considered a second home, and this home will live on in the hearts of everyone she loved.

Jacki is survived by her oldest son Nicolas and wife Kelly Provence of Springfield, MO, their children Niccon Provence and Christian Provence-Harmon and husband Garret of Springfield, daughter Erika Provence and children Gideon Provence of Gardner as well as Isabella Virtue and husband Shaun of Topeka. She is also survived by her beloved sister and one of her best friends Trudy Briones of Kansas City, as well as nephews Isreal Briones and Angelo Briones, Angelo’s children Gisele and Gian Briones as well as niece Jessica Briones and son Zekiah Briones Hardgraves all of the Kansas City area.

She was preceded in death by her parents Donald and Neva.

A celebration of life will be held in her honor at a later date and time to be announced.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.