Joyce Ilene True, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at Country Place Living in Ft. Scott.

She was born December 28, 1946, in Kansas City, KS, the daughter of Lynn and Pearl Childs Haller. She graduated from Shawnee Mission North high school then obtained her bachelor’s in education from Emporia State University.

She married Michael True on June 15, 1968, in Shawnee, KS. He preceded her in death on February 16, 2018.

Joyce taught elementary school wherever Michael was stationed until her children were born.

Later, she worked as a substitute teacher. Joyce enjoyed crafts, sewing, painting, flower gardening, and traveling. She was a member of the Midwest MGA Club, D.A.R., and Pioneer Kiwanis.

Survivors include a son, Steve True and wife Victoria, Ottawa, KS; a daughter, Julie True, Joplin, MO; and four grandchildren.

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

There was cremation.

A memorial visitation will be held at 3:00 PM Friday, July 26^th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

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

Memorials are suggested to Pioneer Kiwanis Children’s 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.

Karlene Kay Spencer, age 70, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2019, at the Via Christi Hospital Emergency Room in Ft. Scott.

She was born September 15, 1948, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of William Karl Murn and Frances Rebecca Greer Murn.

Karlene graduated from the Ft. Scott High School and the Ft. Scott Junior College. She worked for several years for the Western Insurance Company.

She married Dr. Richard Spencer on October 12, 1971.

In earlier years, she was a member of the Grace Baptist Tabernacle. She latter attended Parkway Church of God (Holiness). She enjoyed playing the piano. Karlene was a devoted wife and mother. She faithfully cared for her son, Jonathan throughout his illness.

Survivors include her husband, Richard “Dick” Spencer, of the home.

She was preceded in death by her son, Jonathan, her parents, Bill and Becky Murn and her in-laws, Virgil and Dorothy Spencer.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday, July 5th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to Ft. Scott Christian Heights 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.

Donald Gene ‘Butch’ Krug, 72, of Callahan, Florida, went home to be with his Lord and Savior June 19, 2019, at UF Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida.

He was born October 27, 1946 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville to Walter Eugene and Ellen Blakley Krug. He moved to the Boys’ Home Association in Jacksonville at age 10.

Butch graduated from Ft. Scott Junior College and Pittsburg State College in Kansas. He played football at both schools. He married the love of his life, Connie Morehead June 5, 1970.

He was a Firefighter Engineer for the City of Jacksonville Beach for 28 years retiring in 2003. They lived in Jacksonville until 2009 when they moved to the home he built in Callahan.

He worked hard caring for his family. He enjoyed sports, racquetball, football, golf and softball.

He was saved at the age of 23 at the First Baptist Church in Ft. Scott, Kansas. He was later a member of Arlington Baptist Church Jacksonville. He was currently a very active member of Callahan First Baptist Church. He made friends everywhere he went. He enjoyed telling stories and didn’t mind telling on himself! His favorite Bible verse was Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” He tried to embody that verse in his life.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Connie; his son Aaron Samuel (Amanda) Krug of Midlothian, Virginia; one granddaughter Samantha Jo Krug; two sisters-in-law Betty (George) Colgin of Fort Scott; Cheryl (Danny) Craig; and brother in-law David (Melissa Albers) Morehead; and a host of special friends in Kansas, Virginia, Jacksonville, Callahan and everywhere he traveled.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Ellen Wiggins.

A graveside service will be held in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Ft. Scott, Kansas, in the fall.

Donations in memory of Donald Krug are suggested to the American Lung Association and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Marian Thomas of Alamogordo, NM, formerly of Sedalia, Mo, died Monday, June 24, 2019, at Gerald Chapman Hospital in Alamogordo. She was 88 years old.

The daughter of Preston K and Julia Rife, she was born October 13, 1930, at Shaw, Kansas.

On March 2, 1958, she married James “Jake” Thomas in Iola, Kansas. They made their home in various states including Kansas, Oregon and Missouri.

Survivors include three sons, Paul (Tammy) of Neosho, Missouri, Hank (Eileen) of Seneca, Missouri, Lewis (Kelly) of Alamogordo, a daughter Joy (Dan) Crum of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; a brother Sam (Helen) Rife of Mildred, Kansas; eight grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, many nephews, nieces and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Preston and Julia Rife, her husband, Jake Thomas, a son Bill Thomas, and a grandson Torry Thomas.

Memorial services will be held graveside, Wednesday, July 10th, at 10:30 a.m., at the Osage Cemetery, northeast of Mildred, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to the association of your choice and left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Patricia Cowan, age 73, passed away peacefully Saturday, June 29, 2019, in Topeka, KS.

Patricia lived in Fort Scott, KS, the majority of her life. She worked for Western Insurance companies and then American States for many years.

She retired in the mid 90’s to spend more time with her loving husband and new grandchildren. They were what meant the most to her. She loved children. Not just her children, she loved all children. She would tell you spending time with children keeps you young…. young at heart anyway. The most precious memories were time spent with her grandchildren then as they grew older spending time with Jackson, Olivia, Grace, Audrey and Ella. They all meant so much to her.

She is survived by her two children, Jeri (Jeff) Keller and John (Helen) Harding, two grandchildren – Ashley (Sam) Brooks and Austin Keller, one brother- Donalle (Barbara) Walker and one sister – Linda (Bert) Fisher.

She is predeceased by her husband, Homer Cowan, Jr. as well as her parents, Orville and Doris Walker, her brother Charles Walker and sister Shirley Burford.

There was cremation.

A graveside committal service will be held at 1:30 PM Friday, July 5th, in the U. S. National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 11:30 until 12:30 Friday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

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

Anna Darlene Woods, age 85, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, June 28, 2019, in Kansas,

OK. She was born September 2, 1933, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of John and Pearl Martin Mitzner. She attended Ft. Scott area schools and received her LPN degree from St. Luke’s nursing program. She worked for several different hospitals and nursing homes in her career. Her devotion to nursing led to her daughter becoming a surgical technician and granddaughters becoming nurses.

She married Warren Henry Woods. He preceded her in death in 1985.

She enjoyed fishing, gardening, knitting and sewing.

Survivors include a son, Warren Woods and wife Donna, Osawatomie, KS; two daughters, Deborah Kelly and husband Bill, Kansas, OK, and Cheryl Loyd and husband Kevin, Shawnee, KS; five brothers, Fred Mitzner and wife Erma, Ft. Scott, Bill Mitzner and wife Mary Beth, Paola, KS, Dave Mitzner and wife Geneva, Beagle, KS, Jerry Mitzner and wife Joy, Mindenmines, MO, and Steve Mitzner, Columbia; and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Martha Petrie and Pat Ballou; two brothers, Johnny and Larry Mitzner; and her parents.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Wednesday, July 3rd at the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.

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

Memorials are suggested to donor’s local hospice of choice. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Adam Wayne Bancroft, age 48, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, June 21, 2019, as the result of a vehicle accident East of Ft. Scott on Hwy. 54.

He was born January 10, 1971, in Lansing, MI, the son of Dennis W. Bancroft and Pamela Fay Perkins Hickman. He graduated from Jayhawk Linn High School with the class of 1989. In school he was known as “Badam”, but later in life, he became “Dadam.”

Adam received his master’s degree in administration following a bachelor’s in special education from Emporia State University. He taught in several locations earlier in his career. Most recently he taught in Wichita until teaching in Paola from 2017 to present.

He married Susan Peery on October 15, 2016, in Mound City. He enjoyed riding bikes, helping others, and collecting sports memorabilia.

Adam was loud and funny; you knew when he was in the room. He was a children’s advocate, selfless, serving, and a dedicated family man.

Survivors include his wife Susan of the home; three daughters, Kynleah Bancroft, Bailie Hughes and husband Victor, and Allie Brown; two sons, Kyle Kjar and Gunnar Brown; his father, Dennis Bancroft and wife Deborah, Drums, PA; two sisters, Shandra Hilpipre and husband Troy, Webster City, IA, and Susannah Hood and husband Jon, Mississippi; two step-brothers, Matthew Reeder and David Reeder; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son Kolbey Bancroft; and his mother, Pamela Hickman.

Rev. Joe Perkins will conduct funeral services at 10:30 AM Friday, June 28^th, at the First Baptist Church, Mound City, KS.

Burial will follow in the Woodland Cemetery, Mound City.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Adam Bancroft Scholarship 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.

Grant Daniel Wells, known fondly to many as “Big Son”, passed unexpectantly from this life on June 21, 2019, while visiting his parents in Fort Scott, Kansas.

He was born on July 12, 1993, to Dan Wells and Marti Wells-Smith in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. He came into this life with enthusiasm for nature, animals, the wide-open prairie, sports, campfires, grilling, hunting, fishing, music and so much more.

He left quietly, serenely, when his Lord Jesus chose to take him to his heavenly home for a greater purpose.

Grant was a special soul who befriended people from all walks of life. He loved to surround himself with kindred spirits and have good, old fashioned fun at every opportunity.

He attended school in Fort Scott from 5^th grade through his sophomore year and returned to the prairie where he was a 2011 graduate of Copan Oklahoma High School.

He gained welding certification at Coffeyville Kansas Vo Tech and launched a career in the oil field business.

The family was informed that he was a rising star with White Tail Oil Field Services and was employed as a Lead Field Technician at the time of his passing. It was a traveling job, and Grant loved to travel the nation, making friends wherever he hung his hat.

On Facebook you will see literally hundreds of friends sharing memories, pictures, and musical tributes as they both celebrate Grant’s life and mourn his departure. This is not surprising. Grant would give you the shirt off his back, and did. He would change tires for strangers, offer you his last dollar, cook for you, help with chores and sit up all hours just listening and encouraging friends who needed support and love.

He leaves behind his dad, Dan Wells and second mother, Lori Wells, his sister by heart, Lauren Gavin, second dad, Scott Smith and mom Marti. He has a large extended family who hold unique places in his heart, and too many good friends to count. But a grateful thank you is extended to Cole, Emily, Jerad, Paul, Ty, Curt, and our other family members who are helping in so many ways.

Grant was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Ben and Mardy Wells, and maternal grandparents, Ted and Maxine Simkin.

Following cremation, a visitation will be held at Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, June 29, 2019, with a memorial service in Oklahoma to be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please do a kind deed for someone in Grant’s memory. That is exactly what Grant Wells would love for you to do.