Thorene F. Roberts, 93, of Fort Scott, passed away peacefully Monday afternoon, November 8, 2021. She was born February 29, 1928, in Mount Hope, Kansas, one of 4 children to Scott and Dollie (Lumbert) Johnson. She married Kale Lee Roberts on February 1, 1947, in Mount Hope, Kansas, and they had two sons, Kent and Kim. Kale preceded her in death on April 14, 2021.
Thorene and Kale were long-time residents of Wichita, Kansas, and were founding members of West Heights Methodist Church. Thorene and Kale moved to Fort Scott, Kansas in 2012 and have lived here up until the time of their deaths.
Thorene is survived by her children, Kent L. Roberts and wife Becki, of Fort Scott, and Kim A. Roberts and wife Kalyn, of Plano, Texas; three grandchildren, Brooke Roberts-Higgins, of Carthage, Missouri, Scott Roberts, of Longview, Texas, and Ryan Roberts, of Plano, Texas; four great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband Kale, she was also preceded in death by her parents, and three brothers, Paul Johnson, Garlan Johnson, and Irwin Johnson.
Following cremation, private memorial services will be held at a later date. The family requests memorial gifts be made in Thorene’s memory to: Care to Share – The Sharing Bucket, 2478 Limestone Road, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701, or 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.
Louis J. Chermok, age 82, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Saturday, November 6, 2021, at Arma Health & Rehab, Arma, KS. He was born June 24, 1939, in Berhoud, CO, the son of Louis Chermok, Sr. and Ann Kouma Chermok. The family moved to David City, NE. He met his wife to be, Darlene Vachal, in Columbus, NE and the two were married on May 14, 1960, in North Bend, NE. Lou moved to Ft. Scott, KS, in 1971 to run Craft Fabricators which built shower doors and enclosures. Lou and Darlene moved to Virginia in 1993 to launch Craft Diston, a branch of Craft Fabricators. They moved back to Ft. Scott in 2003. He was a long-time member of Mary Queen of Angels Church and Knights of Columbus 4th Degree. Lou enjoyed hunting, bowling, yard work and gardening. He was a master hunter safety instructor for 20 plus years and officiated high school football. He loved time spent with family, especially traveling.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Darlene; 4 children, Michael Chermok and wife Kristin, Parker, KS, Richard Chermok, Garland, KS, Teresa Chermok, Ft. Scott, and Daniel Chermok and wife Dalene, Fruita, CO; 4 grandchildren, Nathan, Jessica, Kalene, and Jacob and wife Megan; and 2 great grandchildren, Weston and Lilly. He was preceded by a son, Patrick Chermok; a brother, John Chermok; and his parents.
Father Yancy Burgess will conduct the funeral mass at 11:00 Friday, November 12th, at the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. The Rosary will be prayed at 10:30 prior to the service. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 PM Thursday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to St. Mary’s Catholic School 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.
Willis Karl Hamilton a.k.a. Will Hamilton went home to be with the Lord on October 29, 2021. He was born to Garfield (Willie) and Marie Turner Hamilton on January 11, 1963. He was raised in South Bend, Indiana and graduated from John Adams High School.
He moved with his wife, Joy, and daughter, Varonica to Lee’s Summit, Missouri in 2006. While living in Missouri, they were members of Evangelistic Center International Ministries where he participated in the EC Kids Ministry engaging the children with the life-sized puppets, he hand-crafted. The products of his Mid-West Puppet Designs business.
Anyone who knew Willis was touched by his kindness, humor, and mild temperament. His greatest joys were his Savior Jesus Christ, family with whom he loved spending time, his numerous musical instruments, photography, and motorcycles.
Willis was a truly talented and creative singer, songwriter, and musician with a catalog of over 300 songs including his very first cut—an LP 45—at age 16 entitled “Jesus is Knocking” to his newest song that will be shared posthumously, entitled “Dream Machine.”
His creativity also extended to the radio station WUBS where the jingle he wrote, “If you keep us locked in, we’ll keep you lifted up,” can still be heard.
In addition, he designed a “Guard Dog” (logo) that still stands watch today outside the Eaton Corporation, where he previously worked, in South Bend, Indiana.
One of his greatest creative works was “Lord, Have Mercy,” an original movie, that premiered locally at the Glenwood Theatre in 2015.
Willis earned college hours related to computer networking at Metropolitan Community College, KCMO. He also completed certifications in 2D and 3D digital drafting and design as a participant in RW2 Career and Technical Education.
Willis also loved his job in shipping and receiving at Corbion in Grandview, Missouri as well as the people with whom he worked.
Willis was preceded in death by his parents Garfield and Marie Hamilton.
He is survived by his loving wife, Joy to whom he was happily married for 28 years; three sons and one daughter – Abner (Shawna), Elijah (Erin), Willis II (Faith), and Varonica Hamilton. Also surviving are two sisters, Anna Marie Dorsey (Phillip), Judy Eady (Ken); and two brothers, Garfield Hamilton, and Gary Hamilton; a special sister Kewana Lawshea (Charles) and five grandchildren, Jacob Hamilton, Azariah Hamilton, Bear Hamilton, Ember Hamilton, and Pearl Hamilton; and nephews and nieces Melissa Lehman, Terance Gamble, Kaitlyn Eady, Xavier Lewis Tunnage, LaDonna Johnson, and John Rybolt; and life-long friend, J. Findley May
. We will all miss him more than words can say.
Willis’ Favorite Scripture: John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Services will be held at 11:00 AM Thursday, November 11th, at the Evangelistic Center International Ministries, 1800 Washington Blvd., Kansas City, KS. Services will be live streamed on the Evangelist Center Church YouTube channel.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until 11:00 prior to the service
. Burial will take place at 2:00 PM Friday, November 12th in the West Plains Cemetery, Fort Scott, KS. Memorials are suggested to RW2 Career and Technical Education scholarship fund for students in need at https://bit.ly/3kE7qIK or mailed in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
John Paul Haggard, age 77, of Forsythe, Montana left this world for his place in Heaven on October 28, 2021. He was born November 6, 1943, in Manhattan, Kansas to Rev. Hilburn Ray Haggard and Ellen Eileen Stickley. His mother died when he was very young, and he moved frequently with his father to wherever the ministry called them.
He graduated high school in Quapaw, Oklahoma in 1961. He served his country valiantly in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, and a sister. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Lou White. They were joined in marriage August 10, 1968, in El Dorado, Kansas. He is also survived by his son and daughter in law, Johnny Joe Haggard and Julia Fern Falletti Haggard, all of Pittsburg, Kansas.
In his early employment years, he worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad out of El Dorado, Kansas.
He later moved his family to Belle Creek, Montana where he was employed as a maintenance engineer with the oil fields there. He loved living in Montana and considered it his true home.
He was happiest when fixing anything mechanical, whether it be a small engine or the wonderful miracle of the internal combustion engine of his automotive brand of choice, Ford. He was a true softie when it came to the down on its luck animal. He never turned away a fur baby in need.
He was definitely a talker; he could carry on a substantive conversation on almost any topic. He often shared his knowledge and gave out mechanical advice whenever the need arose.
Although gone from this world he will never be forgotten. His colorful conversations and sometimes very different sense of humor will be greatly missed by his family.
There was cremation.
Private family interment will take place at a future date in the U. S. National Cemetery, Ft. Scott, KS.
Memorials are suggested to the John Haggard 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.
Kent Lavoe Holt, age 89, resident of Uniontown, KS, died Wednesday, October 27, 2021, in Fort Scott, KS. He was born February 6, 1932, in Fort Scott, the son of Howard Curtis and Helen Grace Kent Holt.
He attended Uniontown schools then went to FSCC and played football. Kent enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1951 and served until 1955.
He married Marilyn Hartman on May 6, 1951, in Redfield Kansas. Together they had 4 children, Kenneth Holt (Nancy), Debra Holt Likely (Tom), Randall Holt (Debra) and Susan Holt Eldridge (Ron); 9 grandchildren; and 24 great grandchildren. He has one Sister Nancy Elofson (Stan).
Kent was preceded in death by his parents and son Kenneth Holt.
Kent’s many accomplishments after his service in the Navy include working as Cashier at Union State Bank starting in 1955, while attending and graduating from Pittsburg State University. He also held the titles of President and Chairman of the Board until retirement in 1994. He was an ongoing Board Member. He was a member of the Kansas Bankers Association’s 50 Year Club.
Kent was a Uniontown advocate, initiating many things in his early years for the community including the Volunteer Fire Department, Uniontown Rural Rental Housing, donating the land and helping build the Uniontown Rodeo Arena, the Boy Scouts for several years, U-235 school board member, and was a member of First Missionary Baptist Church serving as a Trustee. He was also a rancher/farmer. His hobbies included piloting, golf, fishing, woodworking, traveling in the RV and being a Winter Texan for 24 years.
Rev. Marty DeWitt will conduct services at 10:00 AM Monday, November 1st, at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown.
Cremation will follow with private family burial in Uniontown Cemetery later. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. Memorials are suggested to the First Missionary Baptist Church 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.
Donna Ilene Tyler Fisher went to her heavenly home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and her beloved son, Tommy Dean, on October 27, 2021. She was born to Paul Daniel Tyler and Deloris Roy Tyler-Bolden on December 17, 1941, in Mantey, KS, on the homestead built by her grandfather and in the same room where her mother was birthed. She lived most of her life in the Fort Scott area.
Despite not finishing high school, Donna went on to gain her LPN license and worked as a night-charge nurse in Girard, KS, while raising four little kids. Her interest in medicine remained throughout her life. She also enjoyed learning about history; anything “old” piqued her interest, collecting old cookbooks, traveling the U.S., watching scary movies, and baking and cooking for her family. She also enjoyed landscape painting and donated some of her work to support the Douglas County AIDS Project.
Donna married and later divorced Jim Kramer. Together they had four children: Tommy, Steven, Connie, and Shelley. In 1986, she married Raymond Fisher and moved to Moundville, Mo., where they created a home and many fond, family memories.
He preceded her in death, as did her parents, two brothers, Paul Tyler and Larry Bolden, and two sisters, Dorothy Schultz and Bonnie Heaton, and a son, Tommy Kramer, in 2020.
Survivors include a son, Steven Kramer, Nevada Mo.; daughters Connie Wehmeyer (Mark), Mission Kansas; Shelley Morrison (Bob), Nevada Mo; a daughter-in-law Sandi Kramer, Nolanville TX; a stepdaughter, Kim Fisher Newell (Troy), Denver Co.; nine grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. A brother, Bill Bolden (Casey), Fort Scott, Ks and a sister, Laura Deen, Georgia, and several nieces and nephews in the Fort Scott area.
Donna will be laid to rest during a graveside service on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at 11:00 AM. at the Prescott Cemetery, Prescott, KS. Friends and family are invited to attend. In place of flowers, contributions to the American Cancer Society can 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.
Vicki Sue Thornhill, age 66, a resident of rural Mapleton, Kansas, died unexpectedly Friday, October 22, 2021, at her home.
She was born February 19, 1955, in Garnett, Kansas, the daughter of Kenneth Adams and Violet McQuay Adams.
Vicki had worked at the high school and also served as a bus drive for the Ballard, Missouri, school district. At the time of her death, she was serving in the same capacity for the Jayhawk Linn School District.
She liked horses and dogs and also enjoyed going to auctions.
Vicki loved her family and was always ready to go on an outing with them or to attend any of her grandchildren’s activities. While in Missouri, Vicki was a member of the Heart of Life Church in Adrian.
Survivors include her three children, Kenny Allen (Destiny) of Ft. Scott, Kansas, Rocky Wheeler (J.R.), of Butler, Missouri and Richie Allen (Aimee) of Mapleton, Kansas; a daughter-in-law, Ann Allen of Waukee, Iowa; sixteen grandchildren, Kolby Allen (Megan), Kori Belcher (Darren), Damon Allen (Torie), Austin Collins, Jordyn Allen, Savana Allen, Kailee Allen, Morgan Wheeler, Jailynn Wheeler, Garrett Allen, Jackson Allen, Kendall Earnest, Spencer Allen, Zoie Wheeler, Nellie Earnest and Kenadee Allen; and three great-grandsons, Atlas, Oliver and Gage with one more great-grandchild on the way. Also surviving is a step-son Jason Lewis and his family of the Florida Keys; a brother, Gary McQuay (Nyoka Simrell) and a sister, Sandra Dunfield (Lloyd) all of Nevada, Missouri.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and two sons, Robert Garwood who died in infancy and Tony Allen.
Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Friday, October 29th at the Community Christian Church.
Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Thursday 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.
Rebecca Mae Franklin, age 64, a resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, died Sunday, October 24, 2021, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas. She was born June 5, 1957 in Grandview, Missouri the daughter of William and Anne Holt. She graduated from Grandview High School. Rebecca married Howard Franklin in March of 1982, in Kansas City, Missouri. She was self-employed, and worked many small jobs to help take care of her family. Rebecca enjoyed knitting and spending time with her family, mainly the grandkids.
Rebecca is survived by her husband, Howard of the home; a son William Franklin, and fiancé Carrie, of Fort Scott; grandchildren, Christiphor Franklin, Cory Franklin, Corbin Franklin, and Liam Franklin; step-grandchildren, Bryson Hall and Blakelynn Gray. She was preceded in death by her parents, and an infant daughter, Christi Michelle Franklin.
There was cremation. A celebration of like will be held at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the Rebecca Franklin Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Donna M. Davidson, 77, of Uniontown, Kansas, passed away Sunday evening October 17, 2021, at her home. She was born March 7, 1944, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Lee Charles and Allie Ethyl (Peterson) Middleton. She married Clarence Williams November 21, 1998, in Mapleton, Kansas, and he preceded her in death.
Donna is survived by her children, Marvin Davidson, Teresa Varin, Bryan Davidson, and Lisa Enloe; a brother, Kenneth Middleton; a sister, Lois Cooney; and ten grandchildren, Aaron, Cinthyia, Blake, J.C., Resa, Travis, Cody, Ty, Quinten, and Corey.
In addition to her husband Clarence, Donna was also preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Carol Rourke and Carrie Elbrader, and a brother, David Middleton.
Following cremation, the family will celebrate Donna’s life at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall St, Fort Scott, Kansas. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
Patsy Ann Vaughn, age 84, a resident of Nevada, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at her home in Nevada.
She was born September 5, 1937, in Ft. Scott, Kansas the daughter of Harold Sipe and Thelma Fitzgerald Sipe. Patsy spent her childhood on the farm on the banks of Mill Creek near Devon, Kansas. She attended the Crescent Rural School and went on to graduate from Uniontown High School.
She trained under the direction of Sister Mary Jude (Dietrich). Following her training with the sisters of Mercy, she moved to Nevada where she worked in Dr. Wray’s office. She later worked as a lab tech at the Nevada City Hospital and the Bates County Medical Clinic and the Nevada Medical Clinic. She retired from the Nevada Regional Medical Center at the age of 75.
Survivors include her children, Steven Michael Sipe (Becky) of Kincaid, Kansas, Mikki Gardner (Rocky) of Nevada, Douglas Duncan of Nevada, Missouri, Chadd Duncan of Walker, Missouri, Jana Vaughn of Nevada and D.J. Vaughn also of Nevada, Darlene Hallford (Dennis) of Eldorado Springs, Missouri and Melissa Smith (Paul), of Nevada; twenty grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Also surviving is a brother, John Sipe (Marilyn) of Ft. Scott, Kansas, and a sister in law, Joyce Sipe of rural Fort Scott, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her daughter Lisa Vaughn, a grandson, Tanner Duncan, a sister, Shirley Loubier and a brother, Bob Sipe.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and may be left in 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.
