Nita Habbena, age 97, of Carl Junction, Missouri, passed away peacefully on August 5th at her daughter’s home surrounded by her family who loved her dearly.

Nita grew up in the small community of Rockwell City, Iowa, where she met and married her husband, Carl, in 1947. During their marriage they lived and raised their 4 children in Manson, Iowa. When the nest was empty, they moved to Yankton, South Dakota, then Leawood, Kansas, with their final move to Carl Junction where they lived for over 30 years.

Her pride and joy was her grandson Ryan. Nita also enjoyed playing golf, her gardens, flowers, and a good glass of wine. She was a dog lover and enjoyed companion pets throughout her entire life. She also loved the KC Royals and Chiefs, and there was nothing she enjoyed more than watching a good game on television.

She had a zest for life and was a fiercely independent spirit. Having fun was always the goal. During her final years that spirit was a blessing but also became a challenge to her caregivers who were honored to be part of her final journey. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl, in 2003, her parents, and 2 sisters. She is survived by her daughters, Carleen Shatto, Paula Habbena, Pat Habbena, son Doug Habbena, grandson Ryan Habbena and sister Pegge Hudgins.

A special thank you must be extended to Good Shepherd Hospice for their exceptional care. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Good Shepard Hospice, Olathe, Kansas, or New Beginnings Dog Rescue in Overland Park, Kansas.

A celebration of life is pending.

Chester “Chet” Eugene Bower, age 79, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Tuesday morning, July 25, 2023, in his home after battling cancer. He was born on November 6, 1943, to Jesse and June Dunbar Bower.

He graduated from Uniontown High School in 1961, and married Linda Morilla in 1965. He worked the majority of his career in bridge building construction and after retiring, worked in house construction for a few years.

For the last 20 years he has enjoyed gardening and selling produce to the community through the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market.

He was a member of the Community Christian Church.

Throughout the years, he enjoyed coaching baseball, hunting, fishing, camping, playing cards, and spending time with his grandkids.

Survivors include his wife, Linda of the home; his son, Jerod Bower, Devon, KS; his daughter, Belinda Smith (Nathan), La Monte, MO; five grandchildren, Paige Stainbrook, Brenna Bower, Jenna Smith, Ethan
Smith, and Tyler Smith; and one sister, Roberta Rickman.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jesse Bower; his mother, June Dunbar Bower; four sisters, Mabel Bower Green, Margaret Bower Rhodes, and  two infant sisters; and five brothers, Jay Bower, Floyd Bower, Perry Bower, John Bower, and Leroy Bower.

There was cremation.

Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct memorial services at 11:00 AM Saturday, July 29 th , at the Community Christian Church. The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until service time at the Church.

Memorials are suggested to Show-Me Christian Youth Home or Community Christian Church 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.

Naomi Carol (Sweeney) Snow, age 85, resident of Pittsburg, KS died Wednesday morning, July 26, 1937, at Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg.  She was born on September 17, 2023, in Deerfield, MO, the daughter of Archie Carl Sweeney and Gertrude G. (Relaford) Sweeney.  She lived in the Kansas City area, Warsaw, Mo, and later Pittsburg, KS.

Survivors include her husband Victor J. Snow, Jr.; her children, Donetta “Donita” Schuler, Pleasant Valley, MO, Daniel “Danny” Seeley, Warsaw, MO, Sheila Palmer, Kansas City, KS, and Glendale “Glen” Tippin, Kansas City; her brother, Vernie Sweeney, Kansas City area; her step children Victor Snow III, Vicky Henderson, Mike Snow, and Robert Snow of the Kansas City area; as well as many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, family, friends, and a World that loved her.

She will be sadly missed by all, leaving a great void in our lives.  All who knew her have no doubt that she has reached her Mansion in the Sky with the Lord.

Pastor Danny Brown will conduct services at 10:00 AM Wednesday, August 2^nd, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery, Fort Scott, KS.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Naomi Snow 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.

Chester Eugene “Chet” Bower, age 79, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Tuesday morning, July 25, 2023, at his home. There was cremation.

Services will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, July 29^th, at the Community Christian Church.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until service time at the Church.

Memorials are suggested to Show-Me Christian Youth Home or Community Christian Church 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.

Chester Eugene “Chet” Bower, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Tuesday morning, July 25, 2023, at his home.  Services will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.

Larry Clarence Farris, 71, of Arma, Kansas, passed away Saturday, July 15, 2023, at the Medicalodge of Frontenac, Kansas. Larry was born on August 21, 1951, in Russell, Kansas, the son of Fred Warren Farris and Alice Marie (Coles) Farris.

Larry is survived by several cousins, including Jo Thompson, of Hugoton, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his two brothers, Kenneth Ray Farris, and Gary Leonard Farris.

Following cremation, Larry will be interred with his parents and brothers in the Richland Cemetery, Mound City, Kansas, under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

The family will hold private memorial services at a later date. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Gary M. Saker, 74, formerly of Fort Scott, Kansas, passed away July 14, 2023, after a battle with an ongoing illness. Gary was preceded in death by his father Don Saker and mother Eloise Richards Garnand.

Survivors include Tracy Saker, sons Andrae and Bryden Saker of the home along with Kaleb Saker of Girard, Kansas, and his family.  Recently Gary enjoyed spending more time with his grandchildren in Girard prior to being hospitalized.

Gary also leaves behind his sisters, Sharon Conner, Debbie Garnand DeJong, Glenna Garnand, Sawannah Saker Lewis, and brothers Gary G., and Don Saker, along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and brothers and sisters-in-law.

Gary worked in restoration for several years before becoming disabled. Gary loved to cook, hunt, fish, and spend time with family and friends. Gary was loved by all who met him, and he would do anything for almost anyone. Gary’s loving kindness, thoughtfulness, and sense of humor will be greatly missed by those whose lives he touched.

Following cremation, memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Clara Kay Griffin-Clark, age 64, resident of St. Joseph, MO died Sunday, July 16, 2023, at her home.  She was born February 20, 1959, in Munich, Germany, the daughter of Rolland and Mary Lou Johnson Griffin.  Following college, Kay worked as a radiation therapist for two different hospitals.  She married David Clark on September 10, 2010, in Las Vegas, NV.  Kay was one of the happiest people to be around, finding the positives in life.  She loved traveling to the ocean in Texas, Florida, and once in Hawaii.

Survivors include her husband David of the home; her mother, Mary Lou Mefford, Fort Scott, KS; a stepdaughter, Diana Clark, St. Joseph, MO; a stepson, Austin Clark, Colorado Springs, CO; a stepbrother, Donnie Mefford (Linda), Mound City, KS; nephew Mike Mefford (Rochelle), Lee’s Summit, MO; great niece Aleigh M. Mefford; step grandsons Oliver and David Gastineau; and several cousins.  She was preceded in death by her father, Rolland Griffin; stepfather Ike Mefford; and 2 stepbrothers, Richard, and Bill Mefford.

Rev. Rusty Newman will conduct funeral services at 11:00 AM Friday, July 21^st, at the Cheney Witt Chapel, Fort Scott, KS.

Burial will follow in the Bronson Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until service time Friday and the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to Paws and Claws 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.

Judy (Woods) Marshall  died July 14, 2023, after a brave fight with cancer. Judy was born March 27, 1938 to Charles E. and Claybel (Houston) Woods in El Dorado, KS.

She is survived by her husband of 64 years Bob Marshall; three children Dana (Craig) McKenney of Fort Scott, Darcy Marshall of Houston TX, and Dirk Marshall, also of Houston; and her brother Ray Woods of Independence, KS.

Although she was known as Grannie Karate Chop for her fearless enforcement of dining table etiquette, Judy also loved and was loved by her seven grandchildren Reece McKenney, Drew Suddock, Neely Stuart (Laith), Kyle Moore, Cole Gaston, Parker McKenney (deceased), and Angie McKenney, and her three great grandchildren Kieran Houlihan, Colin Houlihan, and Joyce Stuart.

She grew up riding horses and playing tennis and golf.

Judy attended the University of Kansas and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Only rarely did she get up on a chair at the dinner table and sing Kappa songs. She graduated from KU with a degree in English.

She won a short-story writing competition sponsored by the Kansas City Star and twice won statewide short-story competitions in North Carolina. She was the author of two books: Ride a Hole Through the Wind (young adult fiction) and Legends and Lore of Bourbon County.

(Proceeds from the sale of the latter book go to the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation.).

Judy raised three children who love her and already miss her dearly. When her children were young, she was active in the Junior League of Kansas City, performing for years in their Children’s Theater productions and also providing volunteer physical therapy for disabled children.

She took up racquetball and won several trophies – those trophies are still prominently displayed in her home. Her husband’s boxes and boxes of handball and football and basketball and baseball trophies are somewhere but we’re not sure where.

Judy appointed herself Assistant Athletic Director at Fort Scott Community College from 2003-2008 – while her husband served as the official Athletic Director and also Assistant State Senator in Topeka while her husband served as a Kansas State Senator from 2008-2012.

She was a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Big Brother Big Sisters organization in Fort Scott and loved being a member of the local Rotary Club. She was a regular at Nu Grille for lunch.

She loved her Kansas Jayhawks. In Allen Field House she let Bobby Knight know he was doing a fine job commenting on the games, while offering helpful if unwanted advice to others, like Fran Fraschilla and Dick Vitale, who were, in her opinion, too distracted and distracting.

Judy loved Fort Scott, KS, her adopted hometown and never met a stranger in town.

The family thanks all  in Fort Scott for being a part of the community that meant so much to her and brought her so much happiness.

Thank you to the cowboys who endured her unsolicited advice on how to run a cattle operation. Judy named the cows she and Bob raised – Esther Williams was her most beloved cow. She was great at taking care of the animals; not so great at getting them sold at the Fort Scott sale barn.

Judy was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Scott.

Pastor Christopher Eshelman from the First United Methodist Church will conduct a memorial service at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, July 19^th at the First Presbyterian Church, 308 S. Crawford, Ft. Scott, Kansas.  The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until service time on Wednesday in the church parlor.

In keeping with her spirit, please come dressed casually. Farming clothes such as overalls and crimson and blue KU clothes will be most welcome; KSU Wildcat purple will be tolerated.

Private burial will take place at a later date in the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott.

To honor her memory,  contributions can be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or to the Fort Scott Community Foundation; or to the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Scott and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.

Special thanks to the staff at the Nu Grille diner downtown for entertaining and being entertained by Judy day in and day out for so many years.

Thanks also to the caring staff of Gentiva Hospice of Pittsburg, Kansas.

And finally a special thanks to the wonderful nurses and staff at Presbyterian Village who loved Judy and called her Sweet Pea and took “brilliant” care of her in her final months.

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

Harvalee Waltmire, 86, of Fulton, Kansas, passed away Monday, July 10, 2023 surrounded by family.

Born in Fort Scott, Kansas on March 29, 1937, to the late Hollis and Alice Waltmire. Hollis passed before Harvalee’s birth, and he was lovingly raised by Alice and the only father Harv ever knew, Bill Fisher.

Harvalee met the love of his life Janice Good at Mound City High School in 1955 and the two were married on June 22, 1958. Harvalee found joy in simple pleasures, spending time in nature, hunting, fishing, gardening, and riding motorcycles with his family. He appreciated his work as a meat cutter for nearly 40 years, known for his skill and taking the time to share a smile and a story.

An avid handyman and craftsman, Harv spent many hours woodworking. There wasn’t a request, repair, or project he wouldn’t take on. Above all else, Harvalee will be remembered by family, friends, and neighbors for his loving kindness and generosity in all forms.

He is survived by his loving wife, Janice; children: Vera (Jeff) Heller of Houston, TX, Brian (Gina) Waltmire of Overland Park, KS; grandchildren: Rachel, Brooke, Samantha, Max; seven great-grandchildren; brother: Bill Fisher of Pensacola, FL.

Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct funeral services Friday, July 14, 2023 at 10:30 A.M. at the Fulton United Methodist Church, Fulton, KS.

Burial will follow in the Osage Cemetery.

Memorial are suggested to the Fulton United Methodist Church 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.

James Marlyn Hite was born on February 18, 1947, in Moran, Kansas, to John M. Hite and Marianna Koch Hite.

He died peacefully at home on Sunday, July 9, 2023, at the age of 76 with his family surrounding him.  He grew up in the Uniontown/Redfield area, attended grade school in Redfield and graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1965.  He attended Fort Scott Community College after graduation.

Jim and Doris were married on December 26, 1969, at First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown.  He later completed his degree in education after he and Doris moved to Wichita.

Jim is preceded in death by both his mother and his father.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Hite, of the home in Wichita, three sons, Christopher J. Hite of Wichita, Joshua D. Hite of Wichita, and Timothy M. Hite (Chantal) of Troy, Missouri, and one sister, Diana Hite Ford of Wichita.  He has ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  He loved his family dearly and took great pride in them.  He never missed a practice or a game when his sons were playing sports.  He even changed his work schedule so he could attend the games.

Jim was on staff at the Wichita Baptist Tabernacle and taught in the Baptist Tabernacle School shortly after he and Doris moved to Wichita.  He joined American Family Insurance as an insurance underwriter in 1986 and later changed to an insurance claims adjuster.  He retired from American Family in 2012.

Jim loved being in the yard, planting flowers and a garden.  It was his stress reliever.  He loved red canna bulbs and red geraniums.  And, of course, when he was in high school, he loved muscle cars, which he and his friends always drove.  In fact, on his first date with Doris, he got a ticket for loud pipes.  She never let him forget that.

Jim loved the Lord and was so ready to meet Him.  He was not afraid of death because he had assurance of his destination.

Services will be held for him at Newspring Church in Wichita, Kansas, at 10:30 Thursday morning, July 13, 2023, with burial in Uniontown Cemetery at 3:00 pm.

Donations in place of flowers may be made to divinenest.com, which is a non-profit organization that supports and trains foster and adoptive families.

It was an important organization to Jim because of the amazing work they do and the heart they have for kids going through traumatic events. His son, Tim, is the Associate Director.

Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Frankie Shrakes, Jr., age 74, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Friday, July 7, 2023, at his home.  He was born September 5, 1948, in Ft. Scott, the son of Frank Shrakes and Velma “Dolly” McDaniel Shrakes.  He married Gail L. Guffey on June 6, 1966, at Ft. Scott.

Frankie worked for twenty-five years at Peerless Products in Ft. Scott.  He had a knack for working on engines, and following his retirement from Peerless, he operated his own small engine repair shop.

In his younger days, Frankie enjoyed playing softball and racing go-carts and stock cars.  He also enjoyed fishing and occasionally participated in area bass tournaments.

He attended Ft. Scott Church of the Nazarene.

Survivors include his daughters, Teresa Shrakes of Ft. Scott, Heidi Dixon (Rob) also of Ft. Scott and DiAnna Dakon (Ronald) of Smithville, Missouri; seven grandchildren, Ricky Ann Vargas (Ariel), Austin Shelden, Alek Shelden (Megan), Ashton Dixon. Jacob Mein, Nickolas Dakon, and Skylar Dakon; three great-grandchildren, Lola, Santiago and Laney Vargas.  Also surviving are four brothers, John “Duke” Zabrinas, Donald Shrakes, Ronnie Shrakes, and Larry Shrakes and three sisters, Carol Shrakes, Kathy Shrakes and Janet Shrakes and a special cousin J.R. Stewart (Wendy) of Ft. Scott.

Frankie was preceded in death by his wife, Gail, on October 7, 2022.

Rev. Virgil Peck will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, July 12^th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday 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.com.