Patricia “Pat” Kay Payne, 80, of Fort Scott, passed away on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at Medicalodge in Fort Scott, Kansas. She was born June 7, 1941, in Fort Scott, Kansas to Earl and Dorene Parks.

 

Pat held many titles throughout her life: daughter, mother, “Ms. Pat”, but perhaps her favorite was grandmother. From school programs to sporting events to weddings, she was there for them all and usually two hours early to get a good parking spot. She loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but perhaps her most special connection was with her great-grandson, Ridley. So much so that she paid extra to have his name on her license plate.

 

Aside from loving her family, Pat loved her friends. If she wasn’t at the beauty shop or grocery store, Pat was on the phone talking to her friends. She was a woman of many words with some being unrepeatable. Pat also loved her dog Penny, the casino and a good meal shared with loved ones. She loved music, and she loved to dance, specifically square-dance. She also enjoyed watching the Kansas City Chiefs, The Weather Channel and any old western movie.

 

Pat is survived by one daughter, Jerri Lynn Halsey and husband Scott of Fort Scott, Kansas; three grandchildren Chase Halsey (Kyla) and Courtney Goucher (Michael) both of Fort Scott, Kansas and Samantha Halsey of Austin, Texas. Also surviving are five great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law, Delphine Parks and several nieces and nephews.

Patricia was proceeded in death by her parents and one brother, Ronald Parks.

 

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, April 27th, in the Evergreen Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the Cheney Witt Chapel from 10:00 AM until leaving for the cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to either Integrity Hospice or Medicalodge Activity Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Estelle Cox, age 81, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, took her Heavenly Father by the hand and went home to Heaven on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at the Guest Home Estates in Ft. Scott.

She was born May 3, 1940, in Lutz, Tennessee, the daughter of LeRoy White and Myrtle Petty White.

Estelle first married Arthur I. Gibbs.  Together they had two daughters, April and Sandy.  Arthur preceded her in death on September 24, 1990.

She later married Robert S. Cox on November 13, 1998.

He passed away on February 17, 2012.

Estelle was a woman of faith, and her family finds comfort knowing that she is in Heaven with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Survivors include her daughters, April Jacobs (Trevor) and Sandy Gibbs all of Ft. Scott; six grandchildren, Cody (Olivia), Johnathan (Kerri), Gage, Abby, Kolby and Kyra and three great-grandsons, Jason, Luke and Nathan.  Also surviving are two sisters, Lynn Reynolds, Maryland Heights, Missouri and Nell Welch (Doug), Pilot Knob, Missouri and two sisters-in-law, Dot White, Louisburg, Kansas and Tita White, Florissant, Missouri and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by four brothers, James, Bobby, Roland and Roy White.

 

Trevor Jacobs will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Friday, April 29^th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 9:00 A.M. until service time at the chapel.

Following services, there will be cremation and private burial will take place in the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Hospital and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 666701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Patricia Kay Payne, age 80, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Thursday, April 21, 2022, at Medicalodge of Ft. Scott.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, April 27^th, in the Evergreen Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the Cheney Witt Chapel from 10:00 AM until leaving for the cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to either Integrity Hospice or Medicalodge Activity Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.

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

 

Helen Louise Harper, 95, of Uniontown, passed away Wednesday evening April 20, 2022, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg. She was born February 18, 1927, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Carl William and Sophia Mary (Leitz) Eshelbrenner. She married Floyd Gilbert Harper on January 18, 1953, in Fort Scott, and he preceded her in death August 18, 2019.

 

Helen was a Registered Nurse and a homemaker. She loved to sing, solve crossword puzzles, and play games like Dominos, Uno, and other card games. She liked to watch KU Basketball, the Royals and Chiefs, and she loved to watch her kids and grandkids play sports. Helen’s goodbyes always included saying “watch out for the deer.”

 

Helen is survived by her three sons, Danny Harper and wife Tina of Hepler, Kansas, Dennis Harper and wife Carolyn of Fort Scott, Kansas, Dale Harper and wife Jody, also of Fort Scott, Kansas; a daughter, Joyce Strawn and husband Scott of Omaha, Texas; a brother, Bob Eshelbrenner and wife Barbara of Derby, Kansas; eight grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband Floyd, Helen was also preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, Carl, Jr., Albert, Jack, and Billy; four sisters, Betty, Esther, Joan, and Mary Sue; and two grandchildren.

 

Bob Martin will officiate graveside services at 10:30 a.m. on Monday April 25, 2022, at the Uniontown Cemetery under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. The family will then have a Celebration of Life at the Uniontown Community Center following services. Memorial contributions may be made to the Horton House Activities Fund, 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.

 

Sharon Kay Chanove, age 64, resident of Nevada, MO, died Thursday, April 21, 2022, at her daughter’s home in Nevada.

She was born September 17, 1957, in Gillette, WY, the daughter of Laurence and Mary Rose Kaubich Petitt.

She married Milton Leo Chanove, Jr. on September 28, 2002, in Nevada, MO.

Sharon enjoyed her coffee while reading the Bible. She enjoyed listening to the radio as well. Sharon was an excellent cook, her specialty being apple pie. She loved spending time with her family and traveling.

Survivors include her husband, Milton; 2 sons, Lauren Coffett and Marquis Henderson; 4 daughters, Bobbie McIntire, Wendy Hoss, Tammy Henderson, and Nicole Randall; 3 brothers, Chris, Edward, and Patrick Petitt; 5 sisters, Edith Zabriskie, Rose Ella Thomas, Toni Kidd, Sheila Barry, and Barbie Sweet; 29 grandchildren; and 3 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by 4 brothers, Henry, Larry, Billy, and Gerald Petitt; and 2 sisters, Hester Milks, and Shirley Walker.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Tuesday, April 26th, at the Pine Street Baptist Church in Nevada, MO.

Burial will follow at 1:30 PM in the U. S. National Cemetery, Ft. Scott, KS.

Memorials are suggested to the Sharon Chanove Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Harold Eugene Page, age 56, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.

He was born July 15, 1965, in Ft. Scott, the son of James Russell Page and Edna Mae Taylor Page.

Harold primarily worked doing highway construction.  One could say he was a “jack of all trades.”  He could fix almost anything and used this ability to help anyone in need.  He enjoyed fishing, especially with his grandchildren.

 

Survivors include his three children, Brent Kober (Laura) of Olathe, Kansas, Shane Kober, Uniontown, Kansas and Taylor Hall (Greg) of Mound City, Kansas and twelve grandchildren, Greyson, Jade, Shaiden, Kamden, Faith, Jackson, Joseph, Landon, Halle, Brynlee, Lathan, and Presliegh.  Also surviving is his mother, Edna Sowder; three brothers, Russell, Jerry and Jimmie Page and three sisters, Margaret Metcalf, Linda Armstrong and Susan Dauben, all of Ft. Scott.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lacey Page, two sisters, Cindy Doherty and Connie Page, his father, James Russell Page and his step-father, Jerry Sowder.

 

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, April 23^rd at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Following services, there will be cremation.

The family will receive friends on Saturday from 9:00 A.M. until service time at the chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Harold Page Memorial Fund 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.

Mary Irene “Sug” Beckford, 90, formerly of Fulton, Kansas passed away Thursday morning, December 23, 2021, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, Kansas.  She was born February 13, 1931, in Devon, Kansas, the daughter of George Franklin and Mary Elizabeth (Townsend) Snyder. She married Charles L. Beckford on August 27, 1950, in Fulton, Kansas, and he preceded her in death on October 19, 2008.

 

Sug graduated from Fulton High School. She helped plan many alumni reunions. She worked for The Western Insurance as a supervisor in the Key Punch department for 21 and a half years. She retired when The Western closed in 1988.

 

She was a member of the West Liberty United Methodist Church, West Liberty UMW, and Olive Chapter 13 OES. She was Past Matron and Past District Aide OES, Past Worthy High Priestess Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and was a Reach to Recovery volunteer for 15 years. She served as Sunday School Treasurer for 25 years, was Past UMW President, member and secretary for the Osaga Historical Society, and a member of the Fulton Community Center Board. Sug also served as Mother Advisor of Fort Scott Assembly 39 Rainbow Girls. Mary never missed an opportunity to serve in any capacity.

 

Sug’s favorite pastimes were reading, fishing, and gardening. She was a KU Basketball fan and loved angel food cake. She was known for her banana bread and homemade strawberry ice cream. Her grandkids thought she made the best vegetable soup and chili ever. She loved all of her family, but had a special relationship with her great-granddaughters Willow, Maddie, and Evie, and was looking forward to meeting her great-grandson, Donovan.

 

Survivors include her children, Randy L. Beckford and wife Carmen, of Fulton, and Vickie S. Lord and husband Gerald, of Lawrence, Kansas; a brother, Alva Snyder, of Independence, Kansas; sister-in-law Joyce Sipe, Fort Scott; seven grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, and numerous great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband Charles, she was also preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, John E. Snyder, and George J. Snyder, two granddaughters, and one grandson.

 

Memorial services for Sug will take place 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022, at the West Liberty United Methodist Church, and she will be interred with her husband Charles in the Mapleton Cemetery under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be given to West Liberty United Methodist Church the day of the service or mailed to: West Liberty Treasurer c/o Kathy Valentine, 2638 Tomahawk Road Fort Scott, KS 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Ivan LeRoy “Pokey” Harding, Jr., age 77, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Monday, April 18, 2022, at his home.  He was born May 7, 1944, in Parsons, KS, the son of Ivan LeRoy and Orlean Sampsel Harding.

Pokey attended Walnut public schools and graduated from Joint Rural High School Stark, KS with the class of 1962.  He graduated from Pittsburg State University Auto Technology School.

Pokey served in the U. S. Navy and later the Reserves.

He married Shirley Simon on April 2, 1976.

Pokey worked for Quality Chevrolet in Wichita briefly before moving to Ft. Scott.  He then worked for Ft. Scott Motors, Shepherd Team Auto Plaza and finally 5-Corners Automotive.

He enjoyed gardening, hunting, fishing, and spending time with his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.  He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Blue Lodge, American Legion, and Mercy Hospital Auxiliary.

 

Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Shirley of the home; a son, John Ivan Harding and wife Helen, Topeka, KS; a daughter, Jeri Keller and husband Jeff, Wichita, KS; two stepsons, Randy Houdashelt, Ft. Scott, and Jimmy Houdashelt, Parsons, KS; a sister, Carolyn Sinn, Ft. Scott; an uncle, Joe Harding and wife Phyllis, Stark, KS; two grandchildren, Ashley and Austin; two step grandchildren, Derek and Dillon; two step great-grandchildren, Aiden and Macie;  and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

 

Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct memorial services at 11:30 AM Monday, April 25^th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

The family will receive friends Monday from 10:30 AM until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

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

 

Ivan LeRoy “Pokey” Harding, Jr., age 77, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Monday, April 18, 2022, at his home.  Services for Pokey Harding will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.

 

Phyllis L. Ward, age 89, went to her eternal home in Heaven on Thursday, April 14, 2022. Her parents were Roy & Lula Bentley and she was raised in Ft. Scott, KS. She was a loving Mother and Housewife. She did work a few years before retiring to Ft. Scott, at Rival Mfg., in Albany, MO. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, embroidering & could make the best pies ever. She raised 5 ornery children on Ranches with her husband, Harold Ward. They were married for 68 years before his passing in June of 2019. She loved her family which included 5 children, 8 Grandchildren & 16 Great Grandchildren. She loved babies and they brought her great joy. She spent her last several years in Wichita, Kansas. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

She was welcomed home by her husband, Harold, her parents Roy & Lula Bentley, In-laws Hubert & Tressie Ward, along with several siblings & in-laws and 2 sons, Harold Stephen Ward & Ricky Joe Ward. They had a wonderful reunion celebration upon her arrival.

She is survived by 3 daughters, Debra Vanderveer (Tim) of Crawfordville, FL; Diana Thompson (Monte) of Wichita, KS; Patricia Cadle of Goddard, KS.; along with the Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren who knew her as Nana. We will look forward to seeing her again someday in Heaven.

A celebration of Life service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 23, 2022, at Cheney Witt Chapel. She will be laid to rest in the Uniontown Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday, April 22^nd from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association and may be left in the 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.

Ann Bannon Meara Bolden passed away on April 10, 2022. She was born on December 2, 1977, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, Kansas, to Daniel F. Meara and JoAnn F. Meara.

She began her education at St. Mary’s School in Fort Scott, Kansas, then went to Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School, where she graduated in 1996.

She then attended Pittsburg State University before meeting the love of her life, Derek C. Bolden. She and Derek were married at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, in Fort Scott, Kansas, on October 14, 2000. They then lived in Kansas City, Kansas.

Although she began to experience the symptoms in 2005, she was finally diagnosed with primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 2010, she continued to discharge her duties at work.

From then to the date of her death, she maintained her love for her family and friends. She prayed for those in distress and those in need of her love. She was well-known for her courage in the face of her debilitating disease and her unfailing sense of humor.

She always brought out the best in all of us and we will continue to hold her in the most sacred place of our hearts for the rest of our lives.

She leaves her husband, Derek C. Bolden, her parents Daniel F. Meara and JoAnn F. Meara, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Priscilla and Chuck Tolman, her aunts Peggy Niles, Mary Morrow, and Mary Jane Schaefer, her brother, Daniel F. Meara III and wife Amy, sister Megan F. Sailors and husband Jeff, brother, Brendan L. Meara and wife Julie, brother James Meara and wife Zo, brother John Meara and wife Jodie, and sister Kathleen Meara; her sisters-in-law Valerie Witt and Dionne Green, and brother-in-law John Chambers and wife Jennifer; her cousins Matt Morrow and wife Kathy, Jeanine Bock and husband Tim, Ronald Schaefer and wife Christy, Laurie Roach, Larry Schaefer and wife Sharon, Leslie Crane and husband Bruce, Geri Roling and husband Mark, Pamela Harrison and husband Brad, Steven Schaefer and wife Mackenzie, and the families of her cousins. She loved as individuals each of her nieces and nephews: Daniel F. Meara IV, Patrick Meara, Samuel Sailors, Maxwell Sailors, Alexis Sailors, Leo Meara, Theodore Meara, Robin Meara, Chairno Baldeh, Kirsten Green, Mathew Baldeh, Tristen Green, Simone Baldeh, Caleb Chambers, Alex Chambers, and Dylan Chambers.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, April 22, 2022, at 10:00 AM at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 714 S. Eddy, Fort Scott, Kansas.

Ann was particularly concerned for those in need, the hungry and homeless. For that reason, in lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Harvesters Community Food Network, a non-profit organization for the relief of the poor, 3801 Topping Ave., Kansas City, MO 64129. Donations may also be made to St. Mary’s School, 702 S. Eddy, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.